by Sharon Sala
“There’s the house, the white two-story with the stained glass. It’s been completely remodeled since I bought it, but if there are things you don’t like we can always change—”
Lissa held up her teacher finger to indicate silence.
“No, that is not an option. I do not come into your world and change it, just as you do not come into my world and change me. We’re filling in blanks, not redoing lives. I already loved everything about you before. We’re picking up where we left off, which means I already love your house because I love you.”
Mack grabbed that teacher finger and kissed it, then pulled up into the driveway and stopped beneath the portico.
“There’s also a three-car garage in the back, but I rarely use it,” he said.
“Oh, Mack, this place is breathtaking. I can’t believe this is going to be my home.”
He grinned, excited that she was so obviously pleased.
“Come inside and prowl around to your heart’s content while I get some clothes, okay?”
“You don’t want to give me the grand tour?” she asked.
“I don’t think I could stand the suspense,” he said. “I’d rather you poke about and pretend it’s a house you’re thinking about buying.”
She laughed. “That sounds like fun. I think I’d like that.”
“So take the grand tour on your own, m’lady. Your castle awaits.”
Eighteen
Lissa’s mouth dropped as they entered the foyer.
“Mack! Oh, my Lord!”
“You like it?” he asked, trying to see the house anew through her eyes, from the white marble flooring to the two-story entryway with the spiral staircase in the center and the massive chandelier dangling overhead.
“It’s stunning. And this spiral staircase is straight out of a movie.”
He grinned, thrilled that she was as entranced with the old girl as he was.
“That staircase was a huge selling point for me when I bought it. My bedroom is upstairs, first door on the right. You explore down here and I’ll be down soon. If you want to go upstairs, wait and I’ll take you up in the elevator.”
“You have an elevator?” she asked.
“The old woman who lived here before I bought it had it put in. She was crippled with arthritis, so the stairs had become an issue for her, but she refused to move her bedroom downstairs. The elevator was her solution. It’s safe. I’ve used it before.”
Lissa was listening, but already itching to see more, and Mack could tell it.
“Go,” he said. “I’ll be down in a few minutes. The library and office are that way. The kitchen and dining room are over there. The living room is straight in front of you. There’s a guest bath just before the library, and a bathroom inside the utility room off the kitchen.”
Lissa turned left, a little intimidated by the sound of her footsteps echoing on the marble, and poked her head in the guest bathroom. She was enchanted by the Old World decor mixed with state-of-the-art bath fixtures. She went from there to the library and was immediately hooked by his collection of books. She moved up for a closer look at the shelves, running her fingers along the spines, checking titles and authors.
The large overstuffed chairs scattered around the room had been situated near the best natural lighting, and the thought of whiling away long hours curled up in one of those chairs with a good book and a blanket seemed like heaven.
The office was decorated much like the library—walnut stain on the wide-plank flooring, soft-as-butter leather in a dark oxblood color and the most up-to-date office equipment anyone could need. The computer system alone was awe inspiring, considering the fact that hers consisted of a laptop and a cheap printer.
She was imagining this house decorated at Christmas, with seven-foot tall trees and garlands hanging from the doorways, as she backtracked and found the dining room. When she saw the length and breadth of the room, she gasped, then, on impulse, sat down in the chair at the head of the table, folded her hands in her lap and gazed down the length of the cherrywood table with seating for twelve. The chandelier hanging midway above the table was obviously an antique that had been wired for electricity, although it had once been made for candles. She closed her eyes, picturing the chairs filling up with family—multiple generations all linked by blood and marriage. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps overhead and knew Mack was still up there gathering what he needed. It seemed a bit sinful to be so happy in the midst of such sadness, but that was how she felt.
The thought of the kitchen beckoned, and she moved quickly from the dining area straight into the kitchen just by crossing a hallway.
A massive expanse of white cabinetry hung on two entire sides of the room, with a long working island in the center. The countertops were white granite with swirls of gray, highlighted by a black-and-silver backsplash. She found a pantry the size of her little kitchen back home and a door leading down into a huge basement. The commercial stove and adjoining convection oven and grill were complemented by a massive side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. After a little more poking into what she thought was another refrigerator, she quickly realized it was a commercial-size cooler. Mack obviously had no reason for keeping it full, but it held an assortment of cold drinks and fresh produce. She imagined a holiday’s worth of baking lining the shelves and did a happy dance as she moved through a generously sized utility room with a large washer and dryer to the bathroom beyond, pleased by all she was seeing.
The only thing left to see on the first floor was the living room, so she returned to the two-story foyer and circled the spiral staircase, opening the floor-to-ceiling double doors behind it, only to find the room that felt most like home.
Despite its massive size, the overstuffed furniture looked inviting. There was a fireplace at the end of the room, and French doors on the wall to her right that exited onto a large covered verandah. She could see the entire scope of the grounds behind the house as well as a ten-foot-high privacy fence made of huge chunks of gray stone. Except for the big-screen TV and the up-to-date technology elsewhere in the house, the place was straight out of the late nineteenth century. She couldn’t believe this would be home for the rest of her life.
She walked back into the foyer just as Mack came down the stairs carrying a garment bag and a small duffel.
“So what do you think?” he asked, as he hung the garment bag over the stairs and pulled her into his arms.
“This doesn’t feel real. It’s so elegant and so comfortably inviting that I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and find out it was just a dream.”
“No dream, just me making dreams come true. I always loved this era of architecture. It was a job bringing this house up to a contemporary level of comfort without ruining the aesthetic of it.”
“I love it, I love your taste in decorating and I love you.”
“Good,” he said. He kissed her soundly. “Now let me show you where the real loving happens.”
“You mean the bedrooms,” Lissa said.
He just smiled and pointed to a door on the east wall.
“The elevator,” he said.
Her steps were hurried as she followed him, and when he opened the door, she was immediately enchanted with the decor of the elevator car.
“It’s all mirrors,” she said.
“With silver-plated handrails,” he added, pointing to the panel. “Up and down buttons. You can’t get lost.”
And up they went. The door opened to reveal a hallway, and a few steps farther along was the master bedroom. Mack opened the door and then walked her in.
Lissa’s eyes widened as she saw the elaborately carved polished-wood headboard. The dark burgundy bedspread and the burgundy-and-gold draperies at the windows added to the feeling of a bygone era. There was a wide-screen TV on the wall opposite the bed, a separate dressing area with two large walk-in closets and, beyond, a very elegant en suite bath.
Lissa walked around examining everything, listening to him talk a
bout how he’d found the antiques and how they tied in with the decor, and she realized how many blanks she needed to fill in with this man compared to the young man he’d been.
“Are those cherubs on the headboard?” she asked as she moved closer.
“For fertility, I was told.”
“Said the most eligible bachelor in town,” she said, unaware she’d spoken out loud.
Mack suddenly sensed her insecurity.
“You’re the first woman who’s been in this bedroom, Melissa. I did all my entertaining downstairs.”
She turned and walked into his arms and buried her face against his chest.
“You don’t have to explain. You don’t have to say anything. Thanks to my mother, our allegiance to each other ended ten years ago. What happened between then and now doesn’t matter to me except that you’ve become an amazing person because of it.”
He tilted her chin until he could see her face, then looked beyond the bruises and the swollen lip to the woman he loved.
“All the time I was working on the house, people kept asking me who the woman was who would hold court here. I never could answer because every time I closed my eyes and imagined a woman at my side, I always saw your face. When my shoulder is well, I’m going to carry you across the threshold to seal the deal, but, Melissa, my love, for all intents and purposes, welcome home.”
They sealed the moment with a long, heartfelt kiss that made the massive bed that much more inviting, but that was for later, when they could both move without pain.
* * *
Lissa was overwhelmed and bubbling with excitement as they finally started home with a bag of burgers and fries between them and two cold drinks in the cup holders in the console.
They ate as they went, looking forward to their future, but at the same time still cognizant of the memorial service to get through before that future could officially begin.
Lissa needed to check in with her principal, and as soon as they got back to Mystic, she asked Mack to drop her off at the elementary school.
When he pulled up to the curb, she patted his knee. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m through, and you can pick me up, okay?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “I need to drop by the church. I got a text from Pastor Farley while I was gathering up my clothes. He said the ladies at the church want to serve desserts and coffee after the memorial service. He said it won’t take any planning on my part, just an okay. What do you think?”
“I think it’s the perfect way to end the service. You and your dad’s friends all coming together is a good thing, and you know how he loved his sweets.”
Mack pushed a tumble of curls back off her forehead with the tip of his finger, smiling absently at the way the curls wound back around it, ensnaring his finger just as she had his heart.
“He sure did like his sweets, and you’re right. It’s a thoughtful thing they’ve offered to do. I’ll give him the green light when I get there. You call when you’re ready and I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Yes, all right,” she said. Then she eased across the seat and quickly kissed him. “For good luck,” she said softly, and then she was out the door.
He waited, watching until she was all the way inside the building before he left.
* * *
Lissa sniffed the air as she walked in the front door. There was something about the scent of a schoolhouse that was unmistakable. It had to do with lots of children, huge amounts of food cooking in a cafeteria and books—books that had been handled by generations of little hands. She felt at home here, and yet she was torn by what was happening in her life. She wanted so badly to make a home with Mack and live the life they’d meant to have, raise the babies they were meant to raise and just be. But there was this business of a contract to fulfill and half a year of school yet to teach. Either she stayed here to teach and saw Mack only on weekends, or she moved into the house in Summerton straightaway and drove almost an hour to work and an hour home every day.
But like Mack said, they would figure it out, and right now she needed to let Mr. Wilson know that she still hadn’t been cleared for work.
She walked into the office and was greeted by the secretary’s squeals of surprise and joy at seeing her back. There was a teacher there who had to have a hug, which brought the principal out of his office to see what all the fuss was about.
When Wilson saw Melissa’s face, he tried without success to hide his dismay.
“Melissa! Good Lord. Are you all right to be up and about?”
She smiled. “For short stints, yes.”
He nodded, pleased that she seemed to be in good spirits. “What a nice surprise to see you walking around. Is there anything you need?”
“Yes. Do you have time to talk with me a bit?” she asked.
“Of course I do. Come in, come in,” he said, leading the way back into his office.
Lissa sat down, folded her hands in her lap and then got right to the point.
“As you know, my stalker problem is over. What you don’t know is that I’m getting married soon and moving to Summerton, or living here through the week and going there on weekends. We haven’t worked that part out yet, but I want you to know I fully intend to honor my contract and finish out the year.”
Wilson had a knack for hearing more than what was being said. “Congratulations! As for coming back to work, I have no doubt of your sense of professional responsibility.”
Lissa nodded. “Thank you, but you should know that while I am up and moving around some, I haven’t been released to come back to work yet. I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Not at all. In fact, the woman we hired as your substitute is doing a great job. It seems this job came along at the perfect time for her. She’s recently divorced and the mother of two young ones. They’ve been living with her mother, but she said it’s causing a bit of tension, and the sooner she can save up to get her own place, the better.”
As Lissa was listening to the story, a whole scenario was opening up inside her head.
“I take it she’s certified to teach?”
“Yes, fortunately for us,” Wilson said.
“Does she want a permanent teaching job?” Lissa asked.
“Oh, yes, she already had a résumé on file here, hoping something would open up for the fall semester.”
Lissa saw a solution to two problems instead of one, but she needed Wilson’s approval to make it happen.
“Mr. Wilson, I have a suggestion that might solve both her problem and mine. I would gratefully turn in my resignation now due to a family move if she could be hired in my place. It would give her the steady job she needs, and me the freedom to move and live with my husband. It’s just a suggestion, and I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but...”
Wilson smiled. “No, no, I see the wisdom in the suggestion. However, we couldn’t offer her a job until we receive your resignation.”
Lissa’s heart skipped a beat. “Can I give it to you now, handwritten?”
Wilson was a little surprised, but he nodded in agreement. “I don’t see why not. Would you like a pen and paper?”
Lissa was stifling an urge to giggle. “Yes, please.”
The principal handed her a piece of school letterhead and a pen. “I’ll just give you a couple of minutes on your own,” he said as he left the room.
Lissa’s hands were shaking as she began to write, but by the time the principal returned with a young woman behind him, her note was finished and lying on his desk.
Lissa saw them walk in and guessed the woman must be the substitute because she knew everyone else at the school. When Mr. Wilson introduced them, she knew she’d been right.
“Have a seat here, Carly. I want you to meet Melissa Sherman. It’s her class you’ve been subbing with. Melissa, this is Carly Vance.”
Carly smiled while clearly trying not to stare at the bruises on Melissa’s face. “It’s nice to meet you, and even better to know the danger to your
life is over.” Her hands began trembling as she glanced back at the principal. “So is this about terminating the sub job?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Wilson said. “Miss Sherman has tendered her resignation due to a family move out of the district, so I thought it prudent to let you know that your presence will still be needed here until we can hire a full-time teacher to finish out the year. I hope you can accommodate us in this manner?”
Lissa saw hope flash across Carly’s face. “Oh, yes, sir! No problem. No problem at all, and I hope you’ll consider my résumé when you make your decision.”
“Of course,” Mr. Wilson said. “I’ll make sure that happens. Everything takes time.”
Carly was still arguing her cause. “Before my divorce I worked for the federal government and had a high security clearance. My girls and I are in need of stability, and this would make all the difference in the world to us.”
And just like that, Lissa realized she’d found the perfect family for her little house. “You have two girls?” she asked.
Carly nodded. “They’re three and almost five. My oldest goes to pre-K here.”
“In case you’re interested in moving, I’m going to have an empty two-bedroom house when I leave Mystic,” Lissa said. “I was going to sell, but I’d happily rent it with intent to sell if you’re interested.”
Carly burst into tears. “I came in here expecting to be told I wasn’t needed anymore and instead found out my job’s been extended and there’s a permanent opening. If I get the job, I can pay rent.”
The principal’s smile widened. He picked up Melissa’s letter of resignation and stamped it with the date.
“So, Carly, I think for now we’re done.”
Lissa got a piece of paper out of her purse, wrote down her cell phone number and address and handed it to Carly. “If everything works out for you and you’re interested, just give me a call. I can always drive back to Mystic to show you the house.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. Both of you,” Carly said. She left the office with a bounce in her step.