“I thought she was in Tampa with Pete. I didn’t think they came home for visits at all.” He cranked down the window on the old truck. “Anytime I asked Eden how Georgiana was doing and why we never saw her anymore, she said that Pete’s job didn’t leave a lot of time for traveling. I know Eden has gone down there occasionally over the years. She’d ask me to keep an eye on her farm while she was gone. But I don’t think I’ve seen Georgiana back in Claremont since she and Pete got married. Odd that she’s back on the same day you get back, huh?”
“Yeah, odd.” Lots of things were odd about seeing Georgie today. Most of all what he’d determined right before he left her farm.
“Was Pete there too?”
“No, but he called their daughter while I was there. I guess he could’ve been calling from somewhere around here, but I got the impression he’s still in Tampa. Their little girl’s name is Abi, and she’s the spitting image of Georgie when she was little.”
“I’m sure I’ll see her if they’re staying in town a while.” John paused, then asked, “So, how’d Georgiana look? Still the same? And how did you handle seeing her again?”
Too many questions, and each one could warrant an extensive answer. But only one thing mattered to Landon, and there was only one thing he wanted to tell his brother. He kept seeing Georgiana speaking to him, talking to him, but he’d known the entire time that something was off. Her eyes. They were still that stunning hazel he remembered, but the light that shone through them was gone. “She’s blind, John. Georgiana’s blind.”
“What?” John stopped the truck at the end of the driveway and turned to face his brother. “What are you saying? You mean, like really blind? She can’t see?”
“No, she can’t see.” And Landon suspected she hadn’t been able to see in quite a while. Obviously she’d attempted to hide the truth from him, speaking to him as though everything was normal. But he’d sensed that something was off, and then at the end, when Sam had taken a couple of steps to the side and Georgie continued talking toward where they’d been, the truth hit Landon with the same force as that bullet in Afghanistan. Catching him unaware. Unprepared.
John shook his head and started the truck down the road leading to town. “How? Did she say what happened? When it happened? Do you think it’s temporary? Is that why she’s home, to let her mom help take care of her until she’s better?”
Landon hadn’t considered that. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I see Eden often, at church and around town. She’s never mentioned anything about Georgiana losing her sight. Seems like she’d have said something.”
“Unless Georgie asked her not to.”
“Why would she do that?” John asked.
“Maybe she didn’t want me to know,” Landon pondered aloud. Georgie would have known that he would’ve wanted to help her if she was hurting. He would have done whatever he could to get home and be with his friend if she were in trouble. But she’d also have known that he was serving his country and wouldn’t have wanted him to do anything differently because of her. And then there was the whole Pete factor. No way would Pete want some other guy coming home to check on his wife. “I can see her keeping that from me, especially while she knew I was still serving.”
John grabbed his old baseball cap off the seat and put it on. “I can see that, I guess.”
“Still can’t believe it,” Landon said. “She looks exactly the same. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong, except she can’t see.” His heart ached for Georgie. How long had she been this way? “She definitely didn’t want me to know. I’m fairly certain she was trying to disguise the fact.”
“How do you disguise it? Couldn’t you tell looking at her? Or was she wearing sunglasses?”
“No sunglasses. And her eyes looked normal, but you know, like she wasn’t really paying attention. Kind of like someone daydreaming.”
“She didn’t have a cane?”
Landon shook his head. “No, she didn’t have anything like that.”
John’s mouth quirked to the side, brows dipped, and then he nodded. “Maybe she doesn’t need one. I mean, think about it. When the power goes out at the farm at night, we can’t see our hand in front of our face, but we still find our way around. Spatial memory, I think it’s called. Or something like that.”
“Yeah,” Landon said. “That’s probably it.” But his thoughts weren’t really focused on how Georgiana got around. He was more concerned with why she’d lost her sight to begin with. And he also wondered where Pete was while his blind wife and their daughter were at the farm.
John pulled into a parking spot behind one of the shops on the square. “Think you can stop thinking about it long enough to have dinner with our little brother?”
Landon nodded. “I’ll try. Why are we meeting Casey at the square instead of having dinner at the farm?”
“Because he leaves for the University of Alabama next week, and he’s trying to spend as much time as possible with Nadia Berry before he goes.” John grinned. “He’ll be home late tonight, so I thought it’d be nice for all of us to eat together. Nadia works at Carter Photography and is joining us for dinner.” He paused. “I haven’t told Casey about the troubles with the farm.”
“Good. I don’t want anything keeping him from going to college,” Landon said.
John nodded. “And he’d stay here and try to help if he knew. All that kid has on his mind right now is spending as much time as possible with Nadia before he leaves. And, oddly enough, a pretty girl takes rank over his brother returning home from the army.”
Landon smiled, thought of another pretty girl he’d seen a few hours ago. A beautiful blind girl. “I get it.” He had another idea that might lend him a bit of information about what had happened to Georgiana. If any of their old friends were still in town, maybe she was still close to some of them. And maybe someone could enlighten him as to how she lost her sight. “You see any of the old gang while you’re around town? I mean, did most of them stick around Claremont, or have they moved off?”
“Most have stuck around. Chad, Mitch, Daniel. They all still live in Claremont. But I haven’t seen anyone much over the past couple of years. Just the ones I see when I get to go to church,” John said. “Too busy.”
Landon realized that he hadn’t acknowledged everything John had done over the past few years, taking care of Casey after their mother died and while Landon was still serving overseas. But he had a plan for letting John know how grateful he was, and he’d put that plan in motion soon. For now though, he simply said, “Hey, I appreciate everything you did for Casey, working yourself to death and saving for his college.”
“I didn’t touch his college money to help with the farm. There has to be another way.” John glanced at Landon. “I thought you’d agree.”
John had handled so much on his own.
“I do agree. Casey needs to go to school, and we will save the farm.” Landon shook his head. “I should’ve come home after Mom died.”
“We aren’t going there again,” John said. “All of that ‘oldest child should’ve taken care of this or that’ stuff. You came home during the roughest part. That was the important thing.”
Their mother had never been the same after they lost their dad. He’d only been forty-one when he lost his arm in the hay baler and bled to death on one of the back fields. Their mother had become a widow overnight and had sunk into a depression equally as fast. But Landon hadn’t realized just how bad she was, that she’d given up on her life and turned her focus to pills to help her forget the pain...until he got that call in Afghanistan and came home for the funeral. John assured him he was fine on his own to raise their little brother and take care of the farm and then Landon went back to serve the remainder of his tour of duty. But now he wondered if he should’ve requested more than the allotted emergency leave.
“You did the right thing, going back,” John said, able to read Landon’s thoughts as well as he had when they were kids. “You were serving our country and fighting for our freedom, and there isn’t anywhere else you should’ve been.” He punched Landon’s arm. “And that’s as mushy as you’re gonna get from me, so let’s leave it at that.”
“Works for me,” Landon said, and thought that John would probably feel a bit mushy tomorrow too, but he’d wait until he actually took care of his surprise before he let his brother in on the fact. That was one thing about being away from his family and friends for so long. Landon was a bit more sentimental for it, appreciated life more, he supposed, and appreciated his brother’s hard work immensely. Until he returned home today, he had no idea John had been working three jobs to keep the farm afloat. John never said a word in his e-mails, and Casey never said much about anything but school and sports.
Nor had John told Landon how he’d saved enough money to pay for all of Casey’s college education. Or how Casey’s auto accident last year had been the result of alcohol. No, John took care of all of that and simply told Landon after the fact, along with the news that Casey had fallen for Nadia and consequently found God through his relationship with Brother Henry’s granddaughter.
Thank You, Lord, for Nadia. And thank You, Lord, for John. Help me to never forget everything he’s done over the past few years for our family. And Lord, if it be Your will, let us find a way to save our farm.
“Here we are,” John said, leading Landon toward the back of Nelson’s Variety Store. “Look familiar?”
“Smells familiar.” Landon got a full whiff of the hamburgers from the five-and-dime. Then he heard an abundance of squawking geese and remembered how they always gathered around the three-tiered fountain that centered the square. “Sounds familiar too.”
“Yeah, those noisy birds are kind of taking over for some reason. They had an article on it in the paper,” John said. “I’ve only been down here twice this year when I was getting Casey’s senior portraits set up, but I try to stay in touch with what’s going on through the paper and the church bulletins.”
Landon nodded, reminded again of how much John had done over the years he’d been gone. His brother wasn’t trying to gain admiration, though. On the contrary, John was merely stating the facts about his life. John was like that, always spouting his thoughts in black and white, which is why it didn’t surprise Landon when he didn’t hold back his opinion about Landon’s life either.
With one hand on the Nelson’s door handle, John waited before entering the store.
“What’s up?” Landon asked.
His brother looked back at him. “You never got over her, huh? After all these years?”
For someone who didn’t want to get all mushy, John sure pushed the limit, and if Landon started talking about how much he hadn’t gotten over her, they’d go well beyond mushy. He might be pushing thirty now, but not only had he never gotten over Georgie, in his heart he didn’t know if any other female would ever do. He’d always compare them to the girl he loved, and no one measured up. Wasn’t fair to do a girl that way. Wasn’t fair to do himself that way either.
“We going to get one of those hamburgers I’m smelling or not?” he asked, and his brother had the courtesy to nod and stop probing.
“Sure.”
In no time at all they were seated at one of the red vinyl booths with Casey and Nadia. Landon had embraced his youngest brother in a hug that he was fairly certain would’ve embarrassed him years ago, but something had changed in Casey and he hugged Landon just as tightly and told him he loved him, while Nadia beamed at her boyfriend.
“He talks about you often,” she told Landon. Then she smiled and added, “Thank you for serving our country.”
Landon was drawn to the pretty Asian girl’s sweet smile, her honest admiration for his service and the way she made Casey’s face light up with unhidden love. “I enjoyed serving,” he said, “but I’ll admit I’m glad to be home.”
She nodded, and the four of them chatted over burgers, mostly about Casey’s plans for heading to the University of Alabama on Monday. Landon tried not to stare at his baby brother, but he couldn’t help it. John had sent photos over the years, but there was something so different about seeing Casey in person. He was a carbon copy of Landon and John, almost eerily so, with light brown hair that was a little longer than Landon would’ve liked, but probably right in tune with what was “in” for teens nowadays, a broad-shouldered build that said he worked out regularly and loved sports as much as his older brothers, deep dimples creasing both cheeks and a smile that said he was happy with life and with his place in this world. Or at least with his place right now, sitting beside Nadia.
“Hey, if you aren’t going to eat that, I will,” Casey said, pointing to the rest of Landon’s hamburger and fries.
Landon had been enjoying the conversation and seeing his family so much that he’d stopped eating. He grinned, pushed the plate forward. “Have at it.”
Within minutes, Casey inhaled the rest of Landon’s meal while Nadia chatted about how much she enjoyed her job at the photography studio.
“Carter Photography?” Landon asked, remembering Mia and Mandy Carter. Mia had been a year behind Landon in school and in the same grade as John. Mandy had been several years younger. And Landon recalled John’s e-mail about the tragedy in their family last year. “Who owns it now that Mia passed away?”
“Mandy is running it now,” John said. “I don’t guess I ever told you, but she married Daniel Brantley, and they’ve adopted Mia and Jacob’s son, Kaden.”
“You don’t say.” Landon was amazed at how much things had changed. Then again, he’d seen the ultimate change this afternoon in Georgie. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to find out if Casey knew more about her return home than John. “I rode over to the Sanders farm today. Georgiana was there.”
Casey’s dark brows lifted. “Wow, I’d nearly forgotten about her, it’s been so long since I’ve seen anyone over there but Mrs. Sanders. Seems like forever since Georgiana used to come spend time at the farm with you guys, but I remember her. She had long red hair and rode her horse over about every day.”
Landon should have realized that Casey wouldn’t know anything about Georgiana’s return. Casey had only been ten when she left Claremont. He probably remembered a pretty older girl who came out to the farm to visit, nothing more, nothing less.
“Ms. Mandy took her little girl’s picture yesterday,” Nadia said.
“Georgiana’s little girl?” Landon hadn’t expected to get any information from Nadia.
She nodded, shiny black hair bobbing with the action. “Yes, her name is Abi, isn’t it?”
“It is. You said she was at the photography studio?”
“Mrs. Sanders brought her in to have her picture made for her piano recital. Mrs. Camp likes to make a program with all of the performers’ pictures, you know. She did that when I took piano lessons from her too. Abi’s a really pretty little girl, with all of those red curls and freckles, isn’t she?”
Landon recalled how much she looked like Georgiana. “Yes, she is.”
“She’s been coming to church with Mrs. Sanders the past couple of weeks.”
“Abi has?” Landon asked.
Nadia nodded. “I’ve seen them there on Sunday mornings.”
“But not Georgiana?” Landon asked. Georgie had attended church every time the doors were open when she was growing up.
“No, I haven’t met Abi’s mother yet.”
Landon was baffled. What had happened to Georgie while he’d been gone?
“You done?” John asked, tossing his napkin on the table. “We could go check out the square, not that all that much has changed since you’ve been gone.”
“It’d still be nice to see everything again.�
�� And in the back of his mind, Landon wondered if he’d see Georgiana too. Her mother and daughter had mentioned shopping tonight at the square.
Casey snagged a fry from Nadia’s plate, popped it in his mouth and swallowed. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Okay for you?” he asked Nadia, who smiled and nodded.
They paid for their meal and then headed out to the town square. Landon studied everything as they started down the sidewalk. Night had settled in, so the tiny lights bordering each building’s eaves cast the streets in a yellow tint. Children laughed around the splashing fountain, and several elderly couples sat on park benches tossing bread to the noisy geese. A family exited the Sweet Stop as Landon passed the doorway and a gust of sugary air hit him full force. He remembered Abi saying that she was going to the candy store and glanced in to see if Georgie was inside.
She wasn’t.
“Casey and I went there earlier for some of the divinity. And they were making peanut brittle,” Nadia said.
“I told Nadia we’d go back later and get that for dessert,” Casey said, grinning. “Figured the divinity was an appetizer to our dinner.”
“And since you ate your dinner and a bit of everyone else’s,” John said, “you definitely will need dessert.”
“Yep, I will,” Casey agreed, laughing.
Landon loved this, spending time with family. He’d missed it more than he realized. And he wondered what kind of family life Georgiana had now. Her father had passed away over a decade ago. Her mother had primarily been in Claremont, visiting Tampa occasionally, but not seeing her daughter a whole lot from what John had said. And Georgiana had been in Tampa with Pete and Abi...blind.
What had she been limited to because of her loss of sight? Had Pete helped her adjust to her blindness? Had he been the type of loving, supportive husband he should have been? Landon recalled the Pete he knew in high school, always wanting the best and not wanting anything that was less than perfect. He’d always said Georgiana Sanders was “absolutely perfect.” Landon had thought so too, but now he wondered if Pete still saw her in that light.
Love Reunited Page 3