Sweet Tea and Secrets

by Nancy Naigle

  Lindy put the window up and sped off.

  Jill waved as she headed to join Garrett in Poncho’s.

  “Can you believe that car had air conditioning? I sacrificed a perfectly good hair day for nothing.”

  “You look adorable,” Garrett said. “I already ordered.”

  She slid into the seat wondering if Garrett had forgotten even one fact about her over the past year. Then, she wondered if Pearl had ever forgotten anything about John Carlo.

  The waitress walked up and placed the heaping plates in front of them.

  Jill took a bite of her taco. White cilantro sauce dripped down the side of her pinky. “Man that’s good.” She licked the sauce from her hand. “Lindy thought you were hot.”

  “I still have it with the college girls, huh?”

  “Guess so, old fart.”

  “What about you?”

  “I don’t think she thought I was hot,” Jill teased, trying to hold back a smile.

  “Funny. You’re just not going to give me a break today are you?”

  “Have I ever?” she teased, taking a long sip from her second tall glass of ice water. “Thought that’s what you loved about me.”

  “That and about a hundred other things.”

  Thankful her mouth was full, she didn’t respond. She wiped her hands and ran a finger under the fold of the envelope from Melanie. Inside, she found a short note, three articles about the success of the Foundation event, and one not-so-nice article about Bradley and some supposedly dodgy business deals.

  “Melanie sent these to me through Lindy. She didn’t have my address.” Jill scanned the articles, scowling.

  “What’s wrong,” Garrett asked.

  “This article. It has a corrected total from the event I told you about, and it’s even farther off the true total than the other one. About a hundred thousand off, in fact.”

  “Let me see.” He reached for the articles and looked them over. “Impressive. Nice work, Jill.”

  “Thanks. I just wish they’d gotten the numbers right. I’ll have to call Josh. He’s my right hand on the money stuff. I wonder if he’s heard anything about the other article.”

  “Told you Kase was bad news.”

  She plucked the articles from Garrett. “It’s just speculation. I’m sure things will get straightened out.”

  After lunch, they checked out the new shops along the strip. Blacksburg was still a bustling college town. They couldn’t help but get swept back to when they had been a part of that buzz, even if the town had undergone a major facelift since their days there.

  Feeling nostalgic, Jill was quiet the whole ride back to Adams Grove. She had no idea why she felt so relaxed, under the circumstances. She didn’t have a car and she’d just caught her boyfriend cheating on her—live and in color on an eight-foot screen. If Pearl hadn’t left her the house, she wouldn’t even have a place to live. She should feel like a shook up mess, completely out of options, but she didn’t. Maybe she was too tired to feel anything, or maybe the day trip had been just what she needed. She settled back in the seat and nodded off to the hum of the truck and the overzealous banter of the AM sports radio show that Garrett listened to.

  The rumble under the truck tires changed. Jill recognized the familiar sound of the crunch of shell sand and gravel at Pearl’s. She stretched and opened her eyes.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.”

  “I was, wasn’t I?”

  “I could barely hear my radio show over the snoring.”

  She slapped him playfully. “I do not snore.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I’d know. Quit picking on me.” Jill hoped she didn’t snore. How awful would that be? “I needed the rest since I’m back on the couch tonight.”

  “Well. Since we’re on a truce here, you should sleep in the bed.” He lifted a finger and added. “No hanky-panky, I promise.”

  “I don’t know if you can be trusted,” she said.

  “I can.”

  “Okay. Well then I don’t know if I can be trusted.”

  “I can only hope,” he said with a mischievous grin.

  ***

  Jill slipped out of bed at sunrise and eased the door shut quietly behind her to let Garrett sleep in. She let Clyde out, then poured a cup of coffee before going back to the attic to take a look at the last box of letters. Those letters had been on her mind all weekend.

  Knowing now that Pearl and John Carlo had been married made the letters seem even more romantic.

  The attic floor creaked under her socked feet and she hoped the noise wouldn’t wake Garrett. She made her way over to the boxes of letters and carried the last box to the corner of the room. After sitting on the floor, she became swept away to another time as she read letter after letter between Pearl and John Carlo Pacini.

  He’d been a treasure hunter and lived his life chasing dreams. Her dad had been the same way. Funny that even though they’d never met, that she knew of, they had that same sense of adventure. It must have been something they were born with.

  Not long after they married, John Carlo had gotten tangled in a scandal that had put he and Pearl in danger. Just weeks later, Pearl had realized she was pregnant. The stakes had become even higher with a child on the way. John Carlo had left in order to keep Pearl safe.

  Their story was better than any romance novel Jill had ever read. Two completely committed hearts and souls torn apart by fate. A tear slid down her cheek.

  Though he referenced it often, the scandal itself wasn’t clear. Of course, by today’s standards it might not have even been a scandal. Times were different back then.

  Pearl and John Carlo had shared a common language. Not so unlike she and Garrett. Familiar sayings popped up again and again. John Carlo may have been an adventurer, a treasure hunter, but his letters proved he had a poetic soul.

  Honesty, trust and patience will outlast all rivals.

  The key to happiness is in the foundation we build.

  Nothing will break us,

  Like a willow, our love will lean and bend.

  Our love, our treasure, today and enough forever ~ will never end.

  Jill found each letter to be as urgent and honest as the last. But she thought it odd that every envelope and letter was neat and clean and unworn. Had they been her letters, they’d be ragged and tattered from being read and reread. She couldn’t have left every precious promise and memory locked away.

  After she read the last letter an odd twinge of disappointment came over her. She didn’t want the love story come to an end. She placed the letters back in the box, then noticed a piece of tissue paper lining the bottom of the box. She lifted the delicate tissue paper. A single piece of yellow legal paper, folded in half lengthwise, lay in the bottom. Nothing else in the boxes had appeared to be touched in years, but this piece of paper was relatively new.

  Her hand shook as she unfolded it. The writing was different from that in the letters, and jagged. My dearest Jill and Garrett, the note began.

  Jill dragged in a deep breath. This note was for her. She clutched the paper to her heart at the realization. She closed her eyes. It was almost too hard to move on.

  Her fingertips trembled. She laid the paper on the floor to steady it so she could read.

  My dearest Jill and Garrett,

  You’ve found the one treasure, the one legacy, I have to share.

  I hope you are together as you read this, and you have finally acknowledged what I knew you two had the first time I saw you exchange a sideways glance and giggle.

  I couldn’t be more proud of you, Jill. I hope the detours you have made in your life have made you realize the beauty and honesty in the man that loves you with all his heart, Garrett Malloy. He is a good man. Don’t ever doubt that.

  You are good people, God’s people, and I am proud to have been part of your lives. Thank you both for the precious memories you shared with me and the meaning you gave this old widow’s life.

  I, too, enc
ountered difficult learning experiences in life. They all add up to who we ultimately become. My dear husband, John Carlo, meant more than my own life to me. When he happened into the wrong circle and I was with child, we couldn’t honor the promises we made in marriage for fear of retaliation. He left me this. I’ve held it secret, and treasured it my whole life. I hope it brings you the wealth to follow your dreams and the faith to trust each other forever. My nickname, Pearl, came from my dear John Carlo. Let the world be your oyster and these pearls help make life an easy path.

  All my love,

  Pearl

  “Are you in the attic again?” Garrett called up the stairs.

  His voice startled her.

  “Yes. Come here. Hurry.” She flipped the paper back and forth and reread the note.

  His footsteps pounded the steps. “Are you okay?”

  She looked up. He had a horrified look on his face. “Yes. I’m fine. Sorry. I found a note from Pearl to us.”

  “Don’t scare me like that.”

  “I said I was sorry.” She handed him the letter. “See if you can figure this out. I don’t understand it. Maybe you will.”

  She watched him as he read it.

  He shrugged. “I told you we should be together. This proves it.”

  She snatched the note back from him. “Not that. The treasure.”

  “What do you think she means by that?”

  “The property? We didn’t know how big it was.”

  “Maybe.” Jill flipped the paper again looking for something that wasn’t there. “I don’t think that’s what it means though.” She lifted the tissue paper out of the bottom of the box where she’d found the note and turned the box upside down. Something hit the floor with a clang and a small piece of paper fluttered after it.

  “A key?”

  “An old key,” she said, picking it up and twisting it in the air.

  He stooped to pick up the slip of paper and scanned it as he stood over her. “It’s a news clipping from 1944. Listen to this.” He squatted next to her and read it out loud.

  “An American man accused of receiving a priceless collection of pearls has fled Australia. John Carlo Pacini, well known pearl diver and treasure hunter, is charged with receiving the gems after they had been stolen from a remote pearl farm. The pearls disappeared following a dispute concerning ownership of the collection between the farm and Pacini. The theft from the company, Motu Poe Elite Pearls, has been described as the biggest pearl heist in history. Pacini fled the country before sentencing. The pearls have not been recovered.”

  Jill rubbed the key between her fingers, then handed it to Garrett.

  “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Pearl’s safe?” Jill squealed. “It’s exciting. This treasure hunting thing must be in my blood, too. Come on.” She sprang to her feet and grabbed his belt loop, nearly dragging him to the attic entry.

  He tugged the string for the light, as she rushed him toward the safe.

  She grabbed his bicep and snuggled up to him. “Open it. Quick. What do you think it is?”

  He moved his chin toward hers teasing. “How bad do you want it?”

  She licked her lips in anticipation. “Badly.”

  Mmmmm, he groaned. “You’re a doll baby. I’ve missed you.” He kissed her.

  She let out a sigh and opened her eyes as he moved away slowly. “I’ve missed you, too.” She nuzzled his shoulder. “Now open that doggone safe before I die of excitement. Then you’ll really miss me.”

  He worked the key at the lock, but it didn’t fit.

  “Quit playing, Garrett. Open it.”

  “It doesn’t fit.”

  “It has to. Are you kidding?”

  “No. It doesn’t fit.” Garrett jiggled the key.

  “Give it here. Let me try,” she said.

  Garrett handed her the key and she tried to work it in the lock. “It doesn’t fit,” she said, disappointed.

  “Isn’t that what I just said?” He put his hands on his hips.

  She tossed the key back to him.

  He caught the unusual key mid-air and shoved it in his pocket.

  “Can you get the safe open without a key?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s not like a filing cabinet. This thing is heavy duty, probably even fireproof.” He tipped the safe over. “No key taped underneath, either.”

  “I don’t remember seeing any keys in her desk when I cleaned up that mess after the break-in,” Jill said.

  Garrett stood. “I remember a bunch of keys just inside the pantry, next to the panel box.”

  “Get ‘em,” she squealed, perking up and nearly pushing him down the stairs in the excitement. Garrett seemed as curious as she was about what was in the safe.

  He ran downstairs, and Jill could hear him jingle all the way back upstairs. He held up the keys as he went to her side. “There are only a couple that look small enough to fit.”

  “Cool. I’m feeling lucky.” She rubbed her hands together and scooched closer to the safe.

  The first key slid right into the lock.

  Jill clapped frantically as he twisted it and the lock clicked.

  He opened the door. “Bingo.”

  “What’s inside?”

  “I’m looking. Not much. A few papers.” Garrett handed the papers to Jill.

  “This one looks like their marriage license.” Jill glanced over the yellowed document then dropped it into her lap. “I still can’t believe she never told us. I wonder if my father ever knew.”

  “Probably not, if she never told you.”

  Next in the stack was a photo. “Look.” Jill passed the photo his way. “It’s so faded. Can you make it out?”

  He held the crisp yellowed photo as if it were spun glass. “No,” Garrett shook his head. “I can’t make it out either. Look how brittle the paper is.”

  Jill glanced into the safe. “There’s something else in there.” She pointed toward the back corner of the safe.

  Garrett reached inside until his fingers made contact with the contents. He lifted a small gray velvet box the size of a ring box from the safe. The front of the box had an ornate pearl button clasp.

  “It’s beautiful.” Jill ran her fingers across the delicate velvet.

  He held it toward her.

  “No.” She held her hands tightly to her chest. “You open it,” she said, breathless, sitting on the closed trunk near the window.

  He slid next to her and lifted the top open on its hinge. There, nestled in a deep burgundy velvet tray, was the most exquisite ring. A perfect black, almost purple, pearl set deep in the middle of golden filigree that spun up and around the sides of the pearl, protecting the precious and unusual jewel. Small gems sparkled, maybe sapphires and diamonds, encrusting the entire rim of the filigree.

  “It’s magnificent.” The ring sparkled even in the dim light.

  “As beautiful as you.” He took the ring from the box and lifted it to the light.

  “Is there an inscription?”

  He lifted the ring to the light, squinting at the inside of its band. “No.” Garrett reached for her left hand.

  She stiffened, realizing his intentions.

  “Just try it,” he said.

  She took in a nervous breath.

  He slid the ring on her finger.

  She raised her hand in front of her. “Breathtaking,” she whispered.

  “Perfect fit.”

  “It is.” Jill began to take the ring off her finger, but Garrett stopped her.

  “Just wear it. Pearl would want you to.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. It’s so precious. What if something happens to it?”

  “She wanted you to have it. This ring was meant to be worn.”

  “Do you think it was her wedding ring?” Jill fluttered her fingers, admiring the ring. It even made her short fingers look delicate.

  “Yeah, and a secret all of these years. Time to let it be seen and enjoyed, don
’t you think?” Garrett asked, thoughtfully.

  She held her hand to her heart, then reached for Garrett and hugged him close. “This is such a precious treasure.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Very special.”

  She wasn’t sure if he meant her or the ring. Her skin flushed under his gaze.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jill spent the first hour of her morning sitting at the kitchen table searching through Pearl’s recipe box, determined to find something to fix for Garrett that would be special enough to show him how she felt today.

  Pearls ring sparkled on her finger as she flipped through the recipe cards. Every time Jill saw the ring on her finger it caused her to pause. Somehow wearing the ring felt like a direct connection to Pearl and that had a comforting effect.

  She came across a recipe that she thought would be perfect.

  “Yes.” She pulled the recipe out and did a little happy dance in her chair. “Perfect.” Pearl’s famous FryPan Meatloaf was always one of Garrett’s favorite. Homemade mashed potatoes, gravy and the last few summer squash from the garden would definitely be a winner.

  She scanned through the ingredients and steps, then picked up her ringing phone with a cheerful hello.

  “I didn’t expect you to sound so cheerful.”

  Her stomach lurched. Bradley was the last person she expected to hear from. “What do you want?”

  “I want to know when you’re coming home.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “I made a mistake, Jill.”

  “You’re telling me. The biggest mistake was that I didn’t figure everything out sooner.”

  “Nothing like that ever happened before. I swear, baby doll. I regret hurting you. Please, you have to come back.”

  She had no intention of falling under his spell. The sound of his voice made her uneasy. “I don’t have to do anything.”

  “Your lawyer friend called me. You don’t need a restraining order.”