by Donna Kelly
He pulled the tin containing the negatives from his duffle bag, removed the lid, and sifted through the strips, stopping occasionally to hold one up to the window. Smiling, he singled out a particular strip and stared at it a long time, remembering the sultry Asta who had turned out to be Betsy’s childhood friend from Stony Point. Despite his promise to her, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to destroy the negatives. He’d kept thinking she’d someday want to remember her time of performing jazz at The Avant-Garde in New York City.
He slipped the negatives of Asta in with those of the portraits. Hefting his duffle with one hand and slinging it over his shoulder, he grasped the portraits and tin containing the jazz photo negatives in the other and headed downstairs to say goodbye.
****
Annie woke with a disoriented start when she felt a brush against her leg. Realizing she was still outside, Annie looked down, one arm poised to swat the offending critter, and found a wide-eyed Boots staring back at her. “Boots!” she cried, scooping the cat into her arms and burying her face in her fur. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Tears welled in Annie’s eyes, and she allowed them to flow down her cheeks, laughing at the cat’s curious expression. It felt great to cuddle the impish feline in her arms again. “I’ve been so worried about you!”
Annie reveled in the feel of the gray fur beneath her fingers, the soothing sound of the cat’s loud, satisfying purr, and the light tickle as her fuzzy tail curled around her wrist.
She closed her eyes in heartfelt gratitude. “Thank you, God, for bringing Boots back home to Grey Gables and to me,” she said, scratching the cat behind her ears. Looking into the green eyes, Annie realized just how much love she’d found here in Stony Point. A person has to be careful when it comes to love, she thought. Love is something hard to come by and easy to lose.
“I love you, Boots, and I almost lost you,” Annie whispered in the cat’s ear. “Whatever would I have done without you?”
Suddenly her mind was clear, the confusion and haze lifted, leaving behind a sense of acute clarity. Was her reluctance to define her feelings putting her in danger losing Ian too? Her heart, she realized, was big enough to hold the memory of Wayne, the love for her family, and allow room for Ian also.
“Oh, Boots!” she exclaimed. “I love Ian too!” She had never uttered those words—not even to Alice. She looked down at her furry confidant. “That really is OK, isn’t it?”
It seemed like the cat was looking right through Annie’s eyes and into her soul. “Meow!” And with that, Boots jumped off Annie’s lap and stood at the door, waiting for her to open it.
****
The day of the Polk family fundraiser had arrived, but Annie had a personal task to take care of before she could leave for the community center.
She carried the two heavy wooden portrait frames from the library window seat to the desk. Her intention to replace the old photographs with restored copies had been forgotten during the recent excitement—the trip to New York City, Boots’s disappearance, and Stella’s revelation about Asta. Annie felt the need to get it done. She turned the frames over so the backs were facing up. Holding the first of two paper sleeves open with one hand, she gingerly pulled the portrait out and placed it on the desk.
The vivid images of Betsy and Charlie startled her. Details long ago faded from the original photograph had reappeared in the copies Ernst Michaels had made from the negative. Charlie’s hair was darker; Betsy’s was lighter. The collar of her dress, difficult to see in the original portrait, was more defined and clearly made of delicate crocheted lace. Annie’s eyes moved up the photograph. What had looked like a studio wall in the faded originals was really a horizon. She bent closer and examined the space were the land met sky. There’s Butler’s Lighthouse! She let this thought sink in until she realized the significance of Stony Point’s most recognizable landmark standing in the background of the photo. Leo Harmon had spent time here at Grey Gables.
Annie placed the restored photo in the frame and slid the matching negatives in the pocket where they had been found. Then she did the same thing to the family portrait featuring cherubic Judy with a hand stretched out as if greeting the photographer. It must have been taken in the same spot as the other portrait, because the lighthouse stood faintly in the distance. They looked so happy, as if they were posing for a keepsake photo to remember a special day.
One at a time, she returned each portrait to its original place on the library wall. Stepping back, she looked at the smiling faces and felt the joy emanating from them. Leo had certainly caught their loving spirit. She remembered the photos of Charlie taken while visiting historical places in New York City. They bore the initials L.H. Leo must have taken those too. Stella’s story of Asta ran through her mind, and Annie remembered how Leo had kept his promise not to publish photos of the singer. He cared about Asta so much that he had found a way to keep the negatives safe in case she ever wanted to have photos as a memento of her time as a jazz singer.
Annie was lost in her reverie until Boots began making figure eights around her legs. She scooped the cat into her arms and rubbed her cheek on her fuzzy gray head before looking at the wall clock. “Are you reminding me it’s time to head to the community center?” The cat’s only response was a loud purring as Annie put on her coat and grabbed the rhubarb pie she had baked before heading out the front door.
****
The smell of hamburgers frying and popcorn popping filled the community center as the six-member high school vocal ensemble assembled onstage and belted out a medley of Carrie Underwood hits. Annie and Reverend Wallace strolled among the rows of booths as she waited her turn to work the Hook and Needle Club table.
“How are you, Annie?” Reverend Wallace asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Annie stopped walking as a group of young teenagers scampered by to peruse the bake sale table. “My emotions seem to ebb and flow, but right now I feel calm and at peace. It’s definitely been a soul-searching time. Losing Boots for a while certainly put things in perspective.”
The pastor took Annie’s hand in his. “Your face looks quite serene—radiant even. This is a big change since I last saw you. Just remember, I am here if you need to talk. Please don’t hesitate to call me.”
Annie squeezed his hand. “I will, Reverend Wallace, I promise.”
Just as the minister walked away to check on members of the Polk family, who were scheduled to take the stage later in the morning, Annie heard her name called from across the room and saw Breck hurrying toward her. When he came to a stop, he dug a key and a wad of greenbacks from his front pocket and handed them to her.
Breck looked at the floor. “Thank you for dropping the money by the diner, but I don’t feel right taking it after losing your cat.”
Annie’s eyes widened. “You did what?”
A contrite Breck explained how he was late leaving the diner on Saturday, and Boots was waiting by the door when he arrived. The cat dashed out of the house and disappeared before he could catch her.
“I chased her and looked all over, but I couldn’t find her in the dark,” Breck explained, hanging his head. “I was too embarrassed to tell you, ’specially after Peggy told everyone at the diner about the break-in and the missing cat. I was scared too. With my background, I was afraid someone might think I was involved in a break-in. I’m really sorry, Mrs. Dawson.”
Annie gave Breck an impulsive hug. “Boots came home. She’s fine! I’m thankful she is safe, and it’s a relief to know there really wasn’t a break-in at Grey Gables after all! I’ll let Chief Edwards know he can close the case.”
She could tell the teen felt badly about what had happened. He probably hadn’t closed the door all the way, although he had locked it, in his haste to find the runaway cat. The wind must have blown it open. Breck had been so preoccupied with finding Boots that he didn’t go back to check the door.
“Please don’t worry about letting Boots out of the house. The lock i
s tricky, and Boots can be pretty slippery sometimes!” Annie said.
She looked at the wad of bills in her hand and flattened them between her palms. “You did a good job, Breck. The lock on the front door of Grey Gables sticks. It’s happened to me too. I want you to keep this.” She held the money out to him.
The teen looked a little surprised and embarrassed, but his lips curled in a slight smile. He reached out and slowly pulled the bills from her fingers. “Thank you.” He stuffed the money into his pocket. “I’m really glad the cat is OK. I, uh, I really need to get back.”
Annie watched Breck lope across the community center to resume his post with Peggy at the diner’s booth. He’d come a long way since first starting work at The Cup & Saucer. While still a bit rough around the edges, the surliness was gone. People were beginning to see beyond the long, wavy hair and baggy clothes to realize there was a smart, caring young man hiding there.
The soft notes of a trumpet lifted into the air from the stage and built into an intricate crescendo before dropping back into a soft melody. Annie felt Ian’s presence beside her before she heard him speak her name. “Ian!” she exclaimed, with heartfelt enthusiasm. “Good morning!”
He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “Who’s the trumpet player? He’s good.”
Annie nodded and looked to the Hook and Needle Club table where Kate stood beaming beside Alice and Gwen. “That’s Cole Cutchins, the musician we met in New York at The Avant-Garde.”
Ian raised his eyebrows. “Impressive. How did Vanessa get him to play here?”
“A little Kate magic,” Annie said to the confused mayor. “Kate and Cole really bonded at the club and remained in touch after we returned to Stony Point. When Cole heard about little Matthew Polk’s surgery, he wanted to help.”
“Well, he certainly adds something to the festivities.” Ian tapped his fingers to the beat on the coffee cup he was holding. “It was nice of him to take the time to support our community event. Will you introduce us later?”
“Absolutely,” said Annie, taking his arm and steering him toward the needlecraft table. “I need to check in and see if I’m needed to man the booth yet. Walk with me?”
Ian nodded. “Just don’t let me forget to pick up the rhubarb pie they are holding for me at the bake sale.”
“I think I can remember that!” she said. “Can you eat an entire pie?”
He patted his trim waist. “Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.”
They strolled arm in arm across the room. Gazing at the table, Annie was surprised to see only two of her place mat and coaster sets on display. “Maybe we should put out more of my items.”
Gwen moved the two sets to the center of the table. “I would—if there were any more left. I predict these two will be gone before noon.”
Alice lifted her eyes and hands from the cash box sitting in front of her. “We’ve made $325 so far!”
Annie watched the people of Stony Point meander around the community center in search of purchases to help support the Polks. She looked at Kate, who was studying every nuance of Cole’s performance as if trying to burn it into her memory. Ian’s arm now rested lightly across Annie’s shoulders, and she leaned in a bit closer. Love, or something very close to it, was definitely in the air.
A little before noon, Stella arrived early to take her shift at the booth. But first she motioned for Annie to follow her into the hallway outside the community room. Annie, curious to find out why she was being summoned to the hall, excused herself and told Ian she’d catch up to him later.
The hallway was quiet after the two women closed the door behind them. “Stella, is everything all right?”
“Yes,” Stella replied. “I just have something to tell you, and I didn’t want to do it in front of the entire town.” Her face softened. “I’m afraid actions I took as an impetuous young woman recently caused you unnecessary angst. You see, Mitchell Grants phoned to say he was still making good on his decades-old promise to keep my past a secret.”
Mitchell, it turned out, had hired the man who had threatened Annie, Alice, and Kate on the subway in an attempt to prevent them from returning to the club and discovering Asta’s true identity. He was also the one who had left the fake message for Kate and had ransacked their hotel room.
“Strangely, Mitchell said he didn’t know a thing about the intruder who broke into Grey Gables,” Stella said.
“Oh, it turned out there wasn’t an intruder after all,” Annie said, relating Breck’s apology for letting Boots out of the house. “All is well. No harm, no foul.”
Stella was unblinking. “Annie, I hope that means you don’t intend to press charges. Mitchell was simply trying to protect an old friend. He didn’t mean any harm.”
Annie thought of the elderly man who was so gracious with his time. “He was very good to us. I admire anyone so dedicated to keeping a promise. I can’t speak for Alice and Kate, but I don’t see any reason to press charges.”
Annie opened the door to the community center for Stella. “Thank you for telling me about Mr. Grants. I can’t say I wasn’t unnerved by his actions, but it means a lot when someone keeps his word—especially for sixty years!”
“Indeed,” Stella said, and she walked through the doorway.
Stella and Annie, who were relieving Alice and Gwen of their duties, walked together to the Hook and Needle Club table where Vanessa was waiting with an update on the fundraiser.
“Between the bake sale, barbecue lunch, car wash, and rummage sale, the student council has raised over $5,000 for the family so far,” Vanessa said, “and we still have a couple of hours left!”
Kate rearranged the merchandise on the club’s table. “And don’t forget that Cole plans to donate everything from his tip jar to the Polks too.”
As if he had heard his name, Cole cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone on the stage. “This next song was inspired by and is dedicated to my new friend Kate, who led me to this charming town of Stony Point, and to the beautifully mysterious jazz singer, Asta, who brought us all together.”
Kate’s face turned a rosy pink, but her smile was even brighter.
Alice stood next to Annie, her purse draped on her shoulder in preparation for making her contribution to the fundraising effort with a few purchases. “Oh Kate, now you are a celebrity!”
“Yes,” said Gwen, half in teasing and half with admiration. “Not everyone is lucky enough to be publicly serenaded by a handsome man, with a song he wrote for her, no less!”
Stella, sitting at the club’s table away from the group, smiled with a slight twinkle in her eye. Annie and Ian stood together, perched on the edge of something new in their relationship. As they exchanged a smile, Annie slipped her hand in his and squeezed.
Kate’s laugh filtered between them. “It is pretty cool to have a man memorialize me in a song. But don’t make it into more than it really is,” she said. “We have a mutual understanding—he doesn’t intend to leave New York City, and I don’t plan on moving away from Stony Point.”
This, Annie thought, is the perfect day. She watched Cole play for a moment before glancing at Stella. She had returned to the embracing arms of Stony Point, to the same folks who adopted Mary Beth when she fled the city and the boyfriend who had dumped her years ago. Here, in the community center of this tiny town, one-time strangers were giving their time, money, and talents to help the Polk family make it through a difficult situation. Annie knew firsthand that it took time to build trust and friendships in this close-knit town. But once those ties were bound, they stayed that way.
The Polk family—Mac and Tinia and all four children—laughed and hugged their way around the room, thanking friends and neighbors for helping them pay for little Matthew’s eye surgery. Their plan, like those before them, was to pay it forward and contribute to the next community event held to help others needing a hand.
Annie was aware that the once-overwhelming tug to return to Texas was becoming fainter
as time passed. She would always have LeeAnn, Herb, and the twins back there, but Grey Gables, Boots, and a new family of treasured friends now kept her anchored in this town with a history integrally entwined with her own. Annie draped an arm around Kate’s shoulder as they watched the trumpeter point the bell of his horn to the ceiling and belt out a high note.
“Oh, I don’t know if Cole will be able to resist Stony Point,” Annie said to Kate. “This place sort of gets in your blood.”