by Jan Fields
When she’d seen the broken emerald earring, she knew it would be the perfect corner piece to help cover where the stick attached to the mask. She held the earring up to the mask and nodded. It would be great.
Carefully, she took the broken clip off the piece. As she looked it over, she realized it would look even better if she put some gold wire loops and pearls to add height at the corners like the loops on the emerald hair comb. And she wanted some black, white and emerald green satin ribbon to wrap around the stick and also to hang from the corner of the mask for even more movement on the finished piece.
“Well,” she said. “Looks like I need to make a quick run to A Stich in Time. That’s top on my list for the morning. But for now, I think I need some kitty time.”
Boots looked up at her. “Mrrr-ow?”
Annie leaned over and stroked Boots’s head, and then gathered all her bits back into the basket. She tucked the basket up on top of the fridge. Boots had been practicing her skills at getting into Annie’s project bags and baskets lately. Annie was still missing a ball of the soft, forest green sweater yarn and hoped it would turn up soon as she wasn’t sure if Mary Beth had any more in that dye lot.
She scooped up Boots and headed for the living room and a quiet evening of vegging out in front of the television.
On Thursday morning, Annie fully intended to get an early start into town, but Boots decided to help her straighten up her bedroom while Annie was in the shower. Of course, the cat’s idea of a clean dresser was knocking everything on the floor. It had taken all morning to chase down everything, especially since she’d had to pull the dresser away from the wall to find some of it.
“That’s the last time I leave you alone in a room,” Annie scolded as she lugged the cat downstairs and plunked her on the couch. Boots gave a small, disgruntled meow before settling down for a nap.
Scooping up her keys, Annie headed out the door before something else popped up and needed her attention. She paused and patted the roof of the Chevy Malibu for luck before hopping in. She’d started that as a joke six years ago when Wayne had given her the car for Christmas.
“That little Malibu will last for years if you take good care of it,” Wayne had said as he handed her the keys.
Annie had patted the roof of the car. “I will.”
“I mean take care of it like a car,” he’d told her as a slight smile had crooked the corner of his mouth. “It’s not a pet.”
“You never know,” Annie had said. “Maybe cars appreciate a little petting too. I don’t believe in taking chances.”
Wayne had burst out laughing at that, but Annie made it a habit to pat the car whenever her husband was watching. She sighed now as she turned the key. She missed Wayne so much, but she liked to think he was still watching and laughing at her and her pet car.
The drive to A Stitch in Time was short, but Annie enjoyed the sight of the changing trees, almost glowing in the late afternoon sun, as she passed them. The maples were her favorites with their fiery colors, but even the poison ivy along some of the overgrown wooded lots was turning a beautiful bright red.
Traffic had lightened up considerably since most of the summer people had closed up for the season and headed south for the winter. She knew they’d have a burst of visitors when the leaf color really peaked, but the population of Stony Point was slimming down. More and more, the faces she saw on the street were ones she knew, or at least recognized from passing them before.
Annie easily found a spot almost exactly between A Stitch in Time and The Cup & Saucer. As she passed the front window, Annie noticed Mary Beth was the only person in the shop. That alone proved it must be fall. Annie never caught Mary Beth alone in the summer. Her friend looked up as the bell jingled merrily over the door.
“Ah, still haven’t found the errant ball of yarn?” Mary Beth asked. Annie had told her about the kitty yarn heist nearly a week ago when it happened. “I finally had a chance to look through the cubby and I think I have one more skein in that dye lot.”
“That’s great. No, I haven’t found the yarn, but I haven’t given up. Still, I better buy the one you found. No telling just what damage Boots has done to the one she swiped.” Annie pulled her list out of her pocket. “I actually came in for some secret supplies.”
Mary Beth laughed as she leaned on the counter. “You aren’t the only one. Gwen came in this morning, but I’m sworn to secrecy about what she bought.”
“I finally have a real plan for mine so I need a few things,” Annie said. “Didn’t I see some nice gold wire here?”
“We have gold wire in several gauges. How well does it need to hold its shape?”
Annie explained her plan, and Mary Beth helped her pick the perfect wire. She also collected the ribbon she needed. Annie was delighted to see that Mary Beth had narrow satin ribbon in a perfect emerald green. They chatted while Mary Beth rang everything up and bagged it all in a plain brown paper bag, skipping over one of her clear bags with A Stitch In Time printed on the side.
“The old brown paper bags will help keep your secret,” Mary Beth said. “In case you run into any of the other Hook and Needle folks.” Then she looked toward the door and grinned. “Speaking of which.”
Annie turned as Alice walked through the door. “Long time, no see, neighbor,” she said.
“I ran out of sequins,” Alice said, picking a few packages from Mary Beth’s small stand display of common embellishment items.
“Oh, sequins,” Annie said. “I didn’t think about sequins. But, I’m happy with what I have. I will not be tempted.”
“You know me, I’d be a great magpie,” Alice said. “I love shiny objects.”
Alice paid quickly for the few packs of sequins and tossed them in her purse. Then she asked Annie if she’d like to grab dinner at the diner.
“Is it that time already?” Annie said. “This day has flown by.”
They walked out together, and Annie realized the sun had set while she was inside chatting with Mary Beth. The wind had picked up more and tossed Annie’s fine blond hair.
Alice pushed her own auburn waves out of her face. “This time of year, I sometimes think Mary Beth has the right idea,” she said. “The wind never blows that pixie cut she wears.”
“It’s the perfect look for Mary Beth,” Annie said. “She looks like a nice elf mom. But I don’t think it would suit either of us.”
Alice pushed her hair aside again. “Probably not. But I think it’s time to break out my scarf collection so I’m not trying to look through hair every time I go outside.”
They had reached the door of The Cup & Saucer. As Annie pushed it open, she turned slightly to say, “I thought you just had all those scarves to look sporty in your convertible.”
“Well, that too.”
Peggy hurried over as soon as they came through the door. “I had so much fun yesterday,” she said as she led them through the half-filled dining room. “Even if we didn’t find anything mysterious, I now have the perfect outfit for the ball!”
“It looks great on you,” Annie said as she slipped into the chair near the front window. This was her favorite table, at least until real winter set in. Then the cold coming off the glass made it a bit less pleasant. Now though, it offered a lovely view of the stores across the street with their warm light spilling out on the sidewalk and the streetlights glowing down in ambient puddles.
“I really recommend the sliced beef and gravy tonight,” Peggy said. “The scent has been making my stomach growl ever since I came in.”
“Sounds great,” Alice said. “With coffee.”
“Same for me,” Annie agreed.
They chatted a bit about the upcoming ball and the fun they’d had in the attic. “I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed a nice, big mystery didn’t jump out at us while we were in your attic,” Alice said.
“That’s because you’re not the one who ends up with people upset with you every time we fall into a mystery,” Annie sai
d. “I’m perfectly happy just to look back on past mysteries and focus on fun now.”
“Fun like going to the ball with Ian?” Alice teased, drawing Ian’s name out.
“You know we’re just friends.”
Before Alice could reply, they were interrupted by Peggy with their dinners. The food looked as good as it smelled, and both women focused on their meals. Annie was just as glad to get off the topic of Ian. She still found her feelings for the handsome mayor confusing. She liked him. He was kind and attentive, but he wasn’t Wayne. And she wasn’t ready to consider anyone in her life who wasn’t Wayne.
“You look serious,” Alice said as she sipped her coffee. “What are you thinking about?”
“Wayne.”
Alice nodded. “I wish I had met him. He must have been a great guy.”
“He was,” Annie said. “Of course, he was also a perfectly normal guy. Sometimes he made me crazy, and sometimes I made him crazy, but mostly we made each other happy.”
“That must be nice,” Alice said. “I had the crazy part with my ex, but I wouldn’t mind a few years of happy.”
“I thought you might be finding it with Jim a while back,” Annie said.
Alice shook her head. “Jim makes me happy, but I don’t think either of us could really see that relationship working. Jim is never in one place, and I’ve finally found exactly where I want to be.” Then she grinned. “Not that I would mind if another staggeringly handsome guy wanted to waltz into my life and stay a while.”
“Well, if one passes through Stony Point, I promise not to be any competition.”
Alice’s smile in reply suddenly froze on her face, and Annie felt a surge of alarm as Alice grew decidedly pale. Annie turned to see what Alice was looking at. In the doorway of the diner stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with perfectly trimmed black hair sprinkled with gray. The stranger looked around the room. When his eyes landed on Alice, his face lit up with a dazzlingly white smile.
“Do you know him?” Annie whispered.
Alice didn’t answer, but she nodded slightly as the man crossed the room in a few quick strides. When he reached their table, he quickly bent to kiss Alice on the cheek. “You look beautiful,” he said, his voice smooth and warm. Then he turned the full wattage of his smile toward Annie. “So Alice, are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
Alice seemed to shake off the trance she was in. “This is my best friend, Annie Dawson,” she said. “Annie, this is my ex-husband, John MacFarlane.”
Now it was Annie’s turn to look stunned as the tall man reached out and took her hand, giving it a warm shake with a hand that sported a perfect manicure. Annie had to fight the urge to wipe her hand on her pants when John let go.
So this was the man who had broken Alice’s heart. What could he possibly want now?
5
Annie fought the urge to fidget as John MacFarlane turned his warm smile back to Alice. She could see why Alice might have found him attractive when she was young. He looked like a movie star with his perfect white teeth and tanned complexion. Even the gray in his hair seemed almost artful, like he was trying to look mature and stable.
“What could possibly bring you to Stony Point?” Alice asked icily.
“After all the years you spent telling me how wonderful this town is,” John said, raising an eyebrow slightly, “how could I not come and see for myself at least once?”
“You seemed able to resist the allure when we were married, and I wanted to come back home.”
“I didn’t want to share you then,” he said.
“Right,” Alice turned away and took a sip from her coffee cup. “As I remember, you didn’t think I should feel the same way.”
“Alice, I know I treated you terribly, but I’d like to make it up to you.”
Now it was Alice’s turn to raise an eyebrow. She didn’t say anything, but just looked at him expectantly.
“I was hoping we could talk privately,” he said.
Alice leaned toward him and said, “Then you shouldn’t have interrupted my dinner with a friend. I honestly cannot imagine anything you have to say that would interest me. I’m happy now, John. I don’t need you anywhere near me.”
The tall man stood straight and nodded. “I deserve that. I would still like to speak to you. I’m staying at Maplehurst Inn. Could I at least have five minutes of your time tomorrow?”
“I’ll think about it and let you know.” Alice turned very pointedly away from him and asked Annie if she’d chosen shoes to go with her ball gown.
“Um, no,” Annie said nervously, trying to go along with Alice’s pointed effort to ignore her ex. “I hadn’t thought much about it. I have some ivory pumps that I think would go with it OK.”
John MacFarlane stood beside them a moment. Then Peggy appeared at his side. “Are you joining this table, or do you need one of your own?” she asked.
“He needs one of his own,” Alice said, and Peggy looked at her with her eyes full of curiosity.
He sighed. “I guess I need one of my own.”
Peggy led him to a table as far from Annie and Alice as possible. Annie made a mental note to thank her later. Peggy could be a bit of a gossip sometimes, but her instincts about people were certainly first-rate.
“Well, I don’t feel much like dessert,” Alice said. “I think I’ll head home.”
Annie reached out and put her hand on Alice’s arm. “Please, be careful if you do decide to talk to …” She let her voice trail off.
“Don’t worry,” Alice said. “If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s to be very careful about John MacFarlane.” Then she forced a smile. “I’ll be all right, really.”
“Well, let me walk you out, at least,” Annie said.
The women quickly paid their bill and left. Outside, Alice leaned on a wall. “Give me a second,” she said. “That was one surprise I really didn’t need.”
“Are you all right?”
“I thought I was,” Alice said, her smile forced. “But don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I do think I’ll pass on any more chats with him.”
Annie gave her friend a quick hug, and then Alice straightened up. “Time to be a big girl. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks.”
“I’m always available if you need to talk.”
Alice nodded and the two walked to their cars.
Annie spent most of Friday working on her mask. Her eyes often strayed in the direction of the carriage house, but she didn’t see Alice.
When Annie’s mask was done, she stopped by the carriage house to see if Alice wanted to drive over to the inn with her to drop off her mask too, since they were barely making the deadline as it was—the auction was Saturday afternoon. She didn’t get an answer and finally had to go on her own.
On Saturday morning, Annie looked over her gown for the ball and mended a few weak seams. Then she draped the delicate silk over her arm and grabbed her keys. She’d take the dress to the cleaners, then she was going to quiz Mary Beth to see if anyone had seen Alice. She was really growing concerned about her friend.
As she walked out on the porch, she spotted Alice walking across the lawn, a sheepish look on her face and a wrapped basket in her hands. “Alice MacFarlane,” Annie scolded, “I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“I’m sorry,” Alice said as she held up the basket. “I’ve brought a peace offering. Would you like some double-chocolate zucchini bread?”
“Double chocolate?” Annie said. “Sounds like comfort food.”
Alice laughed a little. “And I can use it.”
Annie turned and let Alice in the door, and then she draped the dress over the bench in the entry. “Come on in the kitchen,” she said. “I have some fresh coffee to go with that bread.”
Soon both women were seated with steaming cups of coffee and thick slabs of moist bread. “I finished my mask last night,” Alice said. “Just in under the wire. In fact, I had to call so someone would stay an extra two hours to log it in yest
erday. I’ve been distracted.”
Annie nodded, waiting for Alice to get to the point. “So, I assume you decided to see your ex after all?”
Alice sipped her coffee, pausing before she nodded her head. “Yeah, I went to see John at the inn. He says cheating on me was the stupidest thing he ever did.”
“I could agree with that,” Annie said.
“Me too.” Alice leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “He wants us to get back together. I told him that’s never going to happen. He’s not someone I want in my life anymore. I don’t need that kind of turmoil, and I don’t think I’d ever really trust him. That’s no way to have a relationship.”
“I agree with all that too,” Annie said.
“I met him at the inn,” Alice said. “So it was hard to avoid the topic of the ball and …”
“Oh, Alice,” Annie said. “You didn’t.”
Alice nodded. “I agreed to let John be my date for the ball. I want to keep an eye on him if he’s going to be in town. Plus, it’s my civic duty to keep the other women in Stony Point safe from John MacFarlane’s charm.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Annie said slowly. “It feels like a terrible idea, in fact.”
“Probably so,” Alice said, “but I’m committed. You and Ian will be there and lots of other people I know. So it’s not like I have to be alone with John that much. Honestly, I don’t buy the whole bit about wanting to get back together. I think he’s here for some other reason, and I guess I want to know why.”
Annie shook her head worriedly. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I wish you’d caught me when I was twenty and just meeting him.”
Silence fell over the kitchen with neither woman knowing just what to say next. Thankfully, it was broken when Boots padded in and began to demand attention. The conversation turned away from Alice’s ex, and they chatted about the upcoming ball and mask auction.