“Well, don’t you go fallin’ and gettin’ hurt now. I sure ain’t gonna be climbing those skinny stairs to help you.”
“I’ll be careful. And I’m sorry about scaring you, Miss Hazel.”
Addie couldn’t be sure, but she thought Hazel Morris might be smiling. “I’m fine.” She waved her hand. “Holler if you need help. I can always call the fire department.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
The woman waved again before going back to the kitchen. Addie put her foot on the first step, and determined it to be solid. The wooden stairs creaked as she slowly climbed upward. She continued to look all around her, afraid to find a spider waiting to greet her. At the top, an uncovered light bulb hung from the ceiling. She pulled on the chain, flooding the attic opening with light.
Cobwebs clung to the rafters, swaying gently from the air flowing up the stairs. It was fairly clean, considering nobody had been up here in over ten years. Just to be safe, she continued to scan the area for spiders and other creepy things.
The cardboard boxes Aunt Janie told her about were pushed up against the bare studs and Addie prayed that nothing would run out when she pulled them away from the wall. The bottom of the box scraped against the wood floor as she drew it toward the light. To her relief, nothing stirred except more dust.
She rifled through it carefully and found a variety of old magazines. Most of them were past issues of Good Housekeeping, dating back to the 70’s. Another box contained more magazines, old property tax information and faded receipts from different stores. The musty smell of old paper made her wrinkle her nose and she pushed the box back against the wall.
In the next box she struck gold. There were at least a dozen black and white photographs of the yard, several of which had a few people posing that Addie didn’t recognize. There were quite a few of downtown Mitchel Creek and the old chapel that was now a museum. Beneath another stack of magazines, Addie found a framed picture of Aunt Janie’s house, taken from the side of the property where the gazebo stood.
She rubbed a layer of dust from the corner of the glass and saw a 1929 date stamped in faded gold letters. Addie felt a tad disappointed when she didn’t find anything close to the era of the Civil War.
“Addie? Are you okay up there?” Aunt Janie called from the bottom of the attic stairs.
“Yeah.” She scooted to the opening and poked her head out. “Just looking for pictures.”
Her aunt looked over her shoulder and hollered, “She’s fine, Hazel.” She glanced back at Addie. “She was worried you’d hurt yourself.”
“Nope. I only have a couple more boxes to look through and then I’ll be down.”
“Okay, sugar. Hazel and I are going to our book club meeting. We’re just gonna be down the road at the Jensen’s house so if you need me all you have to do is call.”
Addie loved how active her aunt was. She didn’t have time to grow old. “Okay, thanks. And have fun at your meeting.”
“Sure thing.”
Moving back to finish her search, Addie went through two other cartons without discovering any other pictures. Satisfied with her find, she pushed the box toward the stairs. It took some finagling but Addie managed to get the box of old photographs down. After putting the attic stairs back up into the ceiling, she picked up the box and carried it down to the kitchen table.
The pictures were easier to inspect in the natural lighting. She soon discovered some of them had writing on the back, and was disappointed to find out many of the pictures were taken on the grounds of the Mitchel Plantation. So far nothing had inspired her.
She picked up the frame containing the one picture she knew was of her aunt’s house. Holding it flat, she blew a light coating of dust from the glass, and noted a hairline fracture running across the middle. The frame itself was also in poor condition, and a corner of it broke off by her simply holding it. If her aunt wanted to protect the picture from any damage, the glass and frame would need to be replaced.
Knowing it was over eighty years old, she carefully removed the backing from the frame. Underneath she found the mat, yellowed and cracking. Gently, she peeled away the old mat and found there was another layer or possibly two. Her fingers tingled with anticipation. It was common to place another photo over an existing one. Many great finds had been made from this very thing.
Once again, she carefully repeated the procedure of parting the aged paper. The second photo was of the house again, only it was of the front porch. The type of photo paper was clearly from an earlier era, maybe from around the eighteen hundreds. Excitement bubbled when noted another photograph underneath this one. Praying it would separate as easily as the others, she carefully pulled at the corner. Slowly and meticulously, she peeled the old paper apart.
To her astonishment, in between the photos she found a thin piece of yellowed paper with spidery handwriting, fading from age. The remaining photograph was of a young woman, posing on the front porch and dressed in clothing from the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. She was really quite beautiful and had a soft smile playing at her lips instead of the usual stern look that was so commonly found in older photographs. Was she the author of the letter?
Thoroughly intrigued with the single piece of paper, Addie arranged each photograph on the dining room table in the order they had been found. Picking up the fragile paper, she tried to decipher the elegant handwriting.
Dearest Lydia,
As I write this letter, I can scarcely keep from weeping. Robert has not returned, nor have I heard from him in the past six months. This wretched war has no doubt claimed his life, leaving me a widow at the age of nineteen. The Yankees have burned Atlanta and I believe ’tis only a matter of time before they invade our peaceful little town. You will remember the day I hid mama’s valuables? I’m afraid of remaining here without a man to protect me or my sweet little Margaret. I’ve taken everything I can carry and escaped from here, except the treasure you most valued. It will remain hidden until you are able to claim it. Dearest, never give up hope. Find comfort in the word of the Lord. In times as these remember the passage of scripture that has comforted me. The gospel of John 4:11-14. Is this not the evidence that all will be well? I will try to have courage and pray that we will meet again. If not in this life then in the next.
Love your sister, Marianne
Addie re-read the letter as a thrill of excitement rushed through her veins. If this Lydia or Marianne was related to the Caldwell’s, it would prove the rumor of the buried riches surrounding the house to be true.
Dying to tell somebody about her discovery, she debated about texting her aunt. She decided against interrupting her meeting, especially since Hazel would be put out with Addie for being inconsiderate.
Addie scrolled through her contacts, realizing she didn’t really have any close friends. Most of the girls from high school had either married or moved away, and she hadn’t kept in contact with the few friends she’d made in college. Truthfully, once she and Brandon started dating, they’d hung out with his friends.
She went to her favorites screen and pressed her sister’s number, only to get voicemail. A minute later a text came from Chellie saying she was on a field trip with Stephanie’s class and would call Addie later if it wasn’t an emergency.
Unless finding out I’m a loser counted as one? Addie quickly replied that it wasn’t an emergency.
Blowing out a depressing breath, she acknowledged her lack of friends was entirely her fault. She’d stopped going to church activities and never socialized with anyone at work. Suspending her Facebook account had isolated herself even more. It had taken her aunt’s dogged persistence to get Addie to go out with a guy. A guy she only pretended to date while actually dating him. It didn’t help that she was extremely attracted to him either.
She groaned and lay her head down on the table. Aside from the fact that Chase was a hot country rock star and had a sexy southern accent, could her loser status be the reason she was so drawn to him? At least one
good thing would come from their fake relationship. Once she got home, she was determined to make new friends and start dating again. She might even track down Biker Boy and ask him out.
Feeling a little better, Addie cleaned up the pictures. She put the letter and old photographs in a manila envelope and then carried the box back upstairs. Placing the envelope on her dresser, she lowered the attic stairs and returned the container of pictures back where it belonged.
Back in her room, she glanced at the clock and saw Chase would be coming in only a few hours. She tried not to get too excited about seeing him again, and reminded herself what the status of their relationship was: Friends. Nothing more.
Chapter Twelve
Chase loosened his tie as he left his office. He took the stairs two at a time, eager to leave and pick up Addie. His shoes echoed against the marble floor, making the security guard look up from his desk. Chase waved his hand as he passed by. “See ya later, George.”
The older man grinned, his white teeth gleaming against his black skin. “Have a good night, Mr. Chase,” he said in a low gravelly voice.
“You too.” He waved and stepped out into the sunshine, glad to be free of his office. He picked up the pace and started to hum a tune he’d had in his head. It died on his lips when saw Hayden waiting for him next to his truck.
Her heavily glossed lips curved up into a seductive smile. “Hey there, handsome.”
Chase ignored her greeting and proceeded to unlock his truck. “What are you doing here?”
Hayden moved next to him, her arm brushing against his. Physical contact had always been one of her tactics to getting her way. “I’ve been thinking about you all day and wanted to take you out to supper.”
Chase stepped away. “Sorry, I’ve got other plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
He almost laughed out loud. The entire time they’d been dating, she never let him ask about her plans. Of course, that’s because she was cheating on him.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve got a date with my girlfriend.” Irritation flashed in her eyes, and Chase had to admit feeling a small measure of satisfaction. “If you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to be late.”
Hayden didn’t move. She eyed him for several seconds, her mouth slowly lifting into her signature smile. “I know your girlfriend said she would enjoy discovering all of your secrets, but I’ve discovered one that I know won’t make my daddy too happy.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“Well,” she said, closing the distance between them. “Daddy asked about us today. He seems pleased we’re back together.”
Chase’s chest tightened with anger. “I thought you would’ve told him by now that you broke up with me.”
“I didn’t want to do anything to make him angry with you.” She lifted one shoulder up. “You know, in case you need a good reference for the job in Nashville?”
A cold feeling of dread knotted his stomach. How had she found out about Nashborough? Chase knew Shanna would’ve never divulged his secret, especially to Hayden. No one else knew about the application he’d filled out. Although he’d talked to his parents about finding work in Tennessee, he hadn’t told them about the lead on the job yet. Not even his best friends knew.
“I wouldn’t want Daddy to fire you if he found out you’ve been looking for a job with one of his biggest competitors.”
Swallowing back his anger, Chase tried to keep calm. Hayden was like a shark and if she smelled blood it would only increase the frenzy.
“What do you want, Hayden?” He crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the truck. “Another date?” he asked cynically.
Her eyes remained cool and detached, the smile still there. “Maybe.” She turned and casually sauntered toward her car. Opening her door, she glanced over her shoulder. “Enjoy your night.”
Before he called her an offensive—although fitting—name, he jerked open his door and climbed in behind the wheel.
The cab of the truck was stuffy, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He quickly started the engine, and cracked the windows, turning the air on high. The radio blasted his CD demo and he turned it off, needing a second to think.
In the side view mirror, he spotted Hayden’s car approaching him on the driver’s side. She expected him to look at her, so he kept facing forward as she slowly passed by. Only when she exited the parking lot and merged into traffic did his grip on the steering wheel loosen.
What had he ever seen in her? It was hard to believe that at one time he’d been so blinded with love, or what he thought was love, that he’d actually wanted to marry her. He’d even bought the ring.
He adjusted the air vent to blow on him more directly and pulled his tie off. Divine intervention had saved him from making that mistake. He’d come home early from a business trip, and decided to make a surprise visit to her apartment in Macon. When she hadn’t answered the door, he’d used the key she’d given him and walked in, catching her in a compromising position with another guy.
This time she couldn’t lie or talk her way out of the situation, although she tried, even blaming Chase for being gone.
Shortly after their breakup—which Hayden claimed she had instigated—she left for California. The hold she once held over him was shattered, and Chase felt free.
Now she was back, trying to mess with his life again. The question was why? What could possibly be her motive, other than to cause trouble?
Feeling frustrated and stupid for getting tangled up in Hayden’s web of lies in the first place, he shifted the truck into gear and started for home. Before he exited the parking lot, his phone buzzed an incoming call. He smiled when he saw who the caller was. Jackson could always make him laugh. “Hey,” he said, easing onto the street. “What’s up?”
“We’re planning tonight’s entertainment and Syd wondered if strip poker would scare your new girlfriend off?”
Chase grinned when he heard Sydney scold her husband. “I never said anything about stripping.”
“Sure you did, babe. Just a few minutes—”
Chase heard a scuffle and a lot of laughter. Then Jackson came back on the phone. “Sorry, my mistake. Syd was talking about stripping after everyone goes home.”
Sydney protested loudly again, but Chase could hear the amusement in her voice. Jackson liked to tease, and usually his teasing went a little too far. He hoped Addie would be able to handle it.
“Maybe I’ll just take Addie out to eat,” Chase said. “You’re notorious for scaring women off, especially on first dates.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.
“I’ll be good,” Jackson said. “I promise.”
“I’ll make sure he behaves, Chase,” Sydney hollered loud enough for him to hear. “If not, he’s sleeping in the guest room tonight.”
“That’s just cold,” Jackson said.
“No teasing Chase’s date. I mean it, Jackson.” Sydney’s voice sounded firm. Whether or not Jackson heeded his wife’s warning remained to be seen.
“Dude, listen to your wife. For once.”
“What? I’m not that bad.”
“Yes you are.” Chase snorted. “Do you honestly think Sydney would’ve gone out with you again if I hadn’t talked her into it?”
Jackson chuckled softly. “Yeah, I guess I do owe you for that one.”
Sydney’s family had moved into the area a few years earlier, and the first time Jackson saw her he’d fallen in love. Sydney, however, wouldn’t give him the time of day. She’d just come out of a bad breakup and wasn’t interested in dating. It took nearly three months for her to finally agree to go out with Jackson.
Their first date had been at Chase’s house. A few couples had gathered in his basement to eat pizza and watch a movie. Jackson sat close to Sydney, holding her hand. When the lights turned off for the movie to start, he yelled out, “Hey, don’t touch me there.”
Everyone laughed and, knowing Jackson,
didn’t take him seriously. A few minutes after the movie started, Sydney excused herself to use the restroom. She never came back.
Jackson begged and apologized for a solid two weeks without making any progress. Chase had finally been able to talk with Sydney, asking her to give Jackson one more chance. They were married eight months later.
“By the way, Beau might come over. He and Kara are fighting again so you might have a little competition.”
“I hate when they’re fighting,” Chase grumbled as he made a left turn. Beau compensated by flirting with any girl he was near. “Maybe I’ll bring Ashlee over. He’ll be so busy dodging her he won’t have time for anything else.”
“Now that could be funny. See ya soon, buddy.”
Chase ended the call, feeling a lot less stressed. Rolling back his shoulders, he focused on the email his agent sent him right before leaving work. A smaller, but successful record label liked Chase’s demo CD and planned on coming to their gig at Gracie’s this Saturday. It might not be what he wanted, but it would be a step in the right direction.
Excited about the prospect, Chase turned on his CD and sang along as he made his way through a line of traffic backed up by road construction. When he finally made it through, one glance at the clock told him if he stopped by his house to change clothes, he’d be late picking up Addie. He hated being late, especially if someone was waiting on him. Since the Caldwell’s property turnoff was before his house, he decided to swing by there first.
A few minutes later he pulled up to Janie’s house. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and climbed out of the truck. He crossed the yard and made it to the porch in record time. If someone was watching him they’d know how eager he was to see Addie again. Not wanting to come off desperate, he waited a few seconds before ringing the doorbell.
Addie opened the door so quickly it made him wonder if she’d been watching for him. “Hi there.” She smiled, carving the dimple in her cheek. “You’re just in time to help me carry our dessert.”
“We’re bringing dessert?” he said, entering the house and following close behind her to the kitchen.
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 13