She glanced out the window toward her former house across the street and remembered how nice it was before Lucille. So much was nicer before Lucille. If not for her, we would have never moved and then maybe…
Turning her attention back to Miss Ethel, she immediately felt the warmth and concern radiating from the older woman, so unlike her stepmother. Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly. “I felt as though my father was blind to Lucille’s machinations, and I didn’t trust her. In the end, I’m glad I stayed. My father and I grew closer as he began to see her true colors.” Pinching her lips together, she fought to keep her anger inside. Letting the breath out slowly, she added, “But now, I’m free to live my life.”
“And you came back to visit the old neighborhood,” Miss Ethel declared, once more smiling as she clapped her hands. “How lovely!”
Still wanting to ask about the boys, she remained quiet. Is wondering about Cas’ life worse than possibly knowing I had no place in it?
As though picking up on her hesitation, Miss Ethel said, “You must be curious about everybody.”
“Yes, actually, I am. I drove by my house and had no thoughts about me and Dad living there that didn’t involve your welcoming home. I think you and this house are what I really wanted to see.” She paused for a few seconds and closed her eyes, listening carefully. In her mind, she could hear the sounds of boys’ laughter ringing through the halls. But in truth, the walls were only filled with memories and not activity. She opened her eyes and knew her smile was sad. “It’s so quiet now.”
Chuckling, Miss Ethel agreed. “I’m sure everyone thinks that after having all my boys, I must relish the quiet. Actually, I find that silence is sometimes annoying. I tell myself that the quiet is a good thing because it reminds me that all my boys are happy, healthy, grown, and living their own lives. I suppose that’s the best a parent can hope for in their old age when the quiet seems to close in on them and memories take over.”
Nodding slowly, she said, “I understand what you mean. It seems like I spend a lot of my time looking back at the past. It’s only been recently that I started looking forward.”
“And yet you came back to Virginia…”
“I suppose I needed to come back to where I was last happy. I traveled through lots of states on my way here, knowing I could stop anywhere to settle for a while. But until I reached back and touched my past, I couldn’t move forward.”
Miss Ethel’s eyes appeared to water, and she blinked several times. “Oh, my dear, you have such a gift with words. That’s beautiful.”
Her heart sang at the praise. “I have a confession. I’m a writer now.”
“Now I have someone new I can quote!” Miss Ethel clapped her hands in delight.
“I always loved your quotes! I think you are what inspired me.”
“And I used to tell the boys that not only did you have a vivid imagination, but you were so insightful. Older than your years.”
They smiled at each other, taking more sips of tea. Miss Ethel inclined her head toward the picture frames on the bookshelves. “All of my boys came back from the military and landed nearby.”
Interest, which she had held to a simmer, flared to life, and she sucked in a rapid breath. “Oh, please tell me about them. About them all.”
As though settling in to talk about her favorite subject — which Bianca had no doubt was true — Miss Ethel began. “Zander was the first to leave and the first to return. Being the oldest of my boys, I think he always felt a sense of responsibility for the others. He never talked much about his time in the Army, but I have no doubt he carried that same sense of responsibility to the men and women he worked with. When he came back, he seemed a bit lost until he decided to buy an old run-down bar, refurbished it, and opened Grimm’s.”
Eyes bugging out of her head, Bianca cackled with laughter. “He named his bar after the Grimm brothers?”
Nodding, Miss Ethel’s lips curved as well. “I’m sure that many of the patrons of his establishment have no idea the significance behind the name.” Her voice softened, and she said, “He’s now married to a lovely teacher named Rosalie, and they have a little girl, Charity.”
It was not hard for Bianca to imagine the serious Zander owning his own business but being married with a little girl was something she hoped she would be able to see.
Continuing, Miss Ethel said, “Zeke is a partner with Zander, and he runs the restaurant. Cael came back and owns his own business restoring old houses. He and Asher, who is also in construction, do a lot of work together. Asher helped get one of our local homeless shelters started, a place where Zeke donates a lot of time as well. Rafe works with his wife at a burn center she developed. Jaxon is a paramedic, and Jayden owns his own garage.”
Bianca thought of how close the boys were when she knew them as teenagers, and it appeared they had that same bond as adults. Looking up at Miss Ethel who was staring at her, she said, “I’m really glad the boys are still close. I think that’s wonderful.” It had not skipped her notice that no mention of Cas had been made. Her heart squeezed, and she licked her dry lips.
Before she had a chance to ask, Miss Ethel continued, “Yes, the boys are very close. In fact, Cas works for Jayden at the garage.”
The air left her lungs in a rush at hearing his name leave Miss Ethel’s lips. She once again felt Miss Ethel’s assessing gaze and hurried to ask, “And, they’re all… um… well?”
Miss Ethel took another sip of tea, drawing out her answer, making Bianca squirm. Setting her teacup down, Miss Ethel nodded. “Yes, they’re all well. In fact, they’re all married with the exception of Cas.”
Hearing that Cas was not married caused her heart to leap. Tamping down that feeling, she knew that did not mean he was not involved with someone. Before she had a chance to learn more, Miss Ethel glanced at the clock.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I have someone coming to pick me up to take me to a church meeting. But you must come back soon. The boys would love to see you again!”
Smiling, she could not contain the excitement of seeing them as well.
“The boys made sure that I have a cell phone,” Miss Ethel said as she pulled it from her pocket. “They’re afraid if I don’t have it with me, I might fall in the garden and lay there amongst my roses until someone discovered me!”
Thinking that was a smart idea, she said, “I can put my phone number in it along with my name, and then you’ll have it.”
She quickly programmed her number into Miss Ethel’s phone and then accepted a call back so that she could have Miss Ethel’s information in return. Standing, she took the tea tray into the kitchen and placed it on the counter. “Would you like me to wash these?”
Miss Ethel waved her hand dismissively, and said, “Oh, goodness gracious no. That will give me something to occupy myself with when I come back from my meeting.” Walking her to the door, Miss Ethel held onto Bianca’s arm. “I didn’t even ask where you’re staying.”
“I’m afraid I’ve been rather impetuous,” she declared. “I was driving toward Richmond, and my GPS had me on a little country road because there was an accident on the highway. I passed through some woods and there was a ‘For Rent’ sign. On a complete whim, I took a look at the house, called the realtor, and discovered it was a darling little cabin that was already furnished and is being rented by the month. It’s about fifteen miles away on the west side of town. I rented that very day. I spent the last two days making sure it was fixed up and had groceries, so I’m well settled, at least for a month until I decide what I want to do.”
“Are you in a neighborhood?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, it’s truly just a country road. Hunter Lane. In fact, I only have one neighbor that I know of. It’s very quiet and isolated.”
Miss Ethel stilled, her hands halting as they reached for her purse, and she stared at Bianca. Her lips curved into a slow smile, and she said, “You have no idea how glad I am that you stopped by today. It�
��s been lovely to talk to you, and I can’t wait until you get a chance to be with all my boys again.” She bent to pick up her purse, and the two women walked out onto the front porch, Miss Ethel locking the door behind her.
They walked down the front walk toward the car that had arrived to pick up Miss Ethel. She turned and looked at Bianca again, gave her a warm hug, and said, “Perhaps you should meet your neighbor. After all, ‘Never look too far to find a family. Your neighbor is your closest family.’” Miss Ethel appeared bemused and added, “I was actually reading something Mr. Rogers had written about neighbors, and came across a brilliant young woman, Lailah Gifty Akita, who had said something very similar.” Shrugging her thin shoulders, she laughed. “I’m never sure anymore what quotes will pop out of my mouth!”
Kissing Bianca’s cheek, she climbed into her friend’s car, leaving Bianca on the sidewalk, waiting until she was out of sight. She leaned her head back and let the warmth of the sun fall on her face. Looking back, it felt as though life has been such a battle for so many years, and now, a new chance at happiness was awaiting.
Climbing into her small SUV, she drove out of the city toward Hunter Lane. She glanced at her neighbor’s driveway, and like hers, it disappeared into the woods so she could not see the house. She continued on to her drive, excited to see the small cabin come into view.
The tea and cookies with Miss Ethel had been delightful but did little to assuage her hunger. Fixing a sandwich, she went out to her patio, sitting on the step with her plate balanced on her knees.
Halfway through her meal, a yowling close by startled her. Jerking her head to the side, she saw a sleek, solid white cat standing under a bush staring at her. Or, perhaps, staring at her sandwich.
“Where did you come from?” She held her hand out, and the cat walked forward and sniffed her fingers. “Oh, my, you are beautiful.” She stroked the silky fur, scratched under her chin, and rubbed her ears. She remembered reading that white cats were often deaf, and when she snapped her fingers behind its head, the cat made no indication that it heard. “You couldn’t have come far,” she said, noting the cat’s clean fur, clear eyes, and healthy weight.
Not wanting the cat to be in danger outside, she coaxed it into her house with nibbles from her sandwich. “Come on in, and I’ll check with my neighbor to see if that’s who you belong to.”
The cat sat on her haunches in the middle of the kitchen, looked at her, then began washing its face.
After closing her back door securely, Bianca walked to the edge of her clearing and stared through the forest of trees toward her neighbor’s land. Her lot was large, covering several acres according to the real estate agent, but since her neighbor’s driveway was close to hers, she assumed their house would not be too great a distance.
As she walked through the woods, she was soon able to see a large, wooden building and made her way toward it. Exiting the woods from the back, she walked around to the side and saw that it was almost like a garage, with her neighbor’s house sitting closer to the drive on the other side of their clearing.
Curious as to the sounds she had been hearing at night, she headed straight to one of the windows, placed her forehead against the glass with her hands cupped around her eyes, and peered inside. It was a workshop, and from what she could see it contained unfinished and finished pieces of furniture. Walking around the building, she looked toward the house but did not see anyone around.
Glancing back at the workshop, she observed that the door was partially opened. She called out but received no answer. Pushing the door open a little further, her eyes landed on the headboard of a small bed, one that would fit a child. Intricate carvings captured her attention and she moved forward, pulled inward by the desire to inspect it closer, even though she knew she was snooping. A little boy and girl appeared to be peeking from behind carved trees toward a gingerbread house in the distance. Hansel and Gretel!
Captivated, she gently reached out. Her fingers touched the smooth wood, and she was bewitched by the workmanship in front of her. Unheeding of the fact that she was trespassing, she continued to walk around the workshop, seeing other pieces of furniture. There were chairs and tables and another child’s bed, this time with the carvings of a sleeping princess, a prince kneeling nearby. Sleeping Beauty!
The cat and her mission were forgotten as she stood and admired the work, wondering about the talent of the woodsman.
10
Cas had spent the morning in his workshop, applying a second coat of stain to the Hansel and Gretel bed. Once satisfied, he headed inside his house for lunch, then spent time at his computer looking through some of the marketing plans Cael had sent to him. Regina had created a website to show the restoration work Cael did on old homes and recently suggested that Cas have a website for his handmade furniture.
Tired of looking at various sites, he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. It dawned on him that he had not seen Princess since he came back into the house. She often disappeared, finding a sunny corner to sleep in, but never missed a meal.
He began searching room by room but was unable to locate her. His concern ratcheted up with every moment she remained unfound. He had raised his bedroom window overnight to allow a breeze to come through. Princess often liked to sit on the windowsill, sniffing the fresh air. Moving to his window, he was stunned to see that the screen was loose from its frame, creating an opening that had bits of white fur caught in it.
Horrified that she might have gotten outside to chase something she spied, he raced through his house and out the back door. He had no idea how to locate her since her deafness kept him from calling out.
Heart pounding, he raced around the perimeter of his house, not seeing her. Looking toward the edge of the clearing where his workshop stood, he noticed the door was pushed open further than he had left it. Oh, thank God! She’s in there!
Feet pounding over the grass, he ran to his workshop, threw the door open wider and darted inside, kicking the door behind him to make sure she did not escape. Instead of seeing Princess, there was a woman standing with her back against the window, her fingers resting on one of the children’s beds he had made.
Stunned, his body jerked as his feet came to a sudden halt. “Who the hell are you?” he bit out, his gaze moving from her to the floor to see if his cat was skulking about.
He heard the woman squeak, but with the dim light in his shop, her face was in shadow and he could not discern her features clearly. Her eyes opened wide and her hand snatched back from the wood as though burned.
Taking a step forward, he repeated, “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m so sorry.” The woman’s voice was rushed, carrying an element of fear. “I know I’m trespassing, but I came over to find out about a cat and I saw the door open—”
His gaze had bounced between her and scanning the floor to see if he could see Princess, but now jerked back to the woman’s face. “Cat? What about my cat?”
“A white cat came to my house and I was trying to find the owner—”
“What house? Where do you live?” he barked.
Huffing, the woman sighed. “Look, I know I’m trespassing, and I’ve apologized. But please, let me explain, and if the cat is yours, then I can get it for you.”
Fists on his hips, he continued to glare but stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak.
“I just moved in next door… the rental. A solid white cat came up to my back patio. I could tell she was somebody’s pet because she was well-fed and beautiful. This was the only other house I knew that was around here. I put her inside my house so that she would be safe and walked over here.” She looked around, and her hands lifted to her sides as she continued, “I confess that when I saw the door open and came in, I was absolutely entranced by the work you do.”
“The cat is mine,” he stated. Turning to the side, he waved his arm toward the door as though inviting her to leave in front of him. “I’d like to go get her now if yo
u don’t mind.” He knew he was being rude but worry over Princess caused his words to continue to carry a bite.
The woman did not move but cocked her head to the side. “How do I know that the cat is yours?”
He tried to keep from growling, but his fear for his cat was now morphing into anger. “White cat. Female. Blue eyes. Deaf.”
The woman’s shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “That’s right. I can go get her and bring her—”
“I’ll come.”
“Oh… okay.” The woman walked past him, keeping her gaze straight ahead as they left the shadowed interior of the workshop. She continued to walk into the woods, and he followed right behind. She was shorter than him, only coming to his shoulder, and her body was slender. Not too thin like she starved herself every meal nor overly athletic as though she worked out at the gym every day. She had curves, and his eyes dropped to the way her shorts cupped her ass.
“There isn’t a path between our houses, but I found that it wasn’t far,” she called out, not even looking over her shoulder at him.
He was glad she was staring straight ahead so that he was not caught ogling her ass. Forcing his gaze upward, he noticed her shiny, black hair swinging just below her shoulders. They quickly came out of the woods and into a clearing similar to his own. Her cabin was much smaller than his and without a garage. He followed her to her back patio and halted as she started into her house.
As much as he wanted to get to his cat, he was not about to enter a woman’s house uninvited. The screen door slammed shut behind her and she called out, “It’s okay, you can come in.”
With his hand on the screen door, he asked, “Are you sure? You can just bring Princess to me, and I’ll take her off your hands and get her back home.”
The woman had bent behind the kitchen counter and now walked back toward the door, cradling the large white cat in her arms. He was staring at Princess, breathing a sigh of relief, and with a wide smile now on his face, he opened the door. Stepping inside her house, he extended his arms.
Cas: Heroes at Heart Page 8