Letters From Grace

by C. J. Carmichael

  “Briefly.”

  Alicia put a hand on her hip. “And…?”

  “He still seems pretty awesome. At least to me.” So much for hoping she would take one look at him and wonder why she had ever thought he was special.

  “Levi is a great guy,” Alicia agreed. “Maybe this is your second chance with him?”

  “I’m surprised he didn’t remarry. His wife’s been gone a long time.”

  “Believe me there are several women in town who have tried to tempt him back to the altar. The current odds on favorite is our mayor—Erin Powers.”

  “Oh? She’s on the festival committee too, isn’t she?”

  Alicia nodded. “She’s kind of a dynamo around town. I know her quite well because she comes to my afternoon power yoga class. Besides being mayor she’s also Woodland’s top Realtor. She’s beautiful and in great shape, and she makes the most of it on her very active Instagram account where she promotes using positive thinking to manifest your destiny.”

  “So how has Levi managed to resist this paragon?”

  “Maybe he’s waiting for Jess to leave for college. Or…” Alicia winked “…maybe he’s been waiting for you. Did he mention anything about seeing you again? Outside of the festival, I mean?”

  “He did mention playing chess together.”

  Alicia rolled her eyes. “You guys always did the most boring stuff together. Maybe he is the one for you. And if not, then you’ve got to learn to let him go.”

  *

  After a quick dinner with his daughter, Levi hurried back to the store to put on a pot of coffee and slice some of the day’s leftover pastries.

  Clara Quiver and Sam Rigby arrived within five minutes of each other and immediately set to arguing about the size of the booth Clara had planned for Grace Hamilton.

  “It’s not fair to the other artists who attend every year if we treat Grace Hamilton like some sort of queen,” Sam said. “I don’t see why—”

  “We agreed we would bring her in as a special guest. That should come with perks. And let’s face it, she’s going to be a bigger draw than the others. She needs more—”

  “Let’s ask Levi for his opinion,” Sam countered.

  “Consider me Switzerland.” Levi did not understand why two intelligent people with similar interests—they were both former educators and also very active in the local duplicate bridge chapter—had to be at odds so much.

  “I’ve redone the schematic.” Clara pulled a large roll of paper from a cardboard tube and then laid it flat on the luncheon counter. When Sam grunted his disapproval, she turned to Levi. “What do you think?”

  Levi studied the plan and quickly located Grace’s booth. As Sam had complained, it was indeed the largest and was situated on prime real estate, near the gazebo where various musical acts would be performing at intervals throughout the festival.

  Before he could make any comment, Erin walked in with Oliver James, followed thirty seconds later, by Grace. The mayor looked polished and well-groomed in an eye-popping turquoise dress, with lots of matching jewelry. But to Levi, the elegant woman a few steps behind her, in dark blue jeans, a cream-colored cashmere sweater and a single gold chain, was far more captivating.

  “Hi, Grace.”

  “Levi.”

  There was something almost shy about her smile, which he found adorable. When they were teenagers Grace had always found meeting new people and social events intimidating. Even in college she hadn’t been keen on the socializing side of things.

  He was about to offer Grace a coffee when Erin stepped between them.

  “Hi, Grace, I’m Erin Powers the committee chair. It’s so wonderful to meet you. Unlike some on our committee—” she glanced pointedly at Levi “—I was thrilled when Clara said you were interested in taking part in our festival.”

  “Some weren’t thrilled then?” Grace gave Levi a look that requested an explanation.

  “Now that you’re here, everyone is thrilled,” Levi assured her, hoping Sam wouldn’t jump in and contradict him. But it seemed Sam had been charmed.

  “We are indeed.”

  “I hear you and Levi were once an item,” Erin said. “Before he married Maggie.”

  “My interest in ornithology is all thanks to Levi,” Grace said. “We spent a lot of time…hiking in the nature preserves and state parks around here.”

  Erin’s confident smile wavered at the deliberate pause in Grace’s sentence, the intimation that she and Levi had done a lot more than just hike, which of course they had. With businesslike crispness she introduced the other committee members and explained their roles to Grace.

  “We’ve never had a big-name artist at our festival before,” Erin continued. “We’re hoping this year’s event will draw record-breaking crowds.”

  Levi took that moment to invite everyone to help themselves to coffee. “It’s decaf. And there are some pastries too.”

  Everyone took him up on his offer before settling in. Levi had pushed several tables together to make space for six people. Erin took her place at the head and gestured for Grace to sit on her left. When Levi tried to take the seat opposite Grace, Erin objected.

  “You’re co-chair so you should sit at the other head,” Erin said, gesturing to the far end of the table. Rather than point out that there could not be two heads of a table, Levi simply complied, while Oliver, Clara and Sam occupied the middle seats.

  “First I want to welcome Grace officially to the Woodland Autumn Foliage Festival,” Erin began. “We’re excited to have an New York Times bestselling author and world-class photographer at our event.” Erin paused to smile at Grace, but there was a hint of caution behind the smile.

  It seemed Erin was losing some of her enthusiasm for her special guest.

  Erin went through the itinerary for the event. “I’ll do a short introduction of Grace at the cocktail reception on Friday night.” Erin turned to face Grace. “Then you can mingle with the other artists and of course, our sponsors.”

  Levi wondered if anyone else noticed the faint frown line form on Grace’s forehead.

  “Cocktail reception? Clara didn’t mention anything about that.”

  “It’s not usual for the artists to attend,” Clara said. “But you’re special and there are perks to being the guest of honor.”

  To Levi it seemed obvious that Grace would rather not have those perks. But she simply nodded her acceptance of the plan.

  Erin cleared her throat, regaining control of the meeting. “On Saturday you’ll be in your booth for the majority of the day, though you should feel free to take breaks when you need them. Then at the banquet on Saturday night you’ll have an opportunity to say a few words.”

  Grace’s eyebrows went up. Clearly this hadn’t been discussed either. She glanced from Erin to Clara, then let out a long breath before saying quietly, “I’d be honored.”

  Once Erin finished with the itinerary, Sam raised the issue of the booth sizes. As he and Clara began arguing again, Levi got up to refill his coffee cup. A moment later Grace joined him.

  “Scrappy group you’ve got here.”

  He poured coffee for her. “Those two live to argue with one another. Are you sure you’re okay with the cocktail party and the little speech on Saturday? I can get you out of both if you want.”

  “That’s okay. Mixing and mingling and public speaking are not my favorite things, as you know. But in my career I’ve had to learn to put up with them now and then.”

  Levi noticed Erin frowning at them. He put a hand to Grace’s elbow and guided her back to their chairs.

  An hour later when the meeting was over, Erin asked if anyone was interested in heading to the pub for a nightcap.

  “It’s late for me,” Clara said.

  “I agree with Clara,” Sam said. “Want me to walk you home?”

  “That would be nice. Thanks, Sam.”

  Grace raised her brows. “That seemed awfully pleasant.”

  “They’re good friends
when they don’t have anything to fight about,” Levi said.

  “About that drink,” Oliver said. “I’m game. Grace?”

  “I’m going to help Levi clean up here,” Grace said.

  “Maybe we should all stay and help,” Erin said, but Levi shook his head.

  “There’s not much to do. Why don’t you and Oliver go on without us?”

  Erin didn’t look happy, but she took the hint and the two of them left.

  “I feel weird,” Grace confessed as she handed him coffee cups to load into the dishwasher. “Everyone making such a fuss over me.”

  “You’re a big deal. You get that don’t you?”

  “When you’re boot-deep in mud, waiting for the sun to rise so you can get that perfect shot of a white trumpeter swan against a tangerine sky, you don’t feel like a big deal.”

  “I guess that’s the definition of being grounded.”

  She chuckled. “You and your puns.”

  Levi started the dishwasher, then turned to study Grace. Back in high school some of his friends had considered her cool and reserved. They thought because she was beautiful and talented that she thought she was better than the rest of them.

  But it was actually the opposite that was true. She’d simply been shy, an introvert, with a strong streak of humility. He was intrigued that all her success didn’t seem to have changed those fundamental elements of her character.

  “The meeting went late, as usual. Are you still up for a game?”

  Without bothering to answer, Grace went to the chess table and fisted a black and a white pawn. She put her hands behind her body for a few moments, then held out her hands for him to choose.

  He chose black.

  Time seemed to fall away as they set up the board and then began to play. Grace had always been a fan of the rook opening, but she surprised him by offering the queen’s gambit, which he refused. From that moment on, all his concentration was on the board. After about an hour he blundered and lost his first rook.

  That was the beginning of the end as Grace expertly tightened the noose. With reluctance he laid down his queen. “I see where this is headed. Well done, Grace.”

  “Thank you. This is a lovely chess set. Do you remember the awful one we used to play on? The board was flimsy cardboard and the pieces were plastic.”

  “But it was portable—that was the thing.” He’d kept it in his backpack and they’d played outside when the weather was good, in the library or back seat of his Jeep when it wasn’t.

  They’d done other things outside and in the back seat of his Jeep, too.

  He gazed into her eyes, still such a pure blue it didn’t seem possible they were natural. “Seeing you again is bringing back a lot of memories.”

  “For me too.”

  Her smile was warm and seemed to suggest that the memories were good. And most of them were. As Levi walked her to her car, he was overwhelmed with the desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her. But he was a thirty-eight-year-old man, with a teenaged daughter, aging parents, and a small-town general store. What did he have to offer a woman like Grace?

  But after they’d said goodbye and he’d watched her drive off, he couldn’t help but grin, and the silly, happy smile was still on his face when he went to bed twenty minutes later.

  *

  The next morning Levi woke earlier than usual so he could rake leaves at his parents’ place before opening the store. His parents lived on a huge lot with several massive oak trees, almost a quarter acre of lawn to mow, and a large driveway to shovel in the winter. Levi didn’t mind the extra work—he loved his folks and they had done a lot for him. He just worried if he didn’t do the garden chores fast enough, his father would step in when he shouldn’t.

  As he gathered up the mounds of leaves, Levi’s mind drifted to Grace and the way she’d sought him out at the meeting last night. Going for a coffee refill at the same time he did, then staying late to help clean up and play that game of chess. He supposed it was only natural that she’d feel comfortable around him, even after all these years. He shouldn’t read anything but friendship into her actions.

  When he was finished bagging the leaves, he went into the house where his parents were having coffee in the sunroom that adjoined the kitchen.

  “I was going to take care of those leaves this afternoon,” his father said, not looking up from his crossword. “I’m perfectly capable of raking you know.”

  Levi didn’t argue, even though the specialist had been quite clear about walking being the most vigorous exercise his father should undertake. He helped himself to a coffee and a piece of toast from a pile at the center of the table.

  “Well, I think it was very thoughtful of you, Levi,” his mother said, frowning at his dad. “Those trees sure put out a prodigious amount of leaves.”

  His father grunted. “Three letter word for ‘bowler.’”

  “Nut,” his mother supplied. When both men turned to her, confused, she shrugged. “I think anyone who likes bowling is nuts.”

  “Hat,” his father said. Then jotted down the answer.

  Love of puns must run in the family, Levi reflected, remembering Grace’s comment from the other day.

  “So what are you guys up to today?” he asked.

  “Why ask me?” his dad grumbled. “I’m too sick to do anything.”

  “Oh, Pat. I’m baking apple pies with those lovely Cortlands Jess brought over last night.”

  Only then did Levi notice the basket of apples on the counter. “She must have done that while I was at the festival meeting.”

  “She’s such a sweet girl. I’m really going to miss her when she starts college.”

  “That’s one thing we can all agree on,” his father said. A timer went off on his cell phone and he sighed. “Time for my pills. Excuse me a minute.”

  “I guess it’s part of the parenting gig, huh?” Levi reflected, as his father left the room. “Letting them go when the time comes.”

  “Your father and I were lucky. You came back after college. I have to admit I worried that you might get distracted.”

  “This wouldn’t be about Grace Hamilton would it?” His mom hadn’t liked Grace much when they were kids. At the time he hadn’t understood why, but he’d grown to understand that, even back then, Grace’s talent and ambition had been obvious. Her aspiration to be a photographer and to travel the world was not what his parents—especially his mother—wanted for him.

  “Well, I did hear she’s back in town for the festival. I remember how inseparable the two of you once were.”

  “That was a long time ago.”

  “It was. I just hope she doesn’t turn your head again. Not when there are so many lovely local women available.”

  Levi shook his head. “Don’t go there, Mom.”

  His mother wisely changed the subject. “Jess talked about Max quite a bit last night. Do you think after all these years they’ve become romantically interested in each other?”

  “I suspect Jess is ready for that. I’m not sure her feelings are reciprocated. Max has been different lately. He used to eat half his evening meals at our house. But not lately.”

  “You think maybe he’s involved with a different girl?”

  “If so, he hasn’t told Jess. I hope it’s not the case. I’d really hate to see her hurt.”

  His mother raised her eyebrows. “So now you know how I feel.”

  “About Jess and Max?”

  “No. You and Grace. Be careful, Levi. That’s all I’m asking.”

  September 22, 1999

  New York University

  Dear Levi,

  So. Big news. My dad got a new job in Tampa and the family is moving back to Florida. I thought it would happen one day. Mom hasn’t stopped complaining about New England winters since we moved to Woodland when I was in seventh grade. I’ll never forget how lonely I felt that first week. Everything changed when you picked me to be your science partner. Do you remember how we were the only ones w
ho managed to get our battery to work on the first try? We were an awesome duo right from the start!

  Chapter Six

  The morning after the committee meeting, Grace slipped out of the guesthouse with her camera slung over her torso. She’d learned it was better for all concerned to avoid Alicia and Sean’s house when they were getting the boys ready for school.

  She strolled from the Morettis’ house down to the walking path that followed Woodland Creek as it meandered through town. If she followed it to the right, she would eventually reach the falls and the campground and swimming hole she’d enjoyed so much as a teen. Maybe tomorrow she would take that route. But today she turned left.

  Last night she’d had trouble sleeping. She hadn’t expected things to feel so good and natural with Levi. He got all her jokes. He knew all her foibles. His merest touch still gave her shivers. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure her reasons for wanting to see him again were very sound.

  What if she ended up falling in love with him again?

  Would it end any different a second time? She couldn’t imagine him coming to New York with her. And she sure didn’t belong here in Woodland.

  Grace tried to clear her mind and enjoy her surroundings. During the six years her family had lived in Woodland, she’d never really felt like she belonged. Most of the kids at school had known each other since kindergarten. Though she’d eventually made friends…Levi, Alicia and Connie…Woodland itself had been a place to escape from. She’d longed for the excitement of New York City and the prospect of exotic travels as a photojournalist.

  As a teenager she hadn’t appreciated the simple pleasures Woodland had to offer. Now she couldn’t take ten steps without seeing something she wanted to photograph. A red-leaved sugar maple reflected perfectly along a quiet edge of the creek. A shy dark-eyed junco foraging among the undergrowth. An old-fashioned red mailbox at the end of someone’s lane. Eventually she left the path and wound her way through the neighborhood where she’d grown up.

  She’d just reached her family’s former house when she noticed a tall, lanky man carrying a rake and walking in her direction. She liked the way he moved, his naturally athletic gait, the extra bit of spring in his steps. At some point she realized it was Levi.