by Terri DuLong
“Damn. Life is tough,” I told my sister.
“That it is,” she said, pulling me into an embrace.
Chapter 30
Despite the conversation of the night before, I woke Saturday morning from a dreamless sleep feeling refreshed and rested. I heard Grace snoring lightly and looked down to see her sprawled across the entire length of the queen-size Aerobed. I smiled. Poor Lucas. I wondered if he was able to get any room in bed.
I glanced at the bedside clock and saw it was just going on seven. Later than I usually slept but Grace and I had been awake till after midnight talking. Basil woke and walked from the end of the bed to come up and greet me at the same time I heard Grace stirring.
She yawned and sat up, hair going every which way, and rubbed her eyes. Giving a stretch of her arms and getting up, she said, “ ’Morning. Bathroom.” And headed that way.
I went downstairs to start the coffee and saw the guest room doors were still closed. After using the bathroom on the first floor, I headed to the kitchen. I removed banana bread and cranberry bread from the fridge and filled the coffeemaker.
“Gosh, I slept so well,” I heard Grace say and turned around to see her in her Hello Kitty pajamas. I smiled, knowing that Solange had a matching set.
“Oh, that’s good. Coffee will be ready shortly.”
“Yeah . . . the only thing is . . . I had the strangest dream. Well . . . at least I think it was a dream.”
I hadn’t confided in Grace about my dreams since arriving in Ormond Beach and felt a shiver go through me. “Really? About what?”
She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms, and I could see she was pulling on her memory to reconstruct it. “Well, there was a woman. Actually, it seemed like she was in our room. Standing in front of the French doors. It was the craziest thing because she was wearing a red evening gown.”
I gripped the side of the sink. “What did she do?”
“Nothing. She just nodded to me and gave me the most beautiful smile. She was a knockout. Really beautiful but I have no idea who she was.”
What the hell was going on?
“Did she say anything?” I heard myself whisper.
“No. Nothing. Chloe, are you okay? You look pale.”
I let out a deep breath. “I need to tell you about the dreams I’ve been having since I moved here.” I went on to share with her my own dreams about the lady in the red evening gown.
“Wow, that’s amazing, Chloe. So do you think it really could be Emmalyn? Mavis Anne’s sister?”
“I have no idea. You tell me. You’re the one who believes in this stuff.”
“I’m as stumped as you are. And see, there’s a difference. Yours were bona fide dreams. Mine . . . I’m not so sure.”
“What are you saying? That she was actually in our room? That’s nuts!”
“I’m not sure what I’m saying, Chloe. Didn’t you tell me that Mavis or David had told you how much Emmalyn loved this house? That she had said she’d never leave it?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, maybe she never did. But no matter what’s going on . . . I seriously doubt that she’s here to hurt you. Most likely—she’s trying to help you.”
Following a breakfast of coffee with some of the baked breads, we took turns showering and getting dressed. It had been decided that I’d drive the four of them around the Ormond Beach area so they could see my new hometown, and then we’d stop at LuLu’s for a late brunch.
Just before we were ready to leave, my cell rang and I saw it was Maddie.
“Hey,” I said. “Are you going to be able to get away this afternoon before everyone leaves?”
“No, I’m afraid not. That’s why I’m calling. I just got a few emergency orders and I’m going to be stuck here. But I was thinking if you guys are out and about, maybe you could pop into the florist shop and I can at least meet your sister and friends.”
“Sounds great,” I told her. “We’re heading out now and can stop by before we begin our little sightseeing tour.”
“Terrific,” Maddie said. “I really do have to hire a helper. See you soon.”
We stopped by the florist shop, drove north, then south on A1A, drove all around town and by one o’clock we were seated outside at LuLu’s enjoying a delicious brunch.
“This has been so much fun, Chloe,” Sydney said. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“I agree,” Berkley said.
“It was nice to see where you’re living and how you’ve settled in. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve lived here forever.” Marin gave me a big smile.
Grace leaned over to give me a hug. “It really is like this place was meant to be for you. And once the yarn shop opens, you’ll really be in your element.”
“It was my pleasure having you, but you have to promise to come back over when the shop opens. I want you to see it all decorated and functioning.”
Sydney laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Keep us away from a yarn shop? Never!”
By the time we drove back to my house and they loaded their cars with luggage, it was three o’clock. Amid hugs and promises to call and email, I could feel moisture stinging my eyes. I stood on the porch, feeling all weepy, with Basil in my arms, waving good-bye as they pulled out of the driveway.
I put Basil down on the porch. “Come on, fella. It’s just the two of us again.”
He followed me into the house and I headed to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea. I had just settled down on the patio with my mug and my knitting when my cell rang. I saw Henry Wagner’s name and a smile crossed my face.
“Hi, Henry. How are you?”
“I’m good. And you? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“No, not at all. Just sitting on the patio with my knitting and feeling a bit sad because my sister and friends left a little while ago.”
“I’m sure you enjoyed their visit but I’m sorry you’re feeling sad. The house always seems empty after company, though, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. So what are you up to? Are you in the Blue Ridge Mountains now?”
“No, I’m heading down there tomorrow. So today I’ll be packing up and getting things together. I’ve rented a cabin in the area. I thought that would be better than a hotel room since I’ll be there for a couple months.”
“Will Delilah be going with you?”
I heard a chuckle come across the line. “Oh, yes, she’ll be with me. That’s the nice thing about freelance photography. I can make my own schedule and have my girl with me on most of the shoots.”
“Oh, I thought you said you just dabbled in photography. I didn’t realize you have a career taking pictures. So do you work for a company or a magazine?”
I heard a slight hesitation before he said, “Yes, I’m contracted with National Geographic.”
“Oh, wow.” I really didn’t know much about this man at all.
“That’s impressive and you’re quite modest about it. Gosh, I bet that’s interesting work. Does it involve a lot of travel?”
“It did years ago, but I’ve cut way back on my assignments. After Lilian passed away about ten years ago, I realized that life really was too short. Unfortunately, I was forced to travel a lot during most of our married years. But when she was diagnosed with cancer, I began to cut back more and more so we could enjoy what time she had left together.”
I detected wistfulness in his tone. “I’m sorry about your wife. Any children?”
“Unfortunately, no. We did try but it wasn’t meant to be. How about you? Were you married?”
“Yes, married for almost thirty years and then Parker decided to trade me in for a younger model. He’s remarried, lives in Savannah and has a young daughter, but we had two sons together. One lives and works in Atlanta and my other son, Eli, is married and moving from the Boston area to Jacksonville at the end of September for a position with an accounting firm.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy having him so much closer. Are you a grandmo
ther yet?”
I laughed. “Not yet, but fingers crossed it won’t be too much longer.”
“Well, I suppose I should get moving here and continue with my packing. I’ll be down in Georgia by the end of the week, so I’ll give you a call then. Have a great week, Chloe. I’ve enjoyed talking to you.”
“Same here,” I said. “And have a safe trip.”
I disconnected the call and realized this was the first time we’d had a personal conversation, rather than talking about things related to the rental of the condo or Ormond Beach. And I discovered that I rather liked it.
Chapter 31
I had just finished folding a load of clothes from the dryer when I heard Mavis Anne at the back door.
“Come on in,” I called.
“Good morning, Chloe. I just wanted to double-check about the party Saturday and make sure you found something to wear.”
I gestured toward the breakfast area. “Sit down and join me. I just brewed a pot of coffee.”
“Oh, thanks. So are you all set? Yarrow finally decided what she’ll be wearing so I wanted to check with you.”
I placed a mug in front of her and joined her at the table. “I’m not going to be attending.”
“What do you mean? Why on earth not?”
I let out a deep sigh. “I don’t expect you to understand but I have my reasons.”
I saw her eyebrows arch before she said, “You’re right. I don’t understand at all. What’s going on?”
I guess I did owe it to Mavis Anne to give her the truth. “Something happened a long time ago. When I was in college.” I went on to tell her the story.
“Oh, my. I see.” She took a sip of coffee and then shook her head. “No, actually, I don’t understand at all. What does any of this have to do with Chadwick?” I could almost see a lightbulb going off in her head as her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my word! Was that fellow Chadwick?”
“No, no,” I hastened to assure her. “But it was his brother, Aaron.”
“Oh. Okay.” She continued to stare at me from across the table. “Chloe, I’m really confused. What happened to you was horrific and shouldn’t happen to any woman. But I fail to see how Chadwick is connected to this.”
Frankly, I was getting a bit annoyed at being told this once again. “You don’t have to understand it. It didn’t happen to you. But I could never forgive Aaron Price for what he did, and Chadwick is his brother. I’d prefer not to have any contact with him.”
After a few moments, she nodded. “I see.”
I felt a twinge of guilt. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, but . . .”
“But having any type of relationship with Chadwick would be like forgiving his brother?”
“Something like that. Yes.”
“So it seems that you can’t separate your feelings for the two men and forgive Chadwick for what his brother did.” Mavis Anne nodded and we both remained silent for a few moments.
“Well, I’m glad you shared this with me, Chloe, and I’m so very sorry about what happened to you. I can’t say that I agree with your thinking or your decision . . . but I do respect it. Okay,” she said, reaching for her cane and standing up. “I guess it’s settled then and you’re not going. So you will call Chadwick to let him know, right?”
“No, I hadn’t planned on it. You can give my regrets when you go.”
“No, I won’t do that. Where are your manners?”
I felt like I was twelve and being admonished by Aunt Maude.
“Okay,” I mumbled. “I’ll call him.”
“Good,” she said before leaving.
I had put some marinated chicken breasts into the oven for supper, poured myself a glass of pinot grigio, and settled on the patio to get a few more rows of the shawl finished when I saw Yarrow coming through the gate from the driveway.
“Hey,” she said. “Want some company?”
“Sure. Help yourself to some wine from the fridge.”
She returned with her glass and sat down. “So . . . you told Aunt Mavis your story.”
I nodded. “She told you?”
“Oh, yeah.” She took a sip of wine. “She called me earlier today.”
“And?”
“Well, of course she feels terrible about your experience, but she’s having a hard time understanding why Chadwick is the one to pay the price.”
“Yes, her disapproval was obvious. Does she hate me?”
Yarrow reached over to pat my hand. “Oh, Chloe, don’t be silly. Of course she doesn’t hate you. She’s just having a hard time with the fact that Chadwick is being blamed for something he didn’t do.”
I could see that opinion was quickly becoming the general consensus but I remained silent.
“So,” Yarrow said. “Don’t Isabelle and Haley arrive in a few weeks?”
I was grateful she’d changed the subject. “Yes, they do. Haley called me this morning and she’s so excited about coming down here. I think it’ll be good for her.”
“Probably good for both of them. Didn’t you say Isabelle’s husband left her last year?”
“Yeah, and apparently the latest update is that he plans to be remarried by the end of the year. The divorce will be final next month.”
“Makes me happy I’m still single.”
“Did you ever have anybody special in your life?” I realized that was something we’d never discussed.
“Oh, sure. The usual relationships that seemed to be growing and then . . . poof! For various reasons they just dissolved and went nowhere. But I have to say, I like where I’m at now in my life. No commitments to anybody but myself. I don’t even have a pet I’m responsible for. I can do what I want, when I want.”
I nodded and took a sip of wine. “Yeah, there’s a lot to be said for being independent. Although I have to admit that when I was married, I did enjoy it. I liked that connection to a male partner. It just turned out he wasn’t the right male partner.”
“Oh, hey, I had an idea about my new tea shop and wanted to run it past you.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Well, I was thinking that it might be fun to set up a delivery service.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t think anybody else is doing this in the area. I’d go around beforehand talking to various businesses, and I’d set up an arrangement with employees of dentist offices, hair and nail salons, doctor’s offices, that kind of thing. They’d have a choice of various baked goods each day, along with coffee or tea.”
“And you’d drive around delivering the items?”
“Right. The deliveries would only be in Ormond Beach and they’d have to be between seven thirty and eleven. So the muffins or breads wouldn’t interfere with lunchtime.”
“I love it. I can even picture a beautiful large wicker basket carrying the goodies and each item labeled with people’s names so there wouldn’t be any mix-ups. The only problem is how on earth could you be out doing these deliveries and run the tea shop at the same time?”
Yarrow nodded. “That’s my dilemma. I would definitely have to hire somebody to do the deliveries, because you’re right, I couldn’t do it. But you think the concept is a good one?”
“I do. Gosh, I remember mornings that I had to open the yarn shop on Cedar Key and I was running late with no time for breakfast. I could prepare coffee when I got there, but it would have been so nice to know that within twenty minutes somebody would be dropping me off some yummy banana bread or a muffin. So yes, I think many employees in the area would welcome a service like this.”
“Great. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I agree. I think it could work.”
“Now you just have to find a reliable delivery person.”
“True. Well, I should get going.”
“Can you stay for dinner? I have chicken breasts in the oven and rice and a veggie to go with it.”
“Oh, that sounds good. Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“I’d welcome the c
ompany. Come on, you can set the table.”
“So are you going to call Chadwick to decline the invitation?” she asked as we walked into the house.
“Yeah. I told your aunt that I would.”
I didn’t call till Saturday morning. And as luck would have it, I got Chadwick’s voice mail. So I left a brief message saying I was sorry, but I wouldn’t be able to attend the fund-raiser that evening.
Hey, Mavis Anne said to call him. She didn’t specify that I had to actually speak to him.
Chapter 32
The next few weeks flew by. I had gone shopping with Mavis Anne and Yarrow, and the furniture for the yarn shop had been purchased with a delivery date a week before our grand opening. Yarn deliveries were arriving and Mavis and I pored over more catalogs, putting in orders for needles and various accessories. Chloe’s Dream was working up beautifully and I was pleased with the results. Henry and I continued our phone conversations, and I felt I was getting to know him better. But I hadn’t heard one word from Chadwick. Part of me was relieved but part of me felt guilty for just blowing him off. Still, it seemed he’d taken the hint. Mavis and Yarrow had refrained from mentioning anything about the fund-raiser in my company.
Isabelle and Haley would be arriving later in the afternoon and I was very much looking forward to their visit. I really didn’t know Isabelle all that well, and this would give us a chance to bond.
I ran upstairs to check on last-minute details in the spare bedrooms. Everything seemed to be in order. Fresh linens on the beds, vases of brightly colored flowers from Maddie’s shop on the bureaus, and the sun streaming through the windows created a cozy feel.
I was in the kitchen preparing a pot of coffee that I thought Isabelle might enjoy when Basil began barking and ran to the front door. I glanced at the wall clock and saw it was just three. It must be them.
I opened the front door and saw an SUV parked in the driveway. Basil went flying out to the gate, barking and dancing in circles. Isabelle emerged from the driver’s side, stretched and smiled when she saw me standing on the porch. A few moments later the passenger door opened and Haley got out. My heart fell. She had indeed put on quite a few pounds in the year since I’d seen her. In addition to the extra weight, her overall appearance was sloppy. Limp strands of brunette hair fell to her shoulders. Despite the July heat she was wearing black leggings that only seemed to accentuate her size and a faded, oversize T-shirt dotted with stains. It was hard to believe this was the same girl I’d met in Atlanta a year before.