by Tara Randel
“Then consider me that friend.”
Alice laughed. “What a pair we make.”
“At least we have each other to be honest with.” Annie wiped her wet lashes. “So I didn’t blow it?”
“Nah. They’ll come around.”
For the most part the ladies had seemed open. The mood of the group seemed to have emanated from one person. “What is it about Stella? Could something have happened when she lived in New York to make her so … cynical?”
“Like I said, she’s like that with everyone. She doesn’t like to talk about the past, period. When she came back to town after her husband died, she didn’t say a word about him. Made it clear that she wouldn’t, either.”
“I guess some people have a hard time accepting death.” Annie couldn’t comprehend that. If you didn’t mourn, how did you move on?
“She’s rather odd, but the truth is, she’s been that way since the day I met her. A bit standoffish one time, friendly another. I can’t figure her out, and I don’t know if she really has anyone she would call a friend.”
“I thought maybe she and Gram might have spent time together. They would have been fairly close in age.”
Alice thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “Not that I recall. Even though this is a small town, I’m not sure if they really knew each other.” Alice glanced out the window. “There were times they ran into each other at A Stitch in Time. I never noticed them together. Of course, that doesn’t mean they didn’t talk.
“Then, over the last months of her life, Betsy stayed close to Grey Gables. She said she had things to take care of at home, and I never pushed for details. I did keep coming by, though. I picked up food for her whenever I went to the grocery store.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m the one who made out. She cooked dinner for me more than a few times, and I don’t have to tell you what a good cook she was.”
“I have some of her recipes back home, but I think I’ll nose around her kitchen for a few more. We should try out a few of her dishes while I’m here.”
Alice sat up straight, her eyes wide. “Hey, I have an idea. We could invite some of the girls over. There’s nothing that breaks the ice like a good meal.”
Annie didn’t want to squelch her friend’s idea, but she wasn’t sure how well that would go over. If she thought doing needlework around these women was tough, how daunting would it be to cook for them? “I think we should experiment first. I’m pretty good around the kitchen, but I don’t want to invite them over and make a mess of a meal, like I made a mess of things today.”
“Practice makes perfect.”
Annie arched her brow. “What’s with all the clichés?”
“I don’t know. Whenever I think about Betsy, I remember the things she’d say to me. Seemed appropriate.”
“In that case, I don’t mind. Gram was a wise woman.”
“And she’d be pleased if you followed in her footsteps.”
Annie glanced at the cross-stitch again. What large footsteps those would be. Her grandmother had touched the lives of everyone who met her. For Annie, it would be a tall order to carry Betsy’s legacy on, especially while still trying to find her place in a skeptical town.
Alice looked at her watch, then jumped up from her seat. “Listen, I have to get home and make a few phone calls. What do you say I come back about six and we go have dinner?”
“Sounds great. Any place in mind?”
Alice grinned like a Cheshire cat. “The Cup & Saucer.”
The very name made Annie slump. “I don’t know …”
“Trust me, okay? You’ve got to show people that you’re not intimidated by them.”
Annie regarded her friend for a moment. Alice was probably right. She needed to make a strong showing in order to be accepted by this town. It was important for her to try.
With renewed determination, Annie nodded. “See you at six.”
* * *
The dinner crowd was already at maximum capacity by the time Annie and Alice entered The Cup & Saucer. After a few minutes, Annie followed Alice to a recently vacated table located at the front window. A waitress hurriedly removed the empty plates on the table and wiped it down.
“This place sure gets crowded,” Annie remarked as they took their seats.
Alice pointedly looked at her watch and scanned the room.
Annie watched her over the menu. “What are youdoing?”
“Seeing how long it takes word to get to Peggy that we’re here.”
Sure enough, Peggy glanced over. She held up one finger, as if to say I’ll be there in a minute.
“Not bad,” Alice commented. “It only took thirty seconds to acknowledge us.”
“Is that a new record?”
“Don’t know. I’ve never timed her before. Never had a reason.” She smiled broadly. “I’m really glad you’re back in town.”
Annie shook her head and grinned. She’d forgotten how much fun Alice could be. Honestly, she hadn’t had enough pleasure in her life for quite some time. She always enjoyed herself when she was with her grandchildren, but this was different. Her friendship with Alice reminded her of the carefree days of her youth. Of days filled with sunshine and adventure. And a cohort to get into mischief with. How she missed that.
“Hey, you two,” Peggy greeted them as she pulled her pen from her apron pocket.
“Hi, Peggy. What’s the special?”
“You’ll like it. Turkey and steamed vegetables.” She looked tentatively at Annie. “We don’t make Tex-Mex meals around here, but I could put in a word to the cook if you like.”
“Don’t make any special allowances for me. I love any kind of food, so I’ll take the special too.”
Peggy scurried off to fill the order.
“That was headway,” Alice told her. “Usually Peggy goes right for the gossip angle. Instead, she offered you food the cook doesn’t know how to make. I think it’s her way of warming up to you.”
“Then I guess I didn’t bomb too badly.”
“Told you so. I’m sure Peggy was hoping to ask what happened after we left the group earlier, but she’s too busy right now. Trust me, she’ll make time to squeeze some kind of info out of us before we leave.”
Annie shook her head. “I’ve never understood the appeal of gossip. I’ve always had too much to do to worry about other people’s business.”
“Stony Point is no different from any other small town. Gossip reigns. Always has, always will. And The Cup & Saucer is gossip central.”
Annie considered that. Perhaps The Cup & Saucer should be her new hangout, that is, if she wanted answers to her questions. “Then someone must know who the young woman in the cross-stitch is.”
Alice shot her a wary glance. “I thought we discussed this. It’s too soon to start asking questions.”
“I know. I’m afraid I’m a bit impatient, that’s all.”
“Why is her identity so important to you?”
“What can I say? I’m a mystery buff.”
Alice’s unconvinced look said she wasn’t buying that.
“I guess I feel the need to do something constructive with my life. More than just fix up Grey Gables, even though that’s a worthy undertaking. I just feel like I’m missing something … vital.” Annie had never admitted this out loud, and now she was sorry she did. “Does that sound crazy?”
“Not at all. Everyone needs a focal point in their life.”
“Then I guess you do understand.”
“I do.” Alice tapped her finger against her lower lip. “Maybe we should start with the club, like you wanted. You know, to ease into solving the mystery.”
“So that means you’re making me go back on Tuesday?”
“Of course.” Alice grinned. “Did you think otherwise?”
When their meals arrived, Annie dug in. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now, having lost her appetite for lunch after the disaster at the yarn shop. The gravy-c
overed turkey melted in her mouth, and the vegetables were steamed just to her liking. It was as if the cook had prepared the meal to her specifications.
Since she’d been living by herself, frozen dinners or takeout had been the extent of her culinary exploits. The only time she changed her habits was when LeeAnn and her family came for dinner. Which wasn’t often, so her talent had grown rusty.
The buzz of chatter from the locals enjoying their dinner set a steady rhythm to the room. Freshly brewed coffee vied with the tantalizing scent of fried foods. Every so often a chair scratched over the linoleum floor as folks finished up and headed back home. By the time Annie had finished the last of her veggies, the room was half empty and Peggy returned to refill their coffee.
Annie held up a hand to stop her before pouring and nodded to her friend’s mug. “Think caffeine this late in the evening is a good idea?”
Alice toyed with her mug. “Probably not, especially since I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Be right back.” Peggy hurried back to the coffee station and returned with decaf to top off their coffee mugs. Then she removed the empty dinner plates.
“Thanks,” Alice said as Peggy hustled off to another table. “I had a late phone call, then I stayed awake for a long time.”
Annie stirred in sweetener. “Nothing bad, I hope?”
Alice waved off her concern. “Not really. Some nights it happens that way. I start out thinking about one thing, which leads to another, and then I end up contemplating all the world’s problems. It’s a habit I really need to break.”
“Or run for office in Washington.”
“Talk about never getting any sleep. No thanks. Stony Point action is about all I can handle at this point in my life.”
Annie knew to tread lightly with her friend. “I never asked. Do you have a job?”
“Home parties.”
Annie raised an eyebrow in question.
“Home party sales. I started out doing jewelry parties for the Princessa company to make some extra money. I would book dates and tote around all this awesome jewelry. I guess I have a knack for sales because I did very well and got hooked, so I branched out to Divine Décor, home decorating. I’m surprised at how busy it keeps me, but it’s flexible. I make my own hours.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“It is. It gets me out of the house, so I don’t dwell on things I have no control over.”
Alice didn’t say it, but Annie would bet she was referring to her divorce.
“How about you?” Alice asked, returning the topic back to Annie.
“Happily retired bookkeeper. Which is good, since Gram left a whole lot of work behind for me to take care of.”
“How are you going to handle that? Good with a hammer?”
Annie grimaced. “Honestly, I’m terrible. Guess I’ll have to find help.”
Alice took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, you could ask Wally Carson, Peggy’s husband.”
“Think he’d help?”
“Yep. He’s kind of the local handyman.” Alice narrowed her eyes and leaned in toward Annie. “But you have to know, Peggy sends him on his jobs with instructions to retrieve as much gossip as possible. So if you don’t want anyone to see how your grandmother left things …”
“I’m not worried about that. My late husband and I dealt with employees when we owned the dealership. I can handle nosy people.”
“Then ask. Here she comes, but I know that look.”
Annie glanced up to see Peggy bearing down on them. “What look?”
“She waited for us to finish eating, but now I guarantee she’s going to ask a bunch of questions about what you thought of the club meeting today. Brace yourself.”
Truth be told, Annie wasn’t up to rehashing the club meeting. It had been a long day, a day when myriad emotions had risen to the surface. “Then now is a good time for a ladies’ room run?”
“Good idea. I’ll hold her off.”
Annie rose and started across the room, only to be stopped a few tables away.
“Excuse me.” A man, with neatly cut gray hair and chocolate brown eyes, probably close to her age, rose from his seat. “I saw you sitting with Alice and didn’t want to intrude, but I figured you must be Betsy’s granddaughter.”
“That’s right. Annie Dawson. How did--” She stopped midsentence, knowing full well how he knew who she was. The new kid in town, first and foremost on rumor mill lips. “And you are?”
“Ian Butler. I wanted to offer my condolences. Everyone in town loved Betsy.”
“Thank you.”
“If you need anything while you’re here, let me know.” She must have looked at him warily, because he added, “I’m the mayor of Stony Point. I know just about everything there is to know about this town and the people in it.”
After today’s Hook and Needle Club meeting, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know any more than she did. Still, she did have a cross-stitch mystery to solve.
“Like I said, give my office a call.” He smiled genuinely, pulling a business card from his wallet. When she took it from his outstretched fingers, he pointedly glanced at her table. “I won’t keep you, I just wanted to say hello.”
She nodded and suddenly forgot where she was going. She’d found most people in town had been wary or silent around her. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings straight as she realized that this man was actually friendly.
Ian tilted his head. “Problem?”
“No, of course not.” She felt a telltale blush cover her cheeks. What was wrong with her? Finally someone in town willing to give her the time of day, and she gets all flustered. “I’ll probably need some help at the house but won’t know for sure until I have someone come out and give me an estimate.”
“You might want to consider Wally Carson.” He nodded over her shoulder. “Peggy’s husband. Does fine work.”
“So I’ve heard. Alice already mentioned him, but a second opinion certainly helps. Thank you.”
“Any time.”
With that said, Annie turned and continued to the ladies’ room. Chuckling to herself, she made a mental note to add another ally to her very short list.
“What took so long?” Alice asked when she returned.
“Got sidetracked.”
“Sidetracked?” Alice’s gaze passed over the room. “By whom?”
“Ian Butler. He was actually helpful.”
“That’s our mayor for you, a walking marketing machine for Stony Point.”
“Nosy too?” Annie asked, thinking about his remark about knowing everyone in town.
“No, not nosy. He’s just really invested here, and he takes his job seriously. You know the sawmill just outside of town? Been in his family for generations. He runs it now.”
“As well as being mayor?”
“Yep. And he’s good at both.”
Annie glanced across the room. Ian was engrossed in a newspaper, The Point.
“He also suggested that Wally work at Grey Gables. I should probably ask Peggy if he can stop by.”
“He could make the time,” Peggy cut in as she sidled up to the table again.
Annie jumped out of her seat, sending the coffee sloshing onto the table. How did she get her timing so right? “Uhh, great. Although I’m not sure exactly what needs to be done.”
“Wally’s a great handyman. He’ll guide you. He can fix about anything.” Peggy tore off a ticket from her order pad and handed it and her pen to Annie. “Just write down your number, and he’ll give you a call.”
The wide, honest smile on Peggy’s face had Annie jotting down the number.
As Peggy hurried off, Alice smiled. “I think they could use the extra work.” And left it at that.
“And I need the help, so it’s a win-win.” Annie opened her purse to remove her wallet. “We’d better get going.”
Alice stood and grabbed the check. “My treat, remember?”
“Alice …”
“I insist.�
�� Alice turned on her heel and headed to the cash register.
Annie placed her elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her upturned palm, staring out the window. The evening shadows stretched across town, ushering another summer night. The pale blue sky slowly deepened into a rich cobalt. The lighted lampposts sent a hazy glow over the sidewalk. Gram would have loved capturing the small town ambiance for one of her cross-stitch projects. Just like Annie, who was catching that feeling in her heart the longer she stayed in town.
With a smile curving her lips, Annie took a final sip of coffee. She would find a way to fit in here. And she would start with the cross-stitch. Something told her that the young woman featured in the piece would help her do just that.
6
By the next Tuesday morning, Annie was antsy to get out of the large Victorian house. Her initial appointment with Wally Carson, just shy of a week ago, had been productive but daunting. They’d made a long list of work to be done, and since then they’d worked on the outside. Trim needed to be replaced. The house needed a fresh coat of paint. New plant beds were needed to spruce up the grounds, and the grass needed major rejuvenating. The good news, though, was that the basic structure stood in sound shape. Most of the needed work was cosmetic--a great relief to Annie.
Since painting didn’t really require the use of dangerous or complicated tools, she insisted on helping Wally with the trim. He argued at first, until he recognized her determination to spiff up her grandmother’s house, and then he gave in.
She had an appointment at the end of the week to meet with her grandmother’s banker and go over finances. But for now, she needed a break and made the Hook and Needle Club her destination. She dressed for comfort in a pair of denim capris with an apricot pullover and flat sandals.
She arrived shortly before eleven, hoping to get seated before the others arrived. She wanted to start today’s meeting on good footing. She’d decided to be upbeat and willing to fit in. To her surprise, everyone was already there, busy working on their projects. How early did these women arrive? Did they really meet at eleven or were they just pulling her leg?