by Ellery Adams
“You’re cold,” June whispered. “Do you want to wait in the car?”
“After McCabe comes. I feel like . . . like . . .”
June squeezed Nora tighter. “Like we need to watch over him?”
“Yes. He’s so young. Just a boy.”
The two women held each other as they looked at the mound of leaves. Tears slipped from their eyes.
Neither one spoke for a long time until June said, “One of my coworkers used to belong to a hiking club in New Mexico. Their leader was part Navajo. Before they set out for a hike, he always said the same thing.”
June took Nora’s hand and led her closer to Micah. Then, in the soft, quiet voice of a mother tucking a child in for the night, she said:
“ ‘With beauty before me, may I walk.
With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk.
With beauty below me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me, may I walk.
Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk.’ ”
Nora could see Micah walking among the trees, his pack bobbing on his back, a contented smile on his face. She tried to focus on this image. She didn’t want to wonder why his body was so close to Cherokee Rock. She didn’t want to think about him spending the night here, alone, or about how the air above her pinkie knuckle had tingled when she’d touched the red bird on the rock.
Danny.
Micah.
Why them? Why here?
The sound of an engine broke the stillness. Nora and June turned to see two figures exit a truck with an official seal on the driver’s door.
The men weren’t from the Miracle Springs Sheriff’s Department. They were park rangers.
More green, Nora thought, noticing their uniforms.
The rangers approached the women and calmly asked if they required medical assistance.
“She could use a blanket,” June said, pointing at Nora.
Nora shook her head. “I just need to sit down for a minute. I’ll go wait in the car.”
The older ranger said that he had water and blankets should Nora need either. The younger ranger tipped his hat. His face was solemn, and his gaze kept straying toward the lump of leaves covering Micah’s body.
“We didn’t touch anything,” June assured the rangers. She and Nora walked to the Bronco with their arms around each other.
Nora had no idea how long it took for the sheriff to tap on the passenger-side window with his index finger. She lowered the window.
McCabe saw the dazed look on Nora’s face and said, “You ladies don’t need to stay. You should get something hot to drink and take it easy. I’ll get your statements when I’m back in town.”
“I can tell you now,” Nora said. She might not be feeling well, but Micah was dead. He’d been out in the woods for hours. She didn’t want him to be kept waiting a minute longer.
The sheriff glanced at June.
“She needs to do this,” June said.
Nora nodded gratefully. “June and I went to see Marie this morning. On the way home, we decided to stop here and look at the red bird. That bird. It keeps coming up. It’s at the inn too.” She showed McCabe the photo Sheldon had sent, pointing out the bird in the wall. “Micah was staying at the inn. Now, he’s dead. I called you earlier to tell you about the Cardinal Red paint. Red paint. Red birds. Two young men, gone. I don’t understand any of it.”
McCabe’s gaze followed the progress of two figures carrying a stretcher into the woods. His eyes were grave. “Ms. Dixon? Would you like to add anything?”
“Just that we were drawn to the river,” June said. “We were wondering if Danny went into the water here. It’s because of Danny that we found Micah. I’m glad we did. That boy needs to be taken someplace safe and warm. He needs looking after.”
Nora gave June’s arm a squeeze. Although she hadn’t spoken to Tyson, her only son, in more than a decade, June’s maternal nature was part of her personality. She was a genuine, generous, and openly affectionate woman. She was also fiercely protective, and Nora knew that her friend wanted to protect Micah. Even now, when it was too late.
“We’ll take very good care of him,” McCabe said. “You have my word.”
* * *
When Nora showed up at Miracle Books, Sheldon took one look at her before steering her to the circle of reading chairs. After serving her a steaming cup of Cuban coffee and Nutella on toast, he covered her with a throw blanket.
“It was that bad? Seeing Marie?”
Nora looked at Sheldon’s gray and red argyle sweater vest. His yellow bowtie. She took in his waves of silver and gray hair. The warm brown eyes behind his glasses. She saw the concern in those eyes and reached for his hand.
“I’m so sorry, but Micah is dead,” she said. “June and I found him near Cherokee Rock.”
Sheldon reeled back. His hands flapped like startled birds. “Oh, no. That poor boy. That poor, poor boy. What happened? Did he fall? Was there an accident?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
Nora was grateful for the heat coming from her mug. She couldn’t seem to shake the chill she’d picked up in the woods. “His body was covered with leaves. They’d been piled on top of him. It was a hasty job, but it kept him hidden until June and I came along.”
“Are you sure it was Micah? Did you see his face?”
“I saw his tattoo. The compass on his wrist.”
Sheldon grabbed Nora’s coffee cup out of her hands. He gripped the handle and took a fortifying sip.
Nora twisted her empty hands in the blanket and gave Sheldon time to absorb the awful news. He finished her coffee in silence. When he got up to make a fresh cup, Nora said, “We need to talk about Lou and Patty.”
“I don’t want to.”
While Sheldon steamed milk, Nora ate her Nutella on toast. The hazelnut chocolate on buttery toast was blissful. Nora felt her strength returning with every bite.
“I like Lou and Patty,” Sheldon said, putting Nora’s cup down with a thud. “They’re good people. Look how they took me in when all the other inns were full. It was like Bethlehem the night Jesus was born, but they made room for me, for Micah, and for Georgia and Bo. With all they have going on, they made up rooms and fed us. They treat me like I’m family.”
“I like them too,” said Nora. “I like their devotion to the inn. I like their kindness. I like their colorful reading glasses and how they want to keep Rose Lattimer’s books even though they have no monetary value. But there’s something off about them. Why did Lou lie about knowing Danny? Why won’t they let me read Rose’s diary? Why is that bird carved into the wall of that secret nook?”
Sheldon put his hands on his hips. “Really? They own a few pieces from a local potter who died in a storm. So what? Lou decided to keep a piece of family history to herself. So what? Just because they keep some things close to the chest doesn’t mean that they’re murder suspects.”
“When you put it that way, it does sound ridiculous. But who else had a connection to both Danny and Micah?”
“Puh-lease. We don’t know Micah’s whole story. He could be Danny’s third cousin twice removed and we wouldn’t know it.” He frowned at Nora. “I’m tired. I’m sad. And I’m leaving.”
By the time Nora got out of her chair to apologize—not for doubting Patty and Lou, but for wanting to talk about them right after sharing the news of Micah’s death—Sheldon was gone.
After work, Nora went to the station to provide an official statement. When she was done, she asked to see the sheriff. McCabe wasn’t available, so she left.
It was a lovely night. A breeze scented with cut grass scattered white petals from the ornamental pear trees onto the sidewalk. Nora raised her hand to catch a petal. It landed on her palm like a snowflake, only it didn’t melt.
Nora didn’t want to go home. She wanted to talk to someone who cared about her. She called Jed, but her call went str
aight to voicemail. Without thinking about what she was doing, Nora drove to his house. The windows were dark, and his Blazer wasn’t parked in his driveway. Feeling deflated, Nora got back on her moped.
As she paused at the stop sign near the diner, she saw an EMT rig parked next to the building. She turned into the diner lot and found a spot near the dumpster. Her heartbeat quickened as she imagined walking into the Pink Lady and scanning the room. She imagined seeing Jed at a booth. He would look up and their eyes would meet.
Would he be happy to see her? She didn’t know how he’d react, but she wanted to make things right with him. Even if he was on duty, she only needed a few minutes with him. She wanted to touch his arm. To say that she was sorry for leaving him out of the loop. To confess that she was coming to him now because she needed him. She needed his smile. His tenderness. His arms to close around her. The comfort of gentle words and featherlight kisses.
Nora never made it inside the diner. She saw Jed through the front window. He was sitting at the counter, working his way through a burger platter and a chocolate shake. Another EMT was on his right. Jed’s partner was busy talking to a fireman. As for Jed, he was having an animated conversation with another person in uniform. It wasn’t an EMT. It was Deputy Angela Wiggins.
As Nora watched, Jed threw back his head and laughed. Angela joined in, her face turning a pretty pink. Jed said something else and the two of them covered their mouths, as if trying to keep their laughter from bursting out. Then, Angela balled up her napkin and tossed it at Jed. Still smiling, they focused on their food. Jed’s dimples showed as he chewed, and Angela’s eyes sparkled with merriment. The energy between them crackled like a summer storm.
Nora turned away from the window and came face-to-face with Estella.
“Hey!” Estella exclaimed happily. “Fancy bumping into you. I was just heading to your place. I know you don’t like unannounced visitors, but I figured you might give an unannounced visitor bearing tortellini and steamed broccoli a pass.”
“I’m really glad to see you,” Nora said. She pointed at the takeout bags in Estella’s hands. “Where’d you get the pasta?”
“Jack made it. We had a quick meeting about my event during his break. Between you, Sheldon, and Jack, I might pull off this reinvention.”
Nora offered to take one of the food bags. “You just needed a push in the right direction.”
Estella smiled. “Oh, and I finally got in touch with Mr. Buckley, the teacher I told you about. He’s been on a cruise. Missed the whole week of rain. Anyway, he was positive that the red bird at Cherokee Rock is new. Brand-new. He even stopped by to check. He wasn’t happy. He kept grumbling about hoodlums and stiffer fines.”
Nora shifted her hold on the food bag.
“Should we go inside?” Estella asked. “We can eat at the counter.”
“No,” Nora cried. Jerking her head toward the window, she said, “Jed’s in there and he’s kind of mad at me. Besides, he’s having a good time with his friends.”
Estella peered through the window. “Oh. So he is.”
She gestured at the entrance to the memorial garden. “Madam, allow me to show you to your table.”
The women shared a bench overlooking the river of stones. Each of the small, smooth stones bore the name of a loved one who’d lost their life to cancer. In the shadowy twilight, the white, gray, or blue stones seemed to ripple.
“Why are you alone while Jed’s inside flashing those dimples at that cute deputy?”
Nora told Estella how she hadn’t called Jed after someone had thrown a brick through her window. Next, she told her about Micah.
“Poor kid. I never met him. Danny either. I’m really out of the loop.” Estella raised her hands. “I’m not trying to make this about me. I’m saying that I’ve been so wrapped up in my own stuff that I haven’t been a very good friend. I’m sorry for being so self-absorbed, and I’m here for you, June, and Hester. All that’s good in my life comes from knowing the three of you.”
Nora rewarded her with a warm smile.
“You and Jed are at the crossroads.” Estella speared tortellini with her fork. “Every couple gets to this place. It happens when other people start asking when you’ll met the parents, or move in together, or get married. Jed is probably happy with how things are, but those commitment questions have him second-guessing your relationship.”
“We’ll never end up at an altar. Jed knows that.” Nora chewed a piece of broccoli and wished she had a glass of red wine. “You said ‘probably happy.’ You saw him in the diner. That’s what his happy looks like, and he’s not with me.”
Estella put her fork down. “You didn’t think to call Jed when you were upset. You reached out to the people you trust. The people who make you feel safe. June, Hester, and me. Not Jed. Something’s missing between you two. He knows it, and I think you do too.”
Nora shrugged. “Because we’re just dating. It’s a casual relationship.”
“There’s no casual after you reach the crossroads. Either you follow the road Jed wants to travel, or you let him go.”
“And here I thought you were going to say ‘two roads diverged in a yellow wood.’ ”
Estella grinned. “Frost knew what he was talking about. You can’t see what’s waiting ahead of you. All you can do is listen to your gut. What does your gut say about your future with Jed?”
“I guess I can add that to my list of worries. That list started with Danny’s death, but since then, I’ve added Patty and Lou, the man in the white T-shirt, the word on June’s house, my window, the bird in Hester’s mailbox, and now, finding Micah’s body.” Nora pushed food around. “I haven’t even started this week’s book pick.”
Estella laughed. The sound bounced off the bell hanging above the stone river, creating a soft hum. Both women gazed at the river. As they listened, the hum ebbed and swelled. It was as if the stones had voices and were singing a song to honor the dead.
When the sound faded, Estella took a blank stone from a bucket and handed it to Nora. “Cancer didn’t kill Danny, but you could still add his name to the river. It seems like a good place for him. Who wouldn’t love the view?”
Nora glanced up. The sky was peppered with stars.
She didn’t take the stone, though. If anyone should write Danny’s name, it was Marie.
“You’re heading to a crossroads too,” she said to Estella. “Jack is your friend because that’s what you want. But it’s not what he wants. He wants all of you. Your whole heart.”
Estella’s lips curved into a secretive smile. “I know what he wants. He made that very clear. After he told me what he was feeling, he gave me a tin of heart-shaped marshmallows. In that moment, I knew I loved him too.”
Nora looked closely at her friend. Her cheeks glowed. Her eyes were shining with joy. “Oh my God, you mean it.”
Estella blushed like a teenager and Nora laughed.
“I’m so happy for you. This”—Nora pointed from Estella to the diner—“makes me happy. In the middle of all the crap that’s been happening, you go and fall in love. And with the nicest guy in town.” She gave Estella a puzzled look. “What was in those marshmallows, anyway?”
It was Estella’s turn to laugh. “In Japan, there’s an unofficial holiday called White Day. Women give men gifts on Valentine’s Day, and men give women gifts on White Day. The traditional gift is marshmallows. Mine were homemade, of course.”
“White Day?” said a familiar voice. “What? White folks don’t have enough holidays?”
June stood on the garden path. Hester was a step behind her.
“It’s a Japanese holiday,” Estella explained. “White stands for purity and happiness.”
“Does it now?” June teased.
Opening her voluminous handbag, Estella withdrew a white satin box tied with a pale pink ribbon. “Come here and try one of Jack’s marshmallows.”
June and Hester each took a sweet, but Nora hesitated. “Are you sure? Jack
made these for you. They’re special.”
“So are you,” Estella said before turning to June. “How’d you find us?”
June sniffed her marshmallow, popped it in her mouth, and chewed. After gushing over how good it was, she said, “Jack said that you’d been in the garden earlier. We hoped you’d still be here. And we hoped Nora would be with you. We already looked for her at home.”
Estella spread her arms. “Here we are.”
Hester finished her treat and smiled at Estella. “Jack definitely loves you. It’s not just the heart shape of his marshmallows. He mixed love into them. I can taste it.”
Estella responded with a shy smile.
“Lord have mercy. You feel the same,” June cried in astonishment.
Hester spoke before Estella could answer. “Who said the words first?”
“I’ll tell you if you promise not to ask more questions. I haven’t felt this way in a long time, and I want to keep some of these feelings to myself.”
After recounting the story she’d shared with Nora, Estella watched June and Hester beam with pleasure.
“Your turn,” Estella said to Hester. “You never told us about meeting your dashing deputy’s parents. We all know that something happened. What was it?”
Hester shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. “Jasper’s mom was talking about her grandson when she suddenly asked me if I liked babies. I wasn’t able to put my poker face on in time and she gave me this sweet, concerned look and, boom! I burst into tears. Now Jasper knows that I’ve been keeping a secret from him. Normal people do not burst into tears because someone mentions babies in the middle of dinner.”
“Why haven’t you told him?” June asked.
“You know why. Because I love how he looks at me now. If I tell him the truth, he’ll look at me like I’m damaged goods. The girl who got knocked up in high school. The girl who’s already had a baby. That’s how he’ll see me.”
Estella packed up the takeout containers and stood up. “You’re not giving that boy enough credit, Hester. He loves you. He wants you, warts and all.”