Summer by the River

by Debbie Burns

  “They aren’t mean, Zoe. They’re just young, like you.”

  Zoe rolled her bright hazel eyes and offered a small huff. “They are too mean. You just weren’t there to see it.”

  Carter stood up and cleared his throat, probably a bit more amused than he wanted to show.

  They headed inside, with Zoe pausing to point out all her favorite places on the lower floor, such as the window seat in the breakfast room at the side of the kitchen that had a clear view of a robin’s nest.

  “This house is truly phenomenal,” Carter said as they ascended the massive staircase to the second floor. The stairs were wide enough for Zoe to easily walk along next to him. Josie could have, too, but she chose to take up the rear. She forced her gaze away from his fingers as they brushed the top of the mahogany banister.

  “How many rooms does the place have?” Carter tapped the rounded newel as he took in the second-floor split hallway.

  “Six with private bathrooms,” she answered, “plus two on the third floor that share a bathroom. There’s a family from Ohio up there this weekend, but we usually stick to the second-floor rooms. It’s too expensive to heat and cool the third floor. Your room’s down the hall. It’s a great room—a lot of space and one of the best bathrooms in the house. And a wonderful view of the gardens out back.”

  “Spoken like someone who knows it well.”

  “You could say that.” Josie opted not to add that, when it was just her, Myra, and Zoe here, she often went into that room for a soak in the oversized bathtub after Zoe was out for the night.

  “Nice,” he said as she swung open the door. He paused to take it in and nodded appreciatively. “They don’t make houses like this anymore, do they? Great bone structure.”

  “If it wasn’t for the Victorian wallpaper covering it all up, you mean?”

  He grinned, his teeth gleaming. “Looks like I’m in a lady’s retreat after all. Is that what happened to the guy who pulled out? He didn’t have a tolerance for lace and doilies?”

  “He’s mad at his father for getting married again,” Zoe piped up.

  “Zoe, honestly. Sometimes I think you hear through walls.” Josie shrugged. “It’s one of those weddings that’s not without a bit of controversy. They were childhood sweethearts who ended up marrying other people. Their spouses have passed away, and now they’ve found one another again.”

  “But Linda says they’re hurting everybody’s feelings,” Zoe added. “Acting so in looove.” She drew out the word like it was replete with cooties.

  Carter laughed. “Kid, you’re wise beyond your years.”

  Josie ran her fingers down Zoe’s hair. “So… Make yourself at home. You’re Myra’s guest. The key is on the dresser. It’s bulky to carry around. If you don’t want to take it with you into town, you can drop it with Myra.”

  He strolled over to the dresser and inspected the brass skeleton key. “No plastic cards here, huh?”

  “We’re all about authenticity. Oh, I almost forgot. The room was already set up before the guy and his wife canceled. In honor of the wedding, everyone’s being treated with the getaway package from back when this place ran as a B and B. That means you get homemade cookies and wine delivered each night around nine. There’s a menu on your bed for tomorrow’s breakfast. And there’s champagne in the mini fridge and some extras on the tub as well.” Her cheeks warmed involuntarily at the last bit.

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so? Too bad I’m traveling alone. So, you asked for a license but not a credit card. What are you charging for this? Something tells me it isn’t enough.”

  “You can take that up with Myra. You’re her particular guest, after all.” She took Zoe by the hand to leave.

  “And you’ll just be down the hall if I have any questions about how to work the tub or anything, right?” Carter asked, the playful grin returning to his face.

  After that introduction of his, it didn’t surprise her that he was a flirt. “You strike me as being technologically advanced. But if you have trouble, ask your questions early. I’m off duty tonight after I deliver cookies.”

  He tsked. “What a shame.”

  Josie pulled Zoe out of the room and closed the door before the smile that was tugging at her lips broke through to the surface.

  Chapter 5

  Myra woke the next morning with a lightness in her stride she’d not felt in years. She didn’t mind that she was a dinosaur who’d lived her life in a relic. People hardly ever lived out their lives under one roof these days. Gone, too, in all but a fraction of society, were servants at the ready and houses designed with rooms for a specific activity. The old place had a morning room, a sitting room, a parlor and a library, a dining room, a drawing room, a nursery, a butler’s pantry, a kitchen and, of course, enough bedrooms to house a large family and host a constant flow of guests.

  Her great-grandfather had made a fortune in mining galena out of the river after emigrating from Sussex, but like Carter’s grandfather’s company, the company went bankrupt during the Depression. By the time it had come for her to marry, even scrupulous as her parents had been, there’d been little chance of their being able to afford the taxes, maintenance, and repair that came hand in hand with ownership of this home. Had it not been for her own fierce determination, the house would’ve passed into another family’s care back then.

  When she was in her late twenties, she accepted marriage to a man with both kindness in his soul and a respectable depth to his pockets. They’d put their heads together and come up with the idea for turning it into a B and B. The house had thrived while all that bustle had filled its walls every Wednesday through Sunday.

  Now, nearly a lifetime later, a comparable dilemma was weighing her down, and she’d been craving someone to put her head together with the way she’d done with her husband. She needed someone other than Josie, who was too close to see the path forward objectively, to help her figure out the next best step. Only, at Myra’s age—and with her diagnosis—her options had seemed considerably more limited. At least until Carter O’Brien found his way to her.

  Myra had been so startled yesterday at the news Carter brought that it had taken her awhile to realize he was exactly the one to help her. A few sleepless hours in the middle of the night had gotten her thinking of new possibilities, and thanks to a long round of prayers, she’d woken up with a certainty she’d not experienced in years.

  Life had taught her that, whenever she stepped out from all the things that weighed her down and really prayed, her prayers had always been answered. And this time, the answer was Carter O’Brien.

  Now, all she needed was for him to see this.

  By the time Myra made it downstairs, most of her guests were eating breakfast. She was eager to talk to Carter, but she first made the rounds with her friends and their families as they savored the breakfast of quiche, roasted sweet potatoes, and fruit salad. Tidbit trailed along with her, lingering at the tables when he thought a handout might be coming.

  Myra checked in briefly with Josie, who’d gathered an armful of loose gladioli and was tying them on the trellis. “It’s a remarkable day for a wedding.”

  “It is. You holding up okay?” Josie asked. “I thought you might have a hard time sleeping considering all this commotion.” Her gaze shot over to Carter, who was eating alone and working on a laptop.

  “And I thought your tension had to do with all the work I’ve left you for this wedding.”

  Josie paused mid-tie on one of the gladiolas. “These are your best friends; I’m happy to do it. Happy enough,” she added with a half smile after catching Myra’s pointed look. “I just don’t like the pressure Carter’s creating for you.”

  “There are many ships in the ocean, dear. You needn’t be angry because his path has carried him alongside ours a short time.”

  “As long as it’s what you want.”

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nbsp; “It is what I want. Now, so long as you’re fine, Linda’s managing in the kitchen, and my friends are enjoying breakfast, I’ll sit with him awhile. Call if you need me.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Josie turned back to her flowers as Myra headed off.

  Carter’s back was to her, and he didn’t notice Myra’s approach until she was nearly upon him. “Would you mind some company, young man?”

  “I’d love it.” Moving his laptop aside, he rose to pull out the chair next to him at the wrought-iron table. “But don’t feel you have to. I’m sure you’re busy.”

  “My house is a bustle of activity, but I’ve surrounded myself with a few of the finest and hardest-working individuals you’ll ever meet. Which is a good thing, because these old bones can’t take much exertion.” Myra raised hands that were a touch misshapen from age and arthritis. “Though I did my fair share for many years.”

  Carter glanced over toward Josie. “I offered to help but was refused.”

  “And refuse you she will.” Myra chuckled. “I’d advise you to leave Josie alone to be Josie. Today, anyway. Tomorrow, when everyone leaves, she’ll be more relaxed.” Having determined she was staying put for a while, Tidbit took off on a stray cat hunt in the gardens.

  “What’s her story, anyway?”

  Myra shook a finger at him. “As a writer, you of all people should know that every character’s story is entirely dependent upon the narrator.”

  “Myra, you’re a trip.”

  “However, even though Josie’s story isn’t mine to tell, I’m quite tempted to share it with you. Some of it. As long as you keep in mind the limitations of the narrator.”

  Carter nodded for her to continue. “I’m all ears.”

  Myra faltered a second or two. “I should tell you I hold that young woman dearest to my heart of all my acquaintances, blood and water combined.”

  A bit of the levity left Carter’s expression at her words. “Okay.”

  “And,” Myra continued, “while she’d be quite furious with me for speaking even a whisper of this to you, I can’t help but feel with zero doubt you are supposed to learn it.”

  “I, uh… Are the two of you related? Do you think she’s any relation to my grandfather?” Carter sat forward in his chair, watching her expression.

  Myra’s hand came to rest on Carter’s arm. “That’s putting the cart before the horse, I’d say.”

  “It just seems to make sense.” He leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

  “Before your hopes rise any further, there’s a great improbability of her being your long-lost cousin. But in the same breath, I’ll agree you have reason to hope for a relative in Galena. Though, as I said, I can’t summon the energy to share that story with you until this wedding is well and done. Your grandfather’s fate is far too personal to me. With your blessing, we’ll save what I know of his story for later.”

  Carter made a clear attempt to swallow his disappointment. “Sure. Take whatever time you need, Myra.”

  “Thank you. Then, this morning we’ll talk of Josie, who most likely has no connection to you aside from the fact that we’re all born of the same cosmic dust. You may want to know why I’m willing to break her confidence to tell you her story, but that, too, I hope to make clear.”

  Carter twisted to face her. “I’m all ears.”

  “Where to begin? Isn’t that always a challenge?” She brushed the tip of one finger over a crust of pollen, grinding it into the wrought iron. “When I first laid eyes on her, I suppose. That was five years ago in May. Most of the time it feels like it’s been just a fraction of that.” A shadow slipped over her heart the same as if clouds had covered the sun.

  “It was a dark few years for me. My husband had been gone nearly a decade, and my kids were grown and far away. One of them chased a love across the country, the other two, careers. My debts were mounting, and I was feeling tremendous pressure from both my accountant and my oldest son to sell this place. I was foolish to close the B and B down when I did. I thought the money my husband left would last forever. But there were taxes, and I shared what was left with my children, and before I knew it, I was in a pinch.”

  Carter glanced behind them at the massive house. “I can only imagine the cost of keeping this place up.”

  “It’s a pretty penny, for certain. That day Josie and I met, I remember it well. It was cold, and the wind was whipping. I felt a chill in my bones, telling me I was too old to think of opening this place up again. My car wouldn’t start that morning. So, naively, I walked down the famous steps that span the bluffs of the river into town. You walked them last night, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, it was quite the haul back up.” Carter chuckled.

  “It is. There are upward of two hundred if you take them all the way from the bottom. In my youth, I walked them every day just for the challenge of it. But I’d forgotten how old I was and how heavy a mere half-gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, a few apples, and some cheese could be on the ascent.”

  Carter glanced toward the swollen ankles beneath her skirt but did nothing more than nod.

  “When I first laid eyes on Josie, she was sitting on a bench on Main Street out of the wind. She was feeding Zoe pieces of a banana. I smiled at her as I passed, but I’d be a liar not to admit it was a bit of a reproachful smile. She looked too young to have a baby.” Myra clasped a hand over her chest, trying to soften the rush of guilt sweeping through her for sharing this with a stranger. He’s not just any stranger, she reminded herself. “My first thoughts toward that young lady weren’t kind, I’m afraid; they were judgmental and self-serving. What is it in us that feels satisfied to know other people’s mistakes aren’t ours to claim?”

  Carter’s gaze traveled to the sand pit where Zoe was embarking upon another castle-making contest with the two young boys.

  “I walked on from her and started home, where a hot cup of tea would lessen my worries. I wouldn’t have given her any more thought, but my wrists started hurting less than two flights up. I set the bags down, frustrated and alone and feeling quite sorry for myself.” She paused and held up a finger. “Let me backtrack a minute. You see, I’d spent the morning praying harder than I had in years. Certainly since my husband was on his deathbed. I make no excuses for being the selfish Christian that I am. My prayers are always more fervent when I’m passionate about the subject.”

  “You aren’t alone there, Myra.”

  “So, there I was with a weighty decision on my shoulders and a prayer once again on my lips. And what do you know, that girl—Josie—had come up behind me, baby in tow. She told me she’d carry my bags, and she did. All the way to the top. I was too winded to speak, and she was too burdened with a whimpering baby and my bags. I took notice of her though. She was underdressed for the weather. And the baby wasn’t any better, I’m afraid to say. When we finally reached the top, I noticed that all she carried for herself was a single plastic bag. What mother walks around without a diaper bag? So, I judged her again and waited for her to ask me for money. I decided I’d give her a few bills and hand out a bit of judgment along with it. But do you want to know what, young man?”

  “What?” Carter asked, clearing his throat.

  “She didn’t ask. She put her hand on my shoulder and asked if I could make it home from there. I told her I could and watched her look around at the view. It was clear she’d never seen the view from the top of the steps before. She looked down on my town below and told me she’d never seen anything more beautiful. Then she started back down without giving me or my money a second thought.”

  “Then how’d you hook up again?”

  “I didn’t let her leave. I called down to ask where she was headed, and she yelled up that she didn’t know. So, I waved her up and told her I’d make her a cup of tea. And, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, she’s never left. Even then I was no stranger to the fact that God wor
ks in mysterious ways, but I still had no idea that girl and her baby were the answer to my prayers. Dear God, were they ever!”

  Myra wrapped her hand around Carter’s forearm again and gave it a gentle squeeze. “My children, as you might imagine, weren’t pleased. But they’d gone away. Josie and Zoe were my decision, and the best one I’ve ever made. Josie’s saved my life a dozen times in a dozen different ways. Now, it’s my time to do what I can for her. And that, young man, is where you come in.”

  Carter’s brows furrowed as if she’d just spoken French. “I don’t understand. What is it you think I can do?”

  “That’s the easy part. Whether it’s age or circumstance, I can better see when my prayers are answered nowadays. And just yesterday I spent the better part of the morning praying. And you—a man with the gift of eloquence—and with your connection to me! God’s been good to me.”

  Carter shook his head. “I’m sorry; I don’t understand.”

  “This confidence I’m about to offer isn’t yours to share with anyone in my acquaintance.” Myra’s pale eyes grew bright with intensity. “Most especially Josie.”

  He took a few seconds to answer. “All right.”

  She swallowed back the fear of speaking her next words aloud. She glanced at the sandbox and Zoe and found strength. “A few weeks ago, I discovered a tender lump in my abdomen. I’ve not yet told Josie. I didn’t want to worry her until I knew it was nothing. Turns out it wasn’t nothing.”

  Carter swallowed and shook his head.

  “And I have some weighty decisions to make. To prolong my life, I’ve the option of a cumbersome and risky surgery. With it, I’ll likely have five more years of sunsets and summer nights. First winter snows. School plays. All those small little miracles I can never seem to get enough of.” Knowing she needed to, she added, “Without it, I’ll hardly last one.”

  Seeing the look on his face, she paused to lift a finger in protest. “You can stop there, young man. I won’t accept sympathy from a practical stranger. Besides, I’ve a great need of you.”