Susannah's Garden (13 page)

“Hello again,” she said as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to hurry home in the middle of the day. “You’re getting to be a regular fixture around here.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing your lunch.”

“No. Would you care to join me?” While she might sound casual, nothing could be further from the truth.

“Sorry,” Dave said, flashing her a grin. His teeth were white and even. “They don’t pay me to dine with the clientele.”

“How about a glass of iced tea?” she asked next.

He hesitated and then nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”

In her eagerness to get him a glass, she nearly toppled her own chair. Rushing into the kitchen, Carolyn drew a deep breath in a futile effort to slow down her hammering pulse. Inviting a man to join her for lunch was so out of character that it felt as if she’d done something illegal.

She’d thought about little else all day. As she dressed that morning, she’d been putting together a plan of action. She wore her hair down instead of in her customary braid and opted for a white blouse with a lace collar rather than the cotton plaid that was her general uniform. Her jeans and boots were the same, but nothing else seemed to be—including her mind. Gloria had noticed her change of outfit right away and might have made some remark if not for the look Carolyn sent her.

“Do you take it sweetened or unsweetened?” she called through the screen door.

“Unsweetened.”

She managed to pour the tea, then took it outside and handed it to him. Dave thanked her with a nod. He hadn’t buttoned his shirt, and she had a hard time not staring at his muscular chest. A light mat of sun-bleached hair caught her attention. She felt like a schoolgirl, mesmerized by the sight, and resisted the urge to press her palm against his heart to see if his pulse beat as erratically as her own.

Dave drank the tea without stopping, then pulled off his hat and wiped his forearm across his brow.

“That tasted great. Thank you.”

Carolyn didn’t know what to say next. Her tongue felt stuck to the roof of her mouth. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

He shook his head. “I came up from California.”

“I lived there for a while. Which part?” she asked, trying to make conversation, anything that would let Dave know how much she wanted to be his friend. No—
more
than his friend.

“Here and there. I moved around a lot.”

Her heart sank. In other words, he wasn’t interested in telling her.

But then he surprised her. “I lived in the Fresno area for a time,” he muttered.

“How’d you get up here?” she asked, trying again. It was a bit awkward, the two of them standing there, making stilted conversation. She gestured toward the chair. Dave declined, shaking his head.

“I don’t stay in one place for long,” he said. “I was never one to put down roots.”

“What about family?”

“Don’t have any.” Sadness darkened his eyes and he looked away.

“None?” she repeated slowly.

“None.”

“What about a wife?” It was a bold question and she felt astonished at her own audacity in asking it.

“I was never married.”

“Never.” Carolyn could hardly believe it.

“Like I said, I wasn’t one for roots.”

She wondered what had happened to this man that kept him from living a normal life. Then it came to her. He’d been in prison; he must have been. It was the only thing that made sense. He preferred not to discuss his past. He hadn’t settled down anywhere. He was attractive and appealing and vital, yet he’d never married.

“What about you?” He spoke softly, almost as if he regretted asking the question.

“I’m divorced.”

“Children?”

“No… My marriage ended a lot of years ago and well, I never—you know—I never met anyone else.”

“That’s a shame,” he said in a low voice.

She swallowed tightly. “You?”

“I don’t have children, either.” He retreated a couple of steps, apparently uncomfortable with the information he’d shared. “I should get to work.”

Carolyn stepped back, too.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?” she asked.

He didn’t answer right away and set the empty tumbler carefully on the table. “The tea,” he said.

Carolyn had the distinct impression that his appreciation went beyond a glass of cold tea.

“I’
m glad you came by,” Susannah said as she held open the front door for Carolyn late Saturday afternoon. She’d dreaded the thought of spending the evening alone. For the second day in a row, Chrissie had gone off with Troy Nance. Much to her consternation, her daughter seemed utterly enthralled by him.

Susannah had disliked Troy on sight, and every meeting since had confirmed her negative opinion of her former schoolmate’s son. She didn’t like the way Troy looked at her daughter, either, as though he was salivating over some tempting delicacy on a restaurant dessert platter. As far as she could determine, he was unemployed, smoked, drank and generally lived on the edge. She was afraid drugs might be part of that scenario, too.

“I brought dinner,” Carolyn said, holding up a plastic grocery bag. “A few goodies that’ll help us remember our time in France.”

Susannah guessed it was a baguette, soft cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in seasoned olive oil. And, of course, Carolyn would include a bottle of red wine. As schoolgirls they’d spent many a weekend afternoon in the Loire Valley, enjoying a repast just like that. Those picnics had always included chaperones, but they’d been fun all the same.

When Carolyn left Colville as a high school sophomore, she and Susannah had been good friends. But during that year in the French boarding school, they’d truly bonded. Susannah wasn’t sure why they’d let their relationship erode in the decades that followed.

“Sun-dried tomatoes?” she asked and closed her eyes in ecstasy.

“Plus fresh bread and chèvre.”

“My favorite.” Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

“Did you think I’d forget?”

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Susannah said, although she was relieved to stay home. After an entire day of physically demanding labor, she was content to relax, enjoy this feast and simply talk.

They sat across from each other at the dining room table, and drank wine out of plastic cups. The bread, cheese and tomatoes were served on paper plates.

“Where’s Chrissie?” Carolyn asked.

Susannah slowly shook her head. “She met Troy Nance yesterday and they’ve barely spent a minute apart since then.” Okay, that was an exaggeration, because Chrissie had helped Susannah for most of the day. She’d been to visit Vivian, as well. But when she was with Susannah, she’d talked nearly nonstop about how wonderful Troy was.

Carolyn didn’t say anything but from her frown, Susannah deduced that her friend’s opinion of this young man was the same as hers.

“What do you know about him?” she asked.

Carolyn shrugged. “Not much. He worked at the mill, but he didn’t last long. We have a drug-testing program—because of all the heavy equipment—and once Troy heard about that, he stopped showing up.”

Just as Susannah had feared, he seemed to be involved with drugs. Carolyn’s story implied as much.

“I don’t understand what Chrissie sees in him,” she said. That was putting it mildly. “She recently broke up with her boyfriend from school and I suppose she’s still feeling hurt.”

“Then Troy must be balm to her wounded ego.”

This was Susannah’s take on the situation, too.

Carolyn sipped her wine. “You’ve probably figured out that his mother is Sharon Nance. She’s been married two or three times over the years, but still goes by Nance.”

Susannah did remember Sharon and while they’d never been friends, they’d been cordial. Sharon was hot-tempered as a teenager and had an unsavory reputation. At the age of thirteen, she’d bragged she was dating twenty-year-old men. By comparison, Susannah had lived an innocent existence. Sharon came from a single-parent home—a rarity in those days. Her mother had worked as a barmaid and now, so did Sharon.

Susannah sighed heavily, disappointed in her daughter’s fascination with Troy. “I assumed that one date would clue Chrissie in to the fact that Troy is no prize.”

“So she went out with him last night?”

Susannah nodded and swallowed a sip of wine. “She was home early enough, before midnight, and claimed she’d had an amazing time—her word. But I don’t think she’d tell me if she hadn’t.”

“Why not?” Carolyn reached for a slice of bread and then for the cheese.

Discouraged, Susannah leaned back in her chair. She’d failed Chrissie in this situation and wasn’t proud of what she’d done, especially because she knew better. “I tried to warn Chrissie about Troy, but I might as well have saved my breath. It was a mistake to say anything because now she’s determined to prove how wrong I am.”

“I don’t think Troy’s into hard drugs, if that’s what concerns you,” Carolyn said.

That was reassuring. But Troy definitely looked like a recreational drug user, and leaving his job at the mill confirmed it. “I talked to my husband and he said we’ve done our best raising Chrissie and at almost twenty she’s capable of making her own decisions.”

“And you agree?” Carolyn asked, skewering Susannah with a look. “Never having had children, I wouldn’t know.”

“The thing is, I don’t, either,” Susannah muttered. It would’ve been so nice to spend these weeks with her daughter, just the two of them. They’d been getting along well, and the last thing she wanted now was to be at odds with Chrissie over a young man who’d be in and out of their lives within a few days.

“What I’m finding so difficult is
all
of this,” Susannah said, gesturing around her. “I’m packing up my parents’ lives and discovering all these bits and pieces of my own life. For instance, Mom saved the first baby tooth I lost. I also came across a file she kept with all my school papers from first grade on. She saved everything, and I do mean everything.”

Carolyn nodded. “I know what you mean. I didn’t pack up my mom and dad’s stuff, but I moved into their home. Everywhere I turned I was confronted by memories. It was a little eerie at first, you know?”

Susannah did. Speaking of eerie… She leaned forward,
wondering if she should say anything. “I didn’t mention this to Joe because I don’t want to alarm him. Someone’s been in the house recently.”

Carolyn paused, her glass halfway to her mouth. “Someone’s broken into the house?”

“No, that’s the crazy part. There’s been no obvious break-in and nothing of value is missing. Well, some old sports ribbons and baseball cards. A few other things.” She paused. “It’s happened more than once.”

“Are you spooked?” Carolyn asked.

“Yes, and it’s driving me crazy. Who would do that and why?”

“Any idea?”

Susannah just shook her head.

Carolyn nibbled on her bread and cheese. “Do you think the spirit of your father is still here?”

“No.” The thought appalled Susannah. “That’s not it at all. This is…different.” Susannah grew quiet in an effort to put her feelings into words. “Thursday night after meeting with you and the others, I came back here and the moment I stepped inside the house, I knew someone had been here.”

“Wasn’t that when you found Chrissie had arrived?”

“Yes, but I still think it’s more than that. True, Chrissie was there—but I sensed someone else had come in, too. And I’m pretty sure it happened again, maybe even today. That makes three times I know of. This afternoon, I saw that some of my father’s papers were missing. I’d just started going through his files and I’d left some stuff on his desk. Then it turned up missing. Gone.”

“You’re
sure
you didn’t toss it?”

“I’m positive. I know it was there and then it wasn’t.”

“I believe you.”

Her friend was silent after that. “Anything on your mind these days?” Susannah asked.

Carolyn’s gaze flew to hers, and her face immediately reddened.

“Carolyn?”

She blushed even more profusely, but didn’t respond.

“Tell me.”

She finally began, “There’s this guy….”

Susannah should’ve known it had to do with a man. “What guy?”

“I’m embarrassed to say anything. His name’s Dave. He’s with Kettle Falls Landscaping and he maintains my yard and the area outside my office. I can’t stop thinking about him. At work I catch myself staring out the window, hoping for a glimpse of him.”

“What’s the problem? Is he married?”

She shook her head. “No, he says he’s never been married. I think…I think he might have a criminal record.”

“Surely there’s some way you can get that information.”

“I already looked on the Internet,” Carolyn said, then blushed again. “I couldn’t find a thing.”

“Do you suppose he’s using an alias?”

“I don’t know.” She shifted as if uncomfortable.

“What makes you think he’s been in prison?” Susannah asked gently.

“Nothing, other than the fact that he’s so private and much too beautiful never to have married or had a family.”

Susannah smiled at her friend’s use of the word
beautiful.
She didn’t consider men in those terms, but apparently Carolyn did.

“Yesterday afternoon as he left my house, I saw him glance at me—he didn’t know I could see him. Ridiculous
as it sounds, I got this happy, excited feeling because he was thinking about me. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I
felt
it.” She brought one hand to her mouth. “I’m too old to have these kinds of feelings.”

“As long as you’re breathing, you’re not too old. It’s wonderful that you’ve met a man who makes you feel alive.”

“That’s not all he makes me feel.” Two red spots brightened her cheeks. She sighed. “It’s not a good idea to get involved with him.”

“Why not?” Susannah protested. She knew Carolyn, and her friend didn’t give her heart away lightly. “You deserve happiness. It’s hard enough to find without erecting unnecessary roadblocks.”

Still, Carolyn looked uncertain. “I don’t know what to do.”

Susannah could understand her dilemma. “Why do anything? Just let it happen.”

After a moment, a slow smile spread across Carolyn’s face. “Maybe I will,” she whispered. “Maybe I will.”