The Key in the Attic (4 page)

“Now, sweetie, you know I live up here now. My Grandma Betsy loved this house, and now I’m loving it for her too. You don’t think she’d want me to let somebody else live in her house, do you?”

“No, I guess not,” John said grudgingly. “Did she want you to leave us forever?”

“Now, honey, you know I haven’t left you forever. I come see you all the time, don’t I?”

“But you don’t
live
here close to us like you used to. Mommy says it’s like losing Grandpa all over again.”

Annie felt a pain deep in her heart. After her husband Wayne’s sudden death, her daughter LeeAnn had told her in so many words that she wasn’t needed to help with the children anymore. Coming from Texas to Maine to see to Gram’s estate had been a wonderful distraction, a chance to get away and establish herself as her own person, not just someone’s mother or someone’s grandmother. Now she was at home here in Stony Point, even though she knew LeeAnn and the kids would love to have her back.

“Sweetie,” she said softly, “can you ask Mommy to come to the telephone?”

“Moooooooooom! It’s Grammy!”

Annie held the phone away from her ear until she heard her daughter’s voice.

“Mom. Hi.”

LeeAnn’s voice sounded thick, a little sleepy. She hadn’t been up long.

“I’m sorry, honey. I wasn’t thinking about the time when I asked John to speak with you. I sometimes forget it’s an hour earlier down there than it is up here. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, it’s all right. I have to get going this morning anyway. I just hope John didn’t wake
you
up. I’ve told him a hundred times—”

“No, no,” Annie assured her, laughing. “You know me. I’m usually up with the sun.”

“Yeah,” LeeAnn deadpanned. “I remember.”

“You’re like your daddy. Some mornings he had to be pried out of bed.”

“But he’d stay up half the night and watch movies with me.” LeeAnn sighed. “I sure miss him.”

Annie felt her throat tighten. Did it ever get any easier?

“I know you miss him, honey. I do too.”

For a moment, there was only silence on the line. Then LeeAnn cleared her throat.

“So, how are you?”

“I’m all right, LeeAnn. I’m a little concerned about the kids.”

“Really? Why?”

“John was asking me about coming back there for his birthday, and of course, I will. But I get the feeling he’s upset because it will be just a visit.”

“Well, I guess we’re all getting used to you living up there now.”

“Before I came up here, you told me you didn’t need me anymore, didn’t you?”

“I just meant you shouldn’t feel tied down. I didn’t mean we didn’t want you.” Again there were sudden tears in LeeAnn’s voice. “And I didn’t mean I didn’t need you.”

“I know, honey. Anyway, what’s so bad about having a place that you and Herb and the kids can come visit when it’s a hundred and ten in the shade down there in Texas?”

LeeAnn laughed. “Nothing at all.”

“Now, you have to let me tell you about this key I found up in the attic.”

“Oh Mom!” LeeAnn half scolded, half teased. “Another mystery?”

4

A little before eleven, Annie hurried into A Stitch in Time, glad to see she was the only customer in the shop so far.

“Hi, Mary Beth. I know I’m a tiny bit early for the meeting, but I was hoping you had some new crochet patterns in. Does Kate have any new originals out? Where is she? Organizing your stock again?”

Mary Beth didn’t quite look at her. “She’s not working today, but she’ll be here for the meeting.”

Annie stepped lightly past the topic of Kate’s reduced hours. “Oh, OK. Anyway … I feel like making something really big this time, and I want to make an heirloom. How much of that glorious Two Ewe yarn do you have in stock?”

Mary Beth shook her head, and Annie could see now that her eyes were red-rimmed. “You don’t have to do it anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and the rest of the club, you don’t have to keep buying a lot of expensive stuff you don’t really need. I know you mean well, and it means a lot to me that you’re willing to do it, but you shouldn’t.”

“Mary Beth—”

“It’s no use throwing good money after bad.”

“What do you mean?”

Mary Beth managed half of a smile. “I mean I love you all, more than I can say, but there’s no reason for you to bankrupt yourselves trying to help me.”

The bell on the front door jingled as Alice and Peggy came into the shop.

“Hi, girls.” Peggy’s bright expression faded. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on.” Mary Beth gestured toward the circle of comfortable chairs that was home to the Hook and Needle Club, all business. “Make yourselves comfortable. Did you finish cross-stitching those Christmas ornaments yet, Alice?”

Alice glanced at Annie who could only shrug.

“Not quite, Mary Beth. I think I want to add some beading to them, just for the sparkle.”

Mary Beth and Alice were looking over the bead rack when Kate and Gwen came in, followed by Stella, and they all settled into the sewing circle. Once Alice had made her selection, she joined them. Only Mary Beth was left standing, looking expectantly at them until their chatter died down.

“I’m glad everybody is here today. There are some things I need to let you all know.”

Everyone looked at everyone else, worry in their eyes, but nobody said anything. Kate kept her head down, and there was an extra touch of color in her cheeks. Had Mary Beth decided to let her go all together?

“As I told Kate yesterday, my landlord, the owner of this building, has given me notice that he wants to sell out when my lease expires at the end of next month. He says he has a good offer for the place, but he wants to give me the chance to match it, if I’d like to stay.”

Still no one said anything. Annie finally asked Mary Beth what they all wanted to know.

“What are you going to do?”

Mary Beth smiled wryly. “There’s not much I
can
do. I don’t have the money to buy him out. I’d have to have enough for the shop and the theater next door too. He has to sell both places. It doesn’t matter anyway. My credit is already maxed out. I think I’m going to have to close up.”

“Close up?” Peggy wailed. “You can’t just close up. How will you live?”

“I’ll just have to find a job, won’t I?” Mary Beth shrugged. “Or maybe I’ll retire.”

“You’re too young to retire,” Stella said firmly. “Maybe in another twenty years, when you’re my age. And who knows what’s going to happen to Social Security anyway?”

“Do you know who he plans to sell to?” Gwen asked.

Mary Beth’s mouth was tight. “They want to tear down this building and the theater to build a Burly Boy’s Burger Barn, complete with drive-through, all-night service, searchlights, and a twenty-foot-tall Burly Boy looming over it. I think A Stitch in Time will mostly end up as the parking lot.”

A chorus of groans went up from the members of the Hook and Needle Club.

“Not a Burly Boy!” Peggy moaned. “Not in Stony Point. What’s that going to do to business at The Cup & Saucer?”

“What’s it going to do to our quaint little village?” Annie pressed her lips together. “I can’t believe the town council would allow that. Ian would never even consider such a thing.”

“My guess is that Burly Boy made it well worth their while to reconsider some of the zoning restrictions.” Mary Beth’s smile was wry. “I guess our town is a little strapped for cash too.”

“Then we just can’t let it happen,” Alice said. “We’ll all chip in and help you keep the shop.”

“We want to help,” Gwen said when Mary Beth started to protest. “After all, we all love A Stitch in Time too.”

Mary Beth squeezed her arm. “That’s sweet, but it’s not your problem. It’s mine.”

“But we can help, Mary Beth,” Peggy insisted. “We already—” She broke off, eyes wide.

Mary Beth looked at her and then at the rest of the group. “Yes, Kate told me what you were already doing.”

“We were just going to see if we could raise some money,” Annie admitted when no one else spoke up. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Peggy cringed. “Sorry.”

“All we did was gather up some stuff to sell,” Alice said. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Mary Beth shook her head. “You all amaze me. Thank you all for trying to help, but it’s really something I’ll have to figure out for myself.”

“We’ve been worried about you,” Alice told her. “We could tell you haven’t been yourself lately.”

“We didn’t want you to lose the shop,” Kate admitted, her head down and her dark hair falling to one side, concealing her face. “We just … . We wanted to do something to help you.”

Annie took Mary Beth’s hand, pulling her down into the empty chair next to hers. “We’re your best friends, Mary Beth. We know when something’s wrong.”

Mary Beth looked up at the ceiling, her eyes blinking rapidly. “You’re not supposed to make me do this.”

Peggy handed her a tissue. “There’s nothing better than a good cry, I always say.”

A quick dab of the tissue was all Mary Beth would allow herself. Then she straightened in her chair and put on a determined smile. “I love you all, really, but this isn’t the end of the world. I’m a big girl, and this is
my
problem to work out. All I can do is work hard and pray hard and see what happens. You haven’t sold any of your stuff yet, have you?”

Annie shook her head. “We’ve just been gathering things up.”

“Well,” Mary Beth said, emphatically, “then you ungather all of it. I mean it. I’m not going to have all of you giving up your nice things just because I hit a rough spot in the road.”

“We can at least help you figure out what to do,” Alice said. “I could always get you on at Divine Décor if you want me to.”

“I don’t know,” said Mary Beth. “I’m comfortable with people I meet here in the familiar surroundings of my own shop, but I don’t know if I could do what you do, Alice. Going to a different place for each customer’s ‘party’ would seem like starting a new job each time. I suppose I could get used to it, if I had to.”

Alice smiled. “I know what you mean,” she said. “I felt the same way for a while when I started out, but you
do
get used to it, and the people who host these sort of parties are so nice.”

“Or maybe you can move the shop,” Gwen suggested. “If you found a cheaper place, maybe things wouldn’t be quite so tight.”

Mary Beth sighed. “I wish it were that easy. Besides, I don’t think I could find a cheaper place. Not here in Stony Point. Mr. Huggins has been great about not raising my rent. He says getting paid regularly and on time is raise enough for him.”

“I’m surprised by Jeb Huggins selling out this way,” Stella said. “He’s had this place for years now.”

Mary Beth sighed. “That’s the worst part. His wife has heart problems, and he’s got to have money for all her medical expenses. No—I just have to face facts. Unless something happens, and that does
not
mean all of you bankrupting yourselves buying things here that you don’t really need, then I’ll have to close up.”

Stella reached over and squeezed her hand. “I wish there was something I could do, dear. Mr. Brickson left me fairly well off, but most of what I have is in annuities and trusts. I couldn’t lay my hands on enough cash at one time to really make much difference at this point.”

“When do you have to give Mr. Huggins your answer?” Alice asked.

“I have till the end of next month to let him know.”

“I thought you had some money put aside for times like this,” Gwen said. “I know my husband advises you at the bank—not that he gives me details about any of his clients of course.”

“I guess I should have listened to him when he told me to make safe, long-term investments. But I had a ‘sure thing’ awhile back and lost quite a bit of my savings. Now here I am.”

“I was afraid that was what happened,” Kate said. “I’m so sorry, Mary Beth. And I’m sorry for being such a blabbermouth.”

“You’re not a blabbermouth.” Mary Beth reached across the circle to squeeze Kate’s hand. “And thank you for worrying about me. Thanks, all of you, but you can stop now. I’ll be fine. God knows what He’s doing. If He wants me here, then He’ll show me that. If not, I just have to believe He has something new for me to do. Now let’s all get to work, or I’ll have to change our name from the Hook and Needle Club to the ‘Everybody Worry About Mary Beth Club.’”

****

“We’re not really going to forget about helping Mary Beth, are we?” Alice asked as she and Annie walked back to their cars after the meeting was over.

“Of course we’re not. And we’re also not going to let this Burly Boy thing ruin the atmosphere of downtown Stony Point. I can’t believe Ian would let that happen.”

“There’s big money behind that franchise, money Stony Point could use for a lot of good things.”

Annie stopped in her tracks. “You’re not saying you’re behind this, are you?”

“Of course not. But nothing has happened yet. All we have to do is figure out how to keep A Stitch in Time right where it is, and there won’t be any Burly Boy.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Annie scowled. “That doesn’t make me any happier with our local government.”

Alice laughed. “Just remember, they have tough decisions to make too. Don’t snap Ian’s head off next time you see him.”

“Somebody mention my name?”

Alice and Annie both turned. Ian was leaning his tall, rugged frame against a lamp post, his smile crinkling the corners of his dark brown eyes.

Annie had to press her lips together hard to keep from doing just what Alice had warned her against.

“Hello, Ian,” Alice said. “How’s the lumber mill these days?”

He winced just a little. “Staying afloat.”

“I guess times are hard for everybody,” Annie said coolly. “Obviously you know about Mr. Huggins having to sell the Bijou Theater and the building that houses A Stitch in Time.”

Ian straightened away from the lamp post. “I do, in fact. It’s part of my job.”

Feeling the heat rise in her face, Annie put her hands on her hips. “Is it also part of your job, Mr. Mayor, to sell out Stony Point to the highest bidder?”

Ian smiled and put his hands up, warding her off. “Whoa there. I’m the mayor, not the town council. There’s only so much I can do on my own.”

“But a Burly Boy? Really, Ian?”

“Don’t be so upset, Annie. It’s not a done deal yet. Not by a longshot.”

“That’s what I told her,” Alice put in.

“I’m just sorry to hear Mary Beth is having a bad time,” Ian said. “If she could stay in her building, then Burly Boy would have to go somewhere else. Huggins is the only one on the square willing to sell, and that’s only because of his wife. And Burly Boy isn’t interested in anything that’s not right in the middle of town.”

“But the zoning laws should be able to keep them out,” Annie said, finding it harder and harder to be upset with the always-reasonable Ian.

“Not if the council finds that it’s in the city’s best interest to waive certain provisions,” Ian explained. “The planning and zoning committee is looking into rezoning. If they make a recommendation to the council to rezone the property, there will have to be a public hearing. I’m sure there will be a lot of opposition, so—as I said—this is far from being a done deal.
Really
, Annie, I tried. I don’t like it any better than you do.”

Great. Now she was starting to feel sorry for him. Her expression softened. “I know you don’t. And I’m sorry I snapped at you. I just hate to see anything happen to Stony Point. It’s—well, it just means a lot to me.”

He winked at her. “Come on, ladies. Since we can’t get a Double Chili-Cheese Burly Boy Bonus Burger with Burly Fries here in town, I’ll treat you both to a sandwich at The Cup & Saucer.”

Annie and Alice smiled at each other, and then Alice took Ian’s arm.

“You’ve got a date.”

Ian held his other arm out invitingly. “Annie?”

Refusing to acknowledge Alice’s insinuating smirk, Annie accepted. Arm in arm, the three of them walked over to The Cup & Saucer.

****

With all the members of the Hook and Needle Club gone, Mary Beth took a moment to tidy up the shop. How could she stay down when so many people obviously cared about her and were praying for her?

She had just straightened out the display of hand-dyed embroidery floss when the phone rang.

“A Stitch in Time. This is Mary Beth. How can I help you?”

“Auntie Beth?”

Mary Beth smiled to hear Amy’s voice over the telephone. “Well hello, sweetie. How are you?”

“I’m fine, but I wanted to find out how you are.”

“I’m doing all right.” Mary Beth sank down into one of the shop’s comfy chairs. “How’s your mom? Have you heard from her lately?”

“Oh, you know how it is.” Amy’s voice took on the indifferent tone that she usually used when she talked about her mother, Melanie. “She’s in Milan or something. I don’t know.”

“I’m sure she’ll give you a call when she gets back.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Poor Amy. As much as she tried, Mary Beth could never seem to make up for Melanie’s maternal shortcomings.

“I wish you two were closer, honey. I know your mother would like that.”

Amy sighed. “I’ll give her a call as soon as I find out where she is—if she’s not too busy to talk, OK?”