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“I’ll be all right.” Kelly walked Megs to the door and glanced at Sam who sat in his pickup, staring at them. “You’re sure you two aren’t an item? He seems awfully attentive and concerned about you.”
“It’s called friendship.” Megs walked out the front door and down the steps to the truck and got in on the passenger side. Kelly held up her hand before Sam put the truck in reverse and backed out of the driveway.
Kelly shut the front door and leaned against it. Closing her eyes she listened to the night sounds of the house. The tick of the grandfather clock in the living room. The hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. She lingered for another moment, and trailed her fingers along the smooth wooden banister as she stole up the stairs to her old bedroom. Once there, she flopped on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Grammy. The deep blue eyes that twinkled as she spoke of her life with Pop Pop. The white hair that she kept long and pinned on top of her head. Her tiny body wearing T-shirts and jeans underneath a pink apron with ruffles and pockets. She had often smelled of honey.
Grammy had grown up in Lake Mildred, and her own father had built the house she’d lived in until now. She’d married Pop Pop right before he shipped out to the Pacific during World War II and waited for him to return. Once Pop Pop was stateside, they tried for over a decade to have a child. She’d told the girls that their father had been a miracle baby because Grammy had given up hoping when she found herself finally pregnant. As much as she loved the bakery, she loved her son more and doted on him. When he died, a light dimmed inside Grammy, though she kept telling the girls that she was fine. Kelly remembered the look on her face each holiday as she stared at the empty chairs around the table.
And now hers would stay vacant, too.
Kelly flipped over onto her belly and sank her head into the pillow. She gave in to the despair she’d felt all day and sobbed.
Then there was a hand on her back. She shrieked as she found Sam sitting on the bed next to her. His voice was low, meant to be comforting. “I don’t mean to keep startling you.”
She propped herself up on one elbow and observed him. He looked as if he’d showered and changed since their meeting that morning. She could smell the faint but enticing traces of soap coming from him. “What do you want?”
His serious green eyes bore into hers. “You need to come to dinner with us.”
She shook her head. Didn’t they get the hint? “No. I already told Megs that I’m not hungry.”
“It’s not about the food. It’s not even about you, although I get it that you’re hurting, too. It’s about being there for your sister, who won’t insist that you come with us, even though it’s killing her not to.” He eyed her from head to toe. “She needs you right now. And if that means you paste a smile on that pretty face and pretend that going out to dinner with us is the best idea you’ve ever heard, then you do it.”
He thought she was pretty? She squelched the pride that compliment rose in her chest. “You’re wrong. She doesn’t need me.”
He shook his head. “The woman she loved like a mother is gone, and no one can ever replace her. But you’re a close second. So go wash your face and meet me downstairs in five minutes. And do it because you love your sister enough to be there for her. Understood?”
He made it sound so easy. But what did he know about losing the woman who had meant the world to her? He had been friends with her grandmother, sure. But Grammy had been her everything.
Just like she’d been for Megs.
Her refusal to go to dinner started to sound hollow in her ears now. Maybe she should go. Her sister appeared to be doing well, but what if she was as messed up as she was? What if the carefully constructed outside only covered up the grief and turmoil on the inside? She glared at him. “I may not have been around lately, but I love Megs.”
He picked up her jacket from where she’d hung it over the back of her desk chair. “Prove it by coming to dinner with us.”
She looked at the jacket, then snatched it from his hand. She stood. She thrust her arms into the sleeves. “Why does it matter to you, anyway?”
“Because I loved Addy, too. And tonight I want to be around people who loved her as much, if not more. I want to hear stories about her and remember the good times. I didn’t get enough of them, and I want to hear your memories.” Sam took a deep breath as she buttoned the jacket, then grabbed her purse. “Thank you.”
“I’m coming to dinner for Megs, not you.” She pulled her hair out from underneath the jacket.
“At least you’re coming.”
She followed him down the stairs and to the pickup truck. Megs sat staring out the passenger side window. When she saw Kelly joining them, she scooted towards the center of the seat. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
Kelly glanced at Sam’s figure as he walked around the truck and got in on the driver’s side. “Changed my mind.”
She kept her gaze fixed on the passing landscape as they drove the five miles from the countryside into town. Sam parallel parked the truck on Main Street, then hurried around to give a hand down to both of them. They strode down the street to the diner and entered. The overwhelming scent of grease in the air made Kelly’s knees buckle and wish she had more of an appetite. Instead, she followed Sam and Megs to a back booth and squeezed in next to her sister.
A waitress brought them menus, but Sam and Megs laid theirs aside. Obviously they knew what they wanted while she had no clue. A salad? Probably should, but it didn’t appeal to her. A burger? She remembered that Rick made the best, but she wrinkled her nose at the idea. She thought of Grammy and the dinners that she used to make for them when she was growing up. Grammy’s roast chicken with stuffing had been her favorite hands down, although her meatloaf was a close second. And real mashed potatoes.
She sighed. Comfort food wouldn’t heal her hurting heart, but it wouldn’t harm it, either. She skipped to the dinner section and settled on her choice. Meals ordered, Kelly sipped her ice water and tried to think of something to talk about. She glanced at Sam briefly, then settled her gaze on Megs. “Is anyone else feeling lost, or is it just me?”
Megs tried to smile. “I was thinking the same thing. We brought Grammy here every Tuesday night for their all you can eat spaghetti and meatball special.” Megs’s eyes misted. “Doesn’t seem right that she’s not here to tell the waitress to keep those plates coming.”
Sam chuckled. “Or that the shaker of parmesan cheese better be on the table before the spaghetti arrived. And the garlic bread—”
“Better be fresh.” Megs nodded and smiled. Her voice quavered. “She’s really missing out.”
Kelly tried to smile in return, but she felt at a distance from the conversation, like usual. With Grammy and Megs, she’d felt as if she was intruding on their cozy group of two. They were more alike than Kelly was and her grandmother, and she’d felt like an outsider watching a family, rather than being a part of it. And now Sam and Megs had a routine they followed, and she felt as if she had intruded on that, as well. She played with the wrapper from her straw, and wished Grammy could be here, too.
Sam cleared his throat and glanced her way. “I wish you could have been a part of it. We had some good times.”
Right. Times she hadn’t been a part of. Could never be now. Instead, she’d chosen to pursue a dream.
She’d left for Nashville the morning after her twenty-first birthday with a kiss from Grammy, five hundred bucks in her pocket and a promise that she’d make it big. But after years of rejection, she’d wanted to give up. So many times, she’d been close to packing her bags and heading home. But a call from Grammy would convince her to stay. Her grandmother believed in her, in her talent. And she hadn’t wanted Kelly to give up on it. She shrugged. “I have my own memories of Grammy.”
She sat back as the waitress set down their salads and the parmesan cheese. Megs picked up the cheese and stared at it. Her sister looked across the table at Sam and they shared a smile, then she bowed her head and cried. Kelly put her arm around her sister and rubbed her shoulder. Maybe coming here hadn’t been a great idea.
Megs leaned into Kelly and took several breaths. “Thank you for coming out with us. I don’t think I can get through these next few days without you.”
Again, Kelly was struck with how little her sister could see her own strength. “It’s me who can’t get through this alone. I’m sorry I didn’t come home sooner.”
“Grammy would have packed your bags and sent you back to Nashville if you’d tried.” Megs sat up straighter and wiped her eyes with her paper napkin. “She really believed in you. She was determined that you make it as a singer.”
“I was just as determined.” Kelly glanced over at Sam as she picked up her fork. “And I guess I should thank you for insisting that I come tonight.”
Sam didn’t say anything as he speared a piece of tomato. Instead, he chewed and gave her a wink.
She attributed the flip in her belly to the food, rather than the man sitting across from her.
* * *
SAM STOOD AT the diner’s cash register and paid for their meals, then turned and watched the sisters as they gathered their jackets and purses. He thanked their waitress and gave her a tip, then walked to the front of the diner and waited. Megs reached him first, but Kelly lingered behind. Glancing around the diner, seeing something in her mind that he could tell was related to Addy. The sadness in her eyes threatened to spill over on to her cheeks, so he approached her and put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay, kid.”
She looked up at him and sniffed, but nodded. On Main Street she glanced over at the department store. “What time does Roxy’s close? I need a couple of things.”
Why did any emotion bring out the shopping urge in some women? He gave a nod. “We have about a half hour.”
Megs wrinkled her nose. “You two go ahead. I’ll wait in the truck.”
Sam used the key fob to unlock the door. He watched as Megs walked to the truck, but followed Kelly into the store. Bright lights and the scent of heavy perfume assaulted him. Kelly headed off to the right, and he trailed behind her as she approached the women’s section. She frowned. “It’s years since I’ve been in here. I have no idea where anything is anymore.”
Not that he frequented Roxy’s that often, but he knew the basic layout. “What are you looking for?”
“Grammy always said a lady wears panty hose with a dress, and I don’t have any.”
“Ah.” He had no clue where they were kept since he didn’t shop in that section. “We could ask someone.”
Kelly shook her head and moved on. He stayed behind her, noting how she kept her head up and her back straight. Addy had trained her well as she appeared confident and strong. Only he’d guess the inner mayhem she felt.
She found the right section, and he stood in the aisle as she flipped through her different choices. She peered up at him once. “I’m sorry that I almost attacked you with a toaster this morning.”
“I think I would have been able to defend myself.”
She looked him over slowly, and for a moment he hoped that she approved. “I’m sure you would have.” She returned her gaze to the panty hose and pulled one out a package, turning it over to scan the back. “Got it.” She pulled out a second to go with the first, then brushed past him toward the cash registers.
Again, he followed her, noting how petite and fit she was. He could probably lift her without a struggle. Not that he had plans to do so, but still he wondered. What would she feel like in his arms?
The cashier rang up Kelly’s purchase as she pawed through her purse. When the cashier told her the total, Kelly sighed. “Never mind. I left my wallet on my dresser back at Grammy’s.”
Sam pulled out the wallet from his back pocket. “I got this.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. You already paid for dinner.”
He handed the cashier a twenty-dollar bill. “It’s no big deal. You can pay me back at the house.”
“That’s not the point. I don’t need you to save me.”
He put the change in his wallet then handed the plastic bag with the panty hose inside to Kelly. “Just say thank you, and we can go.”
She thrust the bag back at him. “I pay my own way.”
“Don’t make a big deal out of this. You’ll pay me back.” Didn’t she have anyone in her life down in Nashville who looked out for her? By her reaction, he doubted it. And that was a shame because Kelly looked like a woman he wanted to help and protect. The fact that he wanted to volunteer for the position made him pause. Something to think about later. To lighten the mood, he leaned down and nudged her shoulder with his. “Besides, I know where you live, remember.”
She snatched the bag from his hand, but stood still, staring at him. He considered that he might have to pick her up after all and carry her out to the truck if she didn’t start moving soon. She swallowed several times, and then gave a nod. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She turned on her heel and started walking quickly to the front of the store. He had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her.
CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_615a7ecd-7abc-5390-9e02-9d84aa6d27fc)
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. NO matter which direction Kelly faced at the funeral home visitation the following evening, there were more people. Long-time customers. Friends. Grammy’s fellow business owners. Kelly’s cheeks felt as if they were going to crack if she had to keep the smile pasted on one more minute and thank another person for coming.
What she wanted was to be alone. To close all the doors and just sit in her own grief, not deal with everyone else’s. She glanced over at Megs who stood next to her in a white silk blouse and black woolen skirt. She seemed so composed. Looked so serene. How did she do it? She glanced at Megs’s black ballerina flats. Must be the shoes.
She wiggled her toes in the heels she was wearing and turned to the next woman in the receiving line, Aunt Lillian’s daughter Beth. Short like all of the women in Grammy’s family had been, a black wool dress swallowed her, and the matching black hat obscured her face. “You girls sure have grown up.”
Kelly wasn’t sure how to answer that. Thanks? Yes, it’s called time passing? Instead, she gave the woman a dry kiss on her papery thin cheek. “Good to see you, Beth. It’s been a long time.”
She sniffed and looked her over from head to toe then eyed Megs. “You’re all that’s left of my aunt. I expect you to stay in touch.”
Megs leaned down and gave the woman a quick hug and pat on the shoulder. “Yes, ma’am. Is your sister Amy here?”
“She’ll arrive in time for the funeral tomorrow.” Beth glanced around the funeral home. “I’m glad to see everyone paying tribute to Aunt Addy. You both did a fine job planning this.”
And with that she moved on with a regal air of dismissal. Kelly whispered in Megs’s ear, “I feel like curtsying and kissing her hand when we’re around her.”
Megs squelched a smile by coughing into her fist. “Be nice. She’s the only family we have left now.”
“You’re all the family I need.” Kelly reached over and squeezed her hand. “No matter what, I’m going to be here for you.”
“Even if you’re in Nashville?”
Kelly didn’t want to think about that just yet. It was nice being home for now. To get to know her sister better and make some decisions about her future.
But she didn’t say any of that.
Instead, she tried a smile yet found it difficult to keep it in place. “Especially then.”
Folks continued to join the receiving line, so Kelly shook hands with the next person who stepped forward. The young woman looked as if life had chewed her up a bit, but she was still standing. “Your grandmother was an amazing woman. She always made sure to drop off extra bread to my house. There were nights when that’s all we had to eat. God bless her.”
The woman moved toward Megs, and they embraced. Her sister gave the woman a smile. “It will be all right, Shelley. You know I can’t stop baking at one or two loaves.”
Kelly turned to the next person, a man who held a fedora in his hands. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Shame about Addy. She was one fine woman.”
“Thank you.”
Megs took one of the man’s hands in her own. “She thought the world of you, too, Walt.”
“The bakery is business as usual?” he asked.
Megs nodded. “I’ll make sure to deliver your order myself. You don’t need to worry.”
When Walt left, Kelly leaned closer to Megs. “These people are worried they won’t get their bread and cookies?”
“It’s more than that. You wouldn’t understand. They’re checking to make sure I’m going to honor Grammy’s promises.” Megs greeted the next visitor and hugged the tiny woman. “Eva, you’re looking splendid.”
“Cancer can’t beat me. And I’m gonna be a grandma again. Can you believe it’s almost time for Suzy to have that baby?” The woman wore a huge grin that even death couldn’t dim. She turned to Kelly and said, “Addy always swore the best thing she ever did was raise you two girls.”
Kelly nodded and bit her lip to keep from crying again. The fact that Grammy had taken in two teenagers after their father died and their mother ran off had changed her life forever. Again, the loss of her grandmother shook the foundation of Kelly’s world. She’d told her reflection over and over that morning that she could get through the visitation without crying, but it seemed as if she was growing closer to breaking that promise. “We couldn’t have asked for a better parent.”
“They don’t make them better than Adelaide Sweet.” The woman reached up and kissed Kelly on both cheeks then did the same to Megs before moving across the room toward the casket.
Kelly addressed her sister. “And that was?”
“Eva Stone. If you’re in town for much longer, you’ll get to know her. She works with as many charities as Grammy used to. And we’re making the cake for her daughter-in-law’s baby shower this Sunday.” Megs groaned softly and massaged the back of her neck. “How many more people do you think are coming today?”
Kelly scanned the room and guessed that almost the entire town must be there. After paying their respects to Addy, people moved in small groups to the table in the back where Megs had placed all the baked goods she’d made. But every time Kelly thought they had seen the last visitor, two more would walk in. She looked up at the door as Sam entered the room. His presence suddenly made her feel lighter inside.
He made a beeline to the sisters and gave a hug to Megs then nodded at Kelly. “Quite a turn out. Addy must be mad as all get-out to be missing it.”
“Something tells me she isn’t.” Megs wrapped her arms around her waist and took a deep breath. “And this is the easy part. I can’t even imagine the funeral.” Her sister glanced around the room, then at the two of them. “I need some air.”
Kelly nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.”
