Page 21 of Grounded (May Hollow Trilogy #1)

That night, while her grandmother watched a rerun of a Billy Graham special, Annie prepared the coffee, adding two heaping scoops more than her grandmother’s instructions.

“Need anything before I go up?” Annie leaned around the base of the stair rail.

“Nothing dear. I’m fine.”

Dear? When had her grandmother ever called her Dear? Evelyn always said it, but terms of endearment from her grandmother were rare as four-leaf clovers. She liked it.

Undressing in the bathroom, Annie turned the squeaky faucets in the clawfoot tub and let the water heat up before plugging the rubber stopper into the drain.

A bottle of bath salts brought to her grandmother from a long-ago trip sat dusty and unopened on the shelf above the tub.

Annie poured a generous amount under the hot flowing water.

While the tub filled, she mindlessly traced the rust stain that stretched from the spout to the drain. Gently, she climbed in and eased down into the water. Leaning back against the curved back of the tub, she let her mind roam over the events of the last couple of days.

Jake had called to see if they had gotten in to see the doctor. He was with Camille and made phone introductions to both her and her grandmother by speaker. Camille, or Cam as he called her, sounded nice enough, as much as one could tell over the phone.

Stella Hawkins, on the other hand, was not adorable. She was out of it, high on something. Her eyes were glazed and she slurred the words, “I’m busy” and seemed to take the food only to get rid of her.

Annie was glad she could keep an eye on the stranger for the next few months and curb any of her grandmother’s neighborly overtures.

She pulled a wet washcloth over her face and let the heat open her pores.

It reminded her of the day of spa pampering she enjoyed as part of Stuart’s Christmas gift.

Those times seemed so long ago. In quiet moments, she thought of Stuart and wondered what he was doing, what he was feeling or thinking.

Did he miss her, regret anything? Maybe even that was pride on her part. The best thing for her was to move forward and leave it in the past. The lump in her throat and the tightness in her stomach eased as each day went by in this place far away from him.

Annie reached for her cell phone perched on top of the commode.

“Annie, I’m glad you called!” Janice said. She could hear the clinking of dishes in the background.

“Are you in the middle of dinner?”

“We’re cleaning up. Mama DeVechio fixed ravioli tonight.

” Her voice fell to a whisper. “She’s cooking all the time.

You know I told you she wasn’t adjusting well.

It all had to do with the kitchen. Once I turned it over to her, she has done wonderful!

She feels like her job is to take care of feeding all of us! ”

Annie laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve been eating these last few days. Every time I turn around, somebody is cooking a big meal.”

“Listen to you—you’re picking up that accent!”

“Really?” Annie was pleased. “It will be thick by the time I get back. I’m staying a while longer to help my grandmother through a knee operation.”

“Good!” Janice sounded happy, even relieved.

“How’s the peace lily?” she asked.

“Great! Mama DeVechio told me I was watering it too much, so now she’s in charge of that too.”

“I’m glad something survived the relationship,” Annie said.

When Janice was silent, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Why am I always the one to break bad news to you?”

“What Janice?” Annie felt her heart sink.

“Stuart kept calling me about you. Turns out, it came down to wanting to know where to deliver the rest of your things.”

“What things? I thought I got it all,” Annie said.

“Some box you put in a closet to unpack after you moved in,” Janice said.

“Oh,” Annie said, remembering the box of journals and books she had brought over ahead of time.

“Anyway, I told him you would be living with Beverly Enlo when you came back. I’m sorry. I should have had him bring the stuff to me.”

“No, that’s okay. He would know soon enough, anyway.”

“That’s not all.”

“Yes?” Annie waited.

“He took the stuff over last weekend. Apparently they ended up going out together that night.”

“What?” Annie was stunned. “Beverly Enlo? She’s not even cute!”

“It gets worse.” She heard Janice take a deep breath. “They went out again Sunday night. Beverly said they want to see more of each other, and she knows it won’t work with you living there. She is bringing your stuff to me later this week with your voided rent check.”

Annie felt the breath leave her chest and for a moment was unable to take another.

“Are you there?” Janice asked.

Breathe, she told herself. “I’m here. But what about Felicia?”

“Who’s Felicia?”

“Stuart’s new secretary … never mind.”

“I told Beverly everything I knew about Stuart, what you found out about past girlfriends, your experience. It went right over her head. She was afraid to call, but wanted your e-mail address.”

“I haven’t laid eyes on a computer in two weeks, and my phone is spotty.”

“Annie, I’m so sorry. When you come back at the end of the summer, stay with me until you find something. I’ll keep looking in the meantime.”

Annie said goodbye to Janice and hung up the phone. So this is how he deals with it. Find someone new to take away the pain. Feel better, replace what was lost and grow something new on top of old roots.

And she had thought he was calling because he missed her. Annie laughed out loud. “That son of a …”

The next morning, Lindy called to see if Annie could meet for lunch at the Diner.

While Annie gathered her purse and keys, her grandmother moved slowly over to the shopping list next to the telephone.

With her glasses held at a certain angle, her grandmother studied the list. “Bring me a five-pound bag of sugar and a pint of heavy whipping cream. I’ll get my purse. ”

“No, I’ve got it. Call my cell phone if you think of anything else.”

“Oh, wait a minute. Get that two thousand dollars out of the coffee can in the freezer. I’ve been keeping it in case that Ms. Hawkins changed her mind after staying there, but I’d better get it in the bank.”

“You keep money in the freezer?”

“That’s one of my hiding places. I’m not sure I remember where all I’ve stashed money over the years. If anything ever happens to me, go through everything before you sell it all off.”

Annie tucked the wad of bills in her purse. Rolling down the windows of her grandmother’s car, she took in deep breaths of the sweet scent of honeysuckle. Pulling out of the driveway and onto the two-lane road, Annie left the windows down, feeling a sense of freedom a closed car couldn’t give.

She drove slowly, listening to the bobwhites call from the roadside forest as she followed the winding creek which led into town. The dense wilderness, thick with cane and trees, unfolded into flat farmland once again before reaching the town limits of Somerville, the county seat.

It was noon. The Somerville National Bank was next to the County Attorney’s office, and Annie found a parking space on the street in front of both.

She had hoped to get the money in the bank as soon as possible, but she didn’t want to be late for her lunch with Lindy.

When plans were firmed up over the weekend, she remembered Lindy saying she had to be in court right after lunch.

The law office was in an old Victorian building. The tall ceilings and wood floors lent an air of old-time lawyering. The secretary rang Lindy’s office, and she appeared dressed in a crisp navy blue suit.

“Want to see my office?” Lindy asked.

“Sure,” Annie said, following Lindy back to a beautiful room featuring a gas log fireplace and restored to its original woodwork.

“This is beautiful!” Annie said, admiring the painted woodwork and rich wood floors partially covered with a Persian rug. “I never dreamed these old buildings had such character.”

“Dad owns the building, so he decided years ago to take it back to its original glory. I think he did a pretty good job.”

“It’s surprising,” Annie said. “I wouldn’t have thought these buildings could be so attractive on the inside.”

“Time, work and money, but restoration is worth it,” Lindy said as she led Annie back to the foyer. “If you’re ready, we’ll walk down to Bill’s.”

Just two blocks down the street, a red-and-white-striped awning marked the entrance to Bill’s Diner.

“I remember the awning being blue and white when I worked here,” Annie said as they approached.

“It was. He changed it last fall and upset everybody in town. Now that they have gotten used to it, I think they like it better.”

Lindy pushed open the plate glass and metal door, which jingled the bell above. Several customers looked up to see who was coming through the door.

“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal child come home!” Bill rubbed his hands on his white apron and bounded around the counter like a Saint Bernard. Annie met him and they hugged.

“Hey, Bill, how are you?”

She looked at him and noticed he had gained a few pounds, but for the most part, he looked the same.

“Ornery as an old hornet!” And to Lindy he said, “This girl was my star waitress for four years. Annie, can I interest you in a job?”

“Bill, I have waited on people from here to Singapore, and I’m taking a break. Thanks anyway. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

“Now, see! You’ve had a stellar career in the service industry and all because you got your start here. That airline ought to pay me for your good training.” He went back to tending the hamburgers sizzling on the grill.

“What can I get for you two?” he called back.

“BLT,” Annie said.

“Cheeseburger and fries for me,” said Lindy.

Bill’s BLT had been Annie’s favorite sandwich for years. He piled on lots of bacon, ripe tomatoes, a generous piece of crisp lettuce, and a dollop of mayo on homemade sourdough bread.