Page 106 of The Women of Oak Ridge

“She was shocked and very shy at first, but they were soon chatting like old friends. He’s a widower and has a son who’s in the Army. He confessed that when he first heard my last name, he hoped there was a family connection to the young woman he’d known in Oak Ridge.”

“Did she tell him about her secret past?”

“She did. I was so proud of her. Garlyn got very emotional. He said he wished she had told him what was going on back then, because he’d always suspected Clive Morrison was up to no good. Even Mr. Colby, Aunt Mae’s boss, had hinted that he didn’t fully trust Clive and told Garlyn to keep an eye on him.”

“That’s wild. Are they going to see each other again?”

“I hope so. Garlyn got Aunt Mae’s telephone number and promised to call.”

“What a great ending—or beginning—to their story.”

While I rose to pour us each a cup of coffee, Jonas took two chocolate frosted donuts out of the bag. “The Kingston police chief called yesterday. He said the memorial stone Mae ordered was installed at the pauper’s cemetery last weekend. Sissy’s brother Joe and his family came to the public ceremony.”

I returned to the table with the coffee. “Aunt Mae will be so pleased. She said writing to Sissy’s family to tell them everything that happened was one of the hardest things she’s ever done. But in the letter Joe sent in return, he expressed his gratitude for her friendship with his sister and for giving them closure. His parents never gave up hope that their daughter would come homesomeday. They’ve both passed away, but Joe still lives on the family farm and has a daughter named Sissy.”

“It must’ve been hard for her parents not to know what happened,” Jonas said. “According to the chief, when the mayor read the inscription on the memorial about Sissy and the other people buried there being known and loved by God, it brought some of the attendees to tears. A group of people stayed after the ceremony to clean up the cemetery and place flowers on all the graves.”

“Would you mind if we drove out there today?” I asked. “I’d like to take a picture of it for Aunt Mae.”

“Your wish is my command, Miss Willett,” he said before he stuffed his mouth with a big bite of donut.

“Good,” I grinned, “because I have a whole list of things I need to do and places I want to see while I’m here. Dr. Baca thinks my dissertation will be good enough to publish once I finish it. I’m thinking about titling itSecrets from the Secret City. Thanks to Georgeanne, I have several interviews lined up with some of the women she worked with at Y-12, as well as one with your mom. I also want to go back to K-25 and take a closer look. When we were there before, I didn’t appreciate everything Aunt Mae experienced. Then there’s the area that used to be Happy Valley where Velvet lived, and—”

“Whoa, now.” Jonas chuckled. “You’re only here for a week before school starts up again. I kind of hoped to have your undivided attention.”

I heard the teasing in his voice. I slowly put down my coffee cup, stood, and plunked down in his lap, with my arms around his neck. Delighted surprise registered in his eyes as I gazed at him.

“Is this undivided enough for you, Detective Tyson?”

He laughed and pulled me into his embrace. “As long as I get to hold you like this every day you’re here, then yes, this is enough. For now.”

“For now,” I whispered before our lips met in sweet passion. Promise, hopes, and a multitude of happy dreams overflowed from those two simple words.

I’d come to Oak Ridge with the sole intent to uncover secrets about the Manhattan Project and the people involved in it.

What God had planned was so much better.