Hometown Series Box Set

by Kirsten Fullmer

  Roy took the roses from her hands and placed one on each grave, then led Winnie to a nearby bench. They sat in silence for what seemed a long while, as Winnie cried. She cried for her loss, for the unfairness dealt Thomas and her little girl, for Claudia’s tragic death, for the years she’d spent alone and lost in a world of anguish. For the horribleness of all of it.

  “Are you okay?” Roy finally asked, his words filled with concern. “Did I push you to come here?”

  She shook her head and wiped her nose with her hankie, then tucked it back under her watchband. Her back stiffened and she cleared her throat. “No, you didn’t. It was high time I came.”

  “I’m so sorry you suffered,” he said, taking her hand. “I was wounded on my third tour of duty, and by the time I got back to the states— Well, I heard you were married, and I had met Kim—” His words faded.

  “Things were horrible when you came back. I can only imagine what you went through.”

  He shrugged. “People certainly weren’t willing to cut us any slack, that was for sure. But—”

  She looked up into his face, waiting for him to continue.

  “I felt so bad about being mean to all of you who were trying to help. When I got over there and saw—” His voice cracked. “…saw what it was— like—”

  She squeezed his hand. “Enough should-haves and could-haves,” she sniffed. “At least you came home and got on with your life. I, on the other hand, just withered away. I wasted all those years.”

  He frowned. “Don’t say that. You survived.”

  She scoffed.

  “I’m serious, Wynona— Winnie. I saw so many of my friends struggle after the war. Some of them didn’t survive the heartbreak. You should be proud that you hung on, that you found a reason to live, and that you pulled out of your misery to build a new life. That shows gumption and a core of steel.”

  She looked up into the honest, open face that she’d known so well. Was it true? Was it a stubborn will to survive that had kept her going? Should she be proud instead of ashamed? Sitting there in the waning light with her old friend, Winnie realized she didn’t have to compartmentalize her life any longer. All of her days, her childhood, her life in Pittsburgh, her beloved young family, her loss and seclusion, made her who she was today. Her rebirth on the other side -- it was all a part of her. She’d somehow managed to integrate Thomas’s hopeful ideals, Claudia’s spirited attitude, and Roy’s strength and conviction. And tiny Charity had always been in her heart. She could finally accept it all as a part of her life and take the lessons learned along with her into her future.

  Roy glanced at his watch. “We’ll miss the reunion dinner and dance if we don’t get a move on, you still in the mood to go?”

  “Me miss an evening of dinner and dancing?” Winnie asked with a broken chuckle, as if such things were a part of her normal life.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Tara and Justin entered the gymnasium hand in hand and were immediately the center of attention. Town folk gathered around the couple, knowing the secret of the new house was finally out.

  Bella ran to Justin with open arms. “Daddy!” she cried in delight as Justin swung her up into a tight embrace.

  “Baby!” he sang out, rocking her back and forth.

  Someone had taken the child home and cleaned her up, Tara noticed, including putting her in a pretty ruffled dress.

  Bella pulled back to look her father in the eye. “Where you?” she asked, with her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

  He laughed, a broad, booming, happy laugh. “You sound like your mother,” he joked, tossing Tara a glance. “I was showing your mommy our new house!”

  “New house!” Bella chanted, bouncing excitedly in his arms.

  “Oh, do you Just love it?” Becky asked Tara, clasping her hands, her lashes fluttering.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Julia gushed. “Justin did such a lovely job on the landscaping.”

  “I’ve never seen a prettier house,” Lizzie agreed.

  Elliot stepped up and slung one arm around his friend and business partner’s shoulder. “I gotta admit,” he laughed, “I thought she’d kill you before we got it done, but you pulled it off.”

  Tara tossed him a dirty look and returned her attention to the ladies. “Have you seen Winnie? There’s a strange man in town and—”

  Her friends stepped to one side and pointed toward the dance floor, where Winnie and Roy whirled in time to a Beatles ballad.

  Tara’s mouth fell open and her gaze came back to her friends. “Do you know who he is?”

  They shrugged.

  “Does it matter?” Becky asked grinning broadly. “He’s an old Smithville-ite, that’s good enough for me, and she seems to like him. High time she found a man, I say.”

  Bella squirmed to get down, so Justin let her onto the floor and she ran away, mingling in the crowd.

  “I’ve got her,” Katie laughed, taking off after the little girl.

  Blanche and Marge joined the group.

  Tara took Blanche’s arm in hers and led her to one side. She glanced down at the older woman’s bare feet and had to grin. “I’m so very sorry for yelling at you the other night,” she apologized. “You are wonderful and I—"

  Blanche held up a hand to interrupt. “It’s not a problem, dear. I completely understand, I really do. I’ve been in crisis mode and have had a moment or two myself. I have been married seven times, you know,” she added with a wink.

  “Would you consider coming back?” Tara implored, her eyes begging. “I won’t be there to get in your way.”

  “I’d love to,” Blanche said with a wide, toothy smile.

  Justin tapped Tara on the shoulder. “Shall we dance, my dear,” he asked, putting a hand out toward the dance floor.

  Tara blushed and took his hand. She wasn’t known for her dancing skills.

  As they walked onto the crowded dance floor, Tara stretched her neck to catch glimpses of Winnie and Roy as the old couple whirled back into the mix. She still had to officially meet the man to approve, but if he made Winnie happy, he must be okay … and the old woman positively glowed in his arms. As a matter of fact, Tara had never seen her so lively, yet contented, almost as if Winnie had cast off a heavy burden and was finally free to enjoy life

  Justin pulled Tara into his arms, perhaps closer than the speed of the tune warranted, but he appeared to be wholly unapologetic.

  “Are you happy?” he asked into her ear, over the noise of the gathering.

  “You know I am,” she replied with a grin as she planted a peck on his cheek. It had been far too long since they’d done anything romantic, and she planned to make up for lost time. It was about time they got busy on a baby brother for Bella! Finally, her life and her future felt right again.

  “I was so excited when I saw that house up for sale,” Justin continued, feeling pure pride over his accomplishment. Surprising Tara in a town like Smithville had been no easy feat. “I called the realtors in Uniontown that very day I saw the sign.”

  Tara pulled back, giving him the eye. “About that Ashley—” she said suspiciously.

  Justin’s head tilted back with a hearty laugh as he spun Tara into a twirl.

  * * *

  Winnie and Roy whirled in time to the music, causing Winnie to remember how much she loved the sensation of dancing. The last time she’d danced had been with Thomas, so long ago. As a matter of fact, she was surprised she even remembered how. Roy seemed to be an expert, something she never would have suspected. Then again, she hadn’t expected any of this.

  Her head swam with all that had happened in one short day. Evidently, a cry had been long overdue, because since Roy arrived and then the emotional visit to the cemetery, she’d felt much better. Not visiting the graves had weighed heavily on her heart for far too long. All of her losses had been a heavy load to bear, but now, a strange spark of hope and warmth was settling into her heart.

  Roy led her into a twirl, and she thri
lled in his arms as the music washed over them, the sensation of the rhythm moving them together to the beat. It had been so very long. “You’re a good dancer,” she said to Roy.

  He grinned and spun her out to arm’s length, then spun her back into his arms. “Thank you, my dear. Call it tradition among officers to dazzle all attending the ball.” He grinned and winked. “Especially the ladies.”

  “So, Kim danced, then?” she asked, curious about Roy’s life with a foreign wife. Not that she cared about such things, but had it been difficult for Kim to assimilate? It had to be overwhelming to be thrown into an unfamiliar culture.

  “She did,” he answered, his expression filled with remembrance. “She wanted to be the perfect officer’s wife, and she did a damn fine job of it.”

  Winnie was pleased that her friend had been happy. “Do you still have a house in California?” she continued, feeling almost as nosey as Tara.

  “Yes, my children all still live there, so I’ll probably keep it.”

  “Don’t you plan to live there?”

  “Oh, sometimes,” he said, leading Winnie into another twirl. When she settled back into his arms, she noticed that he looked as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite get up the courage. “What’s on your mind?”

  “Well,” he started, looking away to watch the other dancers. Finally, his eyes came back to hers. “I’ve been planning a trip to Europe, you know, a long overdue grant tour, so to speak.”

  Winnie’s eyes widened at his statement. She’d never dreamed of running off to faraway lands. Well, at least not since she’d come back to Smithville. “Don’t you think you’re a bit old to go traipsing around the world?” she teased.

  His face grew serious. “My kids don’t want me to go alone.” He said the words with a hint of a question.

  Winnie stopped dancing, causing another couple to nearly collide into them.

  Roy led her off the floor. “I’m sorry if I shocked you,” he apologized. “I have a way of getting straight to the point, and it usually gets me in trouble. Can’t take the military out of the man, and all that—”

  Winnie’s knees felt weak and she dropped into a chair. “Are you asking me to go globe-trotting with you?” she gasped, with one hand to her chest. “Why, I have people here who depend on me, who need me, I couldn’t—

  “No hurry to decide,” He assured her, taking the chair next to her, his face serious. “It’s not like I’ve bought the tickets or some such,” he clarified. “I just thought you might like the idea,” he added, crestfallen.

  Once she caught her breath, Winnie knew that Tara, as well as all of her friends, would be nothing but supportive if she decided to travel. And now that Tara had a manager for the Inn and the new house, she’d probably love to pick up the renovation business again. But the thought of leaving Smithville, even for a while, felt so strange.

  Roy patted her hand, letting her know he wasn’t disappointed in her, but his characteristic action did something very odd to her. Instead of his words letting her off the hook, allowing her to fall back into her comfort zone, they had the exact opposite effect. Wynona came to the surface. Her chin came up and her eyes sparked. “Well, now, I didn’t say I wouldn’t go, did I?”

  A slow grin spread across Roy’s face. “You are one in a million, Wynona,” he said. And with that, he took Winnie’s hand and led her onto the floor for another dance.

  The end

  Or is it a new beginning?

  Also by Kirsten Fullmer

  Love on the Line