by Tim Myers
She laughed, and I found myself wanting to amuse her just to hear the sound of it again. “I gave it to myself when I moved to Harper’s Landing. It probably sounds silly, but it was kind of a single-again present.”
“Has it been tough adjusting to so many changes in your life?” I asked.
As she drove, Kelly said, “It was at first. I hate to admit it, but Annie’s had a lot easier time adapting to our new life than I have.”
I nodded. “That’s only natural. You left an entire history in Charlotte.”
“Yes, but I’m finding advantages to living here, too.”
We went by Max’s Deli, though the owner’s name was Stella and there had never been a Max in the business as far as I knew, and we got all the makings for sandwiches. When we were set, I said, “I guess the only question is where we should have this impromptu dinner party of ours.”
Kelly appeared to think about it for a few seconds, then asked, “Could we go to the dam? I’ve heard it’s beautiful, but I haven’t found anyone to take me there.”
Remembering Louisa’s recent brush with disaster, I said, “We could go there, but with all the rain we’ve been having lately, it’s a muddy mess.” Suddenly I knew just where I wanted to take her. “I know a place that won’t be nearly as crowded, and it’s a lot more pleasant.”
“Then by all means, lead on.”
I directed her to Leah’s garden and told her to park by the entrance.
She grabbed the food supplies as I retrieved the basket and wine.
Kelly looked around at the iron fence and the close, overgrown trees. “Well, I understand why it’s deserted here.”
“Come on, have a little faith in me.”
I offered my hand and she took it as we walked around the imposing iron-gated fence that appeared to surround the property. Kelly kept trying to look beyond the fence and the dense branches of the evergreens. “What is it, a cemetery?” She asked.
“Yes, I often invite my dates to dine among the tombstones with me.” When she didn’t respond, I said, “Hey, I’m kidding. We’re nearly there.”
I punched in the simple code that never changed on the back lock, and the mechanism released. I opened the gate and held it for Kelly.
“Go on in, it’s okay,” I said.
As she walked through, I hit the timer beside the gate, bringing the area to light for the maximum two hours of visitation allowed to a trusted few. Inside the enclosure and hidden from the world’s view was the most marvelous garden in four states. The perimeter had been planted in hemlock trees shoulder to shoulder in order to block out passersby, but inside were paths and benches sprinkled among the plantings of roses, annuals, and perennials, each more glorious than the patch before it, and a luxuriant lawn that would have shamed many of the golf courses in our area. The flower beds, all carefully carved from the lush green of the lawn, were backlit. In the center of the mosaic was a jetting fountain that danced with changing colorful lights and spurts of fire defying nature. In a small way, it reminded me of our herb garden in front of the soap shop, but there was no comparing the elegance or the scale of them. There was a simple granite table and bench positioned nearby to enjoy the view, and I guided Kelly toward them.
“What is this place?” Kelly asked, her voice soft in hushed wonder, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? In a way you were right. It’s not a cemetery, but it is a memorial. Bartholomew Grant had this place created as a wedding present for his wife fifty years ago, and he’s been improving it ever since.”
She said, “What a wondrous gift. I bet they come here all the time. She must feel so lucky.”
“Leah loved it, until she passed away two winters ago. It looked like the flu, and she was starting to get over it when another nastier bug bit her. At first Bartholomew was lost without her, but he’s found some measure of solace working on this place every spare moment he’s got. Only a chosen few in all of Harper’s Landing know it’s even here, and even fewer are allowed inside.”
“And how did you merit the privilege?” she asked.
“We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. So what do you think?”
“It’s unbelievable.” Her shining eyes turned to me. “Thank you for sharing it with me. Tell the truth—you burned that chicken on purpose.”
“I wish I could take the credit for it, but that was just fate at work. Are you ready to eat?”
“Absolutely.”
I set our places at the table, and we had a wonderful meal under the stars. The day had been warm, and the evening was following suit. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see that we had only a few minutes left on the timer. “I hate to break this up, but we need to go.”
“Must we? I could stay here all night.”
“I know exactly how you feel. We can come back another time, but Bartholomew allows only two hours a night. I hope you’re not too disappointed.”
“Not if you promise to bring me back sometime.”
“That’s a date,” I said.
As we walked out the back gate, Kelly asked, “Aren’t you going to turn out the lights?”
“Hang on a second.” I glanced at the digital timer and saw it was nearly ready to go off. I took a deep breath, heard the click of power being cut, and blew toward the lights with all my strength. They died just as I finished.
She laughed heartily. “My goodness, you really pull out all the stops in order to impress a gal, don’t you?”
“What can I say? I am a born romantic.”
We walked back to the car, and when we were buckled in Kelly started to drive away. “So, where do you want to go now?”
“I feel like I owe you dessert after the chocolate cake disaster.”
She said, “Tell you what, since you took care of dinner, how about if I treat for dessert?”
“That sounds great. What did you have in mind?”
“Now it’s your turn to trust me.” She drove out of town, and I was surprised when I saw that she was headed for Fiddler’s Grove. “Hey, just where are we going?”
She glanced over at me and asked, “You don’t have to be home early, do you? I thought a drive might be fun.”
I admitted, “I’ve got all time in the world.”
‘Then let’s enjoy the night.”
We chatted quite a bit as we drove, and the time flew past when she pulled up in front of a place called Krankle’s Bakery in a part Of Fiddler’s Grove I hadn’t visited before.
“Wow, they should really do something about their name,” I said as I got out. “It’s not very appetizing, is it?”
She looked over at me and said, “Hey, be nice. That’s my maiden name.”
“Oh, Kelly, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She smiled. “Stop squirming, I was just kidding.”
“Whew, for a second there I thought I was going to be walking home.”
“Come on, let’s go in.” We walked into the bakery and I was overwhelmed with the most delightful combination of aromas. There were rows of doughnuts, crullers, croissants, loaves of exotic breads, and several confections I’d never seen before. “So this is what heaven smells like,” I said aloud.
A large man with a nearly bald head and a shiny red nose said, “If there’s any justice in this world or the next, it will to me. Welcome.” He winked at Kelly and said, “And where’s your little one tonight?”
“She’s with her father, Gustav. This is my friend Ben.”
He reached a meaty paw over the counter, and I shook it. “Pleased to meet you, Ben.”
“Thanks, it’s good meeting you.” I gestured to the array of samples. “I can’t imagine making a choice with all these options.”
Kelly asked, “Do you trust me to choose, Ben?”
“Are you kidding? I’m counting on you to save me,” I said.
Kelly smiled, then turned back to the baker. “Do you have apple crisps by any chance?”
“Would I keep my doors open if I didn’t
? Let me get you a couple.” As he selected and wrapped two good-sized pieces of the feathery apple confection, I asked, “Don’t most bakeries close by six?”
He said, “And more’s the pity, in my opinion. The truth is, I’ve got insomnia, and my wife, she can’t stay awake past seven in the evening, so we’ve worked it out this way. I bake in the morning with her, take a nap while she sells in the afternoon, then I stay open in the evenings.”
“You don’t get to spend much time together that way, do you? I’m sorry—that’s really none of my business.”
Gustav laughed heartily. “Oh, we close down completely two months of every year, and by the time our vacation is over, Hetta can’t wait for our old hours. Everybody’s happy that way, my friend.”
Kelly accepted the pastries and slid her money across the counter. “Bye, Gustav.”
“Good-bye, and enjoy. It was nice meeting you, Ben. Come back anytime.”
“You can count on that,” I said as I held the front door open for Kelly. I was pleased to see that she was appreciative of the gesture. I’d been scolded by women before for doing it, none more severe than Molly.
Kelly said, “Should we eat this in the car, or wait until. we get back into town?”
“Let’s wait. Truthfully, I’m still full from dinner.”
As we drove back toward Harper’s Landing, I asked, “How in the world did you ever find that place?”
As she drove, she explained, “Annie and I love to explore. We pick a different city nearby one weekend a month and spend a Saturday there. It’s amazing the things you can discover that way.”
“That sounds like fun,” I said.
“It is. You know, it’s tough being both parents for Annie most of the time. On Saturdays, it’s our Girl’s Day Out. We have a wonderful time together.”
When we finally arrived back at my apartment, it was nearing midnight. I said, “Do you still have time to come in and have some pastry? I don’t want to keep you out too late.”
She said, “Are you kidding? I don’t have a curfew tonight. I’ve got all the time in the world.”
She stopped before she barely got out her last word, and there was a look of shock on her face.
“Kelly? What’s wrong? Was it something I said?”
Without a word, she pointed to my Miata. I turned to look, and saw that someone had taken a knife and completely shredded my convertible top.
Chapter 12
As I got closer to my car, I could see that the knife the vandal had used was still embedded in the driver’s seat. I started to open the door when Kelly grabbed my arm. “Wait a second, Ben; there might be fingerprints.”
As I looked down through the ripped top, I said, “I doubt the killer’s that stupid, Kelly.”
It took her a second to realize I was talking about Jerry Sanger’s murderer. “Do you honestly think this is related? Ben, this is probably just a sick, random act of violence.”
I’d neglected to tell Kelly about the telephone threat I’d received the night before. In all honestly, I’d planned to tell her sometime, but it wasn’t exactly second-date subject matter. After this, though, it was time to come clean. “I had a message waiting for me last night after our date. The point was pretty simple. Somebody told me to back off or suffer the consequences. It was a threat, and I didn’t listen to it.”
I could see her mind working as she took in the new information. Amazingly enough, she didn’t scold me for withholding information from her. In fact, Kelly’s only question was, “Did you tell the police?”
“Absolutely. I called Molly and told her about it as soon as I heard it on my answering machine. She took the tape, but I haven’t heard anything else about it since.”
Kelly took her cell phone out of her purse and punched in a few numbers.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
As she finished dialing, she said, “I’m calling the police. This has to be reported.”
“Why don’t you let me handle it myself.” I could just hear Molly’s reaction if I let Kelly report the vandalism to the police.
Kelly killed the connection and handed me her telephone. “So you talk to them; I don’t care who makes the call. I’m not going anywhere.”
I felt a wrenching in my stomach as I looked at my car, and a sudden increased desire to nail whoever was trying to scare me off my investigation.
Thankfully, Molly was at her desk late. “Hey, it’s me. Somebody just cut up my Miata’s ragtop.”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“I’m in front of my apartment. Kelly Sheer’s here with me.”
“Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right there.”
While we waited for Molly, I told Kelly, “Listen, I might as well tell you, she’s not all that thrilled we’re going out. I just thought I should say something to you if you wanted to take off before she shows up. I’ll understand.”
Kelly said, “I told you, Ben, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” I said. It felt like a lifetime, standing out there waiting for Molly to arrive. We both tried to start up a dozen conversations, but it was pretty obvious neither one of us was in any mood to talk. When Molly finally did show up, I would have been just as happy if she’d sent somebody else.
“I warned you about ragtops,” Molly said as she surveyed the damage.
“Give me a break. Who could have seen this coming?” I asked. I wasn’t in the mood for her attitude, not with my precious car violated by some maniac.
She spotted the blade imbedded in the seat. “Did you touch anything?”
“Not since we saw what had happened.” Molly kept waiting for more of an explanation, but I wasn’t about to give it to her.
She nodded, then said, “Okay, I’ll have the car dusted for prints, not that it’s going to do any good. I need you to hang around, though.”
“We’ll be upstairs if you need us,” Kelly said.
Molly just shrugged, so we walked up to my apartment. Once we were there, Kelly said, “Well, that went well, didn’t it?”
I hated to be put in the position of apologizing for Molly, especially since she was acting like a petulant child. “Kelly, I’m sorry. I’m not exactly sure why she’s acting like this. We’ve both dated other people before, and we didn’t have any trouble handling it.”
Kelly said, “Maybe I’m more of a threat than she’s used to.”
I didn’t know how to answer that, so I kept my mouth shut. Instead, I said, “Would you like coffee with our dessert?” I suddenly realized she still had the bag of treats in her hand.
She said, “You’re probably going to think it’s silly, but do you have any milk? It goes great with this pastry.”
I looked inside the refrigerator. “I’ve got 2 percent, and a little half-and-half.”
“Two percent’s fine,” she said.
I was edgy enough without adding coffee to the mix. I poured myself some milk, too, and put both glasses beside the plates on the countertop. Kelly served the crisps, and after the first bite, I was hooked for life. “I can’t believe how good this is.”
“It should be illegal, shouldn’t it? Annie makes me take her there every other weekend, she loves it so much.”
“Let me place my order now and you can pick some up for me the next time you two go,” I said.
The doorbell rang as were finishing our dessert, and. Molly stood just outside. “Come on in,” I said.
“No thanks. I just need you to sign the police report and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Kelly grabbed her coat. “Don’t go on my account. I was just leaving.”
I said, “Hang on a second, Kelly; I’ll walk you to your car.”
She said firmly, “I’m fine. I’ll talk to you later, Ben.” I’d been around enough women in my life to know that there wasn’t any room for debate, so I let it go.
“Good night, then.” It wasn’t anywhere near the parting I’d been hoping for, and Molly’s grin didn’t help
matters. In fact, her temporary look of triumph was enough to change my mind about accepting Kelly’s departure gracefully. I turned to Molly and said, “You know what? I’ll be right back.”
I called out to Kelly, and she waited for me on the stairs, though I could tell she was a little exasperated with me. The crew that had gone over the Miata was gone, so we had the parking lot to ourselves. “What is it, Ben? Did you forget something?”
“Just this,” I said, then gave her the decent good-night kiss I’d been looking forward to all day.
After we broke it off, she said, “I can’t believe I left without that. Thanks for reminding me,” she added, laughing as we walked to her car. The tension between us had dissolved with the kiss, and while I’d known it was a risky move, I was glad I had decided to try anyway.
I took her hand in mine as we neared her Mercedes. “Listen, in spite of everything, I had a great time tonight.”
“Me too,” she said. I wrapped her up in my arms again and kissed her once more. After a minute, she said, “Ben, are things always this exciting around you?”
“Not until recently. So when may I see you again?”
Kelly frowned. “Annie’s coming back home tomorrow, so my schedule’s going to be a little tighter than it has been lately.”
I wasn’t about to let her go at that, not without at least trying again. “If you’re worried about finding a babysitter, my Mom’s already volunteered her services. You should know she’s great with kids.”
Kelly smiled. “Thanks, but I’ve got Mrs. Embry. She’s great with Annie, but if I need a backup, I’ll let you know. Seriously, I promised Annie we’d spend some girl time together when she gets back. Can I call you?”
“Just so you don’t wait too long,” I said.
As Kelly drove away, I wondered how things would change between us now that her daughter was back in town. I was going to pursue the chance to be with Kelly, but it was up to her to decide when and how Annie should be brought into our budding relationship. Until then, I fully understood her desire to keep her life with her daughter separate from her time with me, and I had no problem with her need to make her child the top priority in her life.
