The Way Back to You

by Sharon Sala

  She woke up with tears on her face. She hadn’t dreamed of him like that in a while, and the message he gave her was curious.

  She got up, eased her way to the bathroom, and when she came out, her hair was brushed, her teeth were clean, and she was thinking about getting into the shower. She was still debating about that when Hope knocked on the door, then came in with a cup of fresh-brewed coffee.

  “Here you go, honey,” Hope said.

  Melissa reached for it gladly.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “Absolutely,” Hope said. “So how do you feel?”

  “Sore, of course, but better. I’m not dizzy anymore. Not even when I first get out of bed. I still have the headache from hell, but I haven’t had pain pills since midnight.”

  “I’ll get you some,” Hope said. “Let the coffee cool a bit. I’ll get you some water to take the pills.”

  Melissa set the coffee down and then sat down on the side of the bed and shook two pills out into the palm of her hand as Hope came back with the water. Melissa took the pills, then scooted to the back of the bed, using the headboard for a backrest.

  “I’ll bet Johnny missed you last night,” she said.

  Hope grinned. “Of course. He already sent a text this morning, and he and Duke sent their best wishes for swift healing.”

  Melissa smiled. “That’s so sweet. Tell them I said thank you.”

  “I will,” Hope said. “After you’ve been up and moving about a bit, I’m going to call Dr. Quick with my assessment of how you’re doing and see what he recommends.”

  “Thank you, again,” Melissa said. “I rested so much better here than I would have in the hospital.”

  “I know. Even when people really need to be there, it’s hard to find comfort in the constant noise and lights, not to mention the repetitive poking and prodding. So, what sounds good for breakfast?” Hope asked. “I saw pancake mix and cereal, and there’s still cold fried chicken and pecan pie.”

  Melissa grinned. “You may think this is weird, but I think the cold fried chicken sounds way better than breakfast food this morning. Actually, eating it cold is one of my favorite ways to eat fried chicken.”

  “Then when you get dressed, just wander on down to the kitchen. I’ll get out the leftovers, and you can put whatever you want on your plate.”

  “Deal,” Melissa said. “I’m going to enjoy this coffee first, and I’ll be there shortly.”

  As soon as Hope was gone, Melissa picked up her phone and called the bed-and-breakfast.

  “Blessings Bed and Breakfast. This is Bud.”

  “Bud, this is Melissa Dean.”

  “Melissa! It’s good to hear that you are up and about. How are you this morning?” he asked.

  “Beyond being sore all over, not too bad,” she said. “I’m calling because I need you to give Sully Raines my phone number. I owe him a cup of coffee, for sure, so if you would give him my cell number, he can call at his convenience. I’m going to be home all day.”

  “Okay, I’m ready to write it down,” Bud said.

  Melissa gave him her number and thanked him, then took a sip of her coffee. The warmth going down her throat felt good, and the idea of seeing Sully Raines again was even better. Even if it was just a moment between two old friends.

  Bud started to take the message to Sully, when Rachel, who’d overheard the conversation, slipped it out of his hand.

  “Let me,” she whispered. “I’ll tell you later.”

  Bud shrugged. He loved his wife, but she was a drama queen, and he could only imagine what she was up to now.

  Rachel sashayed through the dining room straight to Sully’s table. He was finished with breakfast and reading something on his phone.

  “Excuse me, Sully. I have a message for you,” Rachel said.

  Sully laid down his phone as she handed him the slip of paper. The moment he saw who it was from, he looked up at her and smiled.

  “Thanks a lot,” he said. “And by the way, breakfast was great.”

  Rachel beamed. “Thank you,” she said.

  Sully got up and left the dining room, unaware that Rachel was staring at him.

  The newlyweds had already gone back to their room, and Bud was bussing tables.

  “So what’s the big deal?” he asked as Rachel began helping him clear up.

  Rachel spoke quietly. “Something about Sully struck a chord this morning. For a few seconds, I saw a resemblance between him and someone I know. I just can’t put my finger on who it is.”

  Bud’s eyes widened. “You mean, the mother he’s looking for?”

  She nodded. “I think so. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I figured it out?”

  Bud grinned. “Yes, it would be amazing.”

  When he started into the kitchen with the cart full of dirty dishes, Rachel called out to remind him.

  “Remember not to put the Blue Willow plates into the dishwasher.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bud said, and rolled his eyes. Like she hadn’t told him that every time they’d used them for the past however many years.

  Upstairs, Sully was gathering up what he wanted to take with him this morning, and as soon as he had it all together, he sat down in the overstuffed chair by the window to call Melissa.

  * * *

  Hope was on her phone in the kitchen, speaking with Dr. Quick, and Melissa was sitting in the living room finishing her last cup of coffee and reading the morning paper. She knew most people these days read everything on some kind of technology, and she’d tried it all out, but she liked the leisure and feel of a real newspaper best.

  There’s something to be said for familiarity, Melissa thought as she leafed through the pages, looking for the ad she ran daily. And there it was. Mathis Cleaning and Laundry, and the address, phone number, and hours.

  Once she was satisfied it was okay, she went back to the first page and began reading the stories. She had just turned to the second page when her cell phone rang. She put down the paper to answer it.

  “Hello.”

  And just like that, Sully’s voice was in her ear.

  “Good morning, Melissa. How are you feeling today?”

  Melissa felt her face flush and rolled her eyes that it was happening.

  “Not too bad. I hope you rested well,” she said.

  “Yes, I did, thanks.”

  “Listen, Sully, if you still want to have coffee, why don’t you just pick a time and come here? Just give me a call beforehand. I make decent coffee, and I have most of a pecan pie from Granny’s left from the food she sent over here last night.”

  Sully was grinning and glad no one could see him, because he felt like he was thirteen again, trying to make small talk with a pretty girl.

  “That sounds perfect. I have some research to do this morning at the courthouse and also at the library. How about I give you a call later and see if you’re still up to a visitor?”

  “Works for me,” Melissa said. “Happy hunting.”

  “Thank you,” Sully said.

  Melissa shivered a bit as they disconnected.

  “Oh, Andy…that just felt like I agreed to a date,” she whispered, and at that same moment she remembered her dream. Be happy, he’d said. Maybe this is what he’d been trying to say.

  A couple of minutes later, Hope came back and gave her a thumbs-up.

  “Dr. Quick says you’re cleared for simple tasks. No heavy lifting. No working big projects. He suggested you spend today just lying around or napping. And to order in any food you might want and don’t try to cook. Try to stay off your feet. If your headaches persist beyond the pain pills he gave you, he wants you to go see your regular doctor.”

  Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s wonderful, Hope. Now you can go home. You still have most of your day off, and I don’t want you t
o wait on me to start enjoying it. I can’t thank you enough for all you and Ruby did for me yesterday, and the fact that you stayed over was going above and beyond.”

  Hope leaned down and hugged her.

  “Honey, this is what friends are for. I’m glad you’re better, too. I’ll go pack my bag. Johnny will be happy, for sure.”

  Chapter 5

  Sully’s first stop had been to see if any marriage licenses had ever been issued to a woman named Jane Carter. He gave the clerk a search window from the current date going back thirty-five years, but the search had been futile.

  He’d gone straight from there to property records and, with the help of one of the clerks, spent the next hour and a half looking to see if anyone named Jane Carter had ever owned property in Blessings.

  It was nearing 11:00 a.m. when he walked out of the courthouse. He paused on the steps and looked out across the grounds, wondering if Janie had ever stood here. Would she have been scared? Would she have been sad, feeling defeated by the turn of events in her young life?

  “Where did you go, Janie? I’m looking for you. Have you ever gone looking for me?”

  A church bell began ringing somewhere, and he still had newspapers at the library to tackle, but that would take hours, maybe even a whole other day. He was in the mood for a break, and seeing Melissa again would be the break he needed.

  He pulled out his phone and called her.

  * * *

  Melissa was in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee when her phone rang. She knew before she looked that it was likely to be Sully.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, it’s me. Are you still in the mood for a visitor?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I’m just making a fresh pot of coffee. Do you have my address?”

  “No. Go ahead and give it to me.”

  Melissa gave him the address and a brief description of the house, and as soon as they disconnected, she went straight to the bedroom to brush her hair and check herself out. There was no need putting on makeup, because it wouldn’t hide the obvious, but she did put on a little lipstick.

  She was straightening up the living room when her doorbell rang. She gave the sofa pillows one last pat, then went to the door.

  “Hi, Sully. Come in,” Melissa said, and stepped aside.

  Sully walked in with a small bouquet of flowers.

  “A little something cheery for your day,” he said.

  Melissa beamed. “Dutch irises are one of my favorites. Walk with me. We’ll have coffee in the kitchen, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Absolutely,” Sully said, and watched when she stopped in the dining room to get a vase.

  “I’m going to put these in water. Have a seat,” Melissa said, then went about filling the vase and arranging the irises before carrying them back to the dining table.

  “I love these flowers. They remind me of perfect little orchids. I can’t remember the last time anyone gave me flowers,” she said, and then went to the kitchen.

  “I gave you a corsage before the Winter Ball.”

  She looked back at him and grinned. “I remember that! My dress was black, and the carnations were white with a silver bow. I felt so stylish.”

  Sully grinned. “I remember thinking how it suddenly made you look like an older woman, which probably scared the crap out of me.”

  Melissa laughed. “And now I am an older woman.”

  “You’re the same age as me, so that doesn’t count. And you need to sit down,” Sully added. “I didn’t come here just so you had to wait on me. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You can pour the coffee if you’d like. I set out two mugs. Cream and sugar is already on the table. Would you like a piece of pecan pie with it, or is it too close to lunch for you?”

  Sully shook his head. “Nothing ruins my appetite, but if it did, I’d gladly sacrifice one lunch for pecan pie.”

  Melissa was surprised at how easy it felt to be with him. And she’d been so nervous.

  “Then I’m going to set the pie on the table, in case you feel the need to have seconds.”

  “Which saves me the embarrassment of having to ask,” he said.

  Melissa smiled to herself as they sat, and for the first few seconds, each went about doctoring their coffee to suit them before cutting into the pie.

  “I asked you at the hospital if you were just passing through. Are you married?” Melissa asked.

  “Divorced years ago,” he said. “I had an impromptu dinner last night with two people you know. Peanut and Ruby Butterman. Peanut told me you’d been a widow a long time.”

  “A bit over twenty years,” Melissa said. “You told me your reason for being in Blessings was a long story. Wanna elaborate on that?”

  “Sure. The more people who know why I’m here, the better chance I have for getting answers.”

  “So why are you here?” Melissa asked.

  “I’m one of those people that you see on TV. The ones who never knew until their parents had passed that they were adopted. I recently found that out about myself, and I’m looking for a woman named Janie. She was my birth mother.”

  Melissa gasped. “I cannot imagine what a shock that must have been. It’s also unusual that adoptive parents keep that a secret. It must feel like your whole existence was a farce. Are you finding leads? What led you here, of all places?”

  Sully began to explain, and Melissa sat while her coffee got cold and she lost her taste for pie. She sat motionless, listening to his story and watching the changing expressions on his face. When he finally stopped talking, it seemed to Melissa as if he had visibly relaxed. As if sharing the tale had lessened the burden of his truth. She leaned forward and, without thinking, put her hand over his.

  “I don’t know how to react. Part of this is intriguing, like a wonderful secret just waiting to be revealed, and part of it is so sad I want to cry.”

  It was the warmth of her hand and her voice that cut right through the drama of his story.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “What if you never find her?” Melissa asked.

  “Then I will assume it wasn’t meant to be. But if I do, I hope she’s someone who will want to get to know me, because I have a thousand questions for her.”

  “What do you know about your birth father?” Melissa asked.

  “Absolutely nothing, but I’d like to at least know his name,” Sully said.

  Melissa couldn’t help thinking about Sully moving on and never seeing him again. “What are you researching here next?”

  “The newspapers. I’m assuming I will find the old issues at the library.”

  “Yes, and they’re on microfiche, if you can believe that. In this day of technology at the speed of light, we’re still using the old ways. You’ll be flipping through those old records for hours. Too bad you don’t have help. I’m pretty sure there’s no one but the librarian on duty, which means she wouldn’t have time to help you much.”

  “That’s okay,” Sully said. “I have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.”

  “You said you retired from the fire department. You’re really young for that.”

  “I put in twenty-five years. In fireman years, multiplied by the number of fires, I’m as old as Methuselah.”

  Melissa had a sudden vision of all the dangers he must have escaped during that time.

  “I didn’t think of it like that,” she said.

  Sully grinned. “I get a pension, but I do plan on finding another occupation. I was considering it when my mother died. And then this search began, and I’ve let everything else slide.”

  “With good reason,” Melissa said. “If the going is very slow at the library, I wouldn’t mind helping you out a bit tomorrow. I mean, it’s just sitting, right? And looking for a name, right?”

  The o
ffer surprised, then touched Sully. It was a sweet and generous thing to suggest.

  “I don’t think watching those screens flipping past would be very good for the two-day headache you’re working on.”

  “We’ll see,” Melissa said. “If I feel better tomorrow, and you’re still at it, I’ll let you know. I’ve delayed you far too long. But your company was wonderful, and I got selfish.”

  She stood up, giving Sully permission to leave gracefully as she walked him to the door.

  “Thank you again for the flowers and the kindness,” Melissa said.

  “Thank you for being the wonderful listener that you are. I didn’t realize how alone I’d been feeling. And if you still want to, and you feel like it, I would love help going through thirty-plus years of back issues of the local paper,” Sully said.

  Melissa beamed. “Perfect. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  Sully started to reach toward her, then stopped.

  “I very much want to hug you for being a much-needed friend, but I don’t know where it’s safe to touch you.”

  Without thinking, Melissa pointed to her right cheek.

  “A safe zone,” she said.

  Sully’s dark eyes flashed, but the heat in them was there and gone so fast she didn’t notice as he leaned over and very gently kissed her cheek.

  “Thank you,” Sully said.

  Melissa’s heart was pounding, but she managed a smile.

  “You are most welcome. I have a good feeling about your story, Sully. I think it will have a happy ending.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” he said. “I’ll call you in the morning. Rest well, and thank you for everything.”

  He was out the door and gone before Melissa could respond. She stood in the doorway until he’d driven away, then shut the door and went back to the kitchen to clean up the cups and pie plates.

  All in all, this might have been the best day she’d had in the last twenty years.

  * * *

  Sully went back to the courthouse to see the property records for the county. It was always possible his birth mother had wound up buying land and moving to the country. But after more hours of looking, he gave it up and left. He went to Broyles Dairy Freeze on the way back to the B and B, bought a couple of burgers and a shake, then sat in the car to eat them.