Along the Cane River: Books 1-5 in the Inspirational Cane River Romance Series

by Mary Jane Hathaway

  Roxie decided to start carrying a few cookies, just in case she ran into Mark. “No, I’m sorry. Come by the bakery and I’ll get you one.”

  He shrugged.

  “So, are you having a good time?” Roxie said, trying to get his mind off the cookies.

  “Better than up there.” He pointed behind him at their apartment building. “Andy just sits around. He’s sad.”

  “What?” Andy said, his voice sharp. “I’m not sad.”

  “Yeah. You’re sad. Don’t want to watch Free Willy.” Mark nodded as if that was proof.

  Roxie grinned. “You can never watch it too many times, right? Are you guys here to watch the play?” She hoped not. Or if so, they would sit far away. She couldn’t watch Shelby’s passing and not weep, but weeping right now would require several boxes of tissues and she didn’t need any witnesses.

  “No,” Mark said and Roxie gave a small sigh of relief. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed. My bedtime is early. But Andy’s gonna stay with you.”

  Roxie met Andy’s eyes and watched him struggle to find a good response. If he said he wasn’t going to stay with her, it would be rude. After a few seconds, he just shrugged and smiled. “I’m taking him up upstairs in a few minutes. Are you meeting Alice and Paul?”

  “Right. And you?” As soon as Roxie asked the question, she knew the answer. Alice had arranged it all.

  “Same.” He shrugged and gave a little smile. “I guess they got tired of the third wheel.”

  “As long as we don’t have to dance.” She could feel her cheeks warming but held his gaze.

  “Dancing is fun,” Mark said.

  “Depends on the partner,” Andy said. Roxie narrowed her eyes, pretending to be offended, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Their awkwardness seemed to have faded away. He was almost flirtatious.

  “By the way, thank you for dinner tonight. The coriander chutney and chicken masala was amazing. It’s so strange to be treated to dinner every night and not even have to make conversation.”

  “You’re very welcome.” He paused, as if he didn’t know what else to say. The last time they had tried eating and conversing, it had ended in an interesting way. “I’d better get him in bed. I’ll see you in a few minutes. Will you be here? Or should I look for you closer to the stage?”

  “I― I can wait here for you.” She watched them walk away and tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. Roxie took a deep breath. If he was interested, he was reversing himself from a week ago, and that would be a crazy sort of flip flop.

  Watching the crowd, she tried to empty her mind of all the stress and nagging worries. It had felt good to thank Andy for dinner, even she hadn’t said everything she was thinking. She didn’t mention how she savored every bite, so much more than last week, and so much more than she’d savored anything in years. At first, the change in her attitude toward food had worried her. She was so used to counting fat grams and converting calories into hours of exercise that she was scared that she would never put down her fork. Tentatively, she’d taken bites of grilled veggies, chicken dripping with sauce, hearty wild rice dishes, and worried that she would inhale her food like a Hoover vacuum. But she hadn’t. Her mouth enjoyed the flavor, her heart gave thanks for his generosity, and her stomach held enough that it stopped grumbling. There was no struggle, no guilt, no yearning. She felt nothing but gratitude.

  Roxie had finally decided that she wasn’t getting her self-esteem from Andy. He hadn’t changed her entire self-image by saying her fat was “in all the right places”. It was simply that he had reminded her of something she’d forgotten somewhere when she was little, something about how she wasn’t meant to be a carbon copy of anyone else, that it was perfectly acceptable to feed her body and enjoy the food at the same time.

  She felt a touch on her arm and turned to find Alice and Paul standing there, wearing matching smiles that hinted at more than a little conspiracy.

  “Where’s Andy?” Alice asked, then seemed to realize her mistake. “I mean, I was hoping he’d be here.”

  “He went to take Mark to bed.” Roxie couldn’t quite scold Alice for interfering. If she was really honest, she wasn’t mad at all.

  “I’m right here,” Andy said, coming up behind her.

  “That was fast. He must go to bed easier than Aurora,” Paul said. “My poor mother is probably still reading stories to her, an hour past her bedtime.”

  Roxie started to laugh, imagining Aurora demanding Alice’s entire picture book collection, but her attention was caught by two people joining them. “Hey there, Henry. Hi, Gideon.”

  Henry Becket looked as beautiful as ever, with her dark hair softly framing her face and her sage green eyes shining with happiness over high cheekbones. Roxie could see Henry’s famous movie star aunt so clearly in her flawless skin and perfect lips, but she’d always gotten the impression that Henry didn’t like to talk about her relatives. Roxie could understand that. She didn’t exactly get along with her family, either.

  “Hey, y’all. We don’t mean to interrupt,” Henry said. She and Roxie exchanged a hug. “I don’t see everybody as much now that I’m not living over the bookstore.”

  “Hi, Roxie,” Gideon Becket said. She waved, but she didn’t make any move to hug him. He really wasn’t the hugging type. He shook hands with the men and although he was dressed casually, he looked as intimidating as ever. He always reminded Roxie of a saying her Mamere liked: don’t ever corner something bigger and meaner than you. She wouldn’t say Gideon was mean, but he’d spent a long time in prison before he’d moved to Natchitoches. There was something unsettling about him that would probably never go away. He’d worked hard to reform his life, becoming the head of the parish archives and living a quiet life. Falling in love with Henry had softened the hardness in his eyes, but Gideon still radiated a wariness.

  “I haven’t seen you two since the wedding, which was beautiful, by the way. How’s married life treating you?” Roxie cringed inwardly at the awkward question. Gideon always made her nervous.

  “We’re coming up on our second anniversary and it’s been wonderful, thank you.” Henry slipped her arm through Gideon’s and smiled up at him. “Well, I should speak for myself.”

  “I can’t believe it’s been two years. It seems like yesterday you two were running into each other in the poetry aisle.” Alice sighed happily. “I knew it was love the day Henry bought that Sara Teasdale collection for your birthday, Gideon.”

  “Life has loveliness to sell,” he said, but he was speaking to Henry and her answering smile said that she knew exactly what his cryptic words meant.

  “Roxie, you were at the wedding and I didn’t notice you? Although I have to admit that I was completely preoccupied during the wedding and reception,” Alice said.

  “With Aurora?” Roxie asked.

  “Oh, no. She wasn’t born yet. I was just too busy crying to notice anybody else there.”

  “Roxie, how do you know Gideon and Henry?” Andy asked.

  “Gideon and I… We’re related.” Roxie saw an emotion flicker in Gideon’s eyes and knew just what he was thinking. Technically, he was her cousin. They should have the same last name but Gideon had been adopted as a child when his parents had died. It had happened before Roxie had been born, but that tragedy had touched every relative. She felt its chill at Christmas when Mamere wiped tears from her eyes, and she felt the melancholy of it when her aunt wondered aloud if Gideon’s future children would look like their side of the family or Henry’s. She’d never heard exactly why he couldn’t have been raised by the Hardys, but she knew her mamere felt like his return to Natchitoches was another chance for them all to get a second chance. She hadn’t done a good job of reaching out to the couple.

  Roxie said none of what was in her head but Andy nodded, as if he understood it was all a little too complicated to explain in the middle of a festival.

  “Don’t judge folks by their relatives, right?” Gideon seemed to be talking
to Andy although his smile was directed at nobody in particular.

  “Or for their crazy names,” Roxie added, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “Agreed,” Henry said with a laugh.

  “Henry and Gideon live just a hop, skip and a jump down the road from us,” Paul said.

  “Shorter than that,” Gideon said. “More like a hop and a skip. And Lac Terre Noire is a great place to raise kids. Nice and quiet.” He glanced at Henry and then looked away. Roxie couldn’t imagine Gideon as a dad. She was surprised that he even came into town during a festival. He just didn’t seem the social type.

  Henry turned to her. “I think you’re staying in my old apartment above By the Book?”

  “Sure am. Down the hall from Andy and Mark.”

  Henry’s lips turned up. “Oh, you’re neighbors.” It seemed to be meaningful to her, and she shot a look at Alice. Roxie scanned the group of faces. Paul was grinning, Andy was pretending to be engrossed in watching the crowd, and Gideon looked as if he were a little bit surprised and a lot amused.

  “I feel like there’s something y’all aren’t telling me?” Roxie crossed her arms. “Are there roaches in the kitchen or lead in the pipes?”

  “Oh, no. Nothing like that.” Alice waved a hand.

  “Then what?”

  The only answer was an awkward silence. Gideon cleared his throat and Andy was glaring at Paul. The conversation seemed to be spiraling downward faster than a doomed aircraft.

  “Is it haunted?” Roxie felt a shiver travel up her spine at the idea.

  “Is what haunted, Cupcake?” Bix strolled up beside her, his wife by the hand.

  Roxie froze, but Andy only glanced at her in confusion.

  “By the Book is haunted?” Ruby asked. The elderly woman was one of Roxie’s favorite people, and not just because she was one of Mamere’s oldest friends. She was the essence of Creole culture, a history and people distilled down into one small Christian woman. She seemed more frail than when Roxie had seen her last, and was moving more slowly, but her smile was just as wide.

  “Oooh, I heard about a hainting t’other day,” Ruby said. “Some young folk stole posies off a grave.”

  “Posies?” asked Andy.

  “Flowers. A lot of people really decorate the graves here,” Alice said.

  “So, did they get the pebbles scared out of ‘em?” Bix asked.

  “No, I didn’t hear that part of the story, but it’s certain to happen. Them’s that steal the boneyard posies’ll get the haints,” Ruby said.

  Alice turned to Paul. “Which reminds me, we were invited to a cemetery social on Thursday.”

  “Cemetery social?” Andy asked.

  “It’s usually around All Souls Day when people go into the graveyard and pray for the repose of the souls of their relatives,” Henry explained. “But it’s become a little more.”

  “A veritable boneyard tailgater,” Gideon said.

  “Oh, it’s not so bad,” Bix said. “The last one I attended out near Chopin, they hung a big ol’ cast iron wash kettle over a fire after the prayers. Brewed up some fine coffee to scare off the chill.”

  “I don’t believe in hauntings,” Roxie said but had the horrible suspicion that she would be leaving the lights on in her apartment that night. She wasn’t superstitious at all, but she’d been terrified of the dark when she was little. That childhood fear came back every now and then.

  An announcement rang out over the speakers and the crowd started to shift toward the chairs near the stage.

  “Well, it was great to see you all,” Henry said. There was another round of hugs and handshakes and then they were gone.

  “Ruby’s friends are saving us a few seats near the front,” Bix said. “We had to run home to get her kerchief.” They left, moving slowly into the crowd.

  “Oh, Paul, I think I forgot to turn off the coffee maker. And the computer. Come with me.” She grabbed Paul’s hand and waved at Andy and Roxie as they headed for the store.

  There was an awkward moment and Roxie let out a small laugh. “Well, that wasn’t obvious at all.”

  “I didn’t pay them. I promise.” Andy smiled at her. “But I’ll be sure to thank them later.”

  She felt her cheeks warm. There wasn’t any more doubt. He was definitely flirting. “Should we go find a seat?”

  “If we must.” Andy looked around. “It’s a beautiful night. We could always just go for a walk.”

  Roxie swallowed hard. Taking a romantic stroll around the city, without the bakery or the suit in the way, sounded like something out of a dream. “But won’t Alice and Paul wonder where we are?”

  “Will they?” He considered the idea. “Maybe you’re right. Let’s go find a spot.”

  A few seconds later, they were settled in the middle of a row, each saving a seat, excited people on every side. Roxie glanced at Andy’s face and wanted to kick herself. He’d asked her to go on a night time walk and she’d thought about Alice’s feelings? Alice, the woman who had been forcing them together from the first day, had been foremost in Roxie’s mind instead of the man she’d fallen in love with weeks ago. If Roxie had been alone, she would have let out a loud groan and dropped her head in her hands.

  As it was, she smiled politely and went back to watching the empty stage, wishing she hadn’t said anything other than ‘yes’.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Friends show their love in time of trouble, not in happiness. ―Euripides

  His first attempt was a strike. He wasn’t the kind guy who was ever very good around women, so he didn’t need to be disappointed. That was what Andy told himself, but he couldn’t help wishing they weren’t sitting in a crowd. It was hard to woo a girl in the middle of a city social function.

  He glanced over at her. She was watching the stage intently, as if watching for someone she knew. She looked the same, as beautiful as always. He’d lived in New York City for years, the city where black was practically the required uniform, and he’d never liked it so well on anyone. His gaze fell on her bracelets and he remembered that she’d never shared the rest. It was a good time to ask. After the ‘carpe diem’ conversation, she might think he expected a kiss after every explanation. He wouldn’t refuse one, that was true.

  “What does the leaf mean?”

  It took her a moment to understand what he was asking. She took the little leaf charm between her fingers.

  “Oh. It’s a line from Dante again. I know, I quote him a little too often.”

  “I read the rest of the Divine Comedy yesterday. Paradiso was very moving.”

  “Really?” She seemed excited to hear it. “Most people don’t even know there are three parts.”

  “I see why he’s considered such a master. The allegory of the soul journeying through the trials of life, death and then on to heaven is really beautiful. Of course I didn’t read them in the original. I’m not as cool as some people I know.”

  She actually blushed. He could see the pleasure mixed with shyness in her eyes.

  “Now what will you read?” she asked.

  Andy sat back in his chair a little. The stage was still empty and there was no sign of Alice or Paul. “See, I was looking for something old and epic― and I mean epic in the original sense, with a long story arc― to make into a game. But now, I don’t know. I read some commentary that called the Divine Comedy the Summa in verse, and I’ve never read that, either, so maybe I’ll read Aquinas’s Summa Theologica next.”

  “And you think it might make a good story world for an adventure game?”

  He started to laugh. “No, sorry. That was an unrelated thought.”

  “Of course.” She shook her head and looked out over the crowd. “That was dumb.”

  “It wasn’t. It sort of sounded like that was where I was going with it.” He hadn’t explained himself very well, as usual.

  “So you won’t be going back to game development?”

  “I wasn’t sure until recently. Mark was my top priority
. I didn’t know if I’d end up going back to New York City, or maybe quitting and both of us staying here. I knew I didn’t want to live thousands of miles away from him when I didn’t know how much time we had.”

  “But now?”

  “I think it will be okay. I think…” He paused, hating to speculate after such a short amount of time. “He’s happy here. I’m happy he’s here. I think he could actually have more independence because it’s a smaller town and everything is so close. He doesn’t have to take the bus just to get to the park. People are little more patient with him here, too.”

  “And you?” She looked down for a moment at the charms on the leather braids at her wrists. “Are you happy here?”

  When he’d met Roxie, he’d never been more miserable in his life. And now he’d never been happier. “I am,” he said.

  “You’ve got Angela now,” she said. One side of her mouth twitched.

  “Exactly. Once I got my food situation sorted out, everything else fell into place.” He went along with her sly jab. “But she still hasn’t made any beignets.”

  He realized after a few seconds that they were simply sitting there, smiling at each other. Even in the middle of a crowded festival, it was like being alone with her. Clearing his throat, he touched the leaf charm. Her fingers were warm beneath his. “You haven’t told me which Dante line.”

  “The customs and fashions of men change like leaves on the bough, some of which go and others come.” She smiled. “Working in the fashion industry, this quote line makes me smile. I’d say it changes faster than leaves.”

  “And this one?” He moved to the little wheel, her hand still under his.

  “Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground. Dante again.” She didn’t move for a moment, then turned his hand over, tracing the lines of his palm. “I used to think it was more important to contemplate the eternal and the philosophical, more than anything of earth or anyone you could pass on the street. Now I’m learning that there are some pretty glorious things right here.”