The Widow of Saunders Creek

by Tracey Bateman

  “Yes ma’am. If that’s okay with you.”

  She gave me a slow smile. “I’ve been wanting a little time to get to know you better, anyhow.”

  I couldn’t look away from her as I tried to dissect her words. Did she feel the same way I did? That perhaps she was the key to connecting Jarrod to me?

  A shiver ran up my spine.

  She turned to Sam. “Keep those herbs from wilting, please.”

  “I’ll do my best. Hopefully Eli can fix the unit quickly. But I’ll put the herbs in the coolers in back if it gets too hot.”

  “You’d best get a new one like he suggests. It’s not like you don’t have the money.”

  “Good grief, Auntie.”

  I hid a smile. Polite southerners didn’t discuss money issues.

  “Oh for goodness’ sake,” Aunt Trudy said, waving her hand dismissively.

  “We’re all family here.” And I almost felt included.

  Sam rolled her eyes and gave Aunt Trudy a hug, then looked at me. I’m sure I looked a little lost about the whole situation. But Aunt Trudy intrigued me. Maybe I should have been more cautious, especially knowing she practiced folk magic, but something in me was drawn to her. Perhaps Jarrod had something to do with that.

  “Thank you for doing this for me, Corrie,” Sam said.

  Aunt Trudy gave a huff. “Never knew I was such a bother.”

  “Corrie.” Eli took hold of my arm. “I want to talk to you for a second, if you don’t mind.”

  With his mom looking on, I really had no choice, although I felt just a little annoyed. For all his talk about Aunt Trudy wanting to add me to her so-called coven of witches, I’d heard nothing about it, and Aunt Trudy had been nothing but kind.

  “I’ll be right back, ma’am,” I said and allowed Eli to pull me into the office.

  “Don’t close that door!” his mom called. My face burned, thinking she meant because she didn’t want us getting romantic in there, but Eli grinned.

  “She means because the window air conditioner is in here. Not that it does any good out there.”

  “Oh.” I couldn’t hold back a sheepish grin. “So what do you want? We shouldn’t leave Aunt Trudy in all that heat for much longer.”

  “I just want to remind you about her. She’s the real deal.” He took a deep breath, and I could sense he wanted to say the right thing. “You’re physically safe. She wouldn’t hurt you. But don’t forget how seductive witchcraft can be. It truly is disguised as light.”

  I could see how concerned he was for me. He believed my soul was in danger, and I took that seriously. Still, he had to trust my ability to figure things out for myself. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” I refrained from referring to Star Wars and being “turned to the dark side,” because so far all my TV and movie references had bombed, and I figured he wouldn’t get it anyway. Also, I didn’t think a joke would make him feel any better. Instead, I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about me. I have good instincts and will be cautious. Besides, isn’t worry a sin?”

  He scowled at me. “She’s got a lot of power.” A frown creased his tanned brow, and I wanted to ease his mind. “She’s frail and speaks softly, but her power is very real, and she’s not afraid to wield it in a way that you might have trouble resisting.”

  “Trust me.” His troubled expression never wavered, even under my reassurance. “Come on, Eli. I’ll be careful.”

  “Do be. But I’m also going to pray with you before you go.”

  He didn’t give me much choice, but I didn’t mind. Truth be told, I felt a little nervous that she might want to discuss my sensitivity to spirits and the possibility of studying wicca or joining the family coven. I knew she couldn’t and most likely wouldn’t even try to force me into a life I didn’t want, but I didn’t want to disappoint a powerful folk witch either.

  Aunt Trudy narrowed her gaze and watched us with serious, even stern, eyes as we came back into the room. “Took you long enough.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Trudy.” I reached for the bag she had filled from the store. She relinquished the weight of it to me. I motioned her toward the door and hung back to allow her to go first.

  Without warning, a sense of foreboding hit hard, tightening my stomach, and I was suddenly very glad Eli had prayed. I knew I had a way-too-vivid imagination, and I could probably talk myself into believing Aunt Trudy had cast a spell on me, even if she hadn’t. I attributed it to my artistic soul.

  “You have nothing to fear from me, Corrie,” Aunt Trudy said. “Eli doesn’t believe I’m good. He believes all magic is evil.” She seemed hurt. Truly hurt, and my heart reached for her.

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Trudy. I know he loves you and would never want to hurt your feelings.”

  “I know. He’s simply deceived. That’s all.”

  I nodded, for want of anything to say.

  “Tuck in your arm,” I said gently. She did and I closed the door. As I walked around to my side, I thought about her words “He’s simply deceived.”

  Funny. Eli had said the same thing about her.

  I kept my nerves in check as I drove Aunt Trudy to this place and that. I ignored her complaints about the open Jeep. Eli’s comments the day after I arrived regarding Aunt Trudy’s coven made me nervous, and I wanted to steer clear of that topic—provided he had read her right in the first place. But I did want to talk to her about Jarrod. She might actually help me hear from Jarrod. Just to hear him say, “Your face was the last thing I saw when I carried that boy bomber away from the crowd.” Or “I’d give anything if I could have come back to you, to have grown old looking at your face every single day of my life.”

  Those thoughts drove me, and I was anxious to hear more about life after death and the ability of souls to remain tethered to a place or a person. Did Jarrod have unfinished business here? Was that the reason I sometimes believed he was so close to me, trying to get into my head?

  Eli might be dead set against the idea, but I had to know for myself.

  I wasn’t sure how to bring up the topic, and every time I thought I might have drummed up enough courage, Aunt Trudy wanted to make another stop. Finally, after I helped her in and out of the Jeep at least five times, she said she had nowhere else to go and asked would I please take her home.

  Relieved, I inched out of the parking space and headed out of town. Did I want to ask about Jarrod? Eli’s voice in my head told me to leave it alone, but something gnawed at me. A desire stronger than reasoning. Turns out, I didn’t have to make the decision after all. Aunt Trudy adjusted herself in her seat, and I heard her gather breath.

  “You have questions about contacting Jarrod.” She said it in such a way that I wasn’t sure if I was just obvious or if she could sense it with her gift. Either way, I wasn’t going to deny my curiosity.

  I gathered a deep breath of my own and plunged ahead. “I’ve been thinking about our visit at the bridge that day.”

  For some reason, I’d neglected to mention our meeting to Eli. He seemed so concerned about Aunt Trudy’s intentions toward me, and I felt a little defensive that I couldn’t write her off as easily as he seemed to.

  I was trying to reconcile myself to the idea that Jarrod might be looking for a way to contact me. So far, I hadn’t sensed him again since the night of the tornadoes, when I was almost sure he was there. Lola’s presence in the house kept me from even trying to reach out to him.

  She waited, her veined hands clasped in her lap.

  “It’s just that I’m not sure what I’m feeling. Sometimes I’m almost sure Jarrod is right there and if I turn really fast, I’ll catch a glimpse of him. Does that sound crazy?”

  A little cackle rose from her. “If you ask half the folks around here, they’ll tell you I’m crazy as a loon. When folks aren’t sensitive to the spirit world, they want to dismiss those of us who are.”

  “So you don’t think it sounds crazy, then.” The words came out as a statement, not a question.
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br />   “I do not. As a matter of fact, your experience sounds about right. Often we catch glimpses. We can’t see into the spirit realm with the natural eye, but every so often, if the departed wants to get to us bad enough and the live person is willing, they can show themselves as shadows or light.”

  My mind shifted to Billy Wright’s painting and the shadow in the attic window. “So you think when I sense him and have that instinct to turn around, it’s actually Jarrod trying to get through?”

  “That’s what I believe.” She peered at me with those all-knowing eyes. “It’s what I’ve experienced countless times.”

  The question lingering in my mind frightened me, and I didn’t want to ask. It was almost as if there was a line between Aunt Trudy and me, and if I asked, I’d be crossing into the very territory Eli had warned me against.

  “You have something else to ask?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue, but something held me back. Fear? God? Or more likely, Eli’s warning voice in my head.

  “No. That’s all.”

  I checked for traffic on the all-but-deserted road and made the left turn.

  “You’re not ready.” She reached out and touched my arm. “But when you are ready to contact him, I can help. All you have to do is ask.”

  “Do you mean like a séance?”

  She stared at me without apology. “Yes, that is precisely what I mean.”

  I forged ahead, if for no other reason than to sate my curiosity.

  “How would that work exactly?”

  “I would bring in two or three colleagues with strong links to the other side, and we would create a calm, welcoming atmosphere to help him communicate.”

  She pointed to a modest cottage-style home on the right. “This is me.”

  I hid my surprise. I’d expected something a bit more ominous looking. I nosed the Jeep into the narrow gravel driveway and pulled to a stop in front of her house. She held my arm again as we walked to the stairs, and I wondered why she was so frail. After all, she was only seventy-five years old. Mimi and Gramps were older and were still full of vigor. She shuffled along, grunting as she took each step, leaning heavily on the porch railing, but she didn’t let go of me. Her large black bag hung from the crook of her arm.

  “Do you need help finding your key?” I asked when we reached the door.

  She shook her head. “Ray’s home. It shouldn’t be locked.”

  I tensed at the sound of his name. She didn’t seem to notice as she reached forward and twisted the knob until it gave way. I definitely didn’t want to see him. I was almost sure he was the guy in my barn that day, but not sure enough to bring an accusation. I hung back as Aunt Trudy stepped inside. “I’ll get your things unloaded from the Jeep.”

  “Ray!” she called out. “Come help Corrie bring in the bags.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I said. “There aren’t that many.”

  “Nonsense.”

  Ray appeared at the door. A bit unkempt, his hair unruly, shirt unbuttoned, too thin for his incredible height. “Hey, Corrie,” he said, brushing past me.

  “Hi.” I followed him, and we grabbed all the bags in silence. Thankfully, we only needed one trip. I’d never been one to shrink from confrontation, but something about this guy made me steer clear of mentioning my suspicion that he’d been in my barn that day. It was too weird to even think about. If he’d been trying to steal from me, the barn was the last place he should have been. The only time I went near it was to get Kitty, so there was definitely nothing of value in there.

  Aunt Trudy’s house smelled of jasmine and cigarette smoke. I kept my distance as I followed Ray into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. Silently, he exited the room, leaving me with Aunt Trudy, who had already plopped down in a kitchen chair, her feet propped up, puffing away on the longest cigarette I’d ever seen. Not that I was an expert.

  “Would you care for some sweet tea or coffee, dear?” she asked, pointing me to the refrigerator. “I could answer any more questions you have about contacting Jarrod.”

  Nothing could have induced me to stay with Ray in the house. The way the guy appeared and disappeared gave me the creeps. But of course I couldn’t say that to his grandmother. “Thank you for the offer, but I should get back to the store and see if Sam needs me.”

  “Wait just a second. I want to give you my number.” She reached for a tablet sitting on the table. Resting her cigarette in her mouth, she scribbled on the paper, ripped it out, and handed it to me, squinting around the smoke puffing upward. “Call me if you need me.”

  Even though she didn’t say Jarrod’s name, I knew what she meant. If I wanted her to conduct a séance. I took the number and tucked the paper into my pocket, with a mental note to add it to my contacts list on my phone.

  Aunt Trudy didn’t get up as I said good-bye and then walked through the dining room to the door. I hoped Ray had gone back to wherever we’d pulled him away from.

  As I drove back to town along a deserted gravel road lined with maples and pines, I wondered how many times Jarrod had driven this same route. Did the beauty of trees and fields and blue sky give him the same desire to breathe it all in so deeply?

  Did he miss his Ozarks home, or was he still here waiting to be invited into the conversation?

  What if Aunt Trudy honestly was able to contact him in a real way? What if I could communicate with him, and he could speak back to me?

  I had never been one of those girls given to Ouija boards and séances at sleepovers. To be honest, I’d always been afraid, thanks to my mother, who always said Ouija boards let demons speak and that those who contacted the dead were an abomination to God. As much as my mother drove me crazy, I never wanted to take a chance she might be right.

  But that was before my husband died, before I began to sense his presence, and before I met someone who might actually be able to help me.

  I wrestled with the two sides of the issue all the way back to town, and by the time I turned onto the street that would take me to Sam’s store, I was no closer to an answer than I had been when I opened my eyes this morning. I just didn’t know.

  Eli

  A blast of cool air finally made its way through the vent, but I couldn’t feel good about it when I knew I’d be back in a week or two to fix it again.

  “There,” Mom said, nodding with satisfaction. “I told you there’s no point in getting a new one. This one works fine.”

  “Have it your way. I have to get back to work on my house.” I lifted my hand in farewell. “Go easy on that unit. You can’t turn it down to sixty-five and expect it to last.”

  “Well, I can’t expect my customers to bake in here either.”

  Without bothering to respond, I walked into the spring scorcher. Dad had always maintained that he’d married the single most stubborn woman in the world. And in my thirty years, she hadn’t given me any reason to disagree with his wisdom.

  Corrie’s Jeep pulled into the parking space a couple of cars away. Finally. Her face was flushed from the open Wrangler, and she seemed nervous. Aunt Trudy must have upset her.

  I set the toolbox in the back of the truck and waited for her to glance my way and wave. Instead, she seemed lost in thought. I stepped up from the curb and cut her off on the sidewalk before she could enter the shop.

  She gasped and jumped back. “Oh sheesh, Eli,” she said, her palm on her chest. “You scared the heck out of me.” She backhanded me on the arm and showed a crooked grin. “What are doing sneaking up on people?”

  “Sneaking up?” I laughed. “How could I sneak up on you when I walked right toward you from the front?”

  “Whatever. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “So, how did your afternoon with Aunt Trudy go?”

  She gave me a sly grin. “She hates my Jeep.”

  “I imagine. A ride like that isn’t exactly an old lady’s speed.”

  “I guess I should have taken your mom’s car.” She glanced toward the shop window.
“Did you get the air conditioner fixed?”

  I nodded. “For now. But it’ll go out again in a couple of weeks, and I’ll be back here to patch it up again.”

  “She doesn’t want to buy another one, huh?” Her eyes gentled with compassion. “How are the house repairs coming along?”

  “Not too bad. The house is almost done. It’s the yard and rest of the property that’s taking the most time.” As a matter of fact, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever finish repairs in time to accomplish the work on the camp that had to be completed before the campers arrived. “How are you getting along with Joe and Tim?”

  “I like them a lot, actually.”

  “So they’re doing a good job?”

  She nodded, smiling. “Joe finished the back deck yesterday. Today he says he’s getting rid of all the boards on the porch and building the new frame. He told me I’d have to use the back door for a while.”

  “I’ll stop by later and take a look at things.”

  “Do you want to come for supper? My sister, Lola, is here for a couple of weeks.” She smiled. “She’s got a major crush on Joe, so you don’t have to worry about her dumping any love potions into your drink.”

  I laughed. “Did Aunt Trudy make you stay while she fired up her cauldron?”

  She smiled. “No. I took her to the grocery store, and then she asked me to stop by Dollar General for the nonfood items, because they’re cheaper there. By the time I got her all the way to her place and helped her unload her things, three hours had gone by.” She sighed. “I left my phone inside, which is why I didn’t call. I just hope your mom doesn’t think I blew her off the whole afternoon.”

  I grinned and opened the door for her. “Mom knows Aunt Trudy. She even mentioned you probably had to go to several places before you took her home.”

  Her face relaxed. “Good.” She turned to me before heading inside. “So what about dinner? We’re throwing some lobsters on the grill.”