Her Forever Dreams

by Agnes Alexander

  “I bet you miss her, living so far from Florida.”

  She only nodded, and he said nothing further.

  “Oh, my goodness, look,” she exclaimed as they went out the door. “It’s snowing. I’d better hurry back to Asheville and find a hotel before a blizzard sets in. We warm weather people are not used to this.”

  He chuckled. “I guess coming from Florida, this is a rarity to you.”

  “It sure is, but it’s beautiful.”

  “If you’re afraid to drive as far as Asheville, there’s nice place called Bed, Breakfast and More four or five miles down the highway. All you have to do is make a right when you leave here. There’s also a pretty nice motel in Coverton Mills.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Beeler. We’ll probably decide to try one of those. My friend isn’t used to driving in snow, either.” She waved good-bye to him and got into the car.

  •♥ •

  Theo Beeler watched the car back out of the parking place. He was a little confused about the woman and the questions she asked, but she did seem to know about horses. Maybe he was just too picky about the people who boarded here. But he sure didn’t want any of those uppity kind. They were always more trouble than they were worth. Mr. Armstrong always trusted his judgment about the new horses they accepted for boarding. He’d just wait and see how Ms. Turner’s horse worked out.

  •♥ •

  “I think it’s time you got back. It may snow for hours and I told you I hate driving in it,” Virgie grumbled in a voice that told Doreen she was not kidding. “I hope you found out what you needed to know. I’d like to get back to Florida before Christmas. It’s in less than four weeks, you know.”

  Doreen ignored the remark about Christmas. “I found out more than I thought I would.”

  “So?”

  “So, nothing. Let’s go to the right when we get to the highway. Mr. Beeler said there was a nice bed and breakfast place that way. Let’s stop there and we won’t have to drive all the way to Asheville tonight.”

  “That sounds good to me. The quicker I get to park this car, the better and safer I’ll feel. I don’t want to have a wreck and get hurt, and I sure don’t want to mess up my new car.”

  “Virgie, why do you complain so much?”

  Virgie paused at the end of the long, winding driveway. “I don’t complain any more than anyone else. I just don’t see why you had to come to the mountains in the dead of winter. And to a horse farm! What do you know about horses? You’ve never had one in your life that I know of, and you certainly don’t have one now. They’d never let you keep it in our trailer park.”

  Doreen was irritated. “You don’t know what I’ve had or what I’ve got, so just shut-up and drive.”

  Virgie didn’t answer. She pursed her lips and stared out the windshield.

  Doreen knew she’d made Virgie mad, and she couldn’t afford to have the woman ticked off at her tonight. Later, she wouldn’t give a rip because she’d never liked Virgie anyway. But she needed her to fulfill the plan she’d worked out with her man friend who lived in the area. She thought about how she could make amends as they rode in silence for a few miles.

  Finally, Doreen said, “Virgie, I appreciate you putting up with my strange actions on this trip. I promise you as soon as I get a few more facts, I’ll explain everything to you.”

  “I hope you will, because I have to admit, I’m curious. It seems strange that you’re set on finding out about this man and his horse farm. It’s as if you have a grudge against him for some reason. Have you?”

  Doreen ignored the last remark, but was thinking, If you only knew. Aloud, she said, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you what’s going on. I just think it would be better if I had it all laid out before I come forward with it.”

  Virgie shrugged. “I guess we all have things we need to keep to ourselves, but sometimes you need to share your secrets so others can help you with them.”

  Doreen laughed. “I can’t imagine you ever having a secret you have to keep hidden. You’ve always been too straight-laced for that.”

  “You might be surprised. My fifty-two years of life haven’t always been milk and cookies. I’ve had a few lemons thrown in. Why when I had surgery on…”

  Doreen broke in. “I know you’ve had some rough times with your illnesses, but you’ve coped beautifully.”

  “I got by, but that’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh? Tell me some dark secret that you’ve kept hidden from your nosy friend since we met.”

  “I’ll have to tell you later. Isn’t this the place you said we were going to stop?”

  “Yes, this is it.”

  Virgie pulled up to the front of the large thee-story colonial style house. A carved sign in the yard read, Bed, Breakfast and More. “It looks pretty nice. I hope they’re open and have rooms. I’m ready for a hot bath and a good night’s sleep. I’m not only sick of driving in these mountains, I’m sick of the mountains themselves. The sooner we head back to warm weather, the better I’ll feel.”

  Doreen didn’t answer.

  •♥ •

  Later, when Virgie had her bath and climbed into the soft bed and snuggled into the down pillows, it felt nice—but she couldn’t help wishing she was back in Florida in the retirement trailer park where she didn’t have to worry about snow, or mountains or Doreen’s crazy actions. She was about to doze off when there was a knock on her door. “Oh, Lord,” she mumbled. “Who in the world can that be?” She got up and pulled on her chenille robe.

  Looking out the small peephole she frowned then opened the door. “What’s wrong, Doreen. I was about to go to sleep.”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I left my small suitcase in the car. Can I borrow your keys?”

  “Do you have to have it tonight?”

  “Of course I do. My diabetes medicine is in it.”

  “Then, I reckon you can borrow them.” Virgie took the keys off the dresser.

  “Thanks. You go on back to bed and I’ll give them to you in the morning. That way I won’t disturb you again tonight.”

  “That’ll be fine. I’ll probably be asleep before you get back in, anyway.”

  A few minutes later, as she was about to fall asleep, a strange feeling swept over Virgie Fox. For some reason she knew she’d regret letting Doreen keep her keys.

  CHAPTER 2

  Norma noticed that Seth Armstrong limped a little more than usual when he came into the kitchen. She figured it was because of the snow which had placed a thin covering on the frozen ground and was still falling. “Good morning, Mr. Armstrong,” Norma Crotts, his longtime housekeeper said. “You’re staggering a bit this morning.”

  “Good morning, Norma.” He looked at her black eye and bruised right cheek, and frowned. “What the hell happened to you?”

  “I fell last night. The back steps at my place were slick. I didn’t know it until my foot slipped off and I was already banging my head on the edge of the porch.”

  “Well, you have to be careful in weather like this. You could break a bone, and what would I do for food then?”

  “Just like a man. I could break my neck and all you care about is how it’d affect you.” She chuckled. “I decided to make pancakes this morning. I hope that’s to your liking.”

  “It sounds good. I hope you made sausage, to go with them.”

  “Of course I did. I know what you like.” She smiled inside as she poured buttermilk pancake batter on the girdle. She’d fooled him again. One of these days he was going to get wise, but so far so good. “You men are so predictable.”

  “I hope you’re talking about your husband, Ward, and not me.”

  “I’m talking about both of you. Why, this morning, Ward got up and looked out the window and I knew he was going to check on the generators before he mentioned it, so I didn’t say a word. Sure enough, as soon as he filled up on his pancakes, he said, ‘Norm, I’d better check the generators. This snow could last a while and we could lose power.’ I just t
old him to go right ahead and do that, ‘cause I knew all the time that was what he’d do, no matter what I said.”

  “So, do you have a prediction of what I’m going to do this morning?”

  She flipped a pancake. “I figure you’re going to bundle yourself up and go check the horses. Of course, I don’t think you should do it.”

  “And why not?”

  “’Cause you might fall and break your good hip. If I can fall with two good legs think how much easier it would be for you with only one good leg. The good Lord knows I’ve got enough work to do around here without you getting laid up and having to be waited on.” She slid a perfectly cooked pancake into a plate and set it before him. “You’re crippled enough with one bad hip, and I don’t want to see you end up in one of those scoot around chairs for the rest of your life.”

  “You sure don’t cut me any slack, do you Norma?”

  “Nope. You’re tough. You can take anything I dish out.”

  Seth smiled. “I think that’s why I keep you around.”

  “That and the fact that you’re not about to try to take care of this big old house by yourself.” She placed the sausage beside his plate.

  “Since my daughter, Jessica, has moved back in, she’ll help me if you leave.”

  “That pretty little thing has enough to do teaching those wild students at Coverton Mills High.”

  “That’s probably true.”

  “And to top it all off, you can’t cook anything worth eating that can’t be cooked on the grill.”

  Seth laughed. “Now, Norma. You know I make a mean bowl of cereal.” She rolled her eyes at him and he said. “It’s too bad Ward snapped you up when he moved here. I should’ve married you myself.”

  “Lord have mercy. The two of us together would’ve been like throwing two fighting pit bulls into a barrel and shutting the lid.”

  He laughed out loud. “That’s probably true.”

  “Since the weather may get bad today, I think I’ll make you a big pot of soup and head home early. Though it’s only a couple of miles, Ward’s old truck doesn’t go too good in snow. We had a little trouble getting here this morning.”

  “I appreciate the soup, Norma. Go ahead and make it and put it in the refrigerator. I’m going to Jude and Kay Winslow’s anniversary party at Bed, Breakfast and More this evening. I’ll eat dinner there, but the soup will be good tomorrow.”

  “I can’t believe those two have been married a year.”

  “It doesn’t seem possible, does it?” He shrugged. “Some men have all the luck.”

  “Now, Mr. Armstrong, don’t start feeling sorry for yourself. There’s a good woman out there for you. You’ll meet her some day. Just wait and see.”

  “I appreciate the confidence you have in me, but what woman would want an old crippled-up guy like me who is on the wrong side of fifty-five?” He almost sneered. “Even Minnie Cox only puts in an appearance when there’s no other single man in her age group available.”

  “I hear she’s been after Brock Pendleton since Jude Winslow married the senator. Maybe Mr. Pendleton will marry her and take her off the market.”

  “Not much chance of that. I think he’s too smart.”

  “Then maybe you could get lucky and end up with her,” she teased him.

  Seth shook his head. “Shut your mouth, woman. I’d rather be alone.”

  “Well, that’s not gonna last forever. If I have to say so myself, you’re a good-looking man and you’ve got a lot to offer a good woman. Just be careful. I don’t want you to get one of those bad ones just because you’re lonely. I know your marriage wasn’t a happy one, so you deserve for the next one to be much better.”

  •♥ •

  Before he could answer there was a rap on the terrace door, then it opened. “Dad, are you here?”

  “In the kitchen, Hunter. Come on in. I need some help fighting off Norma.”

  “Nothing new about that.” Hunter came into the room.

  “Hello, Hunter. Would you like some coffee?”

  “That’d be great, Norma.” He took a stool at the breakfast bar beside his father and frowned when he saw Norma’s face. “What in the world happened to you?”

  “I fell on my back steps. How about a pancake? I’ve got enough batter for your dad’s other two and still enough for you to have a couple.”

  “You better watch it when it’s slick like this. And the answer to your question is yes. There’s no way in the world I’d turn down your pancakes.”

  She grinned and moved to the stove.

  “What are you doing out so early this morning, Son? Chasing a story?”

  “I had a strange call last night and thought I better check it out.”

  “What happened?”

  “Thanks, Norma,” Hunter said as she slid a cup of black coffee and a plate with a pancake in front of him. He turned back to his Dad. “I had a call about six this morning. It was a woman, but I have no idea who.”

  “What did she say?” Seth winked at Norma when she gave them the last of the pancakes and refilled their coffee. She then turned off the griddle and discreetly left the kitchen.

  Hunter lowered his voice. “She said that I may think I’ve gotten away with it just like my daddy. She went on to say that our secrets didn’t die with Eve, and she’d make sure they were brought out in the open.”

  “What the hell was that all about?” Seth frowned. “I don’t have any secrets.”

  “Neither do I, but that’s what she said.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know, and I would’ve chalked it up as the ramblings of a nut, but then she began to hurl threats against the family.”

  “What kind of threats?” Seth cut into his third pancake.

  “She said the family was going to pay, one by one, and she was going to start with Powder.”

  “Ashley’s horse?” Seth’s faced took on a puzzled look.

  “Yes. I thought I better run out here before I went to work and make sure Powder was okay.” Hunter sipped his coffee. “He was fine, so I came up to the house to see if you were still kicking. Of course, I guess Jessica would let us know if you weren’t.”

  “I’m fine, too, and I intend to keep kicking. I also plan to go check the horses after I finish eating. I’ll talk to Theo and make sure the security system is turned on anytime the barns are unattended. We don’t want anyone’s horse to be harmed.”

  “That’s for sure, but you know you can count on Theo to do a good job. He loves the horses as much as you do.”

  “That’s for sure. I’m lucky to have him.”

  Hunter looked at his father. “If you go out, you be careful. It’s slick out there, and it’s hard to walk in some places. Just look at Norma.”

  “Norma has already warned me not to break my good hip. She says she doesn’t want to be my nursemaid.”

  “Sounds like Norma.” He looked around. “Where’s Jessica?”

  “Gone to school. They didn’t call it off. I guess they didn’t think the snow would last long.” Seth changed the subject. “Have you notified the police about the call?”

  “Not yet. I thought I’d check with Chief Staples when I get back to town.”

  “Good idea. Richard will know what to do.”

  “I doubt there’s anything he can do. As I said, I don’t know who the woman was.”

  “Then, we’ll have to watch out for ourselves and the animals until she makes another move, if she does.” He pushed back his plate and looked at Hunter. “There’s no need to alarm Ashley. Since she lives in Atlanta, there’s no way she could do anything if somebody did attack Powder, but I guess I should tell Jessica what’s going on.”

  “Maybe in a casual way. You know how to do that, Dad. We don’t want to alarm either of my excitable sisters—even though Ashley is in Atlanta, she’d be worried sick, and Jessica would be sleeping in the barn in a sleeping bag every night if she thought those horses were in danger.”

 
; Seth nodded. “I’ll also have Theo check with the hands. They can keep their eyes open for anything unusual around the barns. Ward can help out, too. Since there’s not much landscaping this time of year, he’s been helping around the stables.”

  Hunter drained his coffee and stood. “Sounds good. I’ll let you know if anything turns up at the paper.”

  “You be careful, son.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll be on guard.”

  Seth nodded. “I’ll go talk with Theo as soon as I finish, and I’ll tell Jessica tonight. In the meantime, if you hear anything else from that woman, let me know.”

  “I’ll do that.” He turned and called, “Thanks for the breakfast, Norma.”

  She stuck her head out of the laundry room door where she’d gone as soon as they were served. “You’re welcome, Hunter.”

  “If you turn up anything suspicious here, let me know Dad.”

  “You know I will.”

  “And like Norma said, watch out for that other hip. It sleeted before it began snowing and there’s a lot of ice on the ground.” Hunter stood and went out the door.

  Seth finished off his breakfast, pushed back his plate, stood, grabbed his cane and headed for the hall to the back door to get his heavy coat. A rap on the terrace door stopped him. He turned to answer it.

  Theo was almost breathless when he said, “Mr. Armstrong, look what I found in Powder’s stall.” He held up a stick of dynamite.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Hey, Mom. It’s seven o’clock. You about ready to go?” Andrew Singleton stuck his head in the back door of his mother’s small bungalow which was hidden behind a group of squatty palms and shoulder high oleander on the small island jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. “I have the car packed and we need to get on the road.”

  “I’m making one last check of the place.”

  “I know you. You’ve already checked three or four times. I know you have the water turned off, the thermostat’s set on fifty so the pipes won’t freeze, you’ve filled the commodes with bleach, checked all the windows and had the gas turned off. What else is there to check?”