One Hundred Heartbeats

by Kelly Collins

  Bowie moved several rows to where Bill, Bea, and Brandy were buried. Sprouts of green grass filled in the area around the new headstone. Three cement hearts sat intertwined. An inscription that read Gone but not forgotten, was etched in black in the stone. He dropped to his knees and leaned his forehead against the cold granite marker.

  “Where do I begin?” He took in several deep breaths to clear his mind. “I think I loved you the day I met you. The day Bill and Bea adopted you. You were six, and you had me tied around your little finger. Who knew I’d be so easy to catch? Then again, I was only eight. We had a comfortable kind of love, the kind you get from knowing someone forever. It was everything until you were gone.”

  He leaned back and rubbed his thumb over her name. Although it was hard to see her name etched in death for all time and eternity, his insides didn’t twist and turn with sorrow and anger or loss. He looked at the stone and remembered her with love and friendship.

  “I’ve met someone. I think I love her, but she deserves all of me, not the shrapnel left of my broken heart. Katie brings light to my life. A smile to my face. Hope to my heart. She makes me feel whole. When you died, so did I. When I met her, I was reborn. I’m here to tell you I will always love you, but I have to let you go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  One of the many benefits of owning a shop was flexible scheduling. Seeing as how Ben was happy to close up to go to the diner and be near Maisey, Katie could sneak upstairs and change into something clean that didn’t smell like snickerdoodles—not an unpleasant smell by any means, but Bowie loved it when she was bathed in the scent of strawberries and honey.

  Showered and dressed, she crossed paths with Sage in the corner store. In her friend’s hands were two frozen potpies.

  “I swear that man’s a saint,” Katie said with a giggle. “Does he ever tire of Stouffer’s?”

  Sage held up the two boxes. “These are Marie Callender’s. I’m bringing out the big guns tonight.” She pointed to the ad copy. “It says right here, ‘A Heritage of Homemade.’”

  Katie supposed it was a nice change from the frozen lasagna Sage liked to serve. “That’s as close as he’ll get to real food, I suppose.” She walked down the aisle to where the jars of spaghetti sauce sat on a shelf above the pasta. “I can’t say I’m offering anything more spectacular.” She grabbed the sauce that had meat in it, along with a package of spaghetti.

  “Honey, the Bishop boys aren’t complaining about what we’re offering.” She followed Katie down the aisle to where the green cans of Parmesan cheese were lined up like little Italian soldiers next to the other ingredients perfect for Italian food.

  To look around the corner store, it would seem like the people of Aspen Cove had particular tastes. The rows were divided by ethnicity. There was the Italian aisle, the Mexican aisle shared space with the Asian aisle. American food actually had two aisles and had everything guaranteed to give a person high blood pressure or indigestion. Who needed ten varieties of Hamburger Helper? She glanced at Sage and swallowed her question. Obviously, Sage did.

  “Do you love him?” Katie asked. The two women hadn’t really talked about love. Katie had never been in love, so she couldn’t be sure what she felt was the real deal.

  “I do. It’s funny because the first time I saw him, I wanted to throttle him.”

  “He was a piece of work.”

  Katie moved to the freezer section to find the ice cream. It wasn’t often she indulged in sweets. Funny for a girl surrounded daily by sugary confections. She looked at the paltry offerings and decided Bowie would be dessert. There was no reason to settle for less. That thought shook her because all her life she’d settled for so little. Even with Bowie. He was willing to give her his body, but she was uncertain if he’d give her his heart.

  “He’s at the cemetery today.” Katie’s voice sounded far away, like someone else was speaking.

  “That will be hard for him.”

  “He said he needed to say goodbye.”

  Sage leaned on the Little Debbie snack display and sent the boxes tumbling to the floor like dominos. She scrambled to pick them up, but each time she put one back, another came tumbling down.

  “Oh, hell,” she said. “I suppose I’m nervous and excited for you.” She got them all lined up. “If he’s saying goodbye, that has to be good. Right?”

  Marge peeked around the corner and shook her head at the mess they made of her display. “You girls are trouble.”

  “Clumsy, maybe. Trouble … not so much.” Katie said as she moved with Sage toward the register. Marge’s husband, Phillip, sat reading the newspaper.

  Katie laid her items on the counter and turned to Sage. “As for saying goodbye? You’d think it’s a good sign, but I’m afraid of what could happen.”

  Phillip rang up her order. She didn’t worry about him hearing the conversation. He was basically deaf. He had hearing aids, but he didn’t wear them. He said they were uncomfortable, but Katie knew it was because he couldn’t stand the sound of Marge bitching at him all day.

  “Have things been good? I didn’t want to pry, but you seem to spend more time at his place than your own.”

  Katie closed her eyes and remembered the heat that washed over her body after last night’s lovemaking session. “Things are so good. That’s the worry. He seems to be moving forward, but going there could set him back.”

  “How long ago did he leave?”

  Katie looked at the ridiculous cat clock hanging on the wall behind Phillip. Its tail moved back and forth with each second. “It’s been at least an hour.”

  Bowie had closed the shop around two and left right away.

  “Maybe you should check on him.”

  “Don’t you think that might seem invasive?”

  Sage reached in the bucket of water at her feet and pulled out the last bouquet. “Bring these to Bea.” She pressed them against Katie’s chest, leaving droplets of water darkening her pink T-shirt. “You can say you wanted to thank her for bringing you to Aspen Cove.”

  “He’ll see right through that.”

  Sage smiled. “Yes, he’ll see you care.” She waved her hand in front of Phillip’s face, getting his attention, and pointed to the flowers and her potpies. “I’ll get the flowers. You go get your man.”

  In truth, Katie wanted to visit Bea’s grave. She owed the woman who had given her a second chance. She leaned in and gave her best friend a kiss on the cheek before she turned and walked to the door. “Wish me luck.”

  “Break a leg.” Sage called from behind.

  When Katie arrived at the cemetery, it differed greatly from the day they put Bea in the ground. The parking lot was empty except for Bowie’s black truck, which sat alone in the corner slot. She scanned the area but saw no one. The only things standing were cement headstones.

  Mixed emotions swirled inside her, making her stomach do flips. Was it wrong of her to check on him? All she wanted was the best for Bowie, and at that moment she knew without a doubt she was it. She’d fallen in love with the man and was infinitely more capable of taking care of him than a ghost from his past.

  A part of her burned with jealousy. Who would have pined for her had she died eight years ago? Her mother. Her father. Her siblings. But there was no man to remember his love for her. No heart filled with treasured memories. She wanted that with Bowie. If she could persuade him to stay in Aspen Cove, she had a chance of reaching that goal. He acted like a man who would stay, but he’d never said the words, and words were important, too.

  With the flowers in her hand, she climbed out of her SUV and wound around the path to where she remembered Bea’s grave.

  As she approached, she saw Bowie on his knees in front of a headstone of three hearts blended together. It was a beautiful tribute to a family filled with love. His fingers traced the black etched lettering of Brandy’s name.

  She knew her decision to look for Bowie was wrong. This was a private moment between him and his one true love. She had
no right to be there. When she stepped backward to retreat, her shoe crunched down on a dried leaf. The sound echoed through the dead silence of the cemetery.

  Bowie stood and spun around to face her. His expression went from annoyed to concerned to soft. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  Katie took another step back. “I’m sorry.” She looked down at the flowers in her hand. “I thought I’d—” She shook her head. She hated to lie. “I was worried about you. I went by the store to pick up something for dinner and …” She let out a huge breath that vibrated through her chest. “Are you okay?”

  Bowie walked toward her, his hands reaching for her shoulders. He gripped them tight. She was certain he’d try to shake sense into her, but instead he pulled her to his chest. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  She buried her nose into the cotton of his T-shirt and took a deep breath. She associated his smell with everything good in her life. Her arms hung limply beside her, but her body pressed into his for comfort.

  “I know this is hard for you. I want you to know that as your friend, I’m here for you.”

  Bowie seemed to laugh at all the right times, even when it was in the wrong place. They were in the middle of a cemetery, the least likely place to bring a smile to a face or laughter to warm a heart.

  He thumbed her chin up and connected eye to eye. “I’d say we’re more than friends, Duchess.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. He looked over his shoulder to the headstone. “This was about being able to move forward—to give you and me a chance at something more. I could never give you my heart if it belonged to another.”

  Katie could hardly breathe. He wanted more with her. “I hoped we could be more, but I was willing to settle for less.”

  He placed his hands on both sides of her head. “You really should set your standards higher. You deserve so much more than me.”

  She dropped the flowers to the gravelly path and wrapped her arms around him. “And you should see yourself as I do. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

  They stood on the path and held each other. Katie closed her eyes and said a silent thank you to the universe for bringing this man to her. She said a prayer of thanks to Bea for bringing her to Aspen Cove. Her last silent prayer went to Brandy. She had to have been an amazing woman to have locked down Bowie’s heart for so long.

  He rubbed his hands down her back. “Shall we get out of here?”

  Katie nodded but looked down at the flowers lying at her feet. “I brought these for Bea.”

  Bowie smiled, and the somber atmosphere of the cemetery lit up. “Then you should give them to her.” He bent over and picked up the bouquet. He threaded his fingers through hers and led her to the grave. Her eyes followed the newly bloomed grass to the pristine headstone. Under each name was a birth and death date. Bill had died five years ago. Bea this year. It was when she looked at the date of Brandy’s death that her heart stilled. It wasn’t a decade past, like she’d been led to believe, but eight years ago on the same day her life began again.

  Her lungs seized. Her heart raced, then all but stopped. The world spun around her and turned black.

  “Katie.” His voice sounded far away, like Bowie was calling to her through thick fog. “Katie, wake up, honey.”

  She moved along the gravel path in Bowie’s arms. “What happened?” She looked up to see relief in his blue eyes.

  “There you are.” He set her down and propped her against his truck while he opened the door. “You fainted.”

  “I what?” She pressed her memory for an explanation. It all came rushing back. She had Brandy Bennett’s heart.

  “You fainted. Hit the ground like a cement block.” He picked her up and placed her in his truck. “Banged your head good.”

  She reached up and touched the tender spot on the back of her head. “Oh, Lord.” She had a lump the size of Houston forming. “I can’t believe I did that.”

  “I’m taking you to Doc’s. I want him to look you over.”

  She shook her head, but her brain hurt. “No. I’m fine.” Her thoughts were scrambled. “I want to go home.”

  “Not happening until you get the seal of approval from Doc Parker.”

  “Seriously?” She leaned against the window. The cool glass tethered her to consciousness. “I’m fine.” Her head spun, but her heart ached. Brandy’s heart ached.

  She was anything but fine. She’d fallen in love with Bowie. Once he found out she had his fiancée’s heart, what would happen? She’d never been more frightened in her life.

  Even on the day of her surgery, when they placed the mask over her nose and told her to count, she wasn’t as scared as today. Back then, she had a life unlived. Now, she had a future to lose.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Katie watched Bowie race around to help her from the truck. He walked her at a snail’s pace to the pharmacy.

  Attentive and loving now, would that end the minute the truth was revealed? Did Katie want to reveal the truth? He’d never asked her about her scar. She’d told him she’d been sickly as a child, and they fixed her.

  Did she owe him the facts, or was it good enough that she’d given him the gist of the situation?

  Doc Parker came out of the back room with a mug of coffee in his hands. “You cleaned me out of condoms yesterday.” He sipped at his coffee. “I don’t get a delivery until next week. You ever hear of pacing yourself?”

  "I’m not here about condoms.” That’s when Doc noticed Katie. “She fainted and hit her head hard.”

  Doc moved fast for an old fart. He rushed around the counter to open the door for Bowie. “Bring her on back.”

  “I’m fine,” she said with little confidence in her voice.

  “Stop being difficult,” Doc said. He turned on the light to the examination room and patted the paper covered table. “Climb up, young lady, and let me have a look at your melon.”

  Bowie helped her onto the table. He didn’t leave her side, holding her hand while Doc Parker looked her over.

  “You’re pale, and your heartbeat is too high.” He reached into the drawer and pulled out a stethoscope.

  Doc must have seen the fear on her face. The pleading in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was sending the message that said, ‘Don’t do this here, not with Bowie around,’ but somehow Doc seemed to understand.

  “Son,” he said to Bowie. “I need to give her a thorough exam, and although I know you’ve seen the goods, I’m not into threesomes.” He nodded toward the door. “See if the bakery has any muffins left. I’ll call you when we’re finished.”

  Bowie looked from Katie to Doc. There was a moment when she wasn’t certain he’d leave.

  “Do you want me to go?” Bowie squeezed her hand.

  “I’ll be okay.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Steal a muffin for me, too. I probably didn’t eat enough today, and my blood sugar got low.” She hated the lie that flowed so easily from her lips.

  Bowie narrowed his eyes for a second. Did he see the lie for what it was—a way to get him out of the office before Doc saw her scar and found out her truth? She thought he’d hold his ground, but instead he pressed his lips to hers in a comforting kiss.

  “You know where I’ll be.”

  Doc waited until he heard the bell above the front door ring. “By the look you gave me, I was sure you didn’t want Bowie in here. Was I wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No. You will find out something in a minute that I’ve kept a secret.” Katie pulled the hem of her pink T-shirt over her head.

  “Holy heavens.” Doc Parker took a step back and grabbed the side table for balance. “He hasn’t seen that scar?”

  Katie dropped her chin to look at the silver line that ran vertically down her chest. “He’s seen it.” She shrugged. “He never asked for specifics, and I didn’t give him details he didn’t require.”

  Doc Parker pointed to the scar. “That’s why you have the bakery.”

  She nod
ded. “I didn’t know until I went to the cemetery today to check on Bowie.” Her eyes filled with tears. Her throat ached. “At Bea’s funeral, there was no headstone, and you,” she shuddered at the memory, “you said they died a decade ago.”

  “I rounded up. The exact details didn’t matter.”

  “They did to me. I couldn’t figure out why she gave me the bakery. I thought for a second I had her daughter’s heart, but the timing didn’t match because I was told Brandy had died ten years ago. I should have looked into it more thoroughly. Bea put it plain and simple on the page, ‘you have a good heart’, she wrote. She would know. I have her daughter’s heart.” Katie cried.

  Doc pulled a tissue from a nearby box and handed it to her. “She did it and told no one.” Doc spread his fingers to massage the strain in his furrowed brows. “She donated her organs.”

  Katie sat on the examination table, exposed in more than one way. “You didn’t know?”

  He pushed off the table, put the earpieces in his ears, and pressed the cold cone to her chest. He listened for a while. When he stepped back, his expression was one of awe.

  “She never said a word.” He wrapped the stethoscope into a circle and put it on the table. “That’s a fine heart you have, my dear.”

  Katie swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s served me well for the last eight years.”

  Doc Parker went into medical mode. “You have quite a lump on your head.” He pulled a light from his pocket and shined it into her eyes. “Your pupils are even, but I won’t rule out a concussion.” He opened a drawer and lifted a white disk. With a twist, he activated the ice pack and pressed it to the back of her head. “You need to ice that to keep the swelling down.”

  Katie set the pack next to her while she pulled on her shirt. “Are you going to tell Bowie?” Just the mention of his name made her heart race and her stomach twist into knots.