September Song

by Jeanie Freeman-Harper

  “Come out, murderer. Don’t make me come under that desk,” she shouted. Her voice was now shaking with rage.

  Just at that moment, Lucas and Brad bolted through the door. Lucas grabbed her wrist and Brad wrenched the weapon from her hand.

  “Georgia! For God’s sake. This isn’t the way! How could you live with yourself?” Lucas shouted.

  Georgia crumpled to her knees and sobbed with a hopelessness that tore at his heart. “You ask me how I could live with myself? The question is how have I lived with this torment all these years? I would have saved one bullet for myself, didn’t you know that, Lucas? Why didn’t you just leave me alone!”

  “You know the answer,” he whispered hoarsely. He pulled her to her feet and held her against him, as she teetered to and fro, and then he sat her in a chair and knelt beside her.

  “I get it that you want revenge, and it may be a kind of justice alright, but the trade-off is your soul. No one wins, Georgia.”

  Brad peered under the desk at a white-faced Tommy Walker, who was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

  “Come out from under there, and act like a man.”

  “Is it safe?” he whimpered.

  “Yeah, I reckon so,” Brad drawled. “You’re just not worth the cost of another bullet.”

  20: Darkness into Light

  On the morning before Emma's return, Lucas called to prepare her for the talk buzzing around town: Georgia’s attempt to murder Tommy Walker and her subsequent admittance to a mental facility for evaluation, to see if she could be charged with attempted murder. Thomas Walker Sr. was waging all out war on anyone and everyone in his way. Emma was too stunned for words. It broke her heart to think that a once gentle, God-fearing woman such as Georgia could lose control of her senses. Yet Lucas could understand, from a parent’s viewpoint, how one could snap under the same circumstances. Beyond that, Emma figured her father was incapable of seeing someone he loved in any light other than pure soft white.

  The one bright spot on Emma’s horizon was her homecoming. Now, at last, she was in flight, bringing with her the missing links, which security had allowed in a plastic bag tucked into her carry on. Once in the air, she breathed a sigh of relief and settled back to gaze out at the snow laden buttermilk skies. It was going to be an early winter in New England. She closed her eyes and relived her last day in Boston. It had been a time of tying loose ends, starting with spending time with her mother, who prepared her usual three o’clock tea. As Grace poured from the good porcelain pot, a pensive look had come over her, and Emma had sat silently and waited to hear what she had to say:

  “Emma, I wanted you to know that I talked to the priest yesterday and your father this morning. It’s time for me to let go of this farce we call a marriage.”

  “Yes, Mother. It’s past time.”

  Even with the realization that her parents had been separated for as many years as they had been married, Emma had still felt pangs of regret. They had come far past the way they were when she was a little girl basking in the warmth of two doting parents living in the same house. The divorce had been a long time coming. But what was marriage really? What were the words from that song about “ink stains that have dried upon some line”? She knew she did not want the same thing to happen should she ever marry. She wanted it to be forever. All or nothing.

  Afterward, Emma had made a frantic search to find the Piano Man before leaving the city. She bundled herself against an unexpected dip in temperature and strolled downtown from Grace's townhouse, hoping she might catch Piano Man at the restaurant—maybe at rehearsal for the evening show. She wanted him to help her connect with Ethan one last time. But when she had gone into the piano bar where he played, the manager had told her he hadn’t shown up and had , in fact, disappeared.

  “These entertainers are all alike, Miss. You can’t count on them to be there when you need them.”

  Emma had smiled at the irony of the remark, remembering that the man had been there when she desperately needed his spiritual connection.

  Next, she had walked past the Metro Gallery on South End. There she saw her picture on the billboard announcing her as the show's artist, but a worker was taking it down and posting a new artist in her place. Her time in the spotlight there had come and gone, and it had been good. Yet, the best was ahead of her, blazing her own trail, and if she was lucky, people would appreciate her work.

  Yesterday receded as the flight attendant’s voice broke through Emma's reverie:

  “Would you like a beverage?’

  “No thanks I’m fine. My mother made tea before I left Boston.”

  “How lovely.”

  “Yes, in its own way, I suppose it is.”

  “Are you going to Texas for a visit?”

  “No, Texas is home. I’m going home.”

  The sound of her words rang strong and true in her ears. Texas...Home!

  She knew Grace would be fine—she with her social clubs and charity events—especially if Emma visited whenever she could. It was Lucas who needed her the most, and as it turned out, the one place Emma had run from at seventeen, was the only place acceptable. She was ready to make a life in Cobblers Cove, even without knowing if Brad wanted to be a part of it.

  She couldn’t blame him if he kept his distance, after the way she had brushed him off in the beginning. Regardless, she would build her life the way she wanted—not as Grace or Benjamin dictated; there was a frightening and exhilarating freedom in the mere thought of it. With that future in mind, she drifted off half way through the flight and dreamed she saw Brad waiting for her at the airport. She could see the glow on his face the minute she walked up. The dream had been so real, she just knew it would come true when she landed.

  Yet It was not to be. When the plane arrived in Houston, she found Lucas waiting for her at the baggage claim, but Brad was no where in sight. As glad as she was to see her father, she felt a twinge of disappointment as well.

  Lucas gave her a hug while reading her mind. “Stop looking down and out, will you? Brad’s at the sheriff's office for further questioning...after the Walker Senior raised another ruckus. I don’t know if they can charge him, but if it gets down to someone making up stories about actually seeing what happened, this thing could go into a tailspin.”

  “That's not credible evidence...just hearsay...just gossip...and lies. I remembered I saw Tommy there...running away...and I will give a statement.”

  “That's why we need to get back to Cobblers Cove and pay a visit to Sheriff Clayton. Do you have your evidence with you?

  “I do.” Emma patted her bag. “ It was the first thing I packed.”

  Two hours later, when Emma and Lucas walked into his office, Sheriff Clayton was eating his sandwich. Like most small towns, Cobblers Cove shut down for lunch. “Did either of you read the sign up front? It says 'Out to Lunch'.”

  “We won’t keep you long, Clay. Ease up. I’m here to help, not get you riled up,” said Lucas. “We have something for you to look at. You asked for the missing links to the puzzle. Well here they are.”

  Lucas handed over the plastic bag, and the sheriff held it up to the light and peered inside, as Lucas continued: “There will be prints on this that can be explained away, but take a close look. There’s more. There is one hair...dark , longish, like Tommy once wore his. There is a tiny speck of old dried blood where the links are broken. I suspect DNA testing will show it to be Ethan’s . He was no doubt nicked as he broke Tommy’s chain...probably from twisting it on Tommy neck in self defense.”

  Sheriff Clayton choked on his peanut butter sandwich, and took a deep gulp of water to clear his throat.

  Lucas gave him a wry smile .“Like I said that day in your office...a bitter pill to swallow. Now... where’s Brad Caldwell?”

  “He’s in the other room talking with one of the deputies.”

  “You don't have a reason to hold him. I have a statement to make that will help,” Emma declared. “Does he even have an attorney with h
im?"

  “Said he didn't need one and just wanted to clear the air once and for all.”

  “Alright. We’ll be having lunch at Ruby’s,” said Lucas. “Tell him we’ll be home in about an hour. Ask him to stop by the house, will you?"

  Clayton nodded, held the plastic bag up to the overhead light one last time, then handed it to one of his men: “Tag this as evidence, write it up and send it to state forensics lab.”

  He tossed his half-eaten peanut butter sandwich in the trash can. “So much for lunch," he mumbled. “Now let me get to work. Miss Emma, you can come in and give your statement later. We'll take it.”

  “Let me know the results on the forensics, will you, Clay?” Lucas asked.

  “I shouldn’t, but I’ll make an exception, but you have to promise me you’ll keep your mouth shut. I’ll handle the Walkers on this. Understood?”

  “Understood,” Emma and Lucas replied in unison.

  The sheriff looked up with something close to admiration in his eyes: “Georgia Abernathy is one lucky woman...lucky that you were able to stop her . How ironic that Tommy has filed complaints against both Brad and Georgia? He’s playing the victim to the hilt.”

  “We can only hope it will be a limited performance,” Lucas replied.

  Ruby’s Diner was bustling at lunchtime, with the wait staff of two hustling to keep the orders coming out. Ruby was in the kitchen cooking. Lucas saw Emma to a table and then proceeded to invade the busy kitchen. Against Ruby's mild protest, he led her into the walk-in cooler and pulled her against him.

  “Lucas...what's wrong with you? I have four orders coming off the grill.”

  “Darlin’, if you will write it into the vows that you promise not to feed me your meatloaf... for as long as we both shall live….we just might make a go of it, you and I.”

  “What are you saying, Lucas? Are you trying to make an honorable woman out of me?”

  “It’s more that I'm trying to make an honorable man out of me.”

  Ruby removed his hands from her waist and pushed him away gently. “Funny...I‘ve waited for this day for seventeen years... starting the day Grace walked out on you. I’ve stewed over what my answer would be if you ever were to ask. Now, I just realized, my answer is not what I thought it was going to be.”

  “Getting married is the honorable thing to do, Ruby...for both of us.”

  “Honor is not enough, as important as it is. Your heart’s not with me but with that lost soul tucked away in the state hospital. Sad part is that Georgia can never be anything but a memory, alive in body though she is. It’s not much more than Ethan can ever be for Emma, and he’s been gone a long time.”

  Ruby carefully eased around a speechless Lucas and headed back to the sizzling flattop.

  “I will be fine just being your friend,” she continued. “We should move on, and if we’re both lucky….very lucky...we’ll find someone to take with us along the way, just as I sense Emma has done.”

  “Okay then, Ruby. Have it your way...but if you change your mind…”

  Ruby flipped the burgers and finished his sentence, all at the same time: “...then I know where to find you.”

  Back at the St. Claire house, Emma sat on the bench by the banks of Moon Lake and watched the sail boats coming in. No more heartrending visions of Ethan haunted her, and she knew he was at peace at long last. He had become just a lovely memory that made her smile. She realized her feelings of fear and helplessness were gone, and a bright new future lay ahead. She had come through a dark tunnel into light. The old radio in her room no longer mysteriously played that old, haunting September song.

  The only thing on Emma’s mind now was the fact that Brad had not arrived. Added to that , she had called for Mutt Junior, and he had not come nor could she find him . She found a spot in the fenced area out back where he had dug out. Her mind was spinning with imaginary scenarios, none of which were happy..

  Just when she had given up on both Brad and her dog, she heard the sound of a tractor clattering up the drive. Her heart leaped to her throat at the sight of Brad, and behind him, in a cart, Junior, wagging his tail and barking for all he was worth.

  She ran to the gate to meet them, and before Brad could shut off the engine, she was up on the tractor with him. Her dog was licking her face with joy in their reunion. Brad managed to hold onto Emma with one arm while attempting to restrain Junior with the other, laughing all the while.

  “Look what I found laying on my porch waiting for me. Down, Dog. Stop trying to beat my time. Emma, come walk back down to the lake with me.”

  “You cleared your name? It’s over?”

  “I suppose so...but everything’s heating up for Tommy. I guess Sheriff Clayton laid it all on the table for Thomas Sr. He talked to Tommy, and Tommy broke down. They came in together just as I was leaving. It will still be a few days before the DNA evidence comes in, but it looks certain that the test will link Tommy to Ethan. So Tommy’s talking. It’s almost over.”

  “What about Amy?”

  “There’s a chance she could be in trouble as an accessory after the fact, but I doubt it will go anywhere. She’ll just have to live with the humiliation. Three of the kids are with Amy’s mother, but Jacob ran off to stay at a friend’s house. Apparently he wants no part of either side of the family.”

  Emma pictured the boy in her mind—he who was so much like his real father. She made herself a silent promise to take him to see his Grandmother Georgia if she improved enough for a visit.

  Brad took Emma's hand and sat her down beside him on the bench, and the irrepressible Mutt Junior laid down in the grass at their feet.

  “Emma?”

  “Yes, Bradley?”

  “Didn’t you suspect that I have been in-love with you my entire life? Didn't you know I used to lie awake at night and wonder what it would be like if you were my girl?”

  “Why is it you never told me?”

  “Because you only had eyes for Ethan, and when you love someone, you give them free reign and stand back to catch them when they fall.”

  “And I fell, and you caught me. Ethan was a lovely impossible dream that couldn’t last, and as for you…you were just too close for me to see you clearly.”

  Brad encircled her in his arms. “I’m extremely close now, right this minute. Take a look at me now.”

  Emma looked up into those tender amber eyes and moved into strong and welcoming arms.

  She knew, all at once and for always, she had found her way home.

  Epilogue: Five Years Later

  The small Texas town of Cobblers Cove hasn't changed much. Folks still know everybody's business, and few secrets remain hidden for very long. The old school group once known as the Invincibles has long since recognized life's persistent whimsy.

  Yet for two of its past members, life is on an upward swing: Emma and Brad married four years ago and settled in at the Caldwell Ranch where Junior the wonder dog haphazardly helps herd cows but mostly sleeps in the sun. Emma and Brad produced two offspring: a son with Brad's dark curly hair and a daughter with Emma's green eyes .Emma owns an art and craft shop on the square, right next to Ruby's Diner. She paints to her heart's content in the back studio and sells her work in the front of the shop. Brad still runs cattle and helps his father-in-law Lucas , just as he has always done.

  And Lucas St. Claire? He shocked the entire town by marrying Georgia Abernathy, after the doctors found the right medications to restore her to her former self. Lucas decided not to sell the big gray-stone mammoth known as the St. Claire Place, and so he and Georgia chose to live out their days there in as much peace as any earthly being can have.

  Jacob Walker, a grown man now, is publicly recognized as Ethan's son. Jacob became a swimming coach at the high school and lives in the Abernathy house which he maintains for his grandmother Georgia.

  Ruby met a traveling salesman two years ago. He stopped in at the diner for a cup of coffee one day and swept her off her feet. They live in her sm
all house that now is mortgage free, thanks to her new husband. His best quality is that he loves Ruby's infamous meatloaf.

  Tommy Walker is spending his years in prison, cringing in the corner of his cell. And Amy? Amy lost custody of the three younger children three years ago. It is rumored that she is addicted to prescription medication and is often seen across the county line at the local honky tonks , drinking way more than she should and raving at the world around her.

  And up in Boston? Benjamin Winfield had a heart attack at age forty-two, and is no longer top ad man but has taken up writing jingles for commercials—something he had wanted to do since he was six years old. Grace is content to finally be a grandmother and flies down to spoil her grandchildren every chance she gets.

  And what about Piano Man? He's somewhere nearby, wherever there's someone who needs his otherworldly connections. If you listen closely,you just might hear him playing that old haunting and bittersweet September song.