In Another Time

by Cate Buchanan

  Nuzzling her chin with the comforter she thought, “Well, that was a perfectly uneventful evening. Just what I needed.” She sighed then drifted into a deep sleep.

  Later…she dreamed.

  It was a clear, moonlit night. She was on a beach hidden from view behind a lofty dune. Directly ahead of her, framed in the glow of a luminous moonbeam, an ethereal couple waltzed elegantly along the edge of the frothy sea. The sound of the rippling, undulating ocean waves conducted their sensuous dance. As they twirled, the slender woman’s gauzy skirts wrapped possessively around her partner’s trousered legs. He held her lovingly in his arms. Their graceful bodies were perfectly attuned to each other. Every step was fluid and effortless. Bewitching caramel eyes held captive the vibrant blue orbs of her tall, handsome accomplice. Sadie could feel the feverous passion that radiated between them. It was intoxicating and she began swaying to the seductive rhythm. Under their spell, her head lolled and her eyes closed heavily. She willed them to open and saw the sky erupt above them. The couple tensed and held each other closely. In the flash, she spotted the man in uniform angrily marching toward them, a dangerous scowl cloaking his brooding, dark chocolate eyes. The couple’s startled eyes veered in concert toward the soldier. Frightened, they clung tightly to each other. The sky flashed again and they all disappeared. Sadie squinted and frantically, desperately, scanned the beach for them. Afraid for their safety, her heart began beating wildly. She tried to call out to them but her mouth opened and closed without a sound. The sky exploded again and Sadie bolted upright in her bed.

  “Oh my gosh!” she wheezed, her hand pressed against her drumming heart. “Oh my gosh!” she repeated, struggling to catch her breath. Concentrating on taking slow, steady breaths, her frenzied heartbeats finally slowed to a normal rate. Mulling the dream over and over, she grappled with the idea that the intimate, exquisite couple had been Lala and Sam and the intimidating soldier was Papa Jim. She scrunched her eyes closed, willing their faces to appear.

  She decided that tomorrow she’d ask Sam about everything, but she wasn’t sure exactly what she’d ask. She labored over the approach she’d take for several minutes. At last, she determined that she’d come up with a pretty good plan. Jotting down the questions she decided to pose to him, she hoped his answers would clear up the notions her wild imagination had produced.

  Chapter 22

  Saturday Morning

  At seven-thirty Saturday morning Sam got a phone call from Jeremy, the crew foreman of Evans and Son Christmas Tree Farm. He was calling to report that Ben, a worker on the trim crew, had been injured late yesterday evening when a power-thinning saw apparently slipped and nearly cut off his thumb.

  Sam ran his fingers through his hair and asked if Ben was okay. Jeremy said he’d sent a couple of guys from another cutting crew to take him to the emergency room in Chico and they’d reported back that he was doing well. The ER doctor had said he was lucky. The cut was deep, but not into the bone. He’d gotten thirteen stitches.

  “I just wanted you to know so you wouldn’t be hit with it upon your return,” Jeremy stated. Also, there was an incident report that had to be filled out, and he needed to know if he was supposed to have Donald, Sam’s son, fill it out.

  “Well, Donald was there when it happened, wasn’t he?” Sam inquired.

  “Yeah, but he was on the bulldozer priming a site for planting on that back eighty you purchased last spring,” Jeremy informed him.

  “Okay. Will you call Donald, explain what happened to Ben and ask him to take care of it, please?”

  “Will do. When are you planning to come home, Boss? The season’s almost upon us,” Jeremy reminded him.

  “I’m thinking about taking the Monday evening flight out of Albany which’ll put me back there early Tuesday morning. There are a few things I’d like to do before I leave here as I probably won’t have a reason to come back again. I’ll let you know my itinerary for sure tomorrow evening. If you should need me again before then, leave a message with the receptionist here at the inn,” he said.

  “Will do. I’ll call Donald and let him know about the incident this morning. Just wanted to run it by you first. Enjoy the rest of your stay, and have a safe trip home.”

  “Thanks for the information. I’ll see you on Tuesday, Jeremy.”

  After they hung up, Sam thought it’d taken longer to need him back at the tree farm than he’d figured. When he’d left California last Sunday, he’d fully expected to receive a call from work by Tuesday at the latest. Almost a week away without dealing with the day-to-day problems of owning a business made him feel optimistic about the possibility of traveling more in the future. He deemed it a win.

  He and Jeanette had never ventured too far away from home even when they did vacation. He was always careful about being close enough to the tree farm so they could be home in a day’s time in case there was an emergency. Therefore, they usually went to the coast or to Southern California with friends for a week or two in the summer. Being away six days without incident definitely had him feeling hopeful that he’d be able to enjoy more time away in the future.

  He sat back in his chair and felt he’d been away long enough, though. He missed the fresh, clean scent of the cedars, pines and spruces. Although the crisp, autumn air was refreshing in New York, it just wasn’t the same. Besides, there really wasn't much in Harmony Glen for him now. Lillian was gone, and seeing her was the one thing he’d looked forward to the most. Ever since regaining his memory, he’d yearned for the chance to reconcile with her, even found himself daydreaming about it while he should have been focused on his day-to-day business. But it’d absorbed him and now he was too late. It was time to get back to reality.

  Recalling the past week, he thought about everything that’d happened. He’d enjoyed meeting Sadie and spending time with her, but she had her own busy life. It’d be unfair of him to impose upon her generosity any longer.

  He thought about how running into David at the restaurant had been a pleasant surprise, and how he’d thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him during their lunch the next day, which made him realize how much he’d missed having him around back home.

  Then, when he’d happened upon David and Sadie’s curious exchange yesterday in the classroom, it’d left him wondering about their relationship. They were both young, single, and definitely attracted to each other, even if he could tell they weren’t ready to accept it yet.

  Then thanks to Chris Jennings, he thought of how his parents’ wishes had been brought to fruition.

  So really, there were only two things keeping him there now: he’d promised Willie that he’d come by to see him, and there was something that’d been gnawing at him for months. Something he couldn't get out of his mind until he went back there, to the lake and the house which had evoked so many mixed emotions.

  His last night at the lake house with Lillian had been one of the most wonderful, yet one of the most heartbreaking nights of his life. Now it seemed the place was luring him, beckoning him, but dealing with the feelings he was sure would be resurrected when he got to the cottage was something he didn’t know if he could handle. Yet he felt compelled to go there again if nothing more at this point than to get it over with. He figured what better way to face his feelings than head on at the very place where they were made?

  He wasn’t sure who owned the cottage now. If it was still in Ellen’s family, he knew he could get inside. He’d ask Willie about it during their lunch.

  Still, he knew it was time for him to go back to the life he knew, even though it wasn’t the life he’d chosen. Coming back to this place after a forty-five-year absence had helped him realize that this was no longer his home. It wasn’t the place of his long ago once-forgotten memories. None of that was here anymore. His life wasn’t here anymore. Lillian wasn’t here anymore. It was time to go home.

  Chapter 23

  Saturday Afternoon

  When they’d last spoken on the phone, Willie said that
he had a regular tee time on Saturday mornings at the country club in King’s Landing. It was his only day to relax outside work and family obligations and enjoy some time outside the bank. He’d asked Sam to meet him there at noon for drinks and lunch.

  Deciding to spend the rest of the morning in his room, Sam leisurely read the paper and sipped on coffee until around ten-thirty.

  Since they were meeting at the country club, he chose the more relaxed style of a white Oxford shirt and khaki chinos instead of his usual business attire. He just couldn’t even think about wearing the bold, sometimes brash, colors that were so popular today. Never being one for fads, he believed that classic was always in style.

  Just as he pulled into a parking spot, he spied Willie parking his golf cart. The two old friends met and embraced.

  “Man, it’s literally been a lifetime, buddy. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” Willie eventually managed to speak into Sam’s ear. “I can hardly believe you’re here.”

  Sam was too overcome to speak. Holding Willie in a hug until he felt it was becoming embarrassing, he loosened his grip and stepped back. Still at a loss for words, he went in for another hug and more heartfelt pats on the back. After another few seconds, he hugged Willie tightly to him one last time then let go and swiped at his eyes, batting away the tears that had pooled in them.

  “Willie…,” Sam choked on his name, “I, I’m so…I thought I’d never see you again. You are a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Well, you look pretty good yourself. For a dead guy, that is.” Willie smirked as he dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

  “You always could make me laugh.” Sam chuckled then said, “Come on, pal, I want to buy my oldest and dearest friend some lunch.”

  “You remember the way to my heart!” Willie joked as he looped his arm over Sam’s shoulders and led the way.

  The weather was mild for a mid-October day so they chose a table on the patio. After ordering a couple of Club Specials, Willie said, “I don’t want to be pushy, but it’s been forty-five years. What happened to you?”

  Sam shook his head and sighed, “It’s a long story. How much time do you have?”

  “For you, Sam, I have all day. Man, it’s incredible. After all these years, you’re alive. You’ve been alive all this time. I just can’t get over it. Ever since our phone conversation, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it. It’s just so…surreal. You know, like something you read about, but it doesn’t happen to you or to someone you know. What did Lillian say? I’m assuming you’ve been to see her?” Willie’s voice trailed off when he noticed the hurt look in Sam’s eyes.

  “Lillian’s gone. I’ve met Sadie, her granddaughter. She told me she’s been gone since August.”

  “Oh, Sam, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I don’t keep up much with Harmony Glen anymore. I’ve been in charge of the King’s Landing branch since 1955. I hadn’t seen Lillian since, gosh, well, I don’t know. I told you on the phone that Ellen and I saw her with her son in the city at Macy’s, but, gee, that was forty some years ago.”

  “I know. I know. I had no idea either, until I was on my way to her bookstore and ran into Sadie. Willie, I just feel so cheated. I know I’ve lived a whole life, but, well, it’s not the life I would have chosen had I’d been given the chance.”

  “Sam, what happened?” Willie asked carefully. “What happened to keep you away all this time?” Just then, their waitress appeared to take their lunch order and ask if they cared for another drink.

  When she’d gone, Sam began, “Remember, I told you on the phone that I’d suffered from a head injury during an air strike over Hamburg, Germany, during the war?” Willie nodded, demonstrating that he remembered. “It’s weird, I know, but do you remember me telling you that it was on my birthday, July 25,1943?” Again, Willie nodded indicating that he recalled Sam telling him that. “Okay, well, what I didn’t tell you is that when I woke up in the hospital in California two weeks later, I was Sandy Evans.”

  With a baffled expression on his face, Willie said, “Wait. What? How can that be?”

  “Well, I wasn’t literally Sandy Evans, but I lived almost forty-four years as Sandy Evans. Sam Evanston died on his nineteenth birthday during an airstrike over Hamburg, Germany,” he lamented.

  Willie sat there gawking at Sam with his drink halfway to his mouth.

  “I know. It’s crazy. It took me six months to get it straightened out legally. I’m still trying to get parts of it straightened out in my head, so I know you’re confused,” Sam offered.

  “Okay, just so we’re straight, you really are Sam Evanston, right?” Willie questioned. “You look like Sam. You sound like Sam. You are Sam Evanston, right?”

  “Yes, I’m Sam. As I said, I was so confused, too. It’s complicated. Then, again, it’s really not. Let me explain,” Sam went on.

  For the next hour and a half over lunch and a few more drinks, Sam disclosed the entire incredible story. He didn’t skip a single detail. It gripped Willie to the point of rendering him incapable of speaking throughout most of the fantastic story. Several times he shook his head and raised his hands as if in surrender saying, “Whoa! That’s crazy!” Then, when he could make sense of what Sam was telling him, he’d urge him to continue. A couple of times Willie became incensed, saying, “You’re kidding! That’s just so wrong!”

  It was a tough afternoon for Willie but Sam felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He realized that it was the first time he’d actually told someone outside his family the whole convoluted account.

  When Sam had finished, Willie said, “Man, you should write a book. That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Sam laughed and said, “It’d have to be a fictional tale because no one would believe it. I barely believe it myself.”

  As they stood in the parking lot next to Sam’s rental car, Willie said, “I know I’ve said it a lot of times today, but I’m going to say it again. I’m so sorry, my friend. I’m just so happy that you’re back. We’ve missed out on so many years. Let’s start making up for them, okay? Come for dinner tomorrow. Ellen will be thrilled to see you.”

  “Thanks, Willie. I appreciate the offer, but I’m flying home on Monday, and I’ve got a few things to wrap up before I go. Please give Ellen my love. I promise, I’ll come back soon. Oh, I did want to ask you something. Does Ellen’s family still own the cottage on the lake?”

  Willie shook his head. “No, we sold that probably ten years ago when the kids all got married and moved away. We rarely got over that way anymore and felt like someone else would enjoy the place as much as we had over the years. I didn’t handle the sale as it was in Ellen’s family trust, so I’m not sure who bought it.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll just walk the grounds then. I have so many fond memories of that place. Surely, the new owner won’t have me arrested for snooping around on their property.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a lot of good memories of the cottage, too,” Willie responded. As he grabbed Sam for a big, final hug, he added, “Hey, for what it’s worth, I know you didn’t choose that life, but you’ve fared pretty well, buddy. You’re every bit the man I knew you’d be.” Walking away he stopped, turned back, and declared, “It’s been great seeing you today, Sam. Don’t stay away too long. I don’t think we have another forty-five years. Well, at least not as Sam and Willie!”

  Sam smiled and said, “Stay away from your wit and charm? Not a chance, buddy.”

  Driving back to Harmony Glen, Sam couldn’t stop grinning. Willie hadn’t changed a bit, well, except physically, but he was still the charming, sincere guy he’d been since they were kids. During the forty-four years of his other life, he’d never found anyone who made him feel so completely at ease. Someone he could fully trust. Even his own wife, Jeanette, had never made him feel so warm and accepted. Being with Willie today, was the first time he felt like maybe he did belong here after all.

  Chapter 24
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  Sadie—Saturday Afternoon

  Jittery. That’s how Sadie felt. Hardly sleeping the night before, she’d drunk an extra cup of coffee before opening the bookstore thinking it’d help her feel more alert. Instead, she was wired and hypersensitive. Every little sound made her jump.

  Feeling grateful that Jo was back at work so she could leave the bookstore for a lunch break, she phoned Cindy and asked if she could meet her at noon. She had to talk to someone about what she was planning to do when she and Sam met later. Feeling almost dizzy with the questions she was dying to ask him buzzing around in her head, but at the same time feeling anxious about his answers, she knew a good dose of Cindy would calm her. A voice of reason, that’s what she needed.

  Cindy agreed to pick her up, saying she didn’t think Sadie should be driving. Promptly at noon, she pulled up in front of La-La Land in her bright yellow car. Sadie waved to Jo then ran out the door.

  Jumping into the passenger side she said, “You’re a lifesaver. I think I’m having a nervous breakdown! Please! Talk me down. Tell me it’s okay to assail Sam with the questions I’ve got,” the words rushed out of her without a breath.

  Laughing as she pulled away from the curb, Cindy said, “Whoa, girl! Breathe. Let’s grab a bite and talk about what’s got you so worked up. I don’t even know what new information you’ve uncovered that has you in such a tizzy! Burgers and fries okay?” she asked as she drove past the library heading in the direction of the highway.

  “Yeah,” Sadie answered absentmindedly gnawing at a fingernail. “I need to eat something. I’ve had four cups of coffee this morning and I think I’m about to drive Jo crazy. She’s a great hand at the bookstore. I don’t want to run her off. You should’ve seen the look in her eyes when I met her at the front door this morning after my first two cups of coffee. I thought she was going to turn tail and run! You’re right. I need to breathe.”