Waiting for Dusk

by Nancy Pennick

  “Okay. Sorry, again. When are you coming home?”

  “Monday. I’ve got to go. Someone is knocking on my door.” Katie lied.

  “I’ll let you go, but promise me you’ll come to my first game,” It sounded like he was begging.

  “I promise.”

  Katie couldn’t hang up quick enough. She got ready for bed and set her phone alarm. She didn’t want someone knocking on her door, telling her to get up. She wanted to be up and ready to go.

  Katie was the first one downstairs in the morning. She smelled bacon cooking and coffee brewing, and it was a beautiful, sunny day. On the deck, she saw Anna sitting in a rocker. Katie went out to join her.

  “Hello, Grandma J. Nice day, isn’t it?” Katie wasn’t sure if Anna remembered the conversation they had the night before.

  “Oh, Kathryn, knock off the Grandma J crap and sit down here.” Anna patted the chair next to her.

  Katie laughed and said, “Where did you learn to talk like a trucker?”

  “You don’t live one hundred years and learn nothing. I have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren you know.”

  “Anna, don’t you wonder why I look the same and you knew me many years ago?” Katie was thinking about that all night.

  “Yes, I do, Kathryn, but decided not to question it. The Lord works in mysterious ways. I have you back and that’s all I know.”

  “I’m glad to have you back too. I missed you so much. I was afraid it was all a dream. Can I ask you something?”

  Anna nodded.

  “Did you ever hear of or know a Jack Woods?” Katie wanted to get to the bottom of that and maybe Anna could help her.

  “Why, yes, I have. He was a very famous writer and visited the canyon a lot in the twenties. I have some of his books. One is a journal he wrote of time spent at the canyon. Would you like to read them?”

  “Oh, yes, please, Anna, I would. My dad’s a writer, too. Not as famous as Jack Woods but he does pretty well. Have you heard of Jackson Roberts?”

  “I have some of his books too. His writing is quite similar to Jack Woods. Your dad must be a fan or student of his.”

  “Actually he never mentioned him. Andrew...” Katie stopped short.

  “Andrew wanted to take you to one of his lectures,” Anna finished for her. “He was a big fan of Jack Woods. Jack became a mentor to Andrew. They were almost like brothers. You will be looking for Andrew today, won’t you?” Anna placed her hand under Katie’s chin. They looked at each other for a long moment, their eyes locked. Time had not come between them. “That’s love, Kathryn, true love. To always look for the one you love.”

  Lindsey came out on the deck. She squinted in the bright morning sun. “Hi, Grandma J, you’re always up bright and early.” She walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so glad you like my best friend.”

  “She’s delightful and the perfect best friend for you, Lindsey. Now you two go eat your breakfast and be on your way. Have a fun day. If you’d ask Grandpa Dan to come out and help me in, I’d appreciate it.”

  Katie leaned over and kissed Anna on the cheek. “You’re also my best friend. See you later.”

  After breakfast, Katie went up to her room to finish getting ready. She sent text messages to everyone back home, including Ty, and one to Carl. She ran down the stairs and entered the large family room ready for the day. Sitting on the sofa with his back to her was a young man with dark hair that just covered the top of his shirt.

  “Drew!”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The young man stood up and turned to face Katie. “Sorry, my name is Charlie,” he said with a cute little grin.

  Charlie was definitely not Drew. He had dark hair but that was all they had in common. Charlie was shorter and thinner. He had the beard that all the guys wore—thin, from ear to ear traveling across the jaw line—and a faint mustache too. He wore a band t-shirt and jeans with a plaid hooded sweatshirt. She liked it. Nothing was designer but well thought out. Katie was surprised to see someone dressed that way out west. She expected cowboy boots and hats. She saw why Lindsey liked him. He had an easy way about him, and a killer smile.

  Katie put out her hand. “Hi, I’m Katie.”

  Charlie shook her hand and said, “You ready for some hiking today? I got boots in the jeep.”

  Katie wasn’t sure about hiking. She only went on a short one with Drew. The next one would have to be with him, too.

  Lindsey walked in at that moment. “I think we’ll be doing other things while you two macho men hike the canyon.” She walked up to Charlie and hugged him.

  “Good to see you, Lindsey. How’s Ohio treating you?”

  Katie saw Aunt Sue walk by and decided it was the perfect time to plant a seed. “Aunt Sue, do you have a minute?”

  She stopped and put the laundry basket she was carrying on the stairs. “Sure, I do.”

  “Have you ever heard of Lucinda Hasting?”

  “Yes, of course. She lives quite near here. Or I should say lived.”

  “Well, she’s my great-great aunt and I was wondering if there would be time to drive me over to see where she lived?”

  Aunt Sue looked a little shocked but seemed to be taking it all in.

  At that moment, Brandon came racing down the stairs. “Come on, let’s go!” he said, and then ran out the front door. The rest of them followed.

  During the drive, Katie learned more about Brandon and Charlie. Both were seniors, planning on going to the University of Arizona. It was far enough away from home that they couldn’t commute, so they planned on rooming together. They both played baseball and were avid hikers and climbers. Brandon was hoping for a baseball scholarship. Katie thought they were great guys. It seemed Charlie wanted Lindsey to attend UA too. He practically said so. He kept asking her about where she would go to college, mentioned how it be fun if they were all on campus together. He included Katie in that comment, probably just to be nice. Katie could tell Lindsey really liked Charlie, but she understood why she was holding back. Too many choices. The boys were going to college the next year, and Lindsey and Katie would be high school seniors.

  Katie let out a big sigh. Everyone laughed.

  “What’s going on with you?” Brandon poked her playfully as he pulled into the parking area.

  They all jumped out of the jeep and looked around. Brandon had parked in the familiar South Rim Village area. It was like being home to Katie. Charlie pointed out to Lindsey where he planned on hiking. She heard him asking her to come along. Lindsey declined, being true to her friend, insisting they would have time together later.

  Finally Brandon and Charlie grabbed their gear and took off down the designated path. They all agreed to meet back in the parking lot in about three hours, then head for a restaurant.

  “Hey, Brandon,” Lindsey called after him. “Can I have the car keys?”

  Brandon dug in his pocket and tossed the keys to her. The girls ran toward the jeep. Lindsey jumped in the driver’s seat, looked at Katie and said, “Where to?”

  Katie guided her to the boardinghouse. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing it. She knew the place had been sold but hoped for the best. As they grew nearer, they saw a sign for Erickson’s Riding Stables.

  “So it’s just a place to go riding. Turn here. This is it.”

  They pulled onto a road that was y-shaped. The right road led to the stables and the other road had a sign that said Erickson’s Bed and Breakfast. Choosing the road to the left, they drove past a modern one-story ranch house and continued on. Then right in front of her was the boardinghouse, her beloved boardinghouse. It had been turned into a bed and breakfast. What a great idea for the place. Katie loved that it looked so well taken care of. It still looked like the original building.

  “Well? Do you want to go in?” Lindsey parked the jeep and looked at Katie.

  “No, I don’t think I can. It’s just so wonderful to see it’s still here.” Katie couldn’t help but stare at the place
that held so many memories for her. Tears filled her eyes. She pictured the old Buick sitting in front of the house. She pictured Loretta and Lucinda chasing each other and dancing around in the yard. She heard Anna calling to her to get in the house before someone saw her with Drew. “Lindsay, why didn’t you ever tell me your great-grandmother’s name was Anna?”

  “Like we ever talk about our great-grandmothers! Oh, let’s compare grandmas. What’s your grandma’s name?”

  “Okay, you’re right about that. But don’t think I’m strange or anything with what I am about to say, promise?”

  “I promise. You know you can tell me anything.”

  “I know your great-grandmother.”

  “Of course you do. You spent a lot of time with her since we got here.”

  “No, not like that. I know her from my dreams. She’s the Anna from my dream, which I’m pretty sure now are not dreams.” Katie squeezed her eyes shut. She waited for Lindsey to tell her she was crazy.

  “O...kay...”

  “Lindsey, your grandmother knew me. She called me Kathryn and talked about Andrew. She was so happy to see me. We talked like we were old friends.”

  “Well, Grandma J likes to live in the past and we did say you looked like the Kathryn in that wedding picture. Maybe she’s just confused. Old people are like that you know.” Lindsey sighed. “Or maybe you’re right. It could be more than a realistic dream.”

  “There’s one more thing. We are cousins, long lost cousins.” Katie put her hands over her ears waiting for Lindsey to yell or scream or something. There was nothing but silence. Katie looked over and saw her friend griping the steering wheel. She seemed deep in thought.

  “Let’s go over to the riding stable and rent some horses to ride. Then I’ll fill you in on everything.” Katie patted Lindsey’s shoulder. “I know this is a lot to take in for one day. I’ve had more time to process all of this.”

  “Really? Just like that? I’m supposed to buy into this?” Lindsey slapped the wheel. “Wow, sorry about that. Give me a minute.” She wiped her forehead, then started the jeep and headed down a back road to the stables. When she parked, she jumped out and walked around to face Katie.

  “You’re my cousin?” She hugged Katie as tightly as she could.

  Katie was so happy by her final reaction. She understood.

  On their hour-long ride, Katie did the best she could to fill Lindsey in on all the details. Katie told her that her grandma, Dan’s wife Amy, was Lucinda’s daughter and Katie’s cousin. It took them awhile to piece everything together.

  “How come our moms never figured this out?” Lindsey wondered.

  “I asked myself the same thing.” Katie was glad Lindsey took it well. That part was believable and could be proven. She didn’t know how she could prove she knew Anna when she was young. For then, it was good enough. They returned the horses to the stable when the hour was up, jumped in the jeep and headed back to the canyon.

  “Where next?” Lindsey asked.

  “The Village, and then Yavapai Point.”

  They parked at a visitor center and walked to the spots that were so important to Katie. She wanted to show Lindsey all the places she had been with Drew. Katie stopped at Kolb Studio. She remembered how excited Drew was for her to meet Jack Woods. A cold shudder went through her. When she saw Jack, she knew it was her father and had to avoid him. Now all she had to do is prove that Jack is Jackson. For the time being, she would enjoy showing Lindsey all her favorite places.

  The next stop was the piece of land that jutted out just a little further than the rest in front of El Tovar. It was where she and Drew had stood to first view the canyon and she knew the exact spot. She stood with Lindsey and retold the story of her first date with Drew. They turned around and headed back to El Tovar. Katie ran up the stairs and sat on the front porch. She remembered thinking she’d be in trouble for eating her lunch there with Drew. It seemed like such a distant memory.

  Finally they headed down to Yavapai station. For some reason, they were the only ones there. A bus pulled away with a group of tourists.

  Katie looked at Lindsey. “Don’t think I’m crazy but there is something I just have to do.” She walked up to the edge, took a deep breath and in her loudest voice yelled out, “Drew!” It felt really good so she did it again.

  Then Lindsey joined in. Together they yelled his name out into that beautiful, magical canyon over and over again. They didn’t notice another bus pulling up and people getting off. Katie looked at Lindsey and they burst out laughing. They ran all the way back to the village, and threw themselves down on the grass in front of El Tovar.

  Lindsey took out her phone. “I just got a text from Brandon. They’re on their way to the parking lot. Let’s go meet them. I’m starving.”

  * * * *

  The four teens found a great place to eat and then hung out for the rest of the day. It was getting close to dusk when Brandon suggested they head for home. They piled into the jeep and drove home in silence, a good silence. Katie made sure she sat in front with Brandon again so Charlie and Lindsey could be alone in the back. For some reason, Katie knew that Charlie was the one for Lindsey. She wondered if Lindsey knew it too. It was just like Anna and Daniel—meant to be.

  When they got home, the front door flew open and Megan came running out. “Mommy says you’re my cousin.” She hugged Katie tightly.

  “Really?”

  “Come on. We have something to show you!” Megan pulled Katie into the house and everyone followed.

  Aunt Sue sat at the kitchen table with Anna. They had a poster size paper mounted on the wall so everyone could see. At the top of the paper were Lucinda and Anna’s names.

  “Did you kids have fun?” Aunt Sue had a big smile on her face. “Sit down and I’ll get you all something to drink. Megan, Grandma J and I have been at this for awhile. Katie, I can’t believe we didn’t figure this out sooner!”

  She had her head in the refrigerator as she was talking and came back to the table with sodas and bottles of water.

  “Mommy, can we start now?” Megan clapped her hands and her face was flush with excitement.

  “Sure, you do our family.” Aunt Sue gave her the go ahead.

  “First, I want to say that Grandma J was a big help to us,” Megan said. “Grandma J, also known as Anna, married Grandpa J or Daniel Jenkins. Then Anna and Daniel had Daniel Jr.” She pointed to the family tree as she spoke.

  “Grandpa Dan or Daniel Jr. married Amy Hasting. That’s where you come in, Katie,” She turned to Katie smiling, “Amy is your cousin.” Megan then pointed back to the chart. “Dan and Amy had four kids, my mom Sue, Lindsey’s mom Beth, and the twins Scott and Steve. So we’re all related! That’s the family history.” Megan took a bow.

  Lindsey and Katie clapped, looking at each other as only best friends with their own secrets can. Katie noticed Lindsey was holding Charlie’s hand under the table. She gave her another knowing look.

  Aunt Sue stepped in. “Today Katie asked me about Lucinda and their family ranch. I couldn’t believe she knew Lucinda, my grandmother, let alone was related to her. It’s such a small world. We had to put it all down on paper for it to make sense to us. Our heads are spinning! Grandma J was determined for us to get it right and insisted on making the two family trees. Luckily she was there for all of this. She lived it.”

  Sue touched Anna lovingly on the shoulder. Katie locked eyes with Anna, hoping she could read the love in them. She wanted to cry, sing, scream—she didn’t know which one she was so excited. Katie didn’t have that big of a family. Her dad had no living relatives. They did have her mom’s side of the family back in Ohio and the Hastings but now they could add all of these people to Joanna’s family tree.

  Sue continued. “Lucinda married Henry Hasting and they had three daughters, Henrietta, Lucy and Amy. My Aunts Retta and Lucy still live at the ranch.” She looked at Katie. “And by the way they can’t believe you’re here and are friends with Lindsey. T
hey want us to come over for a quick visit tomorrow morning.” She then pointed back to the family tree. “Now this is where the two families connect.” There was a line drawn from Amy to Dan’s name. “Katie, you finish the rest.” Sue handed Katie a marker.

  Katie stood up and went over to the poster board. They left room on Lucinda’s tree so Katie could fill in the rest. She uncapped the marker and wrote in Loretta’s name, connecting it to Lucinda since they were sisters. She continued on with the rest of her family, working from Loretta’s name until present day—Loretta’s two children, Richard and Sandra, then Richard’s son and Sandra’s children, Will, Michael, and her mother. Finally she wrote her name under her mom’s. Her name looked so lonely at the bottom of the tree. She wanted to write Drew’s name in a new column and connect it to hers. “So as you can see, we are all cousins.” Katie sat down.

  Everyone talked at once, trying to figure out how they were connected. Katie took it all in. It felt so good to get some of the secrets out and share them with others. Only Anna knew all her secrets. Well, almost all of them. Katie didn’t tell her she tried to stop Lucinda from marrying Henry. If she had succeeded, most of the people in this room would not exist. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed around at everyone. She hated herself for trying to play some type of god.

  “Are you alright, Kathryn?” Anna stood over her now. “Would you like to come back to my sitting room and have some quiet time? I think I need a little rest.”

  “Yes, I would like that.” Katie got up and walked with Anna down the hallway. Anna did pretty well for someone about to turn one hundred-years-old. She used a cane for support but was still able to keep up with Katie. They sat together on the loveseat.

  Katie decided she had to tell Anna the truth. “I need to tell you something. You’re going to hate me after I do. It’s fine with me if you decide to never speak to me again. I deserve it.”

  “I doubt that, but go ahead, child.” Anna took her hand.

  “On the night of the wedding rehearsal, I was determined to stop Lucinda’s wedding. I felt she didn’t love Henry and would be in a loveless marriage. I wanted her to think about it before it was too late. And if I got through to her?” Katie covered her face with her hands and whispered, “There would be no Jenkins family tree.” When she was done, she couldn’t look at Anna. Katie realized they were still holding hands.