“She has! That’s great Gannon. Where’d you two decide to go?”
“Well, she wants to go to the hot dog stand at the County Fair next week.”
“That’s all? She should be helping you unload some of that social security money you’ve been hanging on to, if you ask me.” She joined his happy mood.
He shrugged. “The lady wants hot dogs at the fair. That’s what she gets. Said it would be nice memories of bygone days.”
“Well then, by all means. Thad going to take you?”
“Yep, said he’d leave us there alone as long as I took my cane and his cell phone. I agreed, but don’t have a clue how to use the confounded thing.”
“Well, let him show you. That way you’ll look very modern and if Mrs. Anderson needs anything you’ll be her knight in shining armor.”
“Ya think?”
Lacy loved his chuckle. She hadn’t heard it in a long time. Things were going to be all right.
“Allison’s coming tonight to pick up some of her stuff. You heard she got a condo didn’t you?”
“Yeah, Thad told me. You gonna be all right in that rattled old farmhouse alone, with me gone, Lacy?”
He had turned serious eyes on her. “I’ll be fine. Besides maybe I’ll sell too.”
“Well, you think about that now. And whatever you do, I know your folks will be mighty proud. And don’t let anybody tell you what to do. Change is good. We all need to move along sometimes. And the Almighty is always there if we need anything.”
“Yes, He is. Thanks Gannon. Well, I hear Thad coming. I’m going to let you two get moving. I have to get back and get some dinner going. I think Al’s going to bring a couple people to help her move some stuff and you know they’re going to want to eat.”
“Yeah, give ‘em an old-fashioned dinner made from your garden, Lacy.” He waved as she started for the door.
“See you later Gannon. Hey you guys have dinner planned?”
“Nah, don’t worry. We’re going out. I might see Mrs. Anderson if we’re out and about.” He smiled.
“Indeed you might. Off I go.”
He waved again.
Lacy knew another part of her life was changing, picked up her bike and headed down the lane with a wave to Thad. She had no idea just how much her life would change in the days ahead.
Chapter 12
Allison moved most of her big items out that first night.
Four husky guys and two gals spilled out of two long-bed pickup trucks and helped her sister load up. Lacy stayed out of the way and cooked. After they filled the vehicles, they all sat down to corn on the cob, baked chicken, sliced tomatoes and Lacy’s special potato salad.
When the last truck pulled out, it was nearly dark. In all the excitement Allison had forgotten to hug her goodbye. After their parents died, they were super diligent to hug whenever they left each other. Lacy guessed this was just part of the leaving process. She knew deep down how much Allison loved her. Her little sister just didn’t need her the same way. But it was healthy, she told herself.
Lacy stepped back inside and looked around upstairs in Al’s old room. It looked weird with her bed and dresser gone. She wondered where in the world Al planned to use that ancient furniture. It sure wouldn’t fit the modern décor of her new condo.
The wood floors—worn and scuffed from decades of wear— needed a good polishing. After that, she could use the room any way she wanted. She loved sewing, but hadn’t had time. Perhaps it was time she take it up again. Make this a sewing room. The three bedrooms upstairs were small. Still it would be cozy to come up and sew at night knowing Allison wasn’t sleeping in the room next door.
While she was musing she heard a car pull up to the house and peeked out the bedroom window. Thad. What was he doing here at dark. She hoped everything was okay.
She ran down and met him at the door.
“Mind if I use your phone again?”
He avoided eye contact while brushing his hand through his hair. A sure sign stress was involved.
“Help yourself. I’ll be upstairs.”
By the time she had the trash picked up and the floor swept, the room was looking good. There were plenty of holes and dents in the walls which she would need to have Bobby, the local handyman fill, and then she’d paint. She stood, hands on hips, all lights on, looking at the walls. What color should she choose?
The stairs creaked. Thad was on his way up.
“Well, we’re done.” He said, hands in his back pockets, looking down at his feet.
“Really. She dumped you?”
“Yep. Said she finally realized she’d been with another guy when the baby was conceived and that’s that.”
“I’m so sorry, Thad.”
“Yeah, me, too. In a way. Relieved in another. She wasn’t the girl for me, Lace. She was beautiful when I met her. Sweet. But the more I got to know her, the more I found out things that I tried to overlook. Some of my friends told me she wasn’t marriage material, but I thought she would change, you know?”
Lacy nodded.
“Come on downstairs and we can sit on the front porch. It’s a beautiful night and I think I saw the moon peeking up behind the trees. I’ve spent most of the day in here. It’s getting stuffy.”
He followed her down and Lacy poured coffee for him, tea for her. She handed him his cup and they sat on two old webbed lawn chairs and gazed at the moon. Lacy rested her feet on the railing. Thad did the same.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I’ve got a couple more weeks off between tapings so I’m going to get Gannon moved and settled and go back to work.”
“Just like that?”
“Yep, just like that. You know, now that I know the kid is not mine I feel like I’ve been given a second chance to straighten up my life.”
Lacy just listened. She learned a lot about Thad Gannon that night. How what looks good on the outside may not be so great when it comes down to real life.
He had everything. Looks. Talent. Money. And still she and he were in the same predicament. People were leaving their lives, forcing them to make changes.
“Maybe we’ve both been given second chances,” she mused.
“You? What do you mean? You’ve got it made here, Lacy. You come from a good solid family, have your own place, know who you are and are settled.”
“Oh my. Have I painted such a pretty picture that you don’t see that I’m just as real as you are? With the same need to be known, loved, and appreciated?”
“Sure, but…”
“No buts…things have not been perfect here either, Thad. Mom and Dad died on the same day, the responsibility of the farm left to us. Me running it while Al went to school, helping Gannon every day. No time for the things I like to do.”
“Sorry Lace. Part of that was my fault.”
“It’s in the past now. I would have done it whether you were here or not.”
“Which also meant you had no time for finding Mr. Right.”
“Yeah, that too.”
They both sat quietly for a moment, listening to the chirping of crickets in the August heat.
“I’ve been too full of myself to see that you and I are in the same boat. We’re too busy doing things to know who we are or why we are here aren’t we?” Thad glanced at her.
“I’d say that is close to the truth,” she sipped her tea.
The sounds of crickets grew loud again.
“Well, what do we do now Lace?”
“Start living.” She glanced at him.
“How?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me. You’re a man of the world. I’ve spent my whole life on Lacy’s Lane. Sixteen acres of dirt and trees and one ancient farm.”
“For starters, I’m going to make a list of the type of girl I want to marry and settle down with, and keep myself from deviating from that list. Next, I’m going to sell my house in Malibu and downsize, get me a small place. Maybe a ranch, some horses. Take s
ome time off from women.”
“I don’t relish being in your shoes for sure. The women must be lined up like sweet-smelling pine trees at Christmas time, all lit up waiting for you to choose them. No wonder you have a hard time sorting out which woman is right for you.”
Thad laughed out loud. “You’re right about that. I never quite thought of the ladies as lit-up Christmas trees.”
“Just a word picture.” She enjoyed Thad’s hearty laugh and joined him. “And I’ve been staring at fence posts not even noticing guys.”
“We’re a couple of losers,” he chuckled.
“Yeah.” Lacy agreed and felt the warm breeze blow her hair. “Feels good doesn’t it? Knowing we can turn our lives around. There’s still time.” Thad didn’t say anything. Lacy figured he was thinking and let him be.
When the moon was high in the sky, Thad stood, stretched, pulled Lacy up and gave her a quick hug.
“Thanks for the evening. I needed it. Think my head is on a little straighter than when I walked in tonight. You’re the best, Lace. See you tomorrow.”
Lacy waved him off and watched his red taillights as they disappeared down the lane. She went in, locked the door and shut off the yard light. Tonight she wouldn’t be waiting up for Al to come home. Then she turned it back on again. She was alone in that old house.
After rearranging some of the pots from the counter into the sink, she looked at the mess and decided to do the dishes tomorrow. She had a lot to think about.
Chapter 13
The next morning Lacy’s phone jangling off the hook woke her with a start. She hurried down the stairs, her light cotton robe trailing behind her. What can be so important at this hour? The chickens had not even started crowing yet. Her heart started beating double-time as she began to wonder if something had happened to someone. Allison? She yanked the phone off the hook.
“Al?”
“It’s not Al, it’s me, Kippy. Remember I told you I might need a ride to the airport? Well, her plane is here and I can’t leave her stranded. She doesn’t know anything about America….”
Lacy stopped her church friend who always talked non-stop. “Who?”
“Remember I told you Mei Li was coming from China? I’d need a ride to the airport.”
Lacy barely recalled the short conversation at church from several weeks back. She had probably told Kippy, “no problem” because that’s what she always said when someone needed help.
Kippy sounded frustrated so Lacy jumped on board. “When do we need to leave?”
“Now. Like right now. It’s almost a two-hour drive, you know. I can’t have her waiting there alone. I promised I’d meet her.”
“I’ll get dressed and be in your place in fifteen minutes. Go get ready. I’ll honk in the drive.” Lacy gave her directions because if she knew Kippy Kendricks, the woman would be calling someone else at this hour if she wasn’t there in precisely fifteen minutes.
So she slung the receiver back onto the wall and ran up the stairs, pulling off her robe. “Geesh, my first day free and now this.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and a top, combed through her hair and hustled out the door.
She ran back and grabbed her cell. Her one extravagance. The dust rose behind her truck as she passed Gannon’s place heading for the main road. Since the sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon, she reasoned that it was okay to speed just a little. People hadn’t left for work yet, so she pressed the accelerator and laughed. If Kippy had an issue, the entire county had better get involved or she’d call the sheriff and declare a state of emergency.
What in the world is Thad doing up at this hour? She looked at the car headed toward her. It was his, sure enough, for it was shiny as a new penny. He waved as she passed. Her father’s old 1989 blue Ford pickup wasn’t much to look at, but it proved reliable. And thankfully she’d just gassed it up. She dreaded the day she’d have to break down and get a new vehicle.
She kept her old bike in the bed of the truck, in case she broke down. It clanged around in back as she hit the bumps, hurrying to get to Ms. Kendrick’s place. That woman could worry the skin off an apple.
Once there, she could see Kippy pacing out front by the mailbox. The old Kendrick farm sat further off the main road than hers. She knew to just pull over and pick her up. In less than two minutes, she began wondering why she hadn’t made some excuse or told Kippy to call someone else. The woman was chattering like a magpie.
Kippy Kendricks was a single woman in her late forties, never married, and she had no one to talk to. She reflected what Lacy would become if she didn’t make it a point to get a life. And soon.
Lacy listened to all of Kippy’s canning escapades, about the neighbor’s stray cows, the filthy floors at the old grocery store and everything in between. She let her rattle, hoping she’d run out of steam sooner or later.
“You know Bobby’s getting married and moving don’t ya?”
“No, I hadn’t heard. Is he marrying a local girl?”
“Nope, heard tell it’s some uppity gal from up north.”
“Up north as in Michigan?”
“Yep. Way up north. Heard tell she’s pretty rich, too. So Bobby did good.”
“Hmmm…Bobby’s smart and works hard. He’ll make a good choice.”
“I ain’t sure about that, Lacy. He’s driving around a brand new truck. Said he paid cash for it.”
“Bobby has saved his money all his life. And he’s no slacker, Kippy, so I suspect he bought that truck with his own money.” Lacy felt a twinge. Here she was joining in Kippy’s gossip.
“Yeah, but you know his momma took half his savings one time and drunk it all up.”
“How were your lilacs this spring, Kippy?”
“Oh, if you only could’ve seen ‘em you’d know yourself they were the purtiest ones we had since Mama and Daddy died.”
“Really? That’s amazing. How do you do it? Make them grow so large?”
“Now Miss Lacy, you know I don’t tell my secrets. One o’these days I’m gonna write me a book with all them secrets Mama and Daddy taught me. Make me some money and go on over to England just to see what it looks like.”
“Why don’t you tell me about this girl we’re going to get?” She knew that would consume the rest of the trip.
And it nearly did. By the time they pulled into the airport, Lacy knew she would recognize the girl as soon as she appeared….a beautiful, tall Asian girl…Mei-Le
They parked and Kippy, even though she had to be twenty years older than her, ran through the crowd calling over her shoulder. “I promised her I’d be here!”
Lacy followed and, sure enough, they found the gate and waited, Kippy twisting her hands. “You think she’ll like me, Miss Lacy? I sincerely hope so, for I’d be lonely as the last bird in the nest without my folks around and in a foreign country, too.”
“Why is she coming without her parents?”
Kippy stopped in her tracks and turned, covering her mouth with her fingertips. “Don’t you know?” She whispered and turned to see if anyone was listening. She pulled Lacy off to the side and told her quietly in her ear.
Lacy nodded and had a new appreciation for their mission.
“Did she say what she’d be wearing?” Lacy’s eyes were scanning the crowd of passengers disembarking.
“No. And I didn’t think to ask her.”
Suddenly Lacy saw a girl. “Is that her right there?”
“Where? Kippy was standing on her tiptoes, which didn’t make her much taller.
“Right there.” Lacy pointed.
“Oh my word, that’s her. I can see from her picture. Oh Miss Lacy what am I to do? What if I say the wrong thing? What if she doesn’t like me?”
“Now I’ll hear none of that. You are the safe place she is coming to. Now, put a smile on your pretty face, Kippy, and let’s go make sure she feels right at home from the first minute.”
Kippy stood up straighter and said. “Let’s go.”
Lacy f
ollowed her once they had met, stepped away to give them some privacy. When Kippy pulled her into the circle, Lacy smiled and nodded, as she was introduced.
“We will go get your bag.” Kippy announced.
“I have one bag.” The girl said in broken English as she showed them her carry-on.
“Only this one?” Kippy looked at her sadly then recovered. “That’s okay because I can sew you dresses and knit you hats and mittens. Anything you want.” She took the girl’s elbow. “Come along. We’ll get you something to eat, won’t we Miss Lacy?”
“Indeed we will.”
Lacy followed in Kippy’s wake and learned something that day. Kippy Kendricks had a huge heart.
Chapter 14
By the time Lacy set foot inside her house in the late afternoon she had fed Redd and brushed him down, filled his water bucket and took the freshly washed curtains off the line. The sun had bleached out some of the stains of those old lace curtains, but they looked ready to fall apart. Sadly she folded them, laid them aside, knowing they’d not be of use any longer and put them in the old sideboard for another day. She couldn’t bring herself to toss them out, remembering the day her mother hung them.
Glad to be home after the long day, she filled the old sink with water and squirted in soap and washed the dishes from the night before. The day had been unplanned but everything worked out in the end. She’d promised Kippy she’d make a casserole and bring it by. Whatever was right or wrong in the world, a casserole or a cake was always the remedy in their small community. Lacy dug through the pantry just off the mudroom and brought out some ingredients. She’d make Jell-O cake and a tuna casserole for the two of them.
Folks at church were doing some new things, Kippy said. Lacy felt a bit guilty. She’d stopped going to church after her parents died. It wasn’t the same without them there. The memories were so powerful, they had pushed her out the door, making excuses why she couldn’t go. She might have to get involved again, just to have some company.
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