by Terri DuLong
Once again I felt the sense of welcome surround me. I was definitely looking forward to becoming a member of the business community and forming more connections and friends. Just as I opened the menu Sally had passed me, my cell phone rang. I glanced down to see Chadwick’s name and clicked ignore. I could feel Yarrow’s eyes on me but avoided looking up.
I looked over the choices and settled on the egg, cheese, and bacon wrap with macaroni salad on the side.
“Good choice,” Yarrow said.
After we gave our order, Mavis said, “Well, have you two girls decided what you’re wearing to the fund-raiser? It’s two weeks from this Saturday, you know.”
When Yarrow remained silent, I mumbled, “Oh, I’ll find something.”
I looked up to see Yarrow raise her eyebrows as she stared across the table at me. “Same here,” she said.
“Well, except for Chadwick’s Christmas gala, this is the event of the year. Nothing is too fancy. Beads, glitter, and lots of glam.”
Yarrow let out a groan. “I think it would be just as nice with a dress code of jeans and T- shirts.”
Mavis Anne shook her head. “Yarrow, you are definitely not your mother’s daughter. Emmalyn searched for any excuse to get all dolled up. Oh, how she loved her evening gowns.”
“I’m grateful it didn’t rub off on me.” Yarrow shot me a smile.
The lady from my dream came into my mind. Wearing the red evening gown. Could she be Yarrow’s mother?
“How about you?” I asked Mavis. “Didn’t you like all the glam?”
She laughed as Sally placed our plates in front of us.
“Anything else?” Sally questioned.
We shook our heads and then Mavis said, “Oh, my, yes. I always loved the fancy dresses, but not to the extent that Emmalyn did. Besides, she always had an escort to whisk her off to one event or another.”
“I remember,” Yarrow said. “I was always getting shuffled off to your house for sleepovers so my mother would have the night to herself.”
For the first time I detected a note of irritation in her comment about her mother, but I recalled my own feelings as a child when my parents would be setting off on yet another trip to acquire antiques, and Grace and I would stay with Aunt Maude.
I saw Mavis pat Yarrow’s hand. “Yes, that’s true but, oh, how David and I loved having you. You were the most delightful child. Full of curiosity and so precocious.”
This brought a smile to Yarrow’s face. “Those were fun days.”
I had taken a couple bites of my wrap. “This is delicious. I’m glad we came here.”
“Yes, they have a varied menu and the food is good. Only open for breakfast and lunch, though. By the way, is your sister back from France yet?”
“They arrive back tomorrow and Grace and the others will be here a week from Friday. I’ve missed all of them, so I’m looking forward to the get-together.”
“Do you think your sister will end up moving to France permanently?” Mavis asked.
“I think there’s a very good chance of that. I’m pretty sure they did a fair amount of research and maybe even some house hunting on this trip. I hope they do go. Sure, I’ll miss them, but I think living in France and raising Solange there is what they both want. And besides, I can fly over any time to visit.”
“If you need a companion, count me in,” Yarrow said.
“Really?”
“Definitely. I backpacked through France with a girlfriend when I was in my twenties. I always swore I’d get back there and never did.”
“Well, it’s a deal then. If they move there, we’ll both go over for a visit. Mavis, would you like to join us?”
She let out a chuckle. “No, thank you. I’ve never flown on a plane in my life and I don’t intend to start now. I’ll babysit Basil.”
It was hard to believe that in this day and age there were still people who had no interest in flying in a commercial aircraft.
I smiled. “You’re hired,” I told her.
When I got home, I decided to sit out on the patio with an iced tea and continue working on the shawl. I glanced up to see Maddie coming through the gate from the driveway.
“Hey,” I said. “How about an iced tea?”
“Sounds great. Just thought I’d pop by and see what you’re up to. It’s nice to have the shop closed on Mondays and have the day to myself.”
Basil came running out of the house when he heard a new voice and ran to greet Maddie.
“Hey, little guy,” she said, bending to pat him.
“Be right back,” I told her and headed to the kitchen.
When I returned, I saw she was holding the sample shawl in her hand.
“This is turning out so pretty, but when are you going to get the yarn colors you settled on?”
“Well, I need to either get to a yarn shop or order it online.”
Maddie glanced at her watch. “It’s only going on two. I could drive you to the shop in Longwood. It’s just north of Orlando and we could be at Knit in just about an hour. They’re open till five.”
“Really? Gee, I really would love to get the proper yarn. If you don’t mind, that would be great.”
“I don’t mind at all. I never turn down a chance to visit a yarn shop.”
Just after three we walked into Knit, a fully stocked and pretty shop. Located in a shopping area with trees and flowers, the shop had a welcoming feel to it. Maddie introduced me to Marney and Ruth, the owners, and it was obvious Maddie had frequented this shop a lot. She rattled off the names of about six women knitting at the table in front and then she began to point out the various fibers and names of yarn lining the walls.
“Oh, hey,” one of the women at the table said. “Are we ever going to see you again here? We heard a new yarn shop is opening in Ormond Beach.”
Maddie laughed. “Of course you will. The new one will become my local yarn shop, but what knitter can resist a trip to visit someplace different? And actually, Chloe is one of the new owners of Dreamweaver.”
“Dreamweaver?” one of the women gasped. “Oh, I love the name.”
“Thanks,” I said feeling a sense of pride much like when my boys were small and people commented on how handsome or smart they were.
“Yes,” Marney said. “We heard Mavis Anne Overby is the other owner, so you be sure to tell her that if we can help with anything, just give us a call.”
“Oh, that’s really nice of you. I appreciate it.” Yarn shops are an extremely competitive business but I’ve always found that in the knitting community, people are always ready to lend a hand. Whether it’s with instruction, decisions on yarn, or finishing projects, women always come forward to help and support one another.
“Okay,” Maddie said. “Start browsing.”
I considered Lorna’s Laces, Patons, Malabrigo, and a few others, but in the end I decided on Universal Yarns Angora Lace. It was a fine merino superwash, angora, and nylon. As usually happens in choosing yarn, it was the colors that attracted me first. For the main color I chose Heartfelt—shades of crimson, pale pink, and cranberry. And for the contrasting color I chose a yarn called Foghorn with grays and whites. The red reminded me of the evening gown in my dream and the grays would symbolize the misty quality of a dream. Perfect.
Maddie dropped me off back home around six and I decided to stir-fry some shrimp to mix in a salad for supper. I’d just poured myself a glass of wine to go with it when my cell rang. The caller ID confirmed it was Chadwick. Again. God, I knew I couldn’t go forever without taking his calls so I decided to let it go to voice mail; I’d return the call after I ate.
An hour later I was dialing his number.
“Chloe,” he said and I heard the concern in his voice. “Are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you for a couple days.”
“Oh, yeah. Fine. Much better. Just busy.”
“Well, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for the boat ride but we can reschedule.”
“Right,” was all I sa
id.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, though. Maybe we can get together this weekend for dinner or a drink.”
“Gee, I’m really busy right now. I have company arriving next week and a lot going on with opening the yarn shop.”
There was a pause before he said. “Sure. I understand. Okay, then, I’ll be in touch soon.”
I hung up feeling the slightest twinge of guilt. He was a nice guy. He really was. But I wasn’t able to separate him from his brother. And I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to.
Chapter 26
The following week I received a call from Henry Wagner. He explained he was very disappointed but something had come up. He’d been offered a photo assignment in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and his trip to Florida would be delayed until probably mid-September. But we had a very nice chat and he asked if it would be okay to call me now and then over the next few months.
“Of course,” I told him because I found that I really did enjoy talking to him, even though he was somebody I’d never met in person.
“Great,” he said. “Then I’ll give you a call next week.”
I hung up, shook my head and smiled. “Feast or famine,” I said out loud. For a brief period I’d had two men interested and the possibility of dating. Now—not so much.
I decided to give Grace a call because we still needed to discuss what she’d be bringing to me on Friday.
“Just tell me what you want,” she said. “I’m going to make a list and between both cars we won’t have any problem bringing you what you need. This house hasn’t sold yet, so whatever isn’t necessary right now can stay here.”
“Okay, that sounds great. Well, I need the rest of the clothes in my closet. And empty out the bureau drawers too. I have books and CDs, but those can wait. I think the only other things I need are the bins of my yarn stash.”
Grace laughed. “I see you have your priorities straight. They’re in your bedroom closet, right?”
“Ah . . . yeah. And in the guest room closet. And there’s some in the hall closet too.”
“Good thing we have two cars to transport them. Do you think maybe we should hire a moving van for the yarn stash?”
“Very funny. No, you won’t need that. At least I don’t think so. Oh, and could you please bring my Daylight Magnifying Lamp? It’s clipped to the end table in the living room. I’m really missing that for my nighttime knitting.”
“Okay, got it. I wrote it all down. I can’t wait to see you on Friday. I know you said the spare bedrooms each have twin beds and I could bunk in with Berkley, but I’m bringing my Aerobed. I thought I could put it in your room and we could have our own private slumber party. Would that be okay?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. How are Lucas and Solange? I’m sure they also enjoyed France.”
“They’re fine. Yes, it was a wonderful trip. We’ll talk about it when I see you. How’s it going with Chadwick?”
“Hmm, we’ll talk about that when I see you too.”
“Okay. We should be there around noon on Friday. See you then. Love you.”
The humidity was beginning to climb, which was normal for late June, so after lunch I decided to turn on the air conditioning and begin working on the shawl while I enjoyed a glass of iced tea in the living room.
Basil and I had enjoyed a long walk on the beach after breakfast so he was ready to curl up next to me on the sofa for his afternoon nap. I began casting on the required stitches with the Heartfelt yarn and my mind wandered to Henry Wagner. I really didn’t know that much about him. I knew he said he dabbled in photography but getting a photo assignment seemed to be more than dabbling. He had a Golden named Delilah and he stayed part of the year in Vermont. Beyond that, I really didn’t know much more. Our brief phone conversations had been superficial. I knew he wasn’t married now but wondered if he had ever been, and if so, was he divorced or a widower? From hearing his voice on the phone, I thought he seemed like a very nice person and realized that I was curious as to what he looked like.
My mind then strayed to Chadwick. Was I being unfairly harsh? He hadn’t done a thing to me except go out of his way to be kind. I knew I was blaming him for what his brother had done and yet I couldn’t help myself. Aaron Price didn’t deserve one ounce of forgiveness. What kind of fellow violates a young college girl? What kind of fellow goes through life taking what he wants, never paying the price, never being a responsible human being? But maybe ultimately he did pay the price—by losing his life so young.
I realized I had dozed off and woke to find my knitting in my lap and Basil whining at the top of the stairs. I stood up and stretched.
“What’s going on, Basil?” I called up to him. More whining.
“Okay, I’m coming,” I said climbing up the stairs.
The moment I stepped into my bedroom I felt the drop in temp and saw Basil curled up at the foot of my bed. It was then I remembered the dream I had just had.
Once again, the woman in the red evening gown was standing near the fishpond. But this time, she was wearing the finished shawl I was working on—Chloe’s Dream. She pulled it more tightly around her shoulders and when she lifted her face, she nodded in my direction and I saw a hint of a smile cross her lips. Love is forgiveness, I remembered her saying, and in a mist of grays and whites, she disappeared, and I woke up.
I felt a chill go through me. This was getting downright crazy. And what the hell was that supposed to mean? Love is forgiveness? The only person I couldn’t forgive was Aaron Price, and I certainly had never loved him.
I needed to be outside in the bright sunshine. I was beginning to feel stifled in this room. “Come on,” I told Basil, clapping my hands together. “Let’s go out in the yard.”
He followed me through the French doors out to the patio. The sun was beginning its slow descent and there was a nice breeze coming from the ocean. As Basil sniffed around the yard, I walked into the fishpond area—almost expecting to see a woman wearing a red evening gown standing at the far end.
I sat on one of the stone benches, watched the fish make lazy circles in the water, and let out a sigh. Could this woman in my dream be Emmalyn Overby? And if she was, how could that be possible? I’d never even seen a photo of her and certainly had never met her. There was something different about this dream, though. Although far from happy, she didn’t appear as distraught and sad as she did in my first dreams.
The chill and unease I’d felt a few moments before had disappeared and been replaced with a sense of tranquility. Once again, I discovered that sitting near the fishpond allowed me to feel calm. I had no idea what any of this was about—why I kept having the same dream, why being near the fishpond restored my sense of contentment, or even why I had dreamed of both Koi House and the fishpond before I’d ever even seen them.
But one thing I did know for certain: I was in my element. I was precisely where I was supposed to be.
Chapter 27
I saw the two cars pull into the driveway shortly after noon. Like an excited kid I went running outside to greet Grace, Berkley, Marin, and Sydney.
“Oh, my God! You’re here!” I exclaimed.
There we were, five grown women, jumping up and down, hugging and kissing like college kids.
“We are,” Grace said, laughing.
“Did you have a good drive?”
“Very good,” Marin said. “It took just under three hours.”
Basil had followed me outside and was now dancing in circles. Everybody bent down to greet him and Grace scooped him up to carry him back into the house.
“Oh, Chloe, this is just gorgeous,” Sydney said as we stepped into the foyer.
“Come on, I’ll give you the downstairs tour to the kitchen. I have a bottle of white wine chilling and Marta prepared a delicious lunch for us.”
They followed me to the back of the house and I heard Marin exclaim, “Look at this designer kitchen. It’s to die for.”
I laughed as I reached for t
he bottle of wine. “Make yourselves comfortable,” I said, pointing to the table and chairs.
“No wonder you wanted to stay here,” Berkley said. “What a great house.”
“It is,” I replied as I filled their wineglasses. “I’ll show you around the grounds and the schoolhouse after we have a toast.”
Grace reached for her glass and then touched the rim of ours before lifting it in the air. “Here’s to the best sister and friend in the world. We’re wishing you a lifetime of happiness, Chloe.”
“To friendship and new chapters,” Sydney said.
All of us took sips and I said, “Come on, bring your glasses. I want to show you the schoolhouse and the fishpond.”
With Basil leading the way, we walked outside. I reached into my pocket for the key and unlocked the door of the old schoolhouse. “Welcome to Dreamweaver,” I said, gesturing with my hand as we stepped inside. I walked toward the back and told them, “And also welcome to Nirvana Tea and Coffee.”
“Oh, Chloe,” Marin exclaimed. “This is absolutely perfect.”
“It is,” Sydney agreed, looking around.
“It’s exactly as you described it.” Grace shot me a huge smile.
“Wow, I love it,” Berkley said and then I saw an odd expression cross her face.
“What? What is it?”
She waved a hand in the air. “Nothing to be alarmed about, but I feel a presence in the air.”
“What?” I gasped. “Like a ghost?”
Berkley laughed. “Could be. But it’s friendly energy. Almost playful.”
“There she goes again,” Marin said. “Your metaphysical side is showing.”
I recalled that Berkley also sold crystals and gemstones at her chocolate shop; she had a firm belief in energy or anything paranormal.
“Hey, nothing to be worried about. Really.”
That might well be, but Berkley had no knowledge of my dreams or the woman in red.
“Okay, enough hocus pocus,” Grace said. “I absolutely love this shop. And how nice that customers will be able to enter from that gate in the driveway.” She walked over to the French doors and looked out. “Oh, is that where Mavis Anne lives now?”
