by Mary Manners
Maddie threw open the gate and turned to him. The delightful anticipation froze on her face. “Gunnar, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“The Stargazers…I’ve seen them before, smelled them.”
“Really? Where?”
“At my mom’s funeral.”
She drew a sharp intake of breath. “I’m so sorry, Gunnar.” Her eyes glistened like blue gems in the sunlight. “You mean recently?”
“No. It’s been a long time now.” He counted mentally. “Eight years…almost nine. There were events leading up to it. Things happened...”
“What kinds of things?”
“Home wasn’t exactly peaches and cream. My stepfather liked to drink, and when he did, he had a mean streak worse than any you can imagine. He used to lay into my mom and sometimes even my younger brother…Morgan.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“I haven’t seen him in years.” Gunnar gulped hard. “One night we were separated, and I haven’t seen him since. It’s been…a long time, way too long. It happened before Mom died.”
“Why? What happened, Gunnar?” Maddie brushed her fingers along the length of his arm. “Does this scar have something to do with it?”
“Yes.” Her touch sent a surge of heat through him. “I cut it on window glass, trying to protect Mom…and Morgan. But all it did was make things worse.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know if I can. The flowers, they just bring back memories. Mom’s casket was draped in them, and the scent…it was everywhere. For days afterward, it followed me. It was so hard. Even in my sleep…in my dreams. I had never seen the Stargazers before, haven’t smelled them since.”
“Do you know why they’re called Stargazers?” Maddie’s gentle voice was a murmur on the breeze.
“No.”
“Because they face toward the sun.” Maddie reached for his hand once more as she lifted her gaze skyward. Sunlight danced over her fair skin, and her hair shimmered like copper. “That’s what you need to do now, Gunnar…face toward the Son.”
“I was mad at God for so long, mad about everything that had happened in my past—all that had brought Morgan and me and my sister—to the pit where we’d fallen so far. I didn’t understand why, and the logical part of me wanted answers.”
“Sometimes there just aren’t any answers to be had, at least not in this lifetime.” Maddie squeezed his fingers. “It hurts, Gunnar, I know. Believe me, I do.”
“I was lost for a while, did things I’m not proud of. It was a long, winding and tough road back but I made it home somehow. At least I have that. I’m not sure how, but I found my faith through the tragedy.”
“Bad things happened when you were in high school…you were so young, Gunnar.”
“I was a month shy of eighteen—old enough to know better.” He shook his head. “I should have protected Morgan. He was so much younger than me, only eleven, and he looked up to me. But I was mired in trouble back then, Maddie, and I’m still paying for it today. Like I said, I did things…”
“Don’t.” Maddie pressed a finger to his lips. “They’re in the past, and surely forgiven. That is one of the answers you have, Gunnar…the answer of God’s all-encompassing grace. You don’t need to dwell on what you’ve done or where you’ve been, think only of where you’re going.”
“Kyle asks questions about my arm—about what happened before and after. He knows I have a brother that I don’t ever see…that I don’t even know how to find if I wanted to. You would think with technology today, it would be simple to find anyone. But maybe Morgan doesn’t want to be found…maybe he’s just still too angry over all that happened—angry with me. How do I explain that to Kyle?”
“Your sister never spoke of it?”
“No. She was older than me, and not even living at home then. She left the week she turned nineteen, already pregnant with Kyle. She was married two weeks later, and my stepfather disowned her. It had to be tough, traveling down that road alone. But she just wanted out. We all did, back then. A happy home life was something we’d only seen on TV. It was…rough, to say the least. One night it all came to a head and things got really, really ugly.”
“I…don’t know what to say.” Maddie’s voice thickened and tears filled her eyes.
“A neighbor called the police, and that set the ball rolling. My stepfather took off soon after Child Services came sniffing around. But by then the damage had already been done. I went to a group home, and Morgan…he was taken into protective custody and fostered out. If I’d been a little older, just a few months, I might have been able to take care of him myself. But I’d been in some trouble at school…nothing major but enough to give me a black mark. That certainly didn’t help.
“Not long after, Mom got sick. I think all the years…losing Morgan…losing all of us. Well, they were hard on her. And I wasn’t the best son during that time, not one any mother would be proud of. I was so angry about everything. I never got the chance to reconcile with her.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine…” Maddie’s tears spilled over, a punch to Gunnar’s gut. Her sympathy was the last thing he’d expected.
“Please don’t cry for me, Maddie. It’s better now, much better. I have a new life here, one I’m content with, happy. It’s just…what am I supposed to tell Kyle?”
“The truth, that’s all.” Her blue eyes, swimming in tears, captured his. “Honesty is a powerful thing, Gunnar. If you’re honest, then everything else will surely fall into place.”
6
A few days later Maddie crossed the boulevard and headed toward the entrance to Pappy’s pizzeria, carrying a small shopping bag in one hand. Through the glass she saw Wyatt sitting opposite Kami at a booth, sharing a slice of pie and coffee. They leaned toward one another, smiling, and Maddie grinned as Wyatt reached across the table to capture his wife’s hand. The two were so happy together, and they were sure to make great parents, as well.
Maddie hoped they wouldn’t mind her interruption of their intimate interlude—well, as intimate an interlude as two people could have at a place such as Pappy’s—but she had a gift for Kami and a thing or two to share with Wyatt.
Maddie double-stepped to the entrance and pulled open one of the glass-paned double doors. Immediately, she was engulfed in the heady aroma of spicy Italian food. Her mouth watered, though she’d had lunch only an hour ago. Maybe she’d linger long enough to sample a little taste of linguini or a few sausage-stuffed ravioli…just an appetizer, nothing more. What would it hurt? Besides, it was hard to say no to Pappy—AKA Anthony Moretto.
Kami caught sight of Maddie, waved, and she wound her way over to the booth. Slipping in beside her sister-in-law, Maddie motioned for Jada to bring over a cup of coffee. The bubbly, red-haired server chomped a wad of gum as she gave a nod and a thumbs-up in response.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Wyatt’s gaze settled on Maddie over the rim of his cup. “It’s your day off from the nursery, yet you’re still hanging around the boulevard. Don’t you have some shopping to do or something?”
“Yes, and I have been.” Maddie set the bag on the table. “Here’s a little something I picked up for the expectant mom.”
“Me?” Kami’s eyes lit up. “You shouldn’t have. But, I’m glad you did. This is such a treat!” She reached for the bag, and paper rustled as she pulled out a flat, rectangular item wrapped in tulip-yellow tissue. “What is it?”
“I was window-shopping at Berry’s Boutique, saw this, and thought of you.”
Kami parted the tissue and folded it carefully back. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” The journal was leather-bound in a soft, floral print and just the right size to be slipped into a diaper bag. “It has pockets for pictures and little mementos.”
“I know how much you like to write and sketch. I thought it might be a nice way to capture your thoughts as you and Wyatt and your baby-to-be tackle adventures. You can jot them into memories and pa
ss them along to the little guy—or girl—or both”—she winked conspiratorially—“one day.”
“Oh…” Kami waved her hand in front of her face as a hint of blush bloomed across her cheeks and tears set in. “We had an ultrasound today—rather, I had an ultrasound—and we were going to tell you later but, since you’re here…”
“What?” Maddie practically climbed over the table with unbridled anticipation as she waited for Kami to answer. “Is it a boy?”
Kami nodded, adding, “And…”
“And what? There’s more?”
Another nod, which elicited a squeal from Maddie.
“Two?”
“Yes.” Kami held up a pair of fingers as her tears spilled over. “A boy and—”
“A girl? You’re gonna have a boy and a girl?” Another squeal of delight, and Maddie threw her arms around Kami’s neck. “I’m going to be an aunt…and an aunt. Wow.”
“What about me?” Wyatt tapped Maddie’s shoulder, his lips curved into a grin. “Don’t I get a squeal or a hug…a smoke signal, anything? I had a part in this, too, you know.”
“Don’t you dare make me cry.” Maddie shook a finger at him. “No tears until I’ve said my piece.” She leaned across the table and planted a kiss on Wyatt’s scruffy cheek. “I love you, big brother.”
“What? Did I hear that right?” He pressed a hand to his chest as he feigned choking. “CPR, please. I must be hallucinating.”
“I’m totally serious, Wyatt, so bear with me here. This is…tough.” As a matter of fact, the words may very well choke her. But listening to Gunnar talk about his disjointed family, seeing the pain in his eyes for all he’d lost, brought front and center just how blessed she was to have her brothers, her mom…and the sweet memories of her dad. “It’s a fact—you can be difficult and overbearing at times, lots of times, to be brutally honest. But I know that everything you do, no matter how ridiculous it might seem at the time, is done out of love—and protection. I realize more with each passing day just how fortunate I am to have you care so much for me. So, I’ll say it again. I love you, Wyatt.”
“Wow.” His gaze held hers as he gave a slight shake of his head and a lift of his shoulders. Maddie knew she’d hit the mark when she saw a telltale hint of tears. “That’s just…wow.”
“Left you speechless, huh?”
“The ultrasound and now this.” Wyatt nodded and swiped at his eyes. “It’s just too much for one day. I don’t know what to say.”
“Speechless. Good, that’s an added bonus. In that case, I’ll have to express my heartfelt sentiments more often.”
“Give me a minute here.” Wyatt grabbed his coffee cup, drew a long sip, and then tugged at the collar of his shirt. “As long as we’re baring our proverbial souls over pie and coffee, I have something to say, as well.” His pause was long and, by Maddie’s way of thinking, a little too over-the-top. But this was Wyatt, after all. He relished drawing things out and examining them from all angles. “I was wrong.”
The coffee Maddie had just swallowed came back up to scorch her nose. She scrambled for a napkin and mopped her face. “What?”
“Are you going to make me repeat myself?”
“Of course I am.” She cupped a hand to one ear. “Go ahead daddy-to-be times two.”
“I was…wrong. I shouldn’t have given you a hard time about the delivery truck, or the way you displayed the Stargazers. They’re all sold already, by the way. Reese had to place an order for another shipment this morning. You’ve inspired him to try something new in the grafting house, as well.”
“Two points for me.” Maddie raised a duo of fingers. Two seemed to be the order of the day. “Go on.”
“And the truck, well, the brakes have been iffy for a while. I should have had things checked out sooner. The crash wasn’t your fault, Maddie. I take full responsibility. And…” He delved into his pocket, produced a ring of half-a-dozen keys that he slid across the table toward her. “You’re a partner in the nursery, same as me—same as Reese and what Dillon will be when he returns home. Dad wanted it that way, and so do I.”
“Wyatt, I already have—”
“I know about the keys you had made at the hardware store. Not much stays a secret in a town like Clover Cove, especially if you’re last name is Cutler. Keep those for a spare set, or hand them off to Dillon when he comes home from college next year. These—” He nudged the large chrome ring her way “—they’re official Cutler Nursery keys.”
“Kami, did you—?”
“No, this is all Wyatt’s idea.” Kami smiled as she smoothed a tear from Maddie’s cheek. “Oh, my goodness, look who’s crying now.”
****
“How are we gonna get back to the garage?” Kyle asked as they drove the delivery truck onto the Cutler Nursery lot the next day. Gunnar had finished the repairs that morning and promised Wyatt he’d return the truck before day’s end. “Are we gonna walk?”
“We could. It’s only a mile or so. But Wyatt or Reese will give us a ride back to the shop if we ask.”
“Or Maddie could do it.” Kyle motioned toward Pappy’s. “She’s over there drinking coffee with Mrs. Cutler.”
Gunnar glanced toward the polished wall of windows that fronted the popular pizzeria. Indeed, Maddie sat across from Hattie at a booth, engaged in conversation.
“I suppose she could. Let’s park and check it out.” Gunnar eased alongside a second truck emblazoned with the signature blue-on-yellow Cutler Nursery logo. “Reese must be working in the grafting house, and Wyatt mentioned he was headed into Knoxville for a business meeting this afternoon. Looks like Marcus is holding down the fort, watering the flats back there. Slow day today, I guess. At least we can run across the street to let Maddie and Hattie know the truck is returned good as new.”
“The garage is pretty much fixed, too. Sam said the workmen will finish their painting and install the new shelves tomorrow.” Kyle unlatched his seatbelt and let it snap back into place. “Then things will be good as new.”
“We’re fortunate, eh?” Gunnar shifted the clutch into park and killed the truck’s engine. “It could have been so much worse, but now it’s only a distant, if somewhat unpleasant, memory.”
“Like a bad dream, right?”
“That’s right.”
Kyle glanced at the sky and the sun that had moved off to the west. “It’s just about dinnertime, don’t you think?” He followed Gunnar’s lead and slipped from the passenger seat, then rounded the truck to fall in step beside Gunnar as they crossed the lot toward the boulevard. “Can we check Mr. Moretto’s special for tonight, maybe have dinner here?”
“And forgo the leftover hamburger casserole from last night’s award-winning dinner that’s sitting in the fridge, just waiting to be devoured?”
“Award-winning?” Kyle made a gagging noise as he poked a finger into his opened mouth. “This must be opposite day. Oh, please can we eat dinner at Pappy’s. Please!”
“It’ll be a hardship,” Gunnar teased. “But I suppose I can bend this time…just a little.” Truth be told, he enjoyed the pizzeria as much as Kyle did—maybe even more. Especially when Maddie waited inside.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Kyle reached up to high-five him. “Maybe Maddie’s hungry, too. She can eat dinner with us, don’t you think?”
“Why the sudden interest in Maddie?”
“She’s nice to me, and she talks to me like I’m grown up—not just a kid. You like her too, don’t you, Uncle Gunnar?”
“Well, yes. I suppose I do.” He paused as they came to the boulevard, and gave a little wink. “What’s not to like?”
“Last Sunday I overheard Mrs. Johnson tell Mrs. Cutler that when you and Maddie are together you’re sweeter than Oreos and milk. What does that mean?”
Gunnar nearly choked. “Are you sure you heard right?”
“Uh huh.”
“Well, if those two are conspiring, I’ll tell you what it means—trouble.”
&n
bsp; 7
“Twins…that changes everything.” Maddie propped her elbows on the table and leaned in toward her mother. “We’ll really need to step up plans for the baby shower now.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandma twice over.” Mom patted her dark hair, more peppered in grey with each passing day. “Where have the years gone?”
“It’s been official for a while now, Mom. You’ll be OK.”
“Oh, it’s not that. I’m thrilled for Wyatt and Kami, blessed with the thought of holding another little one. I just wish your dad was here to see. He’d be amazed by what you and your brothers have accomplished at the nursery and so proud of all of you.”
“I know. I miss him, too. I can’t believe he’s been gone three years now. It seems like just yesterday.” The memory of his loss still rubbed her heart raw at times. “I like to think he knows we miss him.”
“I’m sure he does.” Mom’s gaze drifted toward the kitchen, where Anthony Moretto was busy plating ravioli for an order. Something wistful shadowed her eyes, causing Maddie to wonder…
“I spoke to Peyton earlier.” Maddie reached for her purse. “She’s got some great ideas for the shower. I wrote them down. Would you like to see?”
The clatter of utensils mingled with the steaming hiss of the coffeemaker and a murmur of chatter. Italian sausage infused with fennel danced with onions and peppers. Maddie delved through her purse as she waited for her mother to respond. Finally, when Mom remained silent, her gaze still on the kitchen—and Anthony—Maddie tapped her hand. “Mom, are you listening?”
“What? Oh, yes.” Hattie returned to her, though her dark chocolate gaze remained somewhat distracted by the goings-on across the room. “Peyton, yes. She has ideas. You wrote them down. We’ll set a date and get things moving.”
“Kami said twins usually come a little early. We’ll have to check our calendars and get the ball rolling soon.”
“It’s not a party without food.” Hattie’s gaze drifted back to the kitchen. “I’ll go talk to Anthony about coming up with a menu.”
