The Hideaway

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything,” he said.

“But what about—?”

“Stop. It’s fine. You can go.”

“I don’t even know what I’m going there to do.”

“Yes, you do. You’ve already started a life there. Now you’re going to go back and pick up where you left off.”

“You make it sound so simple,” I said.

“Things aren’t always as difficult as you make them out to be. Sometimes you just have to turn your brain off and dive in. This may be the last time Sweet Bay tries to pull you back.”

I chewed on the end of a fingernail. “Crawford?”

“Only one way to find out.”

I hugged Allyn and went inside to grab my purse. On my way through the shop to the front door, I trailed my fingers on table-tops and chair backs. Pausing at the door, I turned to look through the room. Two women stood in the corner near an armoire, contemplating the big purchase. Allyn joined them, and within seconds he had them laughing and moving toward the register. Bits and Pieces would be just fine.

On my way out of the city, I rolled my windows down as far as they’d go and dropped my heels on the floorboard next to me. I didn’t know exactly what I’d find in Sweet Bay when I returned, but I wasn’t going to let my last chance slip away without a fight.

I called Dot from the car and told her I was on my way home.

“Well, it’s about time. I guess Vernon called you?”

“He called this afternoon. I was going to give you the news, but it sounds like you already know.”

“Oh yes.” She chuckled. “A lot has happened since you’ve been gone. Let’s wait and talk when you get here though. I need to make a phone call.”

She hung up before I could ask what was going on.

A couple hours later, I pulled down the long driveway and shaded my eyes from one last sharp ray of light. Two people sat in rocking chairs on the porch, and one of them stood as I approached the house.

Crawford. But it wasn’t him.

When my eyes adjusted to the shadowy light on the porch, I recognized William’s slightly stooped figure. Dot sat in the chair next to him. I parked under the big oak and climbed out. Without stopping to grab my bag, I headed for the porch. William and Dot were both smiling.

“What in the world is going on?” I asked. “How do you two . . . ?”

“It’s been busy around here,” Dot said.

I looked at William. “I took care of Sammy,” he said.

“You—what?”

“A long time ago, I bought a piece of property down at the mouth of Sweet Bay. I didn’t think much about it until I decided that’s where I wanted to build a house for me and Maggie one day. It doesn’t have a name—we just called it the cove.” I glanced at Dot. She winked. “I never built the house, but I kept the property all these years in the hopes of—I don’t even know. I just couldn’t bear to part with it.”

“And you’re giving it up now? But how did you know . . . ?”

“It was Crawford,” Dot said.

William nodded. “He worked hard for this house after you left. He found me after digging through old land records looking for anything that could fend off Sammy. He was the one who put it together that the cove could be the thing to save the house.”

Crawford did it?

“But why would Sammy want the cove?” I asked.

“He visited me years ago and asked me about it. Turns out it’s quite a coveted piece of property. I told him back then I’d never let it go, but now that Maggie . . . Well, once I met you, I realized I have no reason to hang on to it. All it took was a phone call. Sammy bought the property from me on the spot and signed The Hideaway back to you.”

“I can’t believe you sold it,” I said.

“I hope it’s okay.” His face clouded with concern. “I could tell how much you loved this house, and I hated to see you lose it.”

“Okay?” I laughed. “It’s more than okay.” I didn’t have the right words, so I hugged him, and Dot too.

“William and Crawford just couldn’t give up on this old place,” Dot said. “Or you, it seems.”

“I don’t know about that. We haven’t . . . I haven’t talked to Crawford since I left.”

Dot arched an eyebrow. “And yet he’s been here doing all this work. Honey, he didn’t do it for us.”

“I got to know him a little this past week,” William said. “He builds things, you know.”

I nodded. “I know. You have that in common. And you two.” I pointed at William and Dot. “Looks like you’ve sparked an unexpected friendship.”

Dot looked over at William. “We had a lot to catch up on, that’s for sure.” Then she turned to me. “Let’s get you inside. I apologize in advance—it’s a mess in there.”

I followed her through the front door where boxes and suitcases spilled in disarray all over the sparkling hardwoods. Despite the mess and the remaining old furniture, the house felt new. Even unfinished, the open floor plan, extra space, and fresh paint gave it life and new legs. Excitement fluttered again in my chest.

“We meant to be all packed up by now, but it’s taking longer than we expected,” Dot said.

I put my hands on my hips and inhaled deep. “Maybe you should just stay here then.”

Openmouthed, Dot stared back at me. “What?” she asked, just as Major called down from the landing on the stairs, “Thank the Lord. We’re all old. Our kids can come visit us.”

I smiled and patted Dot on the arm, then headed for the kitchen to look for a celebratory bottle of wine. “Go ahead and unpack your bags. You’re not going anywhere.”

45

SARA

DECEMBER

I stood in The Hideaway’s gleaming new kitchen pouring a cup of coffee when Major stomped down the stairs.

“Sara! Where’s my Gillette? And my toothbrush? I can’t find anything in this blasted house.”

“It’s all in your new bathroom, the one attached to your room. You know you don’t have to keep using the hall bath. That’s why I built you and Glory your own.”

Major trudged back up the stairs, grumbling the whole way, until Glory called out to him. “Stop your whining, Major, or you’ll be brushing your teeth on the dock.”

I took my coffee into the light-flooded dining room and sat at our new heart pine table. I ran my hand across the top, my fingers finding the indentations of the skeleton key at the edge.

“See? You’d have missed all this if you’d stayed in New Orleans,” Bert said from across the table, working on his second apple scone. “What would you do without Major’s presence in your life?”

“For one, I wouldn’t have someone yelling at me about a toothbrush at seven in the morning.”

I heard a tentative knock and looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Melman.

“Breakfast is at seven, right?” Mrs. Melman asked.

“Yes, please come in and make yourself at home,” I said. “Scones and coffee are just in the kitchen there, and muffins and fruit are on the table.”

“Thank you. This place is wonderful,” she said. “Has the house been open long?”

Bert and I looked at each other.

“It’s recently reopened,” I said.