It was the timing. That was Talulah’s biggest stumbling block. She was as caught up with Brant as he was with her, and she knew it. But their relationship seemed to be moving at the speed of light. Could they rely on their feelings? Or in three months, six months, a year, would the intensity of what they felt for each other fade or suddenly deflate like a punctured balloon?
Because she was willing to make sacrifices for him, too; she just didn’t want to sacrifice her business and everything she’d established in life for nothing.
She forced herself to imagine what it would be like to live in Coyote Canyon after being dumped by Brant. What would she do then? How would she face the heartbreak, the disappointment, the humiliation and the prospect of having to start all over again—either here or somewhere else?
There was so much hanging in the balance; she was taking a wait-and-see approach. But they spent as much of the next week together as they could, dodging Averil and Charlie and being careful not to let anyone else in town see them, either. She cooked for Brant and, sometimes, his brothers. He took her to the lake for an evening alone, and they enjoyed a long boat ride before making love in a secluded cove. Another night they camped out on the ranch, under the stars. When they weren’t together, they texted each other constantly. She even started bringing him lunch because she couldn’t wait until the end of the day to see him.
Paul wouldn’t accept her calls, even when she tried to reach him at the restaurant, which seemed rather immature, considering they owned a business together. Fortunately, her employees assured her that all was well at the diner. She got the impression they’d heard an earful about her, but she tried not to react to that. She preferred to behave as professionally as possible, even if Paul was stretching the truth and telling everyone she’d cheated on him.
At least Debbie and the baby were thriving. And Talulah was getting along well with Jane and Ellen, both of whom came over to help pack whenever they could. Averil was so involved in fighting with her ex over unpaid child support and dealing with extended family visiting from out of town that, other than an occasional text, she was too busy to contact Talulah. Which was lucky for Talulah, given the amount of time she was spending with Brant. Averil did call on Thursday to invite her over for dinner on Sunday, however. She said their company would be gone by then. She also said she’d had a talk with her parents, who felt it was time to sit down and speak with Talulah themselves.
“You’re not really going to have dinner with the Gerharts, are you?” Brant asked when she told him about the call. It was late Friday afternoon, and he was guiding Sadie, the reins held loosely in one hand, while she rode on the saddle behind him, both arms around his waist. Brant had received a call from their neighbor, saying an Elway steer had gotten out, so Brant had to check the fencing in the south forty to see how that had happened before quitting work. Since Talulah was mostly prepared for the estate sale she planned to hold tomorrow, she’d snuck over so she could go on this errand with him.
“I said I would,” she told him.
“You might want to rethink that one, Lu.”
He was more protective of her than any guy she’d ever been with. But he was protective of everyone he loved—without being possessive or overbearing. He gave her the feeling he’d stand by her no matter what she decided, which engendered so much trust. That was one of the things she loved most about him. “I can understand why you’d be worried about the Gerharts.” Sunday dinner at their place did sound daunting. And yet... Talulah had shared many, many meals with Charlie’s family in the past. They’d been a big part of her childhood. She’d even gone on several camping trips with Averil—could still remember seeing Yellowstone for the first time when she was with them. “But...how could I say no? Besides, Dinah sets the tone for the whole family, and I doubt she’ll treat me too badly, not now that Averil and I are speaking again. She’s also a good friend of my mother’s.”
“But what do you hope to achieve by going?” he asked. “You don’t think they’ll be happy when they find out we’re together, do you?”
Brant had made his feelings about her clear the night they’d returned from Billings, and to her surprise he hadn’t wavered since. There’d been no second thoughts, no backtracking. She got the impression he’d decided on her and that was that.
Even to Talulah it felt as though they were meant to be together. She had zero desire to see any other man. But they both knew she had to go back to Seattle and take care of the diner while Paul was gone. She was waiting to see how she felt while she was away from Brant and back in the place she’d thought she was happy before. “If they can get past what I did to Charlie, I don’t see why they’d care who I’m with.”
“That might be true for anyone else you might be with, but it won’t be true for me.”
He was right. But what if she didn’t end up with Brant? Then she’d regret not taking advantage of the chance to finally have her apology accepted. She’d felt bad about Charlie and Averil for so long... “I can see that, but...the invitation caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond, except to agree and act excited to see everyone.”
“Did she say if Charlie will be there?” he asked.
“She didn’t.”
“I bet he comes. This will be like the funeral. He seems to think that, at some point, you’re going to regret your decision to cut him loose.”
Talulah wouldn’t put it past Charlie to show up. But she cared enough about Averil and the other Gerharts to risk it. “That’ll never happen.”
“I bet he’s still driving past your place every chance he gets.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Since I’ve been sneaking out to meet you every night, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been there to notice any headlights.” She and Brant felt safer seeing each other at the ranch, where they were less exposed. She usually hurried across the field behind her house to Ellen’s barn, where he picked her up. She always left a few lights on at Phoebe’s to make it appear that she was home. But if Charlie had been checking consistently, he might be wondering why she never passed in front of the windows anymore. “If he’s at dinner, I’ll simply be polite and hope he’ll do the same,” she said.
Sadie tried to turn back to the barn. She obviously knew it was the end of the workday and wanted to be home. But Brant redirected her. “What will you say if they ask you about me?”
“I’ll tell them you’re so good in bed you’re irresistible,” she teased, slipping her arms tighter around his waist.
“I’m serious,” he said.
She was surprised by how serious. “What do you want me to say?”
It took him a moment to respond. “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like you love me so much you’ll never leave me. The way you act when we’re together—it’s like you’re already part of me. And other times...”
“I’m just trying to be careful, take it slow,” she said.
They continued in silence for several minutes. Then he said, “If you do come back to me after Seattle, where would you like to live?”
“Here in Coyote Canyon, I guess.”
“Where in Coyote Canyon?”
“That’s hard to say. I haven’t really thought about it.” She’d been trying to avoid that kind of daydreaming. Creating an idyllic picture of life with Brant could tempt her into making the wrong decision.
“You’ve been talking about your aunt’s house as though you really like it,” he said. “And she’s got a few acres, which I like.”
“Are you suggesting we buy her property?”
“I’d be open to it—if it would make you happy. It’s far enough away from the ranch that we could have our own lives separate from my brothers and parents. And yet it’s not too far of a drive each day to get to work.”
They reached the fence and started ambling along it, looking for the break. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to find it. As soon as he saw the problem, Brant hopped down and helped her off the horse, and she held Sadie’s reins while he examined the damage.
After pulling a hammer from his saddlebag, he reattached the boards that’d fallen off. But one board was broken in half. He used duct tape to hold it together before hammering it back in place, too.
“That won’t hold for long, will it?” she asked.
“Not if it rains. But it should hold until Monday, when I can haul a new board out here,” he said as he strode toward her.
He was about to climb onto the horse when she stopped him and kissed him.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
She admired the vivid blue of his eyes and the smile lines that creased his tanned face. “Just to let you know that—” She hesitated. She wasn’t used to taking the emotional risk inherent in saying what she was about to say.
“That...” he prodded.
“There are times when it feels as though I could never live without you.”
It’d been a big admission for her, and yet he started to laugh. “Was that really so hard?”
“No,” she said grudgingly. “But that doesn’t mean it won’t come back to haunt me.”
“You’re going to be just fine.” Smiling, he got on the horse and pulled her up behind him.
Averil checked her phone again. There’d been no response to her last text to Talulah, asking if she wanted to hang out tonight. Aunt Kathy and Uncle Chester were in town until Sunday morning, but Averil’s parents had taken them to Bozeman for a couple days, and they’d left early this morning while Averil was heading to the bank.
Averil didn’t mind missing the trip. Now that the workweek had ended, she was eager to cut loose with friends, which was why she’d hoped Talulah would be able to join her and Jane at Hank’s tonight. The three of them hadn’t been together since before the wedding. But there’d been no word, even when Jane had tried to reach her, so Averil and Jane had gone on their own like they’d been doing for the last fourteen years.
Now it was almost midnight. Averil had picked up Mitch from her oldest brother’s house, where he’d been playing with his cousins, and still there was no response from Talulah.
Where was she? Was she out of town?
She had to be. Since they’d made up, and Talulah had responded about dinner on Sunday, Averil couldn’t think of any other reason she wouldn’t be checking her phone.
Unless...
“Mommy, where are we?” Mitch asked, waking up as she brought the car to a stop in Talulah’s drive.
After going to Hank’s and having a couple of beers—with some chili cheese fries and hot wings—and watching a baseball game with Jane, she’d grabbed Mitch and gone home, only to back out of the drive as soon as she pulled into it. She kept picturing Talulah with Brant, even though she knew Talulah had broken it off. Talulah wasn’t the only one who was mysteriously missing tonight. Averil had seen Miles at Hank’s, and when she’d asked what Brant was doing, he’d mumbled something vague and turned away, as though he didn’t really want to address the question.
“I’m just checking on a friend, okay?” she said as she cut the engine. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t want to stay!” he protested. “Why can’t I go with you?”
Averil supposed it would be better to have him with her, in case Talulah invited her in. She didn’t want to leave him crying for her.
“Fine. You can come, too,” she said and got him out of his booster seat before leading him to the front door.
The porch light was on. So were several other lights in the house, but everything seemed still and quiet. Averil would’ve worried about ringing the doorbell so late, but Talulah would’ve turned off at least some of the inside lights if she was going to bed, wouldn’t she?
When no one answered to the bell, Averil knocked loudly, and Mitch copied her by shoving the teddy bear he’d taken from the car into his left arm so he could knock with his right hand.
No response. “Talulah?” Averil yelled, knocking again.
Still nothing. Pulling Mitch along behind her, she went to the garage and used the flashlight on her phone to peer through the window on one side.
Talulah’s car was parked there.
She had to be asleep, Averil told herself, but when she went around to the back door, in case Talulah was in the kitchen where she could be seen through the windows, there was no sign of her.
“I’m tired,” Mitch said, starting to cry. “Can we go home?”
“Yes. We’re going now,” she said, but when she stooped to pick up her son, she saw a dirt path leading from Talulah’s house toward Ellen’s house next door. And the weird thing was that there were footprints in it, and one set was far too big to belong to Ellen or Talulah.
Could she see herself living in Aunt Phoebe’s house?
As Talulah got ready for the estate sale the following morning, she studied the old Victorian with a more discerning eye. It had diamond-pane windows, tall ceilings, wainscoting and plenty of built-in cabinetry. It would look great, renovated in the modern farmhouse style, which would be the direction she’d take it if she and Brant were to move here. But she certainly hadn’t expected to be in the market for a home in Coyote Canyon, least of all this home. What would Debbie and the rest of her family think of her buying Phoebe’s house and moving back?
She wasn’t about to ask them. Not until she’d been in Seattle for a few weeks and had the chance to determine if she was out of her mind for even considering such a big change. Brant hadn’t mentioned marriage—other than joking that he knew better than to propose—so she still wasn’t sure what their relationship would look like. Would they simply live together? If so, for how long? He’d mentioned that he wanted kids. So did she. What would happen when babies came along?
She couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t marry then. Brant was far too traditional for anything other than the standard nuclear family. She wasn’t stuck on keeping her own name. But the prospect of facing another wedding scared her. From the way he joked, it scared him, too.
With a quick glance at the clock on her phone—it was just after six—she finished arranging all the things she was putting up for sale. She was exhausted and running out of energy, but she was almost ready. Some of the more sentimental stuff she’d stored in the attic to keep it safe from would-be shoppers. She’d take those boxes to Billings and store them at Debbie’s for when her mother returned. Carolyn could go through it all then and dispose of whatever she didn’t want to keep. What didn’t sell and didn’t go in that special pile, Talulah would donate.
Brant had offered to help her today, but she couldn’t even consider that. She’d heard from both Averil and Jane last night and sent them a reply this morning, saying she’d been caught up in getting ready for the estate sale and gone to bed early. She felt that was a fairly safe cover, but if they came to see how the sale was going, and Brant was around, Talulah had little doubt they’d put two and two together.
She navigated to the text she’d sent them a few minutes earlier to see if they’d responded. Neither of them had. But it was very early yet...
Slipping her phone into the pocket on her yoga pants, she did a final walkthrough to make sure everything was tagged with a price. She should get a good turnout. She’d put up a sign advertising the sale on the community bulletin board near police headquarters, and she’d added the information to the town website, which had a calendar feature. Thanks to Mrs. Carrier, news of the sale had also been sent in a churchwide email. Knowing some folks might come early, eager to get first pick of whatever was available, she hadn’t even dared let Brant stay for more than a few minutes when he dropped her off this morning. There was no point in getting careless now, the day before she was to have dinner with the Gerharts.
He’d taken the time to fix the screen door before he left, however. And he hadn’t said anything about the botched job Paul had done. She was glad he didn’t mention Paul very often—other than when he was referring to their business.
Her phone dinged with a message. Brant was home. Knowing that they’d gotten away with one more night together helped her to relax. But she was glad he’d left when he did, because early birds began showing up less than an hour later, even though the sale didn’t officially start until eight.
She’d sold quite a bit of her aunt’s furniture and various small household items before Ellen pulled up, carrying to-go cups from the tiny but popular drive-through coffee shop that’d opened on Grove Street sometime after Talulah had moved away.
“How’s it going?” she asked as she sauntered up the walk wearing cutoff sweats, Birkenstocks and an Ahimsa T-shirt she’d turned into a midriff.
Talulah had already had coffee. But she’d only gotten a few hours of sleep, so she welcomed another cup. “Thank you,” she said as Ellen handed one to her and gestured toward the cars lining the drive. “It’s been steady.”
“You making money?”
“I’m doing okay. I priced everything on the low side so it would sell.” Talulah slid over and patted the extra space on the swing beside her. “Want to sit down?”
Ellen glanced toward the house. “You don’t need to watch what’s going on inside?”
There were several small groups milling through the various rooms on the main floor, spare bedrooms and basement, but the door stood open, and Talulah wasn’t going to follow people around, regardless. “No. Everything’s tagged. Anyone who wants to buy something knows where to find me.”
Ellen lowered her voice as she sat down. “What’s Brant up to today?”
“Washing his truck, doing laundry, that sort of thing.”
“Did you guys spend the night here?”
“No. We came back early this morning, though.”
A puzzled look appeared on Ellen’s face. “How early?”
“Five thirty or so,” Talulah replied. “Why?”
“I could’ve sworn it was close to midnight when I saw a car turn down your drive. That wasn’t you?”
“No. I was at the ranch. Did you happen to catch the make or model?”
A woman walked out of the house holding a pair of antique mantel luster lamps. “Will you take ten dollars for these?” she asked.
While Talulah was eager to get rid of almost everything, she shook her head. This person wasn’t just asking for a bargain; she wanted a steal. “No, I’m sorry.”
“Why not?” the woman pressed. “I don’t think they’re worth a hundred dollars.”
“Then put them back,” Ellen said with a shrug.
The woman lowered the lamps. “Well, you don’t have to be rude about it!”
Ellen scowled at Talulah. “Was I the one being rude?”
Eager to return to the conversation they’d been having a moment earlier, Talulah didn’t want to get too distracted. “I’m charging much less than they’re worth,” she told the woman. “Feel free to do the research yourself if it makes you more comfortable.”
The shopper thrust a hundred-dollar bill at Talulah. “Here,” she said and marched down the walkway to her car.
“Ten dollars? Seriously?” Ellen said, shaking her head.
Talulah watched the woman edge past another vehicle as she maneuvered down the long, crowded drive. “It’s how the game’s played at an estate sale, I guess.”
“If you want to be an asshole,” Ellen muttered and Talulah laughed. Her neighbor was quickly becoming one of her favorite people. Even the way Ellen had acted when it came to Brant impressed Talulah. She could’ve been as jealous and possessive as Averil. Instead, she’d told Talulah that she wouldn’t want him if he wasn’t all that into her, anyway.
Talulah took a sip of her coffee. “Back to what you were saying before. Did you happen to notice the make and model of the car that was here last night?”
“No.”
“But it was a sedan?”
“I’m pretty sure it was. The headlights weren’t high enough for it to have been a truck.”
“How long did whoever it was stay?”
“I watched for about five minutes while I had a smoke outside. But when nothing happened, I figured it was you and Brant, after all. It wasn’t until this morning that I found something odd behind my barn.”
“What was it?”
“A teddy bear.”
“A teddy bear?” Talulah had been around that barn herself quite a bit lately, and she’d never noticed a teddy bear. “Did it look as though it’d been on the ground for very long?”
“No, that’s the thing,” Ellen said. “It’s obviously brand-new, not weathered at all. And when you press its paw, a recording comes on.”
“What does it say?” Talulah asked.
“‘Grandma loves you, Mitch.’ You don’t happen to know anyone named Mitch, do you?”
Talulah stopped the swing. “Yes, I do.”
“How’d it go?” Brant asked.
Talulah switched the phone to her other ear as she ambled around the house, taking stock of the items that were left over from the estate sale. “It went well. Most of the things I wanted to sell are gone. The rest won’t be hard to get rid of. The only thing that has me stumped is my aunt’s piano.”
“I’m surprised that didn’t sell,” he said. “Pianos, especially baby grands, are worth some money.”
“I marked it as not for sale,” she admitted.
“Why?” he asked. “Are you planning to take it to Seattle with you?”
“No. It would never fit in my apartment, even if I could get it to the tenth floor. It’s just...sentimental—what I associate with her the most. I couldn’t bear to let it go.”
“That’s a big keep for someone you said you weren’t very close to.”
“It’s strange, but...the more I live in her house, the stronger the kinship I feel. I found a bunch of journals under the bed and started reading the earliest one. It’s interesting and is helping me get to know who she really was—not just the stern face she turned to the world.”
“Debbie might like to read them, too. She might also want the piano?”
“She already has a piano. She plays and plans to give her children lessons.”
“If you need to store it someplace, I can bring it over here, cover it so it doesn’t get damaged and stick it in one of the barns.”
She leaned against the wall in the music room. She’d sold the two chairs and side table that’d been next to the piano, where Phoebe’s students had waited for the previous appointment to end, so it looked oddly bare. “Thanks, but I’m considering offering it to whoever buys the house. I can’t see it going anywhere—it belongs here.”
“The next owner might not agree,” he pointed out. “It’s possible they’d want to do something else with that room—maybe knock out a wall or two and open the place up.”
“That’s what I’d do if I bought it, but I’ll be sad if I have to get rid of the piano.”
“There’s no rush, I guess. You can make arrangements to sell it or store it if and when it comes to that. At least everything else will be handled.”
She shoved off the wall and headed through the living room and dining room to the kitchen. “It looks weird having so much of her stuff gone. But at least you can move around easier in this place now.” She started to make herself a sandwich. She’d been so busy and had had so many people come through the house she hadn’t taken the time to eat. “Ellen stopped by earlier,” she told him, changing the subject.
“To check out the sale?”
“To tell me something.”
“What was it?” he asked curiously.
Talulah cut up an onion for her chicken salad sandwich. “She found a teddy bear behind the barn this morning.”
“A what?”
“You heard that right,” she said and explained what Ellen had told her and how she’d determined it had to belong to Averil’s son.
“But even if Averil was attempting to spy on you, why would she bring Mitch?”
“Who knows? Maybe she was picking him up from whoever was babysitting while she was out last night.”
“That could explain the car Ellen saw in your drive. But why would Averil take Mitch to the barn?”
“I’m guessing she came by to make sure I was home, and when I didn’t answer the door, she started to get suspicious and snoop around.”
“Bottom line—you think she knows about us.”
“She has to at least suspect, doesn’t she?”
“It’s possible. But what led her to the barn?”
“I don’t know. Something did.”
“Have you heard from her today?” he asked.
“No.”
“Are you still going to dinner at the Gerharts’ tomorrow?”
She carried her sandwich into the dining room. “I guess so. We have to address the fact that I’m still seeing you at some point.”
“You’re going to tell her?”
Talulah drew a deep breath as she sat down. She’d been trying to preserve her relationship with Averil. Something as special as what they’d once had seemed like it should be saved. But at what cost? She’d told Paul about Brant. Now, regardless of the consequences, she needed to tell everyone else. “I think I will.”