WOODY RAN HIS hand along the hand-hewn studs now exposed in the old stone house.
“Look at the fine work,” he said. “Nobody builds like this anymore.”
“I can’t believe it,” Stella said. “I worried about it so much; I was afraid you’d have to tear it down.”
“It all worked out,” Annie said. “I probably wouldn’t have been so intent on finding out the history of the house if it had not been in danger.”
Stella pushed her glasses up on her nose.
“It was a good thing for me, too,” she said. “I would have probably kept running, and who knows where I would be today,” she said, shyly looking up at Woody.
He put his arm around Stella and gave her a squeeze.
“You’re here now, and that’s the main thing,” Woody said. “Now, how about I show you my kids,” Woody said, his voice reverberating against the wood floors without furniture or rugs to soak up the sound.
Stella’s eyes grew wide. “Woody, you never mentioned children!”
“He’s talking about his goats,” Annie said.
“Oh, well yes,” she said, relief flooding her face.
“Yep,” Woody said. “Goats and horses, too. I’ll teach you to ride. I’ve got a sweet little mare called Nutmeg. She’s just come into foal, but I can ride you around the paddock on her.”
Annie shut the door of the stone house and waved goodbye. The trees were at peak this weekend, the red and yellow maples in full color scattered along the landscape and hills. Needing a few minutes alone before the activity started, she climbed the hill to the cemetery; leaves crinkled and crunched under her feet. At the top of the hill, she opened the iron gate.
It was like a painting with the autumn leaves in various colors, sprinkled on the still green grass, amidst the new granite and old limestone gravestones. She kneeled down and laid her open palm on the marble of Ephraim’s military footstone. In Italy, she stood beside Elena’s grave, where she had claimed her love for Ephraim by taking his name in death. It seemed only fitting to visit Ephraim’s final resting place, especially after meeting his son, Benito.
The recent weeks of learning more about Josiah May, who was also buried in this graveyard, made her connection to the land, the old stone house, and to all those who went before her even stronger.
Annie was grateful for Vesta Givens, who helped save the old stone house and brought to light their shared family history. She thought about the word family and how shared DNA usually defines it. Sometimes it goes beyond, crossing the boundaries of race and geography.
***
“It’s quiet around here,” she said, walking into Evelyn’s kitchen.
“Annie, come in. I was daydreaming,” Evelyn said.
“About Tom?” Annie smiled and sat down.
Evelyn blushed. “Well, he’s going to be my date at the rehearsal dinner.”
“You’ll make a handsome couple.”
“As will you and Jake. I’ve kept him so busy this week, I guess you’ve hardly seen him.”
Annie nodded and avoided Evelyn’s eyes.
“It’ll all get back to normal next week,” Evelyn said, reaching across the table and putting her hand on Annie’s.
“Everybody keeps saying that,” she said.
For a second, she wanted to tell Evelyn her worries about Jake. The moment passed and Annie changed the subject.
“How do you like Scott’s family?”
“They are really nice folks; very polite and helpful. His mother and aunt want to set up tomorrow, so I don’t think it will take long.”
“I thought you might need help, but it looks like everything is under control.”
“Everything is done for now. I’ll sit here and daydream a bit longer,” she said, laughing. “This is the calm before the storm, so I might as well enjoy it.”
***
Jake drove over and escorted Annie and Beulah to the rehearsal dinner at the Old Stone Mill just outside of town. Beulah had resisted going with them, but Annie insisted since Tom was taking Evelyn.
The banquet room was decorated with white lights and candles at the tables. It was the first date Annie and Jake had enjoyed since things had grown so awkward between them. A couple of times, he squeezed her hand under the table, and for those moments, it seemed all was well.
When the evening was over, he took her home along with Beulah, and quickly kissed her goodbye on the back porch instead of staying longer or inviting her to his cottage.
The pit in her stomach returned and she almost dreaded the wedding tomorrow. After it was over, Jake would finally tell her what had come between them.