Usually, the week after Labor Day was hectic, and this one did not stray from convention. With the fall semester under way, Belle had been held over on campus with extended office hours to meet with anxious students, both new and returning, and to attend the obligatory staff meeting her department chair insisted was necessary for morale building.
Pretending to take notes, she’d doodled Ally’s name and various animals on her notepad, preferring the feel of paper and pen to the laptops her colleagues used. She glanced out the window at the range of trees still lush with the vigor of the late season, but her summer had come to an end.
A pall of disappointment hung over her, rather than the eager anticipation of a new academic year and autumn. She was supposed to feel ready and revitalized, splitting her time between work and house-hunting along the Connecticut shore. Instead, she directed most of her energy into forcing images of Ally from her mind and dreams of their future from her heart.
Her sadness had locked her in a holding pattern. She couldn’t sell the condo where she’d lived but couldn’t bring herself to let go of the Ashford place either. Her mother had warned her about putting too much of herself into it during renovations.
Really, she’d put too much Ally into it.
She was on autopilot during the hour drive home from work, listening to smooth seventies on satellite radio. Love songs from the seventies seemed more genuine for some reason.
She pulled into the driveway and rolled over the gravel toward the house. Something was different, some detail that hadn’t been there when she left that morning. She lowered her window and knew right away by the scent what it was—a small lilac tree planted off to the left side of the veranda encircled by a white protective fence.
She smiled at the housewarming gift, then ran over to it, hoping it was from Ally and that she’d left some sort of note.
Nothing.
Red was waiting for her on the front steps, his wagging tail sweeping the porch behind him. After scratching his ears, she headed inside and toward the fridge, hoping a bottle of something was in there chilling.
She uncorked some white, let it roll over her tongue, and walked to the window to gaze out at the backyard. Noticing something moving in her periphery, she looked to where the koi pond was originally supposed to go. In its place was a magnificent flower garden brimming with vibrant colors, stems, and stalks of all shapes and sizes.
She stepped out onto the patio. That was when Ally stood up and wiped the sweat from her neck with the back of her gardening glove.
“Hi,” she said, shielding her eyes from the dipping sun.
Belle smiled and walked slowly toward her. “Hi.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Ally said. “A promise is a promise.”
“It’s beyond beautiful.” Belle was almost breathless. “But you didn’t have to do all this.”
“I kinda did. But I also really wanted to.”
Ally bent down and picked up an oval garden stone from the center to show Belle. The name Ashford and a male cherub with wings holding a flower were carved into it.
“That’s amazing,” Belle said. “I don’t know what to say.”
Ally removed her gloves and walked toward her. “Say that you’ll accept my deeply heartfelt apology.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“A lot of things, namely for handling everything wrong.”
“You can’t help the way you grieve.”
“No, but there were some things I could’ve helped. And I chose to bury my head in the sand instead of putting duty before loyalty to a friend.”
“It’s a slippery slope when that friend is a child molester,” Belle said. “Or isn’t it? I don’t know. I’ve never been friends with one.”
“It’s not at all, and if Bob hadn’t been days from dying, I would’ve acted on what you said, without question. I would’ve taken time to think about it, then acted on it. But during the time I needed to deal with what you told me, he’d already passed. I’m not using that as an excuse. I own what I did. I screwed up on my first big test as sheriff, and I’ll have to find a way to make peace with myself for that.”
“Did the DNA come back a match?”
Ally nodded.
Belle sighed in relief. She felt vindicated for her part in their breakup, for going behind Ally’s back when she’d felt she was wavering. For her, the end certainly justified the means.
“I’m an honest person, Belle. I have integrity, and my ethics may have stalled in this one case that hit too close to home, but they never failed. I would never have let that happen.”
“You knew he was about to die, but you didn’t take a sample from him.”
“I realize that,” Ally said. “I knew in my heart Charlene was telling you the truth.”
Belle remembered what Ally had asked her. What if someone had made that accusation against her dying father? It was time to stop judging her.
“I made a mistake, Belle, an error in judgment that taught me a valuable lesson.” She offered a humble smile. “But I got lucky.”
“Lucky? How do you figure that?”
“At the time I had a nosy, mischievous, very slick girlfriend who did my job for me while I wandered lost in a moral wilderness.”
Belle pretended not to be swayed. “Are you referring to me?”
“You’re the only nosy girlfriend I’ve had recently. And by recently, I mean in the last five years.”
Belle grinned. “You forgot sexy and brilliant.”
Ally grinned back. “I couldn’t if I tried.”
Belle flung her wineglass onto the lawn and lunged at Ally, clamping her arms around her in a grip as sturdy as steel. “I love you, Ally.”
“I love you, Isabelle, so much.” Ally whispered in her ear. “Can you ever forgive me for the jerk I turned into—temporarily?”
“Yes, my love. Yes,” she whispered back, then looked Ally in the eyes. “I hope you can forgive me for doubting you—temporarily.”
Ally smiled. “It’s been a wild summer. I think we’re both entitled to one ‘get outta jail free’ card.”
Belle wrapped her in another embrace, her voice quavering. “I’ve been so sad thinking it was over.”
“God, me, too, honey.” This time Ally looked her in the eyes. “I know we can make this work, Belle. Whatever the challenges, if you want to try, I’m all in.”
They kissed passionately in the yard as the sun, lowering into the trees, caressed their faces. When they finally came up for air, Belle glanced over Ally’s shoulder at the new botanical paradise.
“What’s in there,” she asked, her arms still looped around Ally’s neck.
Ally beamed at the question. “In the center is a red rose bush for love, obviously; some forget-me-nots on the left; and to the right some yellow daffodils, which signify new beginnings—oh, and some jasmine over there because they represent love and sensuality.”
“Wow. You must’ve put a lot of thought into this garden.”
“I did.” Ally gave her a sly grin.
“Hmm. How am I supposed to sell this place and move away now that you’ve planted a custom-made Eden of romance for me?”
“Duh. That’s the idea—you’re not.”
“Did you just ask me to go steady?”
“Well, since it would be foolish to propose to someone you’ve been dating for only three months, yeah. Let’s go with that.”
Belle laughed. “Good idea. Because it’s not like we’ve ever been fools for love before.”
Ally bit her lip in mock shame. As their laughter died down, she stared into Belle’s eyes. “It’s different this time. I can feel it.”
“Me, too.”
As clichéd as it sounded, Belle knew in her heart it was true.
***
After demolishing a pizza and the rest of the wine, Belle and Ally sat together on the outdoor sofa, fingers clasped, shoulders resting against one another’s in the waning light of dusk. Belle slid the empty pizza box aside with her foot and extended her legs across the coffee table.
“We had his service over the weekend.”
“You did? I wish I had known. I would’ve come, even if it was just to lurk in the shadows.”
“It’s okay. My parents and sister were here for it. Craig and Charlene Wheeler even came. He’s buried in Judy’s plot with her. I’m having a footstone made with his name, Frankie Ashford.”
Ally gave her a quizzical look.
“I figured since Judy was such a fan of Frankie Avalon…”
“That’s sweet. You’ll have to take me to see it one of these days.”
Belle agreed with a smile.
“I talked to Shirley the other day,” Ally said.
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s a tough old bird, but after our conversation…” Ally shrugged.
Belle jerked her head toward her. “What did you—did you tell her about Bob?”
“I had to. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, but I owed it to a lot of people, both here and gone.”
“What did she say? Did she deny it?”
“No. She just listened with a mixture of shock, guilt, and an emotion I can only explain as relief. She’d believed her daughter when she’d told her about Bob, but I don’t think she had the capacity to fathom the full scope of the situation. After I talked with her, she seemed like a woman who’d spent her entire life under the thumb of a controlling man, probably verbal and emotional abuse, too.”
“Do you think she facilitated his behavior?”
“Not in an active role,” Ally said. “I know it sounds like I’m sticking up for her, but I’m not. She was truly horrified when I told her about the DNA results. She had no idea of the extent of his perversions. She’d somehow dismissed his assault of their daughter as a ‘moment of weakness’ by an otherwise upright man.”
“I guess I should credit her for sending Debra away. Some women in that position would’ve been too afraid to do anything except turn a blind eye.”
“I saw that when I was on patrol in the city,” Ally said.
Belle scoffed. “And the evangelicals say gays are unfit parents.”
“I’m not perfect by any means, but after six years raising Chloe, I can assure you that nobody would get away with hurting her.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through this.” She kissed Ally on the cheek. “Does Shirley hate your guts now?”
“Surprisingly, no. She thanked me for everything I’d done for her and Bob. But the best part is that her daughter is speaking to her again. They’re going to work on having a relationship.”
“I’m glad something good found its way out of this dumpster fire.”
“A lot of good did, Belle. Judy and her child are together, Craig and Charlene Wheeler received some long-overdue closure, and best of all…” She waved a finger between them. “Right here.”
“This really is the best.” She leaned against Ally and sighed.
“You know what else I was thinking?”
Belle’s heart fluttered. What was happening? Was she going to throw caution and good sense to the wind, drop down on one knee, and go for it? She swallowed hard and forced her voice to sound casual. “What?”
“I’m thinking of starting a sexual-abuse-survivors’ support group.”
Belle exhaled the breath she’d been holding and smiled. “That’s a great idea.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. It’s exactly what this repressed community needs.”
Ally laughed and pulled her closer.
“So, my realtor dumped me,” Belle said.
“You were dating your realtor?”
“No,” Belle said through a giggle. “After I turned down the second offer on the house for my exact asking price, she said I should stop wasting her time and call her when I’m truly ready to sell.”
“Ooh, that feisty little shit.”
“I know, right?”
“What did you tell her?”
“Okay.”
“You mean it’s not listed anymore?”
“She’s coming by tomorrow to get the sign,” Belle said, casually examining her fingernails.
“Wow. I guess that makes you an official ‘Danvillin’ now,” Ally said with a big smile.
“I guess so.” Belle sneaked a coy peek at Ally from the side. “But now I own a house with three huge bedrooms, a family room, and a massive yard.”
“Thinking of getting boarders?” Ally asked with a sassy grin.
Belle smiled. “You might say that.”
***
As Ally and Belle guided a blindfolded Chloe through the house and out onto the patio, the three of them cackled as they tried not to trip over each other’s feet and Red, who was traipsing along at their heels.
“When can I look? I’m getting dizzy,” Chloe said.
Belle and Ally stopped her on the patio, not wanting to get too close to the crate temporarily placed toward the back of the yard.
“Right now,” Ally said, then prolonged the torturous suspense a bit more. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Do you need more time to get your balance back?” Belle added.
“No, I’m ready, I’m ready,” Chloe shouted.
They positioned her body toward the crate off to the left and slipped off her blindfold.
“What is it?” she said, then nearly burst with excitement. “Is it a greyhound?”
“Go see,” Ally said.
Chloe bolted across the leaf-strewn yard toward the crate, and Ally and Belle trailed closely behind. Belle held up her cell phone to capture the big reveal on video.
“Oh my God,” Chloe yelled when she opened the door and saw the brindle rescue greyhound chilling inside on a plush dog bed.
With Red’s assistance, she coaxed the dog out of the cage and, after waiting for her to sniff out her approval, hugged and kissed it.
“You like her?” Ally asked.
“I love her,” Chloe said. “What’s her name?”
“Daisy,” Ally said.
“Hi, Daisy.” The dog dropped down next to her, rolled on her back, and twisted in the crunchy autumn leaves. Chloe soon joined her on the ground, but Red preferred to sit and watch their shenanigans.
“You want to tell her?” Ally said softly to Belle.
“She’d probably rather hear it from you, don’t you think?”
“No,” Ally said. “You really won her over. She was furious with me when I told her we’d broken up.”
“Really?” Belle said, effusive with pride.
“Don’t gloat.” She kissed her sweetly.
“Are we keeping Daisy here?” Chloe said.
“It’s a good idea, right?” Ally said.
“I guess it’s better than the condo. She’ll have a huge back yard,” Chloe said, sounding disappointed. “But I wish she could live with us.”
Belle and Ally exchanged smiles.
“She can’t, sweetie,” Ally said. “We just don’t have the room.”
“I know,” Chloe said.
“Why don’t you come and live here with her then?” Belle asked.
Chloe beamed up at both of them. “Is she serious?”
“Well, since Red spends most of his time here,” Ally said, pretending to be nonchalant. “Why not? I’ll be coming along, too, if that’s okay.”
“Yes, yes,” Chloe exclaimed with a fist pump. “This is awesome.” She ran over to them and pulled them in for a group hug.
Belle kissed Ally while they were still entangled in the embrace. “Thank you.”
Ally smiled. “For what?”
“For bringing love and life back to this place.”