Jacob smoothed out Freddie’s map on the table. Been another rough night. All them nightmares about Freddie. His grandson were on the trip of a lifetime. And his granddaddy’s no-good-for-nothin’ brain weren’t gonna say otherwise. ’Bout time he crafted a dream catcher, hung it above his bed and then took it outside so all them bad dreams could perish in the sunlight. Plenty of sunlight this morning. And warm in the front room. Shouldn’t be this warm when the dogwoods were firin’ up. Wouldn’t be much color this fall, not with the heat and the drought. Drought were a real serious business. Weakened trees fell, wells ran dry and that phantom of forest fires didn’t never go away. October could be a real dry month, too. Mighty fine month for travelin’, though. One time he took Angeline to Asheville—special trip for their weddin’ anniversary. They even stayed over! Spent a night in a motel! And they drove up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway drinkin’ in the wonder of fall in the mountains.
Where was Freddie and his mama travelin’ today?
He wanted to stick the map on the wall, but Willie said no. And he could argue the heck out of it, but seemed like a protest not worth makin’. Besides, with this sturdy cardboard casin’, he could take the map out whenever and wherever he chose.
It were real nice in the main room of this house. Big house, too. Had two bathrooms! And a separate toilet downstairs! Never lived in a house with more than one toilet.
Mornin’ sun hit them front windows just right. Whoever built this place sure knew what he was doin’. And all that glass at the back framed the forest real nice, like a paintin’. This weren’t his shack, and it weren’t Occoneechee Mountain. Didn’t rightfully know where he’d woken up this mornin’, but he reckoned he’d got it good this time. Real good. Bless Willie for bringin’ him here.
Now—Jacob rolled up the sleeves of his denim shirt—where was Freddie and his mama today? He squinted at the map.
“I’d offer to lend you my reading glasses,” a pretty gal with blazing blue eyes said. “But I have no idea where they are. Sorry to just walk in. I did knock but you didn’t hear me.”
He scratched his head. Had they met before?
“I’m Hannah. Or Hey You.”
Hannah, a name to keep, a name to treasure.
“How are you doing today?”
“Fair ta middlin’, I reckon.”
She held out her hand—delicate like china, but calloused. A little lady who grabbed life and held on. He smiled. Been a while since he met anyone who made him want to smile. Other than that firecracker of an art teacher. He wanted to smile—little enough to smile about since his Angeline crossed over. People told him death got easier, but he knew otherwise.
Once death finds you, he ain’t leavin’.
Could say the same about grief.
A big dog, a shepherd, pushed its nose against the screen door.
“I’m right here, baby,” the gal said.
Now he remembered where he’d seen her—at daybreak, takin’ them dogs into the forest.
“Reckon they can come in, too.” He nodded as a mutt joined the shepherd. Real jumpy, them two. Just about broke his heart to imagine what made them so.
Hey You smiled. Damn pretty smile. Smile like redbud blossom welcoming spring. Had Willie noticed her smile? He worked too hard, that boy. Needed to notice the pretty women more, especially this one letting in a whole pack of dogs.
One of the dogs had such mean-lookin’ scars, he had to turn his head. What kind of a monster hurt an innocent creature? Dogs and kids—he always said they just wanted to love and be loved. Didn’t hold true for his Willie. He were so shut down when he were little, hard to even hug him. And in high school, he moved through the world like he were a spirit. Were that before or after his gal got herself a boyfriend that weren’t Willie? Weren’t no one’s fault she didn’t love him right, but when you gave your heart and didn’t get it back, there weren’t nowhere to hide. He’d been so worried about Willie that summer when...what? What had happened that summer?
The pretty gal said, “I just thought I’d check in, see if you needed anything. Will not around?”
Plum forgot her name. But then she smiled. Hard to forget that smile. Had Willie noticed her smile? He could ask if Willie put her up to this, but he didn’t want to sound ungrateful. Besides, he wouldn’t mind a bit of company.
“He went into town visitin’ some retirement hotel.” Damned if he would use the word home. “Thinks I don’t know where he’s at. But I know. He told me to stay here and not move. Thinks I’ll wander off into them woods and get lost.”
“And would you?”
“Well, now, I might decide to take a stroll up that hillside. Looks real invitin’ to me. But get lost? Heck, no. I been trackin’ through the forest since before either of you was born. Should have disappeared off into the Appalachians when I had me the chance.”
He’d always planned to live up in the mountains and the caves. Be self-sufficient. That were his dream after his dear, sweet Angeline crossed over. But what kind of a daddy and a granddaddy would he be if no one could ever find him?
“Poppy tells me you’re one helluva banjo player,” the pretty gal said. “I expected to hear you picking away over here.”
“Bah, them days are long gone.” And they weren’t comin’ back. Just like his Angeline. “Don’t play much these days.” Only ever played for his Angeline—and to annoy ol’ possum-face at Hawk’s Ridge.
“I’d love to hear you play sometime,” she said.
“I weren’t ever that good, little lady.”
She knew things about him, this gal. Had she been talkin’ to the art teacher? Art teacher were the only person he’d told half them things to. He’d been braggin’. Embarrassin’ for a guy his age, but she was one pretty gal, that art teacher. Hard not to want to be a bit of a peacock. Angeline wouldn’t mind. Not his dear, sweet Angeline. Now she’d known how to move. At fifteen she swung her hips like a woman twice her age. She had every man for three counties beggin’ at her door. Never did figure out why she chose him. No siree. He used to play for her, when she came to listen to the band in all them bars, just for her. When they got that record deal, though, she were in a dark place. Demons took her bad that winter. Always worse in the winter.
So he quit the band. Had to stay home with Angeline. She needed him, his dear, sweet Angeline, and so did Willie. Motherin’ were hard for her. Sometimes he had to be the daddy and the mama.
“What’s that?” The pretty gal nodded at the map.
“My grandson, he’s on this trip. Woo-wee. Trip of a lifetime and he’s only five years old. I’m trackin’ him and his mama.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink. “Your son’s married?”
“Nah. Never been married. Near broke his mama’s heart. Want me to show you where my grandbaby’s been?”
“I’d like that,” the gal said, and pulled up a chair to sit real close. Two of the dogs came and sat beside her.
“You know where Cardiff, Wales, is?” he said.
“Actually, I do.”
“Here.” He handed her one them colored markers. “Could you circle it for me? Poppy and me, we’re havin’ a sweepstakes to figure out where my grandbaby’s goin’ next. You want to join in?”
“What’s the prize?” She smiled that pretty smile. Shame Willie weren’t here to notice.
“Well, I reckon Poppy’s still workin’ on that. You ever travel to Europe, little lady?”
“Once, when I was a kid.” She looked a bit sad, like she needed one of his special hugs. He patted her knee. “It was the last trip my family took together.” She paused. “You know, you can tape this to the wall if you like—until you find a new home.”
A new home? Heck, he reckoned he’d found it. And this time, he weren’t leavin’—with or without a fight.