Annie looked at Roy. Something in his eyes pled for just this tiniest of concessions.
She turned back to the chief. “No, it’s all right. I guess we both have a couple of things to say.”
Edwards gave her a nod. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”
Roy waited until the door clicked shut; then he nodded toward the box in his arms. “Didn’t have time enough to squirrel away much at this stop. I suppose, considering everything, that turned out for the best.” He ducked his head. “I’m sorry for how I went about things, Annie, but I’m not sorry for the way I felt about you.”
“Roy—”
“No, don’t worry. I’m letting it go. I don’t want you to think I’ll be bothering you someday down the road. And believe you me, I won’t ever be trying this kind of stunt anywhere ever again. But thank you for giving me a chance to start fresh and not have this on my permanent record.”
Annie let her expression soften. “I didn’t want you to lose your career, Roy; not over something you and I both know was just a stupid mistake.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes love’ll make you a little bit stupid.”
He grinned suddenly, and Annie couldn’t help a little smile of her own.
“You’ll find the right girl one of these days. You’re not a bad guy, you know? Just don’t try to push things. When it’s right, both of you will know.”
“That’s what they say.” He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he managed still to smile as he shifted his box against his hip and held out his hand. “Wish me luck?”
“Sure.” She took his hand. “All the best, Roy.”
“You’re a nice lady, Annie. I doubt there’s anybody out there like you, but if there is, I hope I find her.”
He pressed her hand one last time and then released it. A moment later, he was gone.
Annie thought about him as she drove home, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Still, she said a little prayer that he might one day find what he was looking for.
****
When she pulled up in front of Grey Gables, Annie saw she had a visitor.
“Susan!” She hurried up to the front porch. “How wonderful to see you. How did you get here?”
“I asked Chief Edwards if Cal Peters could drive me here after I finished giving my formal statement. I hope you don’t mind me dropping in like this.” Susan smiled shyly. “Turnabout’s fair play and all.”
“Of course it is. Come in. How’s Tom today?”
“He’s doing well. Really well. And so am I.” Susan looked around the foyer. “I remember this house so well.” She took a deep breath, and a little half smile softened her face. “It even smells the way it used to.”
“I have some blueberry muffins. Would you join me?”
“I’d love to.”
They went into the kitchen, and Annie pulled out a chair for her visitor. “Sit down, and I’ll get us some coffee too.”
“I always enjoyed coming to visit here, and your grandmother always made me feel so welcome.”
“She loved having you over. I’m just sorry she never made a crocheter out of you.”
“I never did finish that afghan, you know. I guess, left to my own devices, I’m more of a gardener than a crafter, as much as I admired all the beautiful things she created.”
“Gardening is an art in itself, if you ask me. But I don’t think Gram would have minded your not learning to crochet—not nearly as much as she would have minded that you didn’t come to her after your parents died.”
“I know. After you told me she had passed away, I started thinking about her. I know she would have helped me. Archer had me so confused and scared, I didn’t know what to do.”
“Why did you even come back here? He would never have been able to trace you after all this time if you hadn’t been living in your old house.”
“I was raised in that house. It had been in my family since it was built. My family is buried out behind it. Why shouldn’t my husband and I live in it?” She sighed. “I know, it was a risk. But I thought it would be all right after Archer moved the company out to the West Coast. Why would he even be looking for me after so much time had passed? And if he was, he wouldn’t think I’d come back here, right? Tom called it hiding in plain sight, though I guess we weren’t all that good at it.”
“You managed to disappear for twenty years, so I guess you knew what you were doing. Oh, and by the way, that was sure some story you came up with … the one about your grandfather and his two families. I could never have thought that up so quickly.”