Threads of Steel (Bayou Cove) (33 page)

“Yes, sir.
This is a great day for Miss Ellie and for us.”

She was hurried into a private room with a long table covered in paperwork. Around it sat
Nancy and her husband who sat in a wheelchair pushed up against the table. She lifted her hand and Nancy waved back, let her hand land on
Harry’s
,
then
smiled. The gesture nearly brought tears to Anna Marie’s eyes. They were going to be fine.

Doti
sat across from them with her mother and father on each side of her. She looked as bad today as the last time she’d seen her, but she smiled at Anna Marie as she took a seat.

Two other men were also there and Anna Marie assumed they were there as witnesses or maybe just representatives from the family. Seeing that
Doti
and Nancy had someone with them for moral support, she wished she would’ve taken Doug up on his offer.

How nice it would’ve been to have him at her side, holding her hand, and celebrating with her afterwards. She almost picked up her phone and excused herself while she called him, but one of the Mr.
Lowerys
welcomed everyone and started explaining the procedure.

Anna Marie sat quietly and listened, knowing that after all the stacks of papers were signed, Nancy and
Doti
expected answers from her. She went through the motions of signing, initialing, and passing papers back and forth. The entire procedure took less than an hour, and by the time it was over and hands were shaken, everyone gathered in the parking lot.

“Now what do we do?” asked
Doti
.

“I think we need to agree on a real estate agent,” Harry said, “since I think we’ve all decided to put the property up for sale, haven’t we?”

Everyone looked at Anna Marie. Her heart sunk. “I guess we’ll look for an agent.” She said the words, but her heart wasn’t in them.

Doti
walked up next to her. “Thank you, Anna. Thank you so much. Now, I just hope we can find a seller fast. I’d like to see the sale before I die.”

Anna Marie smiled at her. “You’ll see it. You’re not going anywhere too quick.”

“That’s my hope, but I’m ready when the time comes. But, I have to say, I’d love to see a sale before I go.”

Doti’s
parents helped her into the car, and Anna Marie turned to Harry. She put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. You gave us a scare, you know.”

He chuckled. “I gave myself a scare too.” He looked back at Nancy who stood behind his wheelchair. “I’m just glad Nancy was there by my side the entire time. I don’t know that I could’ve done it alone.”

“She would’ve never dreamed of not being there. That’s where she belonged.”

Nancy placed a hand on
Harry’s
cheek. “Let me get you in the van. I want to have a word with Anna Marie.”

Harry smiled at her
.
“Thanks for being there for Nancy.”

With Harry in the van, Nancy ran back to Anna Marie.

“Anna, you don’t have to decide about the sale of the house today. Don’t let us force you into doing something you don’t want to do.”

Anna Marie stared at Nancy
.
“I know, but why are you telling me this? I thought this is what you wanted.”

“I want my share of the house, but not at your expense. I know you don’t want to sell. We can come up with some other solution.”

“Like what? You and
Doti
can use the money.” She bit her lip. “Anyway, why would I want this house? Bayou Cove isn’t my home anymore. It never was . . .”

“Fine, be that way.” Nancy’s voice was huffy.

Anna Marie touched Nancy’s arm. “Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m not comfortable with putting it up for sale right now because I think we’re forcing you. Maybe there’s another way.”

Anna Marie had thought about other ways as well. She thought about buying her two friends’ shares. They’d be happy and she’d have the house. But then, what would she do with a house in Bayou Cove?

“Maybe,” she said with resolution, “but I’ve decided to sell.”

“If that’s the way you feel, then sign the papers and sell. We’ll split the money and you can go back to New Orleans and get lost in the masses of people over there.”

Anna Marie’s chest heaved. Her breath gushed out. Where was the sweet, jovial Nancy she knew?

“I don’t get lost in the crowds,” she said, her voice as sharp as Nancy’s. “I’m part of that crowd. They’re part of me, and this town isn’t . . .”

“This isn’t what?
Your home anymore?
You’ve already said that. I’m not saying you have to move here and run for mayor. I just want you to think about why you want to go back to that big city.”

“Maybe it’s because I have a life over there. I have a business, a very successful business, I might add.”

Nancy inhaled. “I know. I’m sorry. I just hate to see you do something that you might regret later.” She looked over at her van, then back at her. “I didn’t mean to get snippy with you, but this is important. If you need time, we’ll give it to you.”

Totally confused, Anna Marie just nodded.

“I need to go, but please promise me you’ll consider other options.” Nancy hesitated. “You have good credit. You could buy us out,
then
you could make the decision later about what you want to do.”

Nancy threw her arms around Anna Marie’s shoulders. “Just think about it, and, Anna, don’t be mad at me.”

Anna Marie hugged her friend. “I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you.” She pulled her tight. “Now go get Harry home before he ends up back in the hospital.”

Their old van and the Smiths’ old sedan pulled away, leaving her standing alone by her car. She was about to get in when something caught her attention. She looked up to see Doug walking toward her.

When he got close enough, he winked at her,
then
pulled her in his arms.

Anna Marie fell into his arms. “You came anyway,” she whispered into his chest as she held him as tightly as he held her and fought back unexpected tears.

“Yes, I came,” he said as he stepped back. “The more I thought about you going through all this by yourself, the madder I got with myself. I should’ve insisted that I come along. How’d it go?”

“It went fine. Lots of paperwork, but we had three names on the deed so it took a little longer to get through everything.”

“Now that it belongs to you three, is it going up for sale?”

She nodded. “Yes, I guess.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know. Nancy cornered me before she left and said not to do something I’d regret later. She told me I should buy their shares then I could do something with the house later if I wasn’t ready to sell now.”

“We talked about that before. That would work, that is, if you have the money or want to go
in debt for it. I don’t know what your finances are, and it’s none of my business, but buying them out is a viable option. Nancy would have the money for her family. It would probably help her marriage problems, and
Doti
could rest easy knowing her daughter’s guardians would be able to provide for her. You could take your time and decide what you really want to do.”

“I guess I have a lot to think about.”

“I guess you do, but you don’t have to make a decision today. What if I take you to a movie tonight? Tomorrow you can wake up rested and ready to give it your all.”

“A movie would be nice, but I’d like to drive by the house for another look before it goes on the market. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be inspired and will know what to do.”

CHAPTER
21

With Anna Marie sitting quietly on her side of the car, Doug pulled up in front of Miss Ellie’s house. He wondered what was going through her mind.

Did she still see the neighborhood as it was when she was a young girl, a neighborhood that didn’t accept her and her friends? Or, did she see it for what it could mean to her in the future?

He wished he could help her make her decision, but he knew all too well, that something that personal and that big had to be made by the person alone. After Jennifer died, he wanted someone to tell him what to do—stay in Bayou Cove with all of her memories or move somewhere else to start a new life for himself. Everyone had an opinion, but one of his friends who had also lost his wife made a comment that made the most sense. He told him it was his life and no matter what anyone said, he was the one who’d have to live with the consequences. His friend told him to take his time. Nothing had to be decided immediately after the funeral.

Anna Marie’s situation was a little different, but still he wanted so badly to help her, and the best way to do that was to let her decide for herself. Of course, if he had his way, he would persuade her to buy the house so he could see her more often. Earlier he’d tried to talk himself out of seeing her or forming any kind of relationship, but the more they were
together,
the more he wanted to know her.

“Do you want to go in?” he asked.

“I’d like that. Do you have any idea what to look for in a sound structure? If I’m even going to consider taking it, I should at least know what I might be getting myself into.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” He had to fight back a smile, knowing that she actually was thinking about purchasing the house. “I’m not an expert when it comes to houses, but there’re a few things we can examine.”

With all his heart he hoped the structure was in good shape. It would be a positive in her decision making. He helped her out of the car, then stood on the sidewalk and looked up at the roof. “That’s a slate roof. You don’t find many houses with those anymore. They seem to last forever.”

“I remember Miss Ellie talking about how her brothers insisted she put another slate roof when she renovated the house after a tree fell on it during a storm.”

“You’ll have to get an inspector up there, but my untrained eyes see a good roof.”

“That’s a good start.” She stepped up on the front porch.

  Doug stomped his foot a couple of times on the steps, then walked up on the porch and did the same thing. “This sounds pretty sturdy too. If the rest of the house is as good as these two things, you and
Doti
and Nancy have been given quite a gift.”

Anna Marie smiled at his words then took out her key and opened the front door. “I’ve always loved the stained glass on this front door.”

Doug watched her run her hand down the thick glass. “I noticed you had a pretty nice one on your home.”

“Yes, it was one of the first things that drew me to the little house. I had always loved Miss Ellie’s door and when I saw that one, I knew it was right for me.”

She stepped into the hallway. “Even the finish on the floors seems to be in good shape. Miss Ellie didn’t have a lot of people running in and out of her house. She didn’t have any kids.”

She stood still as if thinking about the lady and her life that probably was pretty lonely in
her later years. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved and then to revisit the things and the places that reminded you of them. Even after six years he thought about Jennifer often, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with joy as he remembered something they’d done together, but he always thought about her with love.

He wondered what Jennifer would think about Anna Marie, but more importantly, what would she think about him wanting to spend more and more time with her? Would she approve?

Gently he pushed aside his thoughts of Jennifer. He’d given her the better part of his life while she was alive and even all the years since she’d been gone.

It was time for him to live again.

He cleared his throat and commented on Anna Marie’s last statement.
“Seems to me that you and your friends were Miss Ellie’s kids.”

She turned around and smiled at him. “You’re right. I guess we were.”

He stepped up next to her and put his hand on her face. “You know, Anna, sometimes we don’t know our importance in the world. We live our lives always trying to be the best we can be, trying to make the best that this life has given us, but all the time we’re the most important thing already.”

She raised her hand and placed it over his still on her face. “You always seem to know what to say to make a person feel better. Thank you.”

God, she was beautiful. She turned her head and kissed his hand. Hot desire raced through his body. Her gesture was nothing more than a kind thank you, but to him the touch of her lips against his skin awakened every nerve in his body.

Smiling, she kissed his hand quickly again, then stepped away. “Come on. Let’s see what you think about the rest of the house.”

He wiped a hand across his mouth and followed, but what he wanted to do was to lay her on the floor and make love to her, slow and long, in the afternoon sunlight that streaked through the blinds. He’d told her he’d be here for her as a friend, but damn, he wished he could take back those words. He wanted more from her than friendship.