The Little Bookshop Of Promises

“Get out, spend a few hours with another adult,” Dovie elaborated.

“Yes, I suppose, but—”

“Have you ever thought of asking Annie out?” Jane asked point-blank. She was already behind schedule with this matchmaking and didn’t have time to be subtle. Besides she’d been married long enough to realize men were dense creatures—often loving and wonderful but sometimes dull-witted, especially where romance was concerned. She knew Cal appreciated it when she came promptly to the point; subtlety was usually wasted on him. After conversations with her friends, Jane had concluded that her husband wasn’t unique.

“Out? Like on...a date?”

“Why not date Annie?” Jane said quickly.

Lucas sent her a stricken look.

“Come on, Lucas,” Dovie cajoled, “it would do you both good. Annie hasn’t taken a break since she arrived last month.”

“The girls...”

“Frank and I would love having them for the evening,” Dovie volunteered.

“Cal and I would, too,” Jane said, although she probably should have checked with Cal before offering.

“You would?” Lucas resembled a man who’d been thrown a lifeline, but didn’t know what to do with it.

“Ask her,” Jane urged.

The story ended, and the children started milling about the store in search of their parents.

“You think I should?” Lucas said in a hesitant voice.

“Yes,” Jane replied, perhaps a bit too emphatically.

“I’m sure Annie would enjoy your company.” Dovie spoke lightly, as though this was merely a suggestion on their part.

A minute later Lucas’s daughters had found their father and begun chattering excitedly about the story.

“Daddy, Daddy...”

Jane noticed that Lucas’s assessing gaze followed Annie as she moved here and there, answering questions, helping customers. “Maybe I should ask her out,” he murmured before turning his attention back to his children.

Jane reached for Dovie’s hand and squeezed it hard.

Not long afterward, Jane left the bookstore grinning widely. Oh, yes, Lucas and Annie were perfectly suited. She felt pleased with herself as she hurried on to her next destination.

Shortly after noon, when Jane walked into the café at the bowling alley, she immediately saw Cal sitting in a booth toward the back of the room. She made her way toward him and unloaded her packages before sliding into the opposite seat.

“I had the most fabulous idea.” She hadn’t planned to tell him, but she couldn’t resist. “Annie and Lucas.”

Her husband looked at her blankly.

“Lucas was at the bookstore with his girls this morning and I suddenly realized...” Her voice faltered as she noticed his frown. “Well, I suggested Lucas ask her out and I think he’s going to do it.”

“Jane, for the love of heaven—”

“I know—I shouldn’t interfere. Just this one time, though.” She paused. “Don’t be angry with me, but I volunteered us to watch Heather and Hollie when they go out.”

He shrugged and muttered something she didn’t catch, then reached for the menu tucked behind the napkin dispenser.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He studied the menu like a legal document, even though he was as familiar with it as he was with the current price of beef.

“I stopped off at the JCPenney catalog store and looked at some stuff for the nursery. We need to get that order in soon.”

He nodded.

Jane chatted for a few more minutes about Dovie and Annie’s story hour and various people she’d seen, then stopped abruptly. She’d become aware that Cal wasn’t upset with her over this matchmaking issue; in fact, he was barely listening. Something else was on his mind.

“All right,” she said sternly, “what is it?”

He stared at her a moment, apparently uncertain about whether or not to speak. “It’s Mom and Dad,” he finally said. He sighed, but seemed relieved to talk about it. “I found out they aren’t accepting guests at their bed-and-breakfast anymore. Glen was as shocked to learn about it as I was.”

“But why aren’t they taking guests?” Jane asked. She adored her in-laws, and Mary and Phil were terrific grandparents to Johnny, Ellie and Glen’s son. They were thrilled that Cal and Jane were expecting.

“I haven’t got a clue.” Cal looked away. “I wondered what was happening. The last couple of times I’ve stopped by, there weren’t any guests, but I didn’t think much of it. Then this morning when I was there, the phone rang and Dad answered and said they weren’t accepting reservations. When I asked him about it, he didn’t really answer. Said he and Mom had decided to take a few months off.”

“Maybe they need the break,” Jane suggested, not understanding her husband’s concern. “They might have a trip planned.”

“No.” Cal shook his head. “If they were going to leave town, they’d at least mention it to Glen and me. Something’s going on, something they don’t want to talk about.”

Jane wondered if he was overreacting, but that wasn’t like Cal. If he suspected something was amiss, then he was probably right. “Do you know what it might be?”

Cal took her hand. “I’m afraid that after nearly forty years, my parents’ marriage is in trouble.”

* * *

Savannah hadn’t heard a word of Pastor Wade McMillen’s sermon on Sunday morning. When the singing started, signaling the end of the worship service, she hardly knew where the time had gone. She’d been confused and distracted since receiving Richard’s letter, which she hadn’t answered yet. He wanted her forgiveness, and she could see no way to refuse him that, although she knew both Grady and Laredo would prefer she not respond.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Wade,” Savannah whispered to her husband. The church started to empty.

“I’ll collect the kids,” Laredo said as they slipped out of the pew.

“I won’t be long.”

Almost everyone had left by the time Savannah reached Wade and his wife, Amy, who stood in the foyer and spoke to as many of their flock as possible. Wade’s eyes met hers, and Savannah felt as if he’d read her heart.

“Do you have a moment?” she asked him.

“Of course.”

Amy made an excuse and was about to leave when Savannah stopped her. “No, please, I’d like you to stay.”