“True. But when I told Eddie about Joe, his first question was, ‘Is Joe my father, too?’ He seemed disappointed that he wasn’t.”
Matt was silent for a moment. “You know, there’s another option here, Hope. You can write all this off as the ramblings of an elderly woman who had a head injury and let it go. She might not remember telling you about it in the morning.”
“Oh, she’ll remember.” I took a sip of wine. “Everything she’s told me up until now has been leading to this. She said she has to take care of this so she can die in peace.”
“And you said you’d help her.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
He knew me pretty well. I nodded.
Matt took a thoughtful sip of wine. “Does she have any idea where to look?”
I shook my head. “Just the backyard.”
“Well, suitcases have metal hinges and locks. I know someone who has a professional metal detector. I’ll see if I can borrow it.”
My heart warmed. I put my hand over his. “Thank you so much, Matt.”
“Hold your thanks until we see if we get anywhere.” He squeezed my fingers and looked into my eyes, his expression grim. “You may not thank me if we find what your grandmother fears.”
38
hope
Kirsten lived in a loft above the coffee shop. A separate doorway led to the staircase, and when she opened the second-story door, I felt like I’d been transported to London or New York. It had high ceilings, an industrial feel, and a vibe like a loft in Soho or Tribeca.
“This is amazing,” I said, looking at the wall of windows out the back, the modern decor, the industrial look of the high ceilings. “I’d never have guessed there was anything this cool and urban-looking in Wedding Tree.”
“There wasn’t until Kirsten,” said Aimee.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Absolutely,” said a rotund woman wearing a strawberry-printed shirt. Kirsten introduced her as Linda and told me she was a strawberry farmer.
“Kirsten raised the taste level for all of us,” Linda said. “Came back from college on the East Coast with all kinds of highfalutin ideas.”
“Linda, you think cappuccino is highfalutin,” Freret teased laughingly.
“Well, it is! Don’t know why you need to go to all that trouble for a cup of coffee.”
The women all laughed good-naturedly.
“I think you know almost everyone,” Kirsten said.
I looked around and saw all of the women from the Friends of the Forest outing, plus a few new faces. I shook hands with Lauren, a real estate agent who had met with Eddie about listing the house while Gran was in the hospital.
“How’re things going?” she asked.
“Slowly,” I confessed.
She smiled. “That’s to be expected. I think it’s so great that you’re helping your grandmother out this way.”
Kirsten introduced me to two women on the side of the room. “Rose is the produce manager at the grocery store, and Sarah is a piano teacher. And of course you know Jillian.”
“Of course.” I greeted the two new women and started to give Jillian a hug, but she held herself in a rigid way that made me opt for a handshake.
“Come and get a mojito,” said Kirsten.
I sauntered over to the kitchen bar, then fell into a conversation with Jen the librarian about possibilities for a mural in the children’s section. I told her I wouldn’t be in town long enough to paint it myself, then found myself regretting it as we discussed ideas.
