Chapter 12
12
H ope had heard all about how Lily Desantro was known as the Angel of Magdalena. According to some, the young woman had a keen sense of people and situations, and while she never straight-out offered opinions, she did provide observations, ones which often turned out to be true. In the short time she’d been here, Hope had met a lot people: Cash and Tess Casherdon, Ben and Gina Reed, even Nate and Christine Desantro. Christine had been gracious and welcoming, a real sophisticate who shared stories of the joy she’d found in Magdalena. I’d never been to a place like this where the people are truly generous and kindhearted. If you can model Mimi Pendergrass? The woman is one-of-a-kind solid goodness. And if you can find a way to use the Heart Sent as a template? Oh, but every guest who visits the bed-and-breakfasts you build, will have a truly special experience .
Christine’s husband was not as forthcoming or excited about Hope’s presence in Magdalena. In fact, the mountain man had a few things to say. This town has opened up and shown you trust. Do not lose that or take advantage of it . His frown turned into an almost smile. Enjoy your stay.
Why would Nate Desantro think she had an ulterior motive? The man was obviously not very trusting. People said he was a benchmark of integrity and honor and once you had his respect, you had it forever. Hope was pretty certain she did not have that respect, but maybe she could earn it. Maybe Mimi could offer advice on how to do that. Hope contemplated this possibility as she enjoyed a stack of blueberry pancakes and the best coffee she’d tasted in years when a young woman stopped at her booth.
“I’m Lily.” Her blue eyes turned bright beneath thick glasses, a wide smile spreading across her lips. “You’re Hope Newland, the new lady in town. And you’re staying at the Heart Sent.”
“Yes, I am.” Lily Desantro certainly knew about Hope.
“And you’re talking to people in town, trying to find out about Magdalena because you want to build other bed-and-breakfast places like the Heart Sent, but you also want people in those towns to be like the ones in Magdalena.”
“Uh…that’s correct.”
“I know.” Lily slid into the booth across from Hope, eyed the stack of blueberry pancakes.
“Would you like something to eat?”
The tiniest nod before she said, “I’m hungry, but Mom said I have to pay because I have a job and it’s not right to expect everybody else to—” she lifted her hands and made air quotes “‘—pick up the tab.’”
Hope didn’t know what to think of Lily. She’d never had occasion to interact with anyone who had Down syndrome, but this young woman was not what she’d expected. People said she could get to the bottom of anything with her honest words and curious questions, but they’d always added a smile and some even laughed before adding, Just be glad you’re not her person of interest. If you are, she’ll home in on you and won’t stop until she has all of her questions answered and figures out what she wants to know. Hope forced a smile, gestured toward her pancakes. “What if someone asked you to have breakfast with them? Would you still have to pay?”
Lily rubbed her jaw, scrunched her nose, as she contemplated the question. “You mean like an invitation?” When Hope nodded, the young woman tilted her head to the side, her black hair settling around her shoulders. “If it’s an invitation, then I’m allowed to accept if I want to. That’s what my mom says. If I’m inviting myself, then that doesn’t count, and I have to pay. Hmm. Are you inviting me to eat with you? Because if you do, then I don’t have to pay and I can order blueberry pancakes and bacon. I usually have enough money for the pancakes but…”
Talk about honesty . More people should be like Lily. “I’m asking you to have breakfast with me, Lily. My treat.”
“Okay then. Thank you! You are so kind.” Lily raised her hand and motioned to the waitress. “Phyllis is a really nice lady. She’s married to Lester and he’s a private investigator. He has an accent because he’s from Texas.” She leaned forward, placed her hands on the table, and said in a loud whisper, “He wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Uncle Harry says he’s the ‘real deal’.”
Lester Conroy? She’d heard of him but hadn’t met him yet. She did know Phyllis from the visits to the diner and she’d had a few conversations with her, but the woman had been stingy with her answers as she snapped her gum and eyed Hope as if not one-hundred percent certain of her motives.
“Well, well.” Phyllis approached the booth, pointed her pen at Lily. “I see you’ve conned another breakfast out of an unsuspecting person.” The woman hid a smile, shook her head until her bun flopped. “You should be in sales.”
“No, no I didn’t, Phyllis. I just met, Hope, and we were talking about blueberry pancakes and I told her if I had any I had to pay unless?—”
Phyllis’s laughter burst through Lily’s explanation. “I know, I know. If someone invites you to breakfast then that’s an invitation, and that means they’re going to pay.” She tapped the pen against her chin, studied Lily Desantro. “Did I get that right?”
A double nod as those blue eyes grew wide. “That’s exactly right. Do you know Hope? She’s visiting and staying at the Heart Sent. Mimi’s teaching her how to make buttermilk biscuits and chicken with gravy.”
“Is that so?” Phyllis slid Hope a look, raised a brow and darn if she didn’t snap her gum three times.
Hope shrugged. “I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen in quite a few years, but with Mimi’s encouragement, I’m finding my way around it again.” What harm could there be to admit the rest? “And I’m really enjoying it. The sweetness of the cinnamon rolls, the breads, the lasagna.”
“Those are some of Sam’s favorites.” Lily grinned, added more information. “But Mrs. Harrington said there isn’t much he doesn’t love and wouldn’t call his favorites, especially home cooked. Mrs. Harrington also said he’s been very happy and smiling lately, and that is curious to her.”
Why had her voice taken on a sing-song quality? Hope shifted in her seat, cleared her throat, and couldn’t manage more than “Huh.”
“Now isn’t that just interesting?” Phyllis planted a fist on her hip, stared at Hope. “Sam Harrington sure is a looker, with a voice that could melt an ice cube. I wonder why he’s been so happy lately?”
“Pop says it’s because of Hope.” Lily darted a glance at Hope. “Pop says stranger things have happened and you just never know when destiny will come calling. He says he thinks that destiny is calling and?—”
“That’s enough, Lily. Don’t scare our guest away.” Phyllis tapped her chin with her pen. “Now let me guess what you want today. A stack of blueberry pancakes and since this is an invitation, you’d like a side of bacon. Water to drink?”
“That’s right! Thank you, Phyllis, and thank you, Hope.”
Hope wished she could pay for Lily’s breakfast and wriggle out of the invitation, but something told her that Lily Desantro was on a mission and it was about a lot more than pancakes and bacon. The best she could do right now was stay ahead of Lily’s questions, and not offer too much about her interactions with Sam.
Once Phyllis left to place the order, Lily leaned back in the booth, tilted her head to one side. “So, who do you want to know about? I know everybody.”
When a person made a comment like that, it usually meant they did not know everybody but Hope bet Lily did. “Well, can you tell me what makes this town so special?”
Lily’s eyes grew wide, her voice soft. “It’s the people. They’re very kind, and they want to help each other. If somebody’s sad or having a hard time, like when Ben Reed fell off a ladder while he was taking Christmas decorations down from the attic and couldn’t get around for a long time… People wanted to help him and Gina and their family.” Her brows pulled together, a frown inched across her face. “But there was some other stuff with a therapist lady who wanted Ben for her husband, but he was already married and Gina said she couldn’t have him. No way.” Before Hope could process those words, Lily said, “And of course, you must know about Nick and Delilah.” Tsk tsk and a loud sigh. “They used to be married, did you know that?”
When Hope shook her head, Lily continued, “They were. They were so, so, so in love. And then, something happened and they weren’t. But Nick came to Magdalena and started working at O’Reilly’s Bar and Grille, which was Delilah’s father’s place… And then Delilah lost her job because she said something she should not have to the lady about her husband’s girlfriend, I think. How could he have a girlfriend if he’s married?” A shrug and a shake of her head. “Uncle Harry said strange things happen and you just have to make sure you’re not part of the strange. He says a lot of odd things, but that’s just Uncle Harry. And if you haven’t met Cash and Tess Casherdon yet?” Her voice turned as soft as pulled taffy, and she placed a hand over her heart. “They’re one of my very favorite couples. Cash is so handsome. You’ll know who he is when you see him. He and Tess were meant to be, but then something horrible happened right before they got married.”
She blinked hard, her eyes grew bright, her voice cracked. “Cash was a policeman and he shot Tess’s brother. JJ was coming out of a store and he had a mask on, and…he had a gun…and… So sad.”
Talk about mystery and too much drama. Hope had heard a few things about couples in trouble, but not to the degree Lily was sharing, and not with this much emotion. “Oh, Lily, I’m so sorry to hear this.”
“Yeah, and then that mean lady came back and tried to say Mason was Cash’s son. Why would someone say that? It was all a lie and it was a very bad time for Cash and Tess. All they wanted was a baby and they couldn’t have one. And then….”
Hope had not wanted to hear this much. It was too personal and too sad. “Lily, let’s talk about something happy. Why don’t you tell me some of the really fun things that happen in this town? That way you won’t be sad. How about that?”
“Okay.” Lily bit her bottom lip, nodded. “Can I tell you about the snow angels that Uncle Harry and I make every Christmas?”
“Yes. Please tell me about the snow angels.”
“Every Christmas when it snows, Uncle Harry and I go outside and we lie on the ground and make snow angels. We look up at the sky and the stars are so bright.” She paused, glanced at Hope and said, “You know you can talk to people that don’t live on this earth anymore, right? The dead ones?”
Hope picked up her coffee cup, took a sip to keep from having to respond. What to say to that? Fortunately, Phyllis interrupted with a plate of blueberry pancakes and a side of crisp bacon.
“Thank you, Phyllis. This looks delicious.”
Phyllis winked at Lily, snapped her gun. “You’re welcome, Lily. Enjoy. What were you telling Hope that put that look on her face?”
“I was telling her how Uncle Harry and I make snow angels and talk to dead people. I was just getting to the part about how I talk to Dad.”
Phyllis nodded, shot a look at Hope. “You said you wanted information…”
“I guess I did say that.” Hope clutched her coffee mug, took a deep breath. If she didn’t shift the conversation, who knew what Lily might tell her next? Too late.
“Do you know people come here and sometimes they meet their meant-to-be person?”
“I think I have heard that.”
“Uncle Harry said he never would have believed it, but it happened to him. He lived in Chicago and Greta was my Aunt Gloria’s cook. She wasn’t really an aunt, but kind of like one.” Her voice shifted, her face lit up. “She was very sparkly with lots of jewelry. Anyway, that’s how Uncle Harry met Greta, and he says when you open your eyes and stop being afraid, that’s when the real magic happens.” She picked up a piece of crispy bacon, bit into it. “Do you think that’s true?”
What was Lily Desantro really asking her? “I guess it could be.” Hope was not offering anything more, but it didn’t matter because Lily had already formulated her own opinion and found her next target—Hope!
The smile that spread across the young woman’s face said she had her answer, and she was going to share it with Hope. “I believe it. Pop said I’m very good at spotting people who belong together.” A nod of her dark head, and then, “Lots of times I can see it before they can. Like Vic and Rachel Tramont, Law and Ava Carlisle…oh, and Michael and Elise Androvich, They were supposed to get married, but she left him at the altar. That was not good. Anyway, they worked it all out and got married right here in Magdalena. All of the men in the wedding wore pink shirts. Pop said it was a sign of their love for their partners.” Soft sigh and a wistful, “Michael and Elise live in Pennsylvania, but I think they’re going to visit this summer.”
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to see them.” Lily knew a lot about everyone, and while she might provide insight into the town and those who lived and visited, the young woman was no doubt collecting her own data—on Hope!
“Yup.” Lily reached for the maple syrup, poured it between each blueberry pancake, and then added a generous pour on the top one. “I love blueberry pancakes,” she said seconds before she dove into the stack.
Hope loved them, too, so why hadn’t she eaten them in almost a year? Well, the calorie count was a big reason, but so was the time factor. If she made her own, she’d have to buy the ingredients, make them, clean up… If she ordered them in a restaurant, there would be the drive to get there, the waiting, the eating… She forked a piece of pancake, popped it in her mouth, and savored the blend of syrup, blueberry, and pancake. Maybe she should rethink her position on blueberry pancakes as a once-a-year choice. Maybe she should?—
“I have to tell you about Grayson and Audrey Westfield. Their story is twisty-turny.” Lily’s words shot through Hope’s thoughts, brought her back to the stories. “Audrey lived here but Grayson was from New York City. Her first husband died and when Grayson came to Magdalena for a visit, he didn’t know how to just be himself…until he met Audrey. They liked each other, but she was afraid. Remember what I said about being afraid to open up? She told him to leave and he did and then...” She clutched her fork, leaned forward and whispered, “She got pregnant, and he didn’t know. Uncle Harry and Nate went all the way to New York City because they were so mad at him… And then they found out he didn’t even know about the baby. Then Grayson was the one who was mad. Oh boy. Lots of fireworks there, but he came back, and when Audrey stopped being afraid and opened her heart…magic. They’re married, have a baby girl, and they live here and in New York City. The baby is so cute.”
This was the type of information Hope wanted. People who came to this town and left but came back. It did seem to be the sense of community that brought them back and maybe made them stay. She forked a piece of blueberry pancake, eyed Lily, and asked, “People do that a lot, don’t they? Come and go, stay, revisit?”
A double nod, followed by “Uh-huh. Lots.”
Hope pondered that as she ate a piece of blueberry pancake, savored the sweetness. Once the town welcomed a person, they considered them one of their own, and she could see why people would revisit, and sometimes even move here. It would be tricky to find such a place for their company, but if Martin were serious about emulating Magdalena, then he would be willing to invest the resources and the time to do it. It could be a gold mine, but in ways that were about a lot more than money. Their company could provide opportunities for people to experience real small-town life in a welcoming environment, and maybe even a chance to consider a different way of life. Why not? Why not? Hope was considering how to present this concept to Martin when Lily slipped through her thoughts.
“So, what about you and Sam? Do you think you’ll move here when you guys get together?”
“What?”
Lily pointed a piece of bacon at her, brows drawn together. “You and Sam. You’re the next meant-to-be. Everybody can see it. Can’t you?”
“No, that’s not…”
“Sure, it is, but don’t be afraid.” A tiny smile inched across her face. “Remember what I said. Once you stop being afraid, you can open your heart and let the magic happen. Uncle Harry knows these things and I know them, too. You and Sam Harrington are Magdalena’s next meant-to-be.”