Chapter 30
Linney worked hard and pushed herself as fast as she could. Her physical therapist was impressed but in therapy, Dr. Aslan kept cautioning her to go slowly and take the time to figure out what she wanted to do next,. Linney was itching to make plans and had been thinking about getting an apartment in Toronto and doing some freelance writing, or maybe consulting. “Don’t rush,” Dr. Aslan kept telling her. “You have the luxury of time. Make sure your next move is right for you.”
September turned into October, and Linney began to confidently walk without a cane, although she still limped when she was tired. To build back her muscles, Linney started making the two kilometre walk into town often. Suddenly she wasn’t completely reliant on Anna, who was taking her to the grocery store every week. She was taking the time to cook properly, and rediscovering, after years, how much she loved being in the kitchen. Derek and the kids were often the beneficiaries of this rediscovered passion, but she also loved having Kirsten and Anna over for dinner.
She sometimes dropped into Vi’s Café or the Doughnut Hut, and old school friends would stop and say hello. And from time to time, she visited Anna at her dance studio, amazed at how she and her teachers kept the little preschoolers in line.
To keep the rumour mill at bay, Linney joined KnitWorks, at least until she figured out what her next move was, she told them. It was a tough decision—she had always thought that while the group’s charitable activities were good, they also embodied all she disliked about small town life. And after the first week, she was sure she was right. They bombarded her with questions, many of which she didn’t feel like answering. But she went back the next week and as she made progress knitting a scarf for the charity box, and listened to conversations about how to shore up some of the poorer families in town, she found herself being drawn into this circle and wanting to help as well.
So when Avril, who had been a year ahead of her in school, and who now had four school-aged boys, asked for some last-minute volunteers for their booth at the Fall Festival, Linney found herself with her hand up. “I don’t know what came over me,” she told Dr. Aslan.
“What do you think it means?” asked the doctor.
Linney thought for a minute, now used to the doctor’s long pauses. “I guess I’m looking for some kind of community. I love Silver Lake, but I never expected to find that with KnitWorks.”
Dr. Aslan nodded. “Sometimes home appears where you least expected it. I certainly never thought I’d find a small town in Canada as my home. But I love it here.” It was rare for Dr. Aslan to share about her own life.
Linney sighed. “It’s just strange when you consider how much I wanted to leave as a kid. Derek too. But he’s found a home here with his kids.”
“Could you be happy here?”
There was another silence while Linney pondered the question. She knew by now that Dr. Aslan wouldn’t fill it, just as she hadn’t as a journalist. “Maybe. I think so. I just don’t know what I’d do here.”
“There are your grandmother’s books.” Linney had made her way up the stairs beyond the blue door to the office and had talked with Dr. Aslan about Gran’s drafts. “Or maybe you have a book you want to write about your experiences. You could go back to reporting. You could do something entirely different. Let’s make that your homework for this week. To think about all the ways you could earn a living in Silver Lake.” She closed her notebook. Their session was finished.
Linney nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Aslan.”
“Same time next week?”
“I’ll be here.”
* * *
Just before the Fall Festival,Linney stopped in at Page Turners. It was quiet in the store, but then again, it never seemed busy. She struck up a conversation with the owners.
“Honestly, we’re thinking of selling,” the woman said to Linney. “We jumped into this without thinking. We’ve given it a good go, but it’s just not a good fit for us.”
Her husband nodded in agreement and he sounded frustrated when he added, “I just hope we can find a buyer quickly. We’ve spent more than six years trying to make this work.”
“I’m sorry,” Linney said kindly, putting the book she’d just purchased into her purse, but thoughts were suddenly turning over in her head, and when she got home, instead of reading, she started scribbling notes.
The day of the Fall Festival dawned crisp and bright—the perfect autumn day. The trees were at their peak, and Silver Lake was all dressed up in its finest. Anna and Danny’s cottages were booked, and Kirsten was crossing her fingers that nothing bad would keep them busy at the hospital. It was one last weekend of high tourism before the cold of winter set in and Silver Lake families tightened their belts.
The festival grounds were crowded. Cottagers and visitors from other towns bought honey, cheese, and maple syrup, all produced by Silver Lake residents. They browsed at stalls that sold paintings, jewellery, and quilts. Linney did roaring business at the KnitWorks stall, selling mittens, gloves, and hats to raise money so the group could do even bigger things for the community. She was glad to finally be done with her cane. It would have been cumbersome with all the commotion. There were still people she hadn’t seen in the weeks that she’d been home so there was lots of chatting and catching up. In the middle of the afternoon, Ivy and Leo came running up to her booth. Behind them was their father.
“Can you take a break?” Derek asked. They were spending most evenings together now. Either she would walk across the lawn to join him and the kids—they still liked it when she read bedtime stories, or better yet made up new ones—or he would come to her place, monitor in hand, after they were in bed. Sometimes they would play card games, or talk, or watch TV. Often Derek brought over his laptop or a book and Linney would have music playing quietly in the background while she wrote or read. They were just comfortable together.
Linney looked around the booth. There were several other KnitWorkers there. “Sure,” she told Derek, and she took off her apron. “I’ll be back soon,” she called over her shoulder.
Ivy slipped her little hand into Linney’s and Derek chased Leo as they headed down to the lake’s edge. Derek opened a package of kettle corn he’d bought and they shared it as they watched the children play. Linney wandered down to the shore and picked up a flat stone. She flicked her wrist, expecting the stone to skip nicely on the flat lake surface, but it hit the water awkwardly and sank. She tried again. Same result.
“You’ve lost your touch,” Derek joked, coming up behind her. He sent a stone skittering across the lake.
Linney tried again. Kerplunk. “I think it’s my eye,” she said and Derek suddenly felt guilty. “I can’t get the angle right. Just one more thing to relearn.” She was more matter-of-fact and less angry about it now. Therapy was helping, she realized.
* * *
Red,gold, and orange leaves were tumbling down in the wind when Derek saw Kirsten drop Linney at her house the following week. The two women hugged. But instead of going into her house, Linney started walking over to his. She had something in her hand and a huge grin on her face. He met her at the front door.
Linney waved the paper in front of him excitedly. “I got it! I borrowed Kirsten’s car. I can drive again!”
“Why didn’t you ask me? I would have taken you.”
“A girl has to have a few secrets,” she said slyly. “My field of vision tests came back last week and my ophthalmologist signed off.” Linney hadn’t banged into anything recently either and she knew her brain was finally adapting. “Kirsten and Anna have been letting me practise on their cars. But, if I didn’t pass, I didn’t want you to know it.”
“Still,” he said, “I’d have liked to have taken you.”
“You can still help. How would you like to take me car shopping?”
* * *
Linney bought an SUV.It was a bit bigger than she needed, but it was high off the ground, which made it easy to get into. An upgrade package gave her both front and back cameras that would alert her if she got too close to something. It was a small price to pay to help compensate for her vision.
But a new driver’s license wasn’t the only secret Linney was keeping from Derek. She’d had several more discussions with the owners of Page Turners and she thought she knew where they’d gone wrong. She was convinced she could make the bookstore a thriving part of the community again. What surprised her was how much she wanted to do it.
“Would it be weird if I talked with your parents?” she asked Kirsten as she sat on her friend’s couch one evening. Tuesday dinner and drinks had become a regular occurrence for the two single women and this time it was upstairs from the bookstore. Kirsten poured wine into their glasses, chosen to accompany the charcuterie board she’d put together. “I think I can do this, but I’d love to have their input. They made Page Turners so special and I’m sure they’d have good advice.”
“They’d be thrilled! But are you sure you want to take this on? I thought you’d probably be in Toronto by summertime and just come and visit us on weekends.”
Linney took a long sip of wine. “I think I do. I have loads of ideas, and I’m comfortable here. Even when I was home last summer, it was hard to leave.”
Kirsten put down her glass and gave Linney a hug. “Welcome home.”
“Don’t celebrate too soon—there’s still a lot to sort out and it might fall apart. But I’m really excited. I want to bring in better stock, have a children’s room, do author readings, and hold other events. I think with the right combination I can bring traffic from Bridgeport and maybe beyond. I have some great ideas about partnering with our old school and?—”
“Stop!” Kirsten laughed. “You’re making me dizzy with all these ideas.”
“Sorry, I just get excited when I think about it.” Linney popped a cherry tomato into her mouth. “But I would like to talk to your folks. Maybe they’ll temper my enthusiasm.”
But that wasn’t the case and with their encouragement, Linney was even more excited than ever. She crunched all the numbers with the help of the local accountant. It was a big decision—not just financially, but also in how it would tie her to Silver Lake—so she talked it over with Dr. Aslan as well, but she was convinced this was the right decision. She was almost ready to make an offer. All she needed now was a lawyer!
* * *
The lawyernext door had his own secret. A new stenographer in Bridgegrove had caught Derek’s eye when he’d been in court recently. They’d spoken several times outside the courthouse and he learned Sharon was a single parent of two, like him. They shared a few stories, and he surprised himself one day by asking her to join him for a cup of coffee, and when that went well, for a dinner date.
Nervously, he pulled a blazer on over a button-down shirt and jeans. “Be good for Gabby, okay,” he told the children. Danny had dropped his daughter off to babysit a few minutes earlier.
Conversation with Sharon was harder than Derek expected. It had been so easy at the courthouse and he thought they might have a lot in common. But tonight, he was having to work hard at it. Sharon spent most of their appetizers and main course complaining about her ex-husband. Derek thought her ex sounded like a real jerk, but it wasn’t the conversation he was hoping to have with her. When their dessert arrived, he tried to change the subject. “So what do you do for fun in Bridgegrove?” he asked.
“Well, I haven’t been able to do much since my ex left,” Sharon started. And then she was off again complaining about child support and visitation. Derek found his mind wandering, and he was more than happy to pay the cheque and walk Sharon to her car, thanking her for a lovely evening. He made no promise to call. He was beginning to think he’d never get to a third date with a woman. As he drove home, his mind drifted to his next-door neighbour. Leo had extracted a promise from her to come for pancakes tomorrow. At least that would be easy.
* * *
Easy might have been an overstatement.Derek watched Linney dodge the raindrops as she made her way over for the promised breakfast while he tried to supervise the chaos. Leo stood on a stool in front of the stove with a spatula in his hands, his nervous father by his side. Ivy was perched on a matching stool, enthusiastically stirring frozen orange juice concentrate and water with a wooden spoon. There was pancake batter on the counter next to empty egg shells and Ivy was dangerously close to splashing sticky orange juice out of the pitcher. Derek hovered over Leo, making sure he didn’t burn the pancakes—or himself.
“Good morning everyone!” Linney called out as she let herself in. She surveyed the chaos. “Now, Ivy, I think that juice is done. How would you like to help me set the table?” She took the pitcher and wiped the outside before putting it in the fridge and then handing placemats to the five-year-old.
“Thank you,” Derek said, not taking his eyes off the stove.
Linney ruffled Leo’s hair and took knives and forks to the table.
After they finished their meal, and the dishwasher was loaded and counters wiped down, Derek sent the children off to watch television. He refilled coffee cups, and the adults sat down in the living room. The rain had picked up now—it looked like it was going to be an inside day. Linney absentmindedly rubbed her hip. He wondered if the rain made it ache.
“Can I ask you something?” she began.
“Anything.”
“I think I need a lawyer. Your practice includes real estate and commercial work, right?” Derek sat up with a worried look on his face. Was she going to sell the house and move to the city? “I want to buy Page Turners.”
“Page Turners?” Derek was slow to catch up. “That’s a big decision.”
Linney nodded, and he caught the excitement in her eyes. “I’ve talked with Kirsten’s parents and I’ve run all the numbers. I have so many ideas to bring it back to what it was—and even more. I really want to do this.”
Derek ran his fingers through his hair, a little stunned at the news. “I didn’t even know it was for sale.”
“It’s not really. Not yet. But I spoke with the owners. They know they made a mistake and are ready to wash their hands of it. They haven’t officially put it on the market, but I’m sure if I make them a fair offer, we can do a quick private sale. I just need a lawyer. Are you interested?”
He was, and within a couple of weeks, the deal was done. Soon, Linney would have a huge bank loan and would own both the Page Turners business and the heritage house it was in—including Kirsten’s apartment.
* * *
The week before Christmas,Linney signed the last of the legal documents, and shook hands with the previous owners of Page Turners. They were anxious to leave Silver Lake and put the chapter behind them but Linney was giddy with excitement. Page Turners was officially hers and she was brimming with ideas. Her hands shook as she opened the store’s front door in the middle of the afternoon and stood there taking it all in.
Kirsten came downstairs in her nurse’s scrubs with champagne flutes in one hand and bottles under her arm. “I thought I’d better get in the good books with the new owner so she doesn’t make changes to my tenancy,” she joked.
Linney whirled around. “I can’t believe this is all mine!” She was like a kid in a candy store.
“I can’t wait to see what you do with it.”
“The first thing I’m going to do is close for a few weeks. I have so much I want to do in here. Then I’ll have a grand reopening event!” Linney had already spoken with the aging editor of the Silver Lake News, who was planning to run a story on their local “celebrity” who had returned home and was about to make a big splash. Linney was counting on that story to help raise interest. She’d quietly set up social media channels for the store and couldn’t wait to start building an audience and teasing about what was coming. Then there were the comfortable reading chairs she’d ordered last week, the painting she was planning, and of course an overhaul of the store’s inventory system.
Kirsten popped open the bottles—champagne for Linney and an alcohol-free version for herself. “Here’s to your new adventure!” They raised their glasses with a satisfying clink. “And I’ll pitch in however you want.”
Linney pointed at a roll of thick brown paper, scissors, and tape. “If you’re serious, you can help me put this up in the window before your shift. I want the transformation to be a surprise.”
Anna turned up just as they were finishing, with an armful of flowers. “I thought you were making improvements, not shutting the place down,” she jested.
“Run while you can,” Kirsten joked, “or she’ll put you to work!” She headed upstairs for more champagne flutes.
Anna found a vase for the flowers in the old kitchen, where they’d all done homework together. She came back and put bouquet on the checkout counter. “I can’t stay long today, but I’m at your service all weekend.”
Derek arrived with a congratulatory hug, just as Kirsten returned and they all toasted Linney’s new adventure.
Slowly the friends dispersed. Derek had to get home before the school bus dropped the kids off, Anna had after-school ballet to teach, and Kirsten headed to work. Then it was Linney alone in the store. She got to work, scrubbing all the wooden trim she wanted to keep, and then taping it so she could start painting in the morning. She covered bookshelves near the walls with drop cloths and moved mobile displays.
It was dark when Linney flicked on the store’s ancient computer—another thing she needed to upgrade—and she started reviewing orders that had been placed before the old owners knew they were selling, and noted dates of their expected arrivals. The old bulky monitor flickered badly and Linney rubbed her eyes behind her glasses as she started making notes of titles she thought were missing. Hours passed without her knowing, and she jumped when her phone buzzed.
Do you know what time it is?
OMG. I lost track of time.
Don’t work too hard on your first day!
I’m just so excited. But you’re right. Locking up in 5 minutes.
Drive safe.
??
Linney hardly left the bookstore for the next few days, only stopping when exhaustion set in. Anna and Kirsten worked with her through the weekend, and Derek even came one evening with the kids—and pizza—to check up on things.
Suddenly it was Christmas Eve and Linney reluctantly put away her paint roller. A long hot shower took care of most of her aching muscles, and she took the time to blow out her hair before dressing in black pants and a cheery soft red sweater. She zipped up her winter boots and buttoned her long coat before heading carefully through the deep snow to Derek’s with a dish of apple and cranberry crumble. Her hip felt good these days, and she could almost forget about the explosion, but she was still nervous about falling on the ice.
Derek had made a simple supper and Leo gobbled up the crumble, but he and Ivy were just about vibrating with excitement. Santa Claus was coming soon!
“Church first,” Derek said as they cleared the table. He didn’t often take his kids to the little church in town, but Christmas and Easter were special. “Let’s put our coats and boots on.”
Linney helped get the children ready, and they went together in Derek’s car.
Anna was already in the sanctuary with Danny and their girls when they arrived, and she watched them come down the aisle and find seats. Linney smoothed Ivy’s hair when she took off her hat, and she straightened Leo’s adorable waistcoat. Then she turned and laughed at something Derek said. They made the perfect picture of a family and Anna wondered, not for the first time, if something was happening between her friends. She waved at Kirsten up in the choir loft, who smiled back in recognition.
Linney loved church on Christmas Eve. The whole town seemed to be there and no matter their circumstances, everyone smiled, sang, and listened attentively to the minister. She noticed several pairs of mittens and scarves that KnitWorks had donated and she was glad to know that they’d found the right homes. Kirsten assured her that the church made sure those families also had presents for the children.
By now, even without the Silver Lake News story, the whole town knew Linney had bought Page Turners, and everyone wanted to ask her about it. She kept an air of mystery around her answers and made sure younger folks knew about her social media channels. Ivy stayed close to her, still shy in a crowd.
Derek pulled into her driveway and she wished them all a good night. “You two be good for your dad and go to sleep soon,” she told Ivy and Leo, who nodded vociferously. They knew Santa would only come if they were asleep.
Linney leaned across the front seat and gave Derek a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning. Merry Christmas!” He waited until she had opened the door and waved before backing out of the driveway and turning into his own.
* * *
Derek’s housewas absolute chaos the next morning. Ivy and Leo had woken early and rushed into their father’s room with the stockings Santa had left them. They jumped up on the bed and tore into them as Derek opened his bleary eyes. He’d been up late wrapping the last of the gifts under the tree and desperately needed a cup of coffee. But he sat up and with Leo on one side of him and Ivy on the other, he wondered how many more years he’d have with the magic of Santa.
“Daddy, look!” Leo was bouncing with excitement. Santa had brought superhero socks and Leo was putting them on already. On the other side of him, Ivy had found the orange at the toe of her stocking and poked his shoulder, asking him to peel it.
“I think maybe we should get up,” Derek told them, rubbing a hand over the overnight growth on his chin. He looked at his watch. It was still far too early for Linney to be coming over with breakfast. “Let’s snuggle in the living room and watch a movie until Auntie Linney comes. And then after breakfast, we can open presents under the tree.”
It didn’t take long for them to jump down from his king-sized bed, leaving a mess in their wake, to bicker over which movie to watch. Derek gathered the wrapping paper and put it into the garbage before joining the children. They sat cuddled together on the couch, under a big warm blanket. Derek kissed their heads and settled in. He had plenty of time to get dressed.
When Linney woke, she made a savory bread pudding, the same one Gran had served every Christmas that she could remember—and as it baked, she put on a carafe of coffee. After looking at the thermometer—it was going to be a cold day—she dressed in jeans and a chunky fair isle sweater for warmth. She swept her long hair into a low pony tail, brushed mascara onto her lashes and added lip gloss. When everything was ready, she packed an insulated bag that she slung over her shoulder before walking over and quietly sliding in the door.
Leo and Ivy were talking over each other so they didn’t hear her come in. Linney watched the family vignette for a moment and realized she’d completely lost her heart to those two children and she was glad that she was putting down roots in Silver Lake so she could watch them grow up.
“Wake up, Daddy!” she heard Leo say. Derek startled and Linney realized he’d been sound asleep. “Okay, kids, the movie’s almost finished,” she heard him say in a sleepy voice. “And then we should get dressed before Auntie Linney gets here. We want to look nice for her.” He yawned and muttered to himself, “And I’d better shave.”
Linney put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, but it wasn’t enough and two little heads popped over the couch. “Merry Christmas, everyone!”
“Auntie Linney!” They ran to greet her.
“You heard your dad—run and get dressed, and then it’s breakfast time!”
As Leo and Ivy clattered up the stairs to their bedrooms, Derek untangled himself from the blanket and got to his feet groggily.
“Well, look at you. I’ve finally caught you slacking!” Linney teased him. She reached up and touched his chin. “I don’t often see you with stubble. It looks good!” In fact, Linney thought he looked really good, a thought she stuffed back inside as soon as she thought it.
“You think? Maybe I’ll leave it.”
“You’ve got time for a shower if you want. The kids and I will set the table.”
When Derek came back in jeans and a button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to his forearms, it was his turn to take in the scene. Linney looked lovely—more than lovely—and his kids hung off her every word. Something stirred inside him. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine … but no. He pushed the idea away. They were friends. Linney didn’t see him any other way.
There were wonderful gifts under the tree. Linney, as the new book-seller in town, had wrapped books for everyone. Derek was touched when he opened a soft denim chambray shirt. Somehow she’d noticed that his was starting to fray around the cuffs. For her, he’d bought a simple silver necklace with a locket in the shape of a book, with the initial L on the front cover. He’d found an old photo of Linney’s grandmother in his mother’s things and had put it inside. Linney threw her arms around his neck when she opened it.
“It’s perfect.”