Sweet Talk
CHAPTER ONE
The sign for Sarita, California, appeared ahead of me. I let out a sigh of relief and loosened my tight grip on the steering wheel. It had been a grueling drive from Maine.
A car behind me beeped its horn, and I slowed to allow it to pass. I glimpsed a blond-haired man with handsome features. Our gazes met, and then he was tucking his silver Mercedes convertible into the line of cars ahead of me. A soft, giddy laugh escaped. California was the land of beautiful people. That man, whoever he was, had just proved it.
While searching for Treasures, the art gallery I now unexpectedly owned with my old college roommate, I drove past the cluster of small colorful shops along the water and continued up into the rolling hills overlooking the village. Her call for help had come at a time when I was vulnerable, following my failed marriage of little less than a year.
The carved wooden sign announcing the gallery beckoned. Second thoughts overcame me as I pulled into the parking lot. I rested my head against the steering wheel. Maybe now, with the New Year beginning, my life would take a wild swing for the better. God, I hoped so. This move had to drag me out of the mental and emotional pit I’d wallowed in for the last several months—months in which I’d despaired of any real happiness, while pretending to be fine.
The drive cross-country had seemed unending. I stacked the CDs I’d all but memorized on the journey and put them in the console between the front seats. I crinkled together the M&M wrappers that lay scattered across the passenger’s seat and grabbed the empty water bottle. My travel-weary legs supported me as I climbed out of my SUV, stood, and stretched.
The door of the art gallery opened. I tossed the garbage in a trash can at the curb and hurried forward. A tall woman with curly chestnut hair strode toward me with a wide smile that lighted her face. A young girl skipped along behind her.
“Allie!” Kristin Lewis held her arms open to me. “You made it!” Her voice lilted with happiness. “Daisy and I have been watching for you all afternoon.”
I returned her embrace, and turned to the young girl hanging back. My breath caught at her beauty—blond curls, wide blue eyes, and tiny, perfect features.
Kristin smiled at her daughter. “Daisy, you remember Allison Hartwell, don’t you? She’s your godmother!”
“My fairy godmother?”
I knelt before her and gazed into round blue eyes, fringed with enviable long lashes. My heart swelled. “Sometimes, it’s good to believe in magic.”
Clad in pink tights, red shirt and a green plaid skirt, she nodded. I hugged her gingerly, careful to avoid crushing the teddy bear she carried. I hadn’t seen her for over a year and she’d grown taller. Her little arms reached around me for a brief moment before she turned away.
I stood and faced Kristin, silently assessing my old friend. Normally vivacious and healthy, she looked exhausted. Dark circles smudged the white skin under her eyes. A smile wavered on her face. “I know, I know. I swear I haven’t slept in months. I was terrified I’d lose the business, have to start all over again, and be forced to move Daisy out of the school and her special class.”
“Didn’t the money I sent help?”
“Yes. It allowed me to pay off enough bills to order more inventory, but our troubles go much deeper than that.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I can’t believe she took off on me.”
I filled with sympathy. Last fall, amid heartbreaking sobs, Kristin had poured out the story of her lover’s betrayal. Lisa Vaughn had taken off with all their savings, claiming it was her money. It’d left Kristin unable to pay her bills and without the means to build holiday inventory for the gallery. I’d known Christmas season was the best time for retail and had offered Kristin a loan. Instead, she’d suggested a business partnership. I’d jumped at the chance. My short marriage to Willard Jackson III had ended months earlier when he’d left me for his old girlfriend whom he’d kept on the side. Temporarily living at home with my parents after the break-up was not my idea of unwedded bliss.
“We sure know how to pick ‘em, don’t we?” I said, attempting humor.
Kristin laughed, and her face brightened, smoothing out the lines of worry. “This time it’ll be better. I trust you, Allison. You’ve got a good head for business, and our friendship will make it so much easier.” Her lips quivered. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t agreed to step in. Daisy is happy at her school, and we have a good life here.”
Daisy spun around and around, her arms held out like the wings of a rare butterfly. Such a precious child, I thought, well aware that at birth Daisy had been deprived of oxygen and had suffered minor brain damage.
“How’s she doing?”
Kristin’s lips curved. “Remarkably well. She’s a slow learner, but the teachers say once Daisy’s learned something, it’s locked in for good.”
“Does she miss Lisa?”
Kristin’s expression turned grim. “She hasn’t said one word about her since Lisa left. It makes me wonder why.” Her fists clenched at her side. “God! I was so stupid! Why didn’t I see what was coming?”
Wondering how to respond, I teased my lip. I knew all about being made to look like a fool.
Daisy whined and tugged on Kristin’s hand. “Mommy? I wanna go inside.”
“In a second, honey.” Kristin gave me a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, Allie. I got so wrapped up in the past, I forgot my manners. Let me help you bring your things inside.”
“Do you mind if I take a moment to go into Treasures? I want to look around and savor the moment.” Enthusiasm bubbled through me, chasing my fatigue away. “I can’t believe I’m part-owner of the gallery. It’s what I’ve always wanted—to have a store full of beautiful things. It’s going to be so much fun helping people buy them.”
Kristin’s expression turned wry. “Oh, honey, believe me when I say that feeling will go away!”
“I hope not,” I replied seriously. The promise of starting a whole new life away from Maine had kept me driving almost non-stop to reach California. I was out to show everyone I could succeed at running a business of my own. I also wanted to prove I could get along without a man. And while I was working at that, I intended to have a good time.
Kristin and Daisy followed me into the gallery. The sound of door chimes danced in the air behind us. My gaze swept from one end of the open, airy room to the other. An exotic aroma filled my nostrils, and I noticed a stick of incense smoldering nearby.
Brightly lit display cases lined the off-white walls, illuminating intriguing items inside. A few large pieces of artwork in various designs and materials sat on glass pedestals. They were highlighted by small, discreet spotlights from above. Hand-blown glass, paintings, pottery, jewelry, and metal sculptures in a variety of shapes and colors, twinkling in rainbow hues like shards of glass, caught my attention and kept my gaze darting about eagerly. Beautiful art hung on the wall and fine crafts, works of art in their own right, filled in spaces throughout the room. My fingers itched to handle some of the smaller pieces and erase the dust that lightly coated them.
“It’s like a fairyland,” I said softly, clasping my hands. “I can hardly wait to start.”
Kristin clapped me on the back. “Let’s get you settled in the apartment. Then you can wander down here to your heart’s content. Tomorrow, we’ll be open, but it won’t be very busy. Not in January, after the holiday rush.”
We went to my car to collect the luggage. Daisy, lost in her own world, gamboled around us like a long-legged filly exploring clover in a field.
“Are you sure you don’t want to change your mind about renting a house?” said Kristin. “You can bunk in with Daisy and me permanently.”
I shook my head. “Thanks, anyway, but I’m anxious to be on my own, especially after living back home with my parents for a few months.” I tilted my head at the huge U-Haul trailer behind my SUV. “Besides, I’ve got to put all these hardly-used wedding presents to use. You can’t believe all the stuff—everything from dishes to towels to chairs.”
Kristin smiled. “Okay. Tomorrow Rob Henrickson will show you the house you’ve agreed to rent. It’s right up the street. Like I told you, it’s a great place. You’d never find anything else so nice, so close to the gallery.”
I followed Kristin to a side entrance of the building and climbed the wooden stairs inside to the second story.
“Here we are.” Kristin indicated the rooms with a sweep of her arm. “Home sweet home.”
The living room was tiny but orderly. Book cases lined the wall on either side of the brick fireplace. They contained books and an assortment of art objects that obviously had come from the gallery downstairs. A red couch matched the color of designs in the Indian rug that lay before the hearth. Two dark-blue, overstuffed chairs flanked the fireplace.
“Cozy,” I commented.
Jumping up and down with excitement, Daisy tugged on my arm. “Wanna see my room?”
“Sure, honey.” I set my suitcase down and allowed Daisy to lead me to a snug room that contained a white, four- poster bed and a menagerie of stuffed animals. A pink and purple patchwork quilt lay atop the bed. The same patterned fabric was gathered and mounted high on the double windows that looked out to the water of Richardson Bay.
“This is it,” announced Daisy proudly.
“It’s very pretty. Just like you.” Any girl would be thrilled to have a room like this. Everywhere I looked, a doll or a teddy bear winked a cheery hello. Daisy played with doll furniture in the large wooden dollhouse I’d sent her last Christmas.
“She’s spoiled, but I can’t resist all the girly things I never had,” said Kristin softly.
I smiled at her. “Funny, how things work out.”
The grin on Kristin’s face evaporated. “Lisa emptied the company savings account, but she couldn’t get hold of anything else. Daisy should be taken care of. That’s one thing I did right. That, and naming you godmother. If anything happens to me, I want you to take care of Daisy.”
My heart skipped a beat. My plans had no room for children. They made me uneasy with all their demands.
###
Fatigue set in as I sipped the red wine Kristin had handed me. I followed her onto a deck overlooking the huge, fenced backyard. I’d had no idea she owned so much land behind the gallery.
“What’s that?” I pointed to a compact cottage nestled near a corner of Kristin’s property. From this angle, it looked like an oversized play house. A bright red door sat amid soft gray clapboard siding A number of small inviting windows glistened orange, reflecting the shimmering colors of the setting sun, and I had an overwhelming urge to run downstairs and peek inside.
“That’s where Lisa did her work.” Kristin’s expression grew grim. “Right now, it’s a mess.”
“Are her paintings selling?” Lisa’s bold, poorly-executed oil paintings had never appealed to me.
Kristin shook her head. “She blamed me for that, of course, even though I opened the gallery based on her paintings. They didn’t sell even then. The business didn’t take off until I filled the place with the works of people like Dawson Smith.”
We sat in the kitchen to eat a simple meal of hamburgers and a garden salad. Kristin coaxed Daisy into eating a few bites of food while ignoring her high-pitched whining.
I did the dishes while Kristin got Daisy ready for bed. Overhearing the pleading hum of Kristin’s voice and the now familiar whine from Daisy, I wondered how Kristin managed. I’d once thought of having children of my own, but seeing how difficult it could be, I was happy Will and I hadn’t had any.
When Kristin reappeared, I fought and finally gave in to a yawn. “Sorry, I can’t help it.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve forgotten my manners again. You must be exhausted. The sleep couch is already made up for you. The bathroom in the hallway is yours.”
We pulled out the folding couch, and Kristin handed me a pillow. “Sleep tight.”
As I prepared for bed, I thought about the house down the street. I hoped it was as nice as the pictures I’d seen. Privacy was important to me, though at the moment I was so tired I thought I’d be able to fall asleep in the midst of a roaring crowd. I slid under the soft blankets and lay back against the pillow, breathing the cool night air from the open window, satisfied I’d exchanged Casco Bay for Richardson Bay.
In the night, a high-pitched scream shot shivers of alarm down my spine. Confused and dazed, I jumped out of bed.
Kristin poked her head into the living room. “It’s okay. Daisy often has nightmares.”
Trembling from the adrenaline that still raced through my body, I climbed back into bed and lay there, letting my heartbeat slow to its normal rhythm.
###
Sunlight slanted through the windows onto my face, begging me to open my eyes. Sleepily, I blinked my way into my first full day of my new life. The smell of coffee wafted over to me from the kitchen. The calls of birds in the trees outside cheered me. Eager to see what the day would hold, I rose and padded into the kitchen in bare feet.
Kristin sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee, newspaper in hand. She looked up at me and smiled. “I’m sorry about disturbing you last night.” She rose and handed me a cup of coffee. “Daisy has nightmares pretty often. I think it’s the medicine she’s on, though the doctor denies it.”
“It must be difficult raising her alone.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake by not telling her father about her. At the time, I was still trying to figure out so many things. Later, I came to think it was better that he remain unaware.”
She stared out the window and turned back to me. “Everyone wants to know who he is, but at this stage of my life, I’m not telling anyone. It would hurt other people. I was in bad shape when I got pregnant—partying and screwing around because I hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I was gay. You can imagine how I felt when I found out I was pregnant at the same time I finally admitted I much preferred women to men. It was such a horrible time in my life. The only good thing to come out of it was Daisy. God knows, my family dumped me in a hurry.” The corners of Kristin’s mouth turned down.
I knew her ultra conservative parents from our college days. It hadn’t surprised me that they’d made it clear they’d never accept her, her life or her child.
“After this business with Lisa,” she continued, “I don’t know if I could ever be really close to someone again.”
I sighed with sympathy. “I know how you feel. I’ve decided not to date. Then I know I won’t get hurt.”
“Hah! That’s never going to work. With that honey-colored hair and those blue eyes of yours, you’re a knock-out. I remember what it was like in college—the guys followed you around with their tongues hanging out.”
I remembered too, and at twenty-nine, I wondered what they’d seen in me. Will had made me feel so ugly, so worthless.
“Mommy?” Daisy called from the bathroom.
Kristin let out a sigh and went to her.
Daisy looked like a sleep-rumpled angel when she entered the kitchen.
I smiled. “Morning.”
Daisy glanced at me and, silent, climbed up onto a chair.
As Kristin poured Daisy’s cereal into a bowl, I studied their features. They looked nothing alike. I couldn’t help wondering who Daisy’s father was.
After breakfast, Kristin took off with Daisy, down the hill to the school bus stop with a promise to be right back.
I showered and dressed, then hurried downstairs to Treasures.
In bright daylight, the store looked dusty and tired, as if some things had been sitting on shelves too long. Fighting dismay, I realized it would take more than a dusting to make it fresh. I could see now that the gallery could use more inventory, a broader variety. Some items needed rearranging to cover bare spots. Worry threaded through me, knotting my stomach. I hadn’t received a year-end report from Kristin, like she’d promised. She’d been too busy to prepare it.
I wandered through the gallery, picking up various items, reading their information cards, gathering details I’d need for selling. I turned on the background sound system, delighted by the soft, soothing music, and walked into the back office, eager to discover what I could about the financials. I was sitting at the desk, leafing through the papers on top of it, when the sound of sirens rent the air. I checked my watch and frowned. Kristin hadn’t returned. A feeling so strong, so awful gripped me. I raced to the door.
At the bottom of the hill, I could see an ambulance.
I started running.
A small crowd had gathered at the bottom of the hill. Kristin was nowhere to be seen. With its red lights flashing, the ambulance pulled away from the curb.
“What happened? Where’s Kristin?” I managed to get out.
A young woman came over to me. “Are you the new business partner she was telling us about?” She grasped my hands. Tears shone in her eyes.
“Yes,” I answered numbly.
“I’m Cindy Cartwright. I live down the street. Kristin collapsed. They’re taking her to the Greenbrae Hospital.”
My knees turned to marshmallow. “Omigod! No! I have to go to the hospital right away.”
“Do you need help?” Cindy gave me a worried look. “I’m not sure you should drive.”
“I’d better go on my own. I have no idea how long I’ll need to be gone. Just tell me how to get there. And, Cindy, give me your phone number in case I need your help with Daisy.”
Cindy took a paper and pen out of her purse and quickly wrote down the information I wanted. She repeated the directions and handed me the paper. I said a quick good-bye and ran up the hill.
My SUV, with the trailer still attached to it, sat in the parking lot beside Kristin’s old blue Honda. I ran inside for the keys to her car. I’d seen them hanging on a hook in the kitchen. I grabbed them and my purse.
Outside, I unlocked her car, slid behind the wheel and turned the key. The car coughed and then roared to life.
Trying to remember everything Cindy had told me, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the hospital. Cindy had said it would take approximately fifteen minutes to get there. The ambulance was about ten minutes ahead of me.
The red light ahead of me flashed a warning. I glanced both ways to make sure no cars were approaching and raced through it. Pleading to heaven for Kristin’s recovery, I hardly registered the passing landscape.
The sign for the hospital’s emergency entrance appeared. I swerved into the nearby parking lot. The car’s tires squealed in protest as I whirled into an empty space.
An ambulance was backed up to an entrance. I got out of the car, and seeing no one else, stealthily crept through the door, into a space marked Resuscitation Room.
Clinging to the wall, I drew in a shaky breath. Kristin lay on a table. A doctor and two others circled her. Shivering, I stared at Kristin, unable to believe this pale, still woman was the same person I’d chatted with that morning.
The doctor shook his head at a paramedic. “We’ll declare the time of death as 9:27 AM.”
“She’s dead?” My wail echoed off the walls.
Surprised, the staff turned to me. The paramedic rushed over to me. I held onto him, grateful for his strength.
“I’m her friend and her business partner,” I explained to the doctor who approached us.
“Here, have a seat.” The doctor gestured toward a metal folding chair sitting against the wall. I collapsed on it, feeling as if I’d never have the energy to rise again.
The doctor took my hand. “What’s your name?” Kindness softened his voice.
“Allison Hartwell,” I finally managed to get out past the lump in my throat.
“I’m awfully sorry about the loss of your friend. We did everything we could to save her. She’d been without a pulse for some time and despite all the intervention, we were unable to start her heart again.”
“Was it a heart attack?”
He shook his head. “I’m suspecting a cerebral hemorrhage, something congenital, but we’ll leave a final diagnosis up to the medical examiner after he completes his autopsy.”
The room whirled in front of me. “I..I think I’m going to faint.”
“Put your head between your knees,” the doctor said, gently pushing my head down.
I felt something being placed in front of my nose and jerked away from its stringent odor.
“Better now?” a female voice asked.
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I’d never been worse in my life.
“Would you like to talk to one of our counselors?” the brown-skinned nurse asked gently.
I shook my head, numb to the bone.
“We need to get some information on the patient. And we need to know the next of kin.”
A thought, like a blow to the gut, hit me and I doubled over again.
Omigod! Daisy was mine now.
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