Chapter 48: Chapter 48

The bell that hung over the door had been ringing non-stop all morning, so much so that Ellie commented, “If it’s true that every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings, we’ve outfitted the Lord’s army today!”

Memory agreed, but at least the constant stream of customers had kept her busy so that she couldn’t think about what she was going to say to Dak when they visited her grandma’s house. He might not even like it. None of the other properties he’d looked at in the past two weeks would work. Maybe her house wouldn’t either.

A couple walked out carrying several bags worth of merchandise and leaving her and Ellie alone at last. Memory brushed her hair off of her forehead, happy to have a chance to breathe. It seemed odd she’d spent so much time worrying about Dak finding out about the house and wanting to buy it, and now she was going to offer it to him.

“You okay, dear?” Ellie asked. “You worried about showing Dak the house? He’ll be here soon.”

Ellie hadn’t even asked what she was up to. She must’ve just figured it out. “I’m a little nervous. I don’t want him to think I’m just trying to get him to fix the roof. Or that I want him to buy it.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand, honey.” Ellie was behind the cash register, but now that the store was empty, she came around the end. “I do wonder though.... I know it’s none of my business, dear, but didn’t your grandmother have a life insurance policy?”

Memory swallowed hard. There was something about the way Ellie was looking at her that seemed too familiar. “She said she did,” Memory explained. “But... we never found one. I used the money she left me from her savings to pay off the second mortgage on the store. There wasn’t much after that.”

Ellie stared for a moment, her forehead puckered. “Are you... are you sure? You looked everywhere? If she said she had one, she must have.”

“I’m sure. We looked everywhere for it. We searched through every drawer, every cabinet, even for loose baseboards. Dad works for an insurance company, but it was through a different agency—and he doesn’t know which one. And even with the help of his contacts at other companies, he hasn’t been able to track it down. She got it so long ago, he figures there’s just nothing in a computer base anywhere, at least not at any place he is familiar enough with to check.”

Folding her arms, Ellie continued to focus on Memory’s face until the chime on the door gained both of their attention. Dak walked in, a smile on his face. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Memory said, hoping her face didn’t betray exactly how happy she was to see him. He was carrying a brown paper bag, and from the aroma pouring out of it, she assumed it was from the deli.

“I thought you might want to eat lunch really quickly before we go.”

“That’s so thoughtful!” Ellie gushed. “Take your time, kids. Old Ellie has everything covered!”

Memory was impressed that he’d thought to do something so nice, though she wasn’t exactly surprised. “Come on back,” she said, gesturing to the area at the back of the store where there was a little table next to her desk where she wolfed down her packed lunch almost every day.

Dak had brought her a turkey club sandwich and chips from the deli, as well as a cookie for dessert. Memory ate as fast as she could without looking like an animal, knowing she’d need to hurry because as optimistic as Ellie was, it would be difficult for her to handle the store for long by herself. They were going to be busy, no question. Once she and Dak were finished eating, she put on her coat and grabbed her keys to the house, following Dak out to his car.

“Have fun!” Ellie called from behind the counter where she was ringing out a customer.

Memory waved and braced herself for the cold, thankful that Dak’s car was close by and already running. It was much warmer inside.

Once he was behind the wheel, he asked, “Do you want to tell me where we’re headed?”

“You’ll see,” she replied. “Just head north on Main Street.”

He arched an eyebrow at her but pulled out of the spot without commenting. The street was busy with people walking and cars headed in both directions. Memory knew there were likely even more people in town now than in years past. The more houses that were transformed into hotels or B and Bs, the more crowded it would become.

She gave him directions to the house, her stomach twisting the closer they got. Not only was she nervous about showing it to him, she was just as anxious about being there again. After the last time she’d come by, she’d spent the next few days missing her grandma more than usual.

“Pull in here,” she said, pointing at the driveway.

Dak’s forehead furrowed as he looked at the house. It was impressive, even in its current state of disrepair. He pulled the car all the way up the drive to the carriage house turned garage and shifted into park. “Memory, where are we?”

She was sure he already knew, but she’d tell him anyway. “This is my grandma’s house. It was. It’s... my house. I want to show you something.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, letting her know he understood how important all of this was to her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I mean... it’s not for sale or anything. And it needs a lot of work. I’m not asking you to fix it. I just want to show you.”

“Okay.” He gave her an encouraging smile and turned the car off, pulling the keys out and putting them in his pocket as Memory fished hers out of her handbag. By the time she found them, he was at her door, opening it for her. She smiled up at him, glad to be in the company of such a gentleman.

As she got out of the car, the heel of her boot caught the handle of her bag, pulling it over. “Darn it,” Memory muttered, realizing she’d spilled everything out of her purse. She untangled her boot, hopping on one foot, and started scooping everything back in. Half of the stuff didn’t even need to be in there....

“Need a hand?” Dak asked, leaning on the roof of the door with one arm as he waited.

“No, I’ve got it. Sorry.” She hurriedly tossed the last items in, her billfold and hairbrush, thinking that had to be everything, and pushed her purse back out of the way so that she wouldn’t get caught in the straps again when she came back.

She stepped aside, and Dak closed the door, giving her a second to study the house. It looked about the same as the last time she’d seen it in the daylight. It definitely needed a new roof. The old gray shingles looked brittle and worn, and the part near the porch was sagging. The white paint was peeling in several places, some of the siding loose, and one of the windows in the upstairs was covered in plywood having been shattered earlier in the year either by accident or a vandal. Even with all of the imperfections, the house was still a beautiful site.

“This place is amazing,” Dak said, standing beside her. “The details in the cast iron elements on the windows are stunning. And look at the entablatures above the columns.”

Memory gaped at him. “Oh, yeah. Those are great.”

One side of Dak’s mouth pulled up into a crooked grin. “Sorry. Just... thinking aloud. Most of it is Second Empire, although, it looks like there are Queen Anne features on the west wing. Is that a secondary addition?”

Memory broke into a wide grin. “I have no idea. But I’m glad you do.”

His face turned slightly pink. “It’s one of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever seen, Memory. Thank you for showing it to me.”

“You’re welcome.” She loved that he wasn’t assuming anything, just appreciating the gem before them. “But I have something more specific I want you to see. In the... west wing.” She had never referred to that part of the house using those words before, but if that’s what it was, that was fine with her. “Come on.”