“You must be Rose,” the older woman said, walking over and holding out her hand. “You know what you’re getting into buying this place?”
Josie relished the familiar strength as Annie May shook her hand and then stepped back. “It’s too late now,” she said. “I’m the proud owner and, as you can see, the construction has already started.”
Josie held her breath as Annie May gave her the once-over, starting at her feet and working her way to the top of her head. There wasn’t even a flicker of recognition. Josie felt both relieved and sad. She would have liked a friend to confide in, but she wasn’t ready to come clean with Del. After their conversation here Friday night-when he’d told her exactly what he thought of her-she was hardly in a position to reveal her past.
Annie May tilted her head slightly and motioned to her cane. “A man do that to you?”
At first Josie didn’t understand. Then she got it. “No, I wasn’t beat up. I was hit by a truck.”
“It looks bad. The good news is you lived to talk about it. You’re upright and except for buying this old place, I’m guessing you’re smart enough. So you were lucky.”
Josie wanted to protest. She felt anything
Annie May glanced at her three helpers. “Bring in the supplies. We’re going to start with the kitchen today.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison and left the room.
“Pretty, but not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier,” Annie May said as the men walked out of the house. “Still, hiring the good-looking ones is one of the few compensations of my old age. Del accuses me of being a sexist pig, and he’s right.” She grinned. “So, let’s talk about your kitchen. I’ve seen the plans. They’re not too bad. I’d suggest a couple of changes, though. Seeing we’re going to be running pipes anyway, why not put a deep sink in the island?”
She walked to the diagram pinned to the wall and pointed. “There’s plenty of room and it would give you a second work station. Wouldn’t cost very much. If you keep the house, you’ll find it handy. If you sell, the buyers will appreciate it.”
She walked back to the kitchen and shared a couple of other ideas. Josie listened, torn between appreciating her suggestions and wishing she could talk to Annie May. After all that had happened, she really needed a friend.
The hunks returned, and Annie May set them to work, measuring the kitchen and marking where the pipes would run. When they were busy, Annie May motioned to the parlor.
“Let’s go in there. I want to show you something.”
Josie followed her, wondering if the older woman was going to suggest a wet bar. Josie didn’t think it would fit with the house. But what other plumbing issue could there be in the front room?
Annie May waited until Josie had stepped into the empty room, then she closed the French door, cutting off the construction sounds from the rest of the house. She turned to Josie, planted her hands on her hips again and spoke.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Josie Scott? Frankly this is a piss-poor excuse for a disguise. You really think you’re fooling anyone?”
Chapter Seven
Josie couldn’t believe it. “You know who I am?”
Annie May snorted in disgust. “Of course. I’m not a fool.” The older woman peered at her face. “Okay, there are a few changes. Your cheeks and chin, but your eyes are the same. Your voice is a little lower, but you talk the same.”
Relief flooded Josie. She took a step toward her friend. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me, too, child.”
Annie May enfolded her in her arms. Although the other woman was much shorter, she was strong and familiar, and Josie felt as if she’d come home for the first time in years.
“All right,” Annie May said briskly a few seconds later when she released Josie. “I want to hear about everything that happened to you.” She eyed her legs, then the cane. “You probably need to sit down. How about the front porch? We should have some privacy there.”
“Sounds perfect.”
They walked outside. The morning was sunny and warm. Josie could hear the sound of people working in the house, but they were all in the rear rooms and wouldn’t be likely to overhear the conversation.
“So tell me what happened,” Annie May said when they were seated on the top step. “Were you really hit by a truck?”
“That sucker slammed right into me,” Josie admitted. “I was driving home for lunch, and suddenly it was there. The brakes failed and the driver lost control.”
Annie May frowned. “It looks like it was bad.”
“It was. I had to have a lot of surgeries on both my face and my legs. Especially the left one.” She touched her face. “I have a lot of plastic in me now.”
“Then stay away from open flames or you’ll melt.” Her old friend studied her. “What took you so long?”
Josie knew what she meant. Why had she taken so long to return to Beachside Bay. To Del. The question made her a little uncomfortable because it forced a confession she wasn’t sure she was ready to make. She glanced down at her lap, then looked at Annie May.
“For the first couple of years, I didn’t know I wanted to come back. I was living in Los Angeles, making my life there. I had a good job, friends. Everything seemed fine.”
Although if she were being completely honest she would have to admit that
“After the accident, I had a lot of recovering to do. I spent months either in the hospital or in a physical rehabilitation center. It’s only in the past month that I’ve been able to get around with a cane. Before that I needed a wheelchair or a walker. I couldn’t come back like that.” She shrugged. “So I waited until I could at least be upright.”
Annie May patted her hand. “Makes sense, which is more than I can say for you using a different name. What were you thinking?”
Josie flushed. “I wasn’t,” she admitted. “I never thought Del wouldn’t recognize me. I came back to talk to him and get some things settled. But when he saw me he didn’t know who I was. In that second I realized I could get to know him in a whole different way without the past coming between us. It wasn’t a conscious plan-it just happened.”
Annie May didn’t look convinced. “You’re just scared he’s still mad at all the stunts you pulled.”
“Maybe. I would like closure on our marriage. If Del knew who I was, he wouldn’t talk to me.”
“Divorce isn’t closure enough?”
“I guess not.” She decided to tell the truth. “After the accident I kept thinking about Del. That’s why I decided to come back.”
“It’s hard to forget the one who got away.”
Josie stiffened. “Del didn’t get away. I left him.”
But the words didn’t sound as sure as she wanted them to. She was beginning to question her reasons for coming back. After all, what did closure really mean? She knew that Del didn’t have a very high opinion of her and that he was well over her. If she’d been wondering if he had any lingering feelings for her, she’d received her answer. Shouldn’t that be enough?
So why hadn’t she told him the truth, and why did she have the feeling she was waiting for something else?
“Although I can’t help chuckling at the thought of Del not recognizing you,” Annie May said, “you’re going to
