Her Country Heart Page 4

  Without his phone number she couldn’t call or text. Anyway, if he didn’t want to be there helping her, she wasn’t going to beg him. But damn, he owned half the farm. He should do half the work to repair the place. Her hands fisted. He didn’t deserve any of Bobby’s legacy.

  Enough, she couldn’t change the will, but she was in charge of the farm now. Right? Too bad she didn’t know what the hell she should do to fix the place.

  Her head throbbed. She rubbed the tension from her forehead. All I need is a migraine. With closed eyes, she took a slow breath. No matter how she felt it was time to get to work.

  Manuel Gordon’s phone number was in Granny’s old roll top desk in the den. She called to arrange for the harvesting of the apples and found Wyatt had already contacted him and made a date. Was that his parting “good deed” before leaving her to run the place?

  Her angry tirade telling Wyatt to help or get the hell out of the way flashed in her memory. She groaned. Too many times in her life she’d spit out angry words before she could think. Like telling Granny she hated the farm and was never coming back. That was certainly biting her in the ass right now. Other times her speech had gotten her in trouble. She should’ve have learned by now, but no she’d done it again.

  “Shit.”

  Later she drove Granny’s old Volvo station wagon to the curb in front of Sophie’s Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, yanked on the brake, and turned off the engine. “Ice Cream”, the flamboyant red sign said. But like Sophie herself, it had faded a little, but was still one of the brightest banners on Main Street.

  After working on the farm and expending a lot of calories in the last few days, Amy could eat an ice cream sundae without guilt, and as Granny’s best friend, maybe Sophie had answers to the questions that still bugged Amy. If Sophie did know would tell her?

  The glass front door opened and she heard the familiar tinkle of the little bell attached to it.

  Today the huge ice cream parlor was empty. But the strong aroma of freshly made ice cream permeated the room and caused her mouth to water. The smell of the vanilla ice cream mingled nicely with the scent of peppermint and chocolate candy.

  She gazed around the well-known room. Photos of milk shakes, Banana splits, and sodas hung on the deep pink walls. Though now a little worn, heart shaped metal backed chairs with the red leather seats sat in the same formation around the metal tables as they had twenty years earlier. As a six year old child, she’d come here to eat her first ice cream sundae.

  Sophie stood behind the counter. A heavy set, gray haired woman, a white apron spotted with strawberry ice cream smears was stretched over the plus size tan dress she wore. Except for her graying hair, she appeared as she had on the first day Amy had met her.

  The woman rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “Amy, honey, I’m so sorry about your grandmother—but it’s good to see again.”

  “Sophie, it’s wonderful to see you.” She hugged the woman back. Childhood memories of eating Rocky Road ice cream in the shop flashed.

  “Granny mentioned you in her will. I’ll bring the Windsor rocking chair and the grandfather clock she wanted you to have.”

  “Oh— it’s just like your Granny to give away something that was admired. She was a wonderful woman, always giving to others, never worrying about her own needs. There are too few people like that in the world.” Sophie wiped a tear from her eyes.

  Amy hugged the woman again and smiled. “Granny wanted you to have them.” She cleared her throat. “How’s Vanna?” A memory of playing with Sophie’s daughter filled her.

  “She’s fine. Moved back.” Sophie said. “I told her you were going to be here. She’s coming to the shop, should be here pretty soon.”

  “Great. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “I’ll get you a sundae. You still want Rocky Road ice cream in yours just like you used to?”

  Amy grinned, feeling like a little girl again. “Yep. It’s the best.”

  Sophie laughed. “It’s Vanna’s favorite too.”

  Amy sat at the table by the window. “Vanna and I used to sit at this table and hope a cute boy would see us in the window, and come in and join us. We were so naïve.”

  Sophie set the biggest Sundae she’d ever seen on the table in front of her and then joined her at the table. “Dig in.”

  She took a bite as Sophie watched.

  “Mm, you make the best ice cream in the world. I’ve missed it. The cartons of frozen stuff in the super market just aren’t any good since I tasted yours. You spoiled me.” She wiped her chin to catch a drip of chocolate sauce.

  “Thanks.”

  “The place is quiet today.”

  “Yeah. Business is down since the mill closed. These days everybody’s so careful about spending their money and on top of that they’re worrying about eatin too much, calories, cholesterol and all.” She shrugged. “I’ve been thinking what to do to bring in more customers and give the teenagers in town somewhere to go.”

  “There must be something. Your ice cream is so worth the calories.” Amy ate another spoon full of Rocky Road and licked her lips.

  “Vanna thinks I should add coffee drinks like the ones in the new coffee shops that have opened all over Sacramento. You know places with lattes and fancy teas.” Sophie shrugged.

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “I guess. It might be time to update the old place,” Sophie agreed, but her voice was touched with sadness.

  “Keep the ice cream too. I want Bobby to grow up knowing what real ice cream tastes like.”

  “I feel better just hearing you say that.” The woman smiled. “Is everything going okay on the farm?”

  “Yeah, it’s all good. I painted a room for Bobby. He’s excited about coming up here.”

  “And how are you and Wyatt gettin on?”

  “Fine, fine,” she said a little too quickly, looked away from Sophie and forced ice cream down her tightened throat.

  “Really?”

  “No.” Amy sighed. “Actually I told him I wasn’t going to sell. I yelled at him to get the hell out of my way. I swore I was going to run the farm myself.” She swallowed marshmallow sauce and it stuck in her throat. She coughed. “I haven’t seen Wyatt for two days. He’s probably done with me.” She pushed the ice cream sundae away, her appetite gone. “He hates me.”

  “Oh Amy, I’m sure he doesn’t.”

  “He does. Now I don’t even have a handyman to get things ready if I did want to sell which I don’t. Oh hell, I’m not making a lot of sense.”

  “He’ll be back. He promised Granny he’d help you and he’s not a man to go back on his word.” She patted Amy’s hand. “You two are under a big strain with your Granny dying. That’s all.”

  “I guess you’re right. I miss her so much.” Amy gulped back a sob. “I just wish I hadn’t yelled at him.” She tried to eat her melting sundae but couldn’t.

  “Amy, I should tell you something about Wyatt.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He’s not a handyman. He’s a five time all round champion rodeo rider. And he’s got the gold buckles and the big bank account to prove it. He even makes TV commercials selling boots, hats, and stuff with his name on them. A real celebrity, he’s got women all over the country wanting to marry him. Course he’s not the marrying kind.”

  Amy’s spoon stopped suspended in the air half way to her open mouth. A drop of the white sticky stuff dropped into her lap. She tossed the spoon back into the dish. “But—Wyatt lives on Granny’s farm and works fixing up the place.” She scrubbed the spot of marshmallow sauce with her napkin. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

  “Men don’t talk much and never talk about their feelings. You know.”

  “Sophie, I don’t know. I’m so terrible at understanding men. Not enough experience at it I guess. The only man I choose was the wrong one.”

  “Well, Wyatt’s okay. He helped your Granny cause he loved her like the grandmother he never
had. What could he say to you? Look at me I’m an important rich rodeo star?” Sophie giggled. “I’m sorry to laugh, but you should see the shocked expression on your face.”

  “I feel so stupid. I was sorry for him. I thought he needed money. I almost gave him a tip for helping me.” She slapped her face. “God, I’m glad I didn’t do that. I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Amy, it’s my fault. I should’ve told you. But he’s such a celebrity in town I thought you’d know.”

  “I could’ve asked him what he’d been doing lately, but I just decided I knew he was the money grubbing handyman.” She cringed. “All I could think about was my own situation. Never bothered to ask him anything. Sometimes I can be so self-centered.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. With your divorce and losing your job and worry about Bobby’s health, and then Granny dying, you’ve been through a tough time. Of course you’re concerned about your situation.”

  “I can’t understand why Granny would give half the farm to Wyatt. I thought she loved me.”

  “You know she did. More than you can understand.”

  “Then why? I’m her only grandchild. He’s not even a distant cousin. He’s not family. He’s nobody.”

  “Uh— well, I guess you could say she owed him.” Sophie wiped her hands on her apron and looked away.

  “What could she owe him that was worth half the farm?”

  Sophie took a deep breath and wiped her hands on her apron again as if she needed something to do to hold off answering the question.

  “When you were living in the city. Your Grandpa got sick. Terrible sick. Granny took him to the doctors, but after a while there was nothing more the docs could do for Grandpa. It was awful for your grandma.” Sophie paused and shook her head. “Real bad.” She hesitated. “The hospital administration said Grandpa had to move out cause there was no more the hospital could to do for him. They needed Grandpa’s bed for patients they could help.”

  Tears filled Sophie’s eyes and she dabbed them with her apron. “He was too ill for Granny to care for him at home. He had to go to hospice.” She hesitated. “That’s real expensive you know that hospice care. We all wanted to help, but what could we do? With all of us just scraping by.”

  The woman adjusted her considerable weight in the metal chair and breathed heavily as if the memory was almost too much for her to relive.

  With only the sound of an old regulator clock to mark the passing of time, Amy waited for her to continue.

  When she didn’t speak Amy said, “I should have known. Should have done something.” She caught the women’s eye. “Why didn’t Granny tell me?”

  “Heck, your grandma knew you didn’t have any money. You were like the rest of us just barely gettin by. She didn’t want you concerned. You had enough to worry about with Bobby being sick. Any money you had needed to go for his care.”

  “But that doesn’t tell me why Granny thought she owed Wyatt.”

  Sophie spit out a sigh. “Well, you see—he was doin real good on the rodeo circuit. When he heard about grandpa needing help, he just up and paid for the hospice care. Wouldn’t listen to nobody. He just signed a check and that was that.”

  Amy gasped. “I’m shocked. Why would he pay Grandpa’s bill?”

  “Guess he had his reasons. You know after his mama died, he was a wild teen nobody wanted. Wyatt’s dad didn’t want a kid reminding him of the woman he’d just divorced. So, he just left him to manage on his own.”

  Sophie stopped and gazed out the window, her tense expression pulling her lips into a thin line and her eyes narrowed in sadness. “An angry teen, Wyatt was heading for no good. Probably be in jail by now if Granny hadn’t stepped in and helped him. So, when Granny needed money for Grandpa, Wyatt paid.” Sophie stared at her. “Honey, I got to tell you when that cowboy makes up his mind to do something, isn’t nobody going to change it.”

  The woman pushed a stray hair out of her face and forced it back under the hairnet she wore. “Your grandma never forgot what Wyatt did for Grandpa. And she’s wasn’t the type of woman to go to “her maker” without she paid her debts first.”

  “But…”Amy tried to interrupt.

  “She gave the only thing of value she had, half the farm. I knew what she’d done, but she swore me to secrecy. She didn’t tell you or Wyatt. I imagine he was as surprised as you when he heard it at the reading of the will.”

  “I’m totally stunned.”

  The doorbell jingled and two teenagers dressed in jeans and t-shirts walked into the ice cream parlor.

  “I’ll be right back.” Sophie hurried from the table.

  “What can I get you kids?” Sophie asked.

  “We want two cones, one double scoop of chocolate on a sugar cone and one scoop of strawberry on a regular cone.”

  Amy pushed back the new information about Wyatt, Too much to digest, instead she glanced at the teens. Nothing much for them to do here in the summer or the winter for that matter. She remembered how bored she was, so ready to get out of town and go to the big city.

  Outside the window, the town’s people strolled by. She watched and recognized a few faces. Years earlier she could have named everyone. On the street of San Francisco, she’d usually seen only strangers in the crowds.

  Here the people waved to each other and stopped to chat. There seemed to be no rush. It was as if the clock moved slower here, time enough to enjoy each moment.

  The little bell on the front door sounded again and Amy glanced up expecting to see the teens leave. Instead, Vanna, her friend, and Sophie’s daughter, rushed through the door. Her long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, her beautiful face devoid of makeup, green eyes glistening, she waved to her mother. “Mom, is Amy here yet?”

  Before Sophie could answer Amy shouted and jumped up to greet Vanna with a hug. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself, Amy.”

  “I’ll make you a sundae just like the one I made for Amy,” Sophie shouted, a metal ice cream scoop in her hand.

  “Just a diet coke Mom. Thanks.”

  “Still watching your weight? You’re fine. You should eat something.”

  “I know Mom, but if I don’t watch my weight, no man will want to watch me.” She winked.

  “You look great.” Amy smiled. “When I was in San Francisco I saw you on TV in a shampoo commercial.”

  “Thanks. My one claim to fame.” Vanna wrinkled her nose and laughed. “So, Amy, how was the city?”

  Sophie brought a glass of coke to the table and then left to wait on a new customer.

  “I loved San Francisco. It’s beautiful. A great place to visit, but it’s awfully expensive to live there. And I learned there’s too much country left in me to live in any city. I missed all the things I thought I wanted to escape, open spaces, blue skies and hot nights and hotter days, even nosy people, who know your business.”

  Amy took a spoon of the melted ice cream and savored the chocolate flavor. “I’m so tired of busy people who won’t give you the time of day if you can’t do something for them first. Who won’t take the time to get to know you and are always looking for an angle. Sorry, if I sound bitter. I don’t mean too. Never mind. Like I said, I’m just tired.”

  “Listen Amy, I just came from the wilds of the Los Angeles with its freeways and second stage smog alerts and millions of people clogging the streets. Everybody’s rushing to make a buck so they can afford to stay in LA instead of going back home to some Podunk town. I’m with you. I was never so glad to beat a retreat home.

  They both laughed.

  “You’re so talented you should be a star in Hollywood.”

  “Yeah, I was going to set the world of show business on fire.” Vanna took a sip of coke. “All I got was a Los Angeles sunburn. Oh, and I discovered I was no different than the ten thousand other blondes from all over the country that came by bus, plane and train to make it big in Hollywood.” She laughed without humor.

  “But you’re talented and beautiful too.�
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  “Thanks. It’s hard to have an ego when you’re in a room full of beautiful women just as talented as you are. And every year they seemed to be younger, taller, and thinner than I am.”

  She finished her coke. “Anyway, I got sick of the smog, traffic, and crowds. Too much country in me too I guess.” Vanna smiled. “I didn’t much care what my clothes cost, or if they were made by the latest “fad” designer. Didn’t pine to own an imported sports car or live in Bel Air or Malibu. I woke up one day and realized I just didn’t much care about anything anymore. That’s when I knew it was time to come home.” Vanna glanced out the window.

  “Well here we are sitting in the same chairs at the same table in your mom’s shop. I guess we’ve come full circle.” She held up her half empty sundae glass and tapped Vanna’s glass of diet coke. “Here’s to us and a new start back in the old home town.”

  They both laughed.

  “It’s so good to see you Vanna.”

  “Same here Amy—darn good.”

  ***

  Amy stayed at the ice cream parlor until Vanna had to return to work at the local daycare center at the Methodist Church.

  As the director of the program, Vanna had promised there was space for Bobby. That was a great relief because until that moment she hadn’t been sure how she’d have time to run the farm and give Bobby the care and entertainment he needed and still earn enough money to pay the bills.

  On the way home she stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for the next couple of days. At the check stand about to pay for her food, she looked up and saw Mike Donnelly walking toward her.

  In high school everyone called him “Big Mike”. Not because he was so big, though he was six feet tall, but because his younger cousin was called “Little Mike”, though he was six feet tall as well.

  “Hey Amy.”

  “Hi Mike.”

  “I heard you were back.”

  “Yeah, just got here. You’re the manager right?”

  “Yep, for a couple of years now. I’ll help you out to your car.”

  “Thanks.”