Run Rose Run(21)

Ruthanna kept humming as she worked, remembering how much she liked having someone to care for. She didn’t want the girl moving in permanently, of course, but it would be nice to keep her around for a little while at least. Maybe they could do a bit of gardening together. The roses were just beginning to bloom, and the lilies would be coming up soon. She had thousands of them, from every corner of the world.

When she’d finished making the pancakes, she stuck them in the oven to keep them warm, and then she sat down to read the paper. Her assistant would be arriving any minute, and she looked forward to introducing the two women. AnnieLee certainly wouldn’t challenge Maya to a fight, would she? That would be something to see, Ruthanna thought.

It was nearing 9 a.m. when she finally decided to go upstairs and wake her guest. She knocked lightly, and when there was no answer, she slowly pushed the door open.

The bed was made, and the room was empty. A scrawled note lay on top of one of the throw pillows.



Dear Ms. Ryder,

Thank you so much for everything. I want you to know that I took a pair of sweatpants and two shirts from that closet. And…well, I also borrowed the guitar that was in there. The case was real dusty. I know you didn’t offer me that, but something told me you wouldn’t have refused me if I’d asked. I promise to take good care of it, and I’ll return it just as soon as I can.

All my gratitude and admiration, and then some,

Firecracker


“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ruthanna whispered. She felt a rush of so many feelings at once that she couldn’t have put words to any of them. Then she crumpled the note in her hand.





Chapter

20



Ruthanna was standing in the rose garden when Maya got out of her Lexus bearing two bright-green smoothies.

“You’re looking thoughtful this morning,” Maya said, handing her one of the cups.

“I guess I am,” Ruthanna said. “Thanks for—whatever this is.”

“Spinach-celery-kale-pear. You’ll like it.”

Ruthanna gave the drink a dubious sniff. “I let that girl Ethan discovered stay here last night, but she vanished sometime before six a.m. Why do you suppose she did that?”

“I don’t know,” Maya said. “Did anything else vanish with her?”

“She took a guitar. But she left a note about it.”

Maya clucked her tongue. “This is very unlike you.”

Ruthanna acknowledged that it was. But something about that girl had touched a nerve.

“Should I go count the silver?” Maya asked, half joking.

“That won’t be necessary,” Ruthanna said. “AnnieLee wouldn’t do something like that. But if she did, would I really even care? I mean, when was the last time we used that stuff?”

“Oh, I remember,” Maya said. “It was—” But then she snapped her mouth shut and turned quickly on her heel, walking up the steps to the house.

Ruthanna felt a jolt of pain as she remembered, too. A gorgeous June Sunday, a celebratory brunch for her daughter—

But she wasn’t going to think about that now.

She turned and followed Maya into the kitchen and watched as her assistant brewed another pot of coffee.

“You gonna have some?” Maya asked. “I’m making this so strong it’ll lift weights.”

“Sure,” Ruthanna said, pushing her mug over. “There’s pancakes in the oven if you want some.”

“Do I ever,” Maya said. “I don’t know how a person’s supposed to just have juice for breakfast.”

Ruthanna took an exploratory sip of her smoothie. “It’s not bad, though.” She folded herself into the window seat. “I really like that AnnieLee. I wanted to help her, but I don’t think I told her what she wanted to hear.”

Maya peered at her over her glasses. “What’d you say?”

“I told her to get out of Nashville as fast as her tiny little feet could carry her.”

Maya snorted. “In other words, you crushed her dreams.”

“If you want to be negative about it, go ahead,” Ruthanna said. “But I was trying to save her, actually.”

Maya sat down at the table with a plate of pancakes dripping with syrup and melted butter. “You think she took your advice?”

“Not hardly,” Ruthanna said. “I think she’s as stubborn as—”

“As you are?” Maya interrupted.

Ruthanna grinned. “Basically.” She took the cordless phone down from the wall and held it out to Maya. “Can you call Jody at BMH?” she asked. “If the girl’s going to stick around, I guess the least we can do is let some people know she’s here.”

“Can I eat while I’m doing it?”

“Obviously.”

Maya took the phone and dialed as she chewed. She had the number memorized, but Ruthanna knew Maya still had her old Rolodex if she needed it. A shared penchant for doing things the old-fashioned way was just one of the reasons they worked so well together.

Maya put the phone on speaker as soon as Jody picked up.

“Please, dear God, tell me Ruthanna’s got a new song,” Jody said in lieu of “Hello.”

“She’s got about a hundred,” Maya said. “But you know her feelings on the matter.”