Susannah's Garden (Blossom Street #3)(82)

“Do you think it might be Jake?” Carolyn asked in a hushed voice.

“I can’t think who else it would be.” Sharon had said she’d get in touch with him; apparently she had.

“It makes sense,” Carolyn said. “We now know why he left and, more importantly, why he didn’t come back to Colville when you got home.”

Shocking though it was, all this information about Jake’s problems with the law explained a great deal. After her return from France, the only address he had would’ve been the family home. Knowing what her father had already done to keep them apart, he might well have avoided any contact, for his own protection and hers. If, by chance, he had written, she could easily believe that George Leary had destroyed the letter.

“Jake must’ve heard that you’ve been looking for him,” Carolyn suggested.

Susannah nodded. “Sharon told him. She said she would.”

“Are you going to go?”

“I…I don’t know.”

Carolyn stared at her. “You’ve got to be kidding! I thought this was what you wanted.”

“I did at one time. Now…I’m not sure.” Indecision gripped her and she plowed her fingers into her hair. “Life can get very complicated,” she said with a beleaguered sigh.

“If it is Jake, he’s taking a tremendous risk.”

“I know.” If word of this got out, Jake would immediately be arrested and sent to jail. He could very well end up in a federal prison.

Feeling shaky, Susannah moved into the kitchen, followed by Carolyn. She put on water for a pot of tea.

“You look pale,” Carolyn commented. “You’re really worried about this, aren’t you?”

“It’s not just the note, it’s Chrissie, too,” Susannah said, dropping teabags into the two mugs still unpacked. “I saw Troy with someone else yesterday afternoon and confronted Chrissie.”

“It didn’t go well?”

Susannah snickered. “You could say that. I have no idea what Chrissie sees in him. I wish I trusted her judgment, but I don’t.” What bothered Susannah most was that she recognized how easy it would be to treat her daughter the same way her father had treated her. In fact, Chrissie’s accusations were an eerie echo of the things she’d said to her own father. Here it was—her youthful rebellion staring her in the face, as though her teenage self was being channeled through her daughter. Susannah had a glimpse of the frustration her father must have felt. Even worse, even more ironic, the man in question was Jake’s son….

The whistle blew as the water on the stove reached a boil. Susannah filled the mugs and set them aside to steep.

“Would you go with me?” Susannah asked. “The note didn’t say anything about going alone.” The prospect of going at all filled her with a mixture of excitement and guilt—the guilt because she’d be keeping this secret from Joe.

One meeting. Just one. She’d apologize for her father’s behavior and leave it at that. The only other thing she needed to do was obtain some assurance that despite her father, Jake had had a good life. With all her heart, she wanted him to be happy. She’d ask about Troy, too; perhaps he had some influence with his son. Yes, Jake might be able to help her.

“You want me to go with you?” Carolyn shook her head. “Even if the note didn’t say anything about it, I’m sure he expects you to go by yourself.”

“I guess you’re right,” Susannah said reluctantly. “He’d probably figure it’s safer for him if I’m there alone.”

Susannah removed the teabags and took a carton of milk from the refrigerator. “I find the cemetery a curious choice, don’t you? Like those Gothic romances we read in high school.”

“Yeah,” Carolyn agreed, stirring milk into her tea. “The ones with the heroine on the cover, wearing a nightgown and holding a candle. It’s always dark and there’s usually a cliff.”

Susannah smiled. “And she’s following the directions of an anonymous note.”

“A note that leads her to the cemetery,” Carolyn said with a grin. “Perhaps this is Jake’s way of telling you the relationship is dead.”

They both sat at the kitchen table. Susannah suspected he’d chosen the site because it was unlikely they’d run into anyone who might recognize him at the graveyard. She told Carolyn this and they both laughed.

“Yeah,” Carolyn said. “Dead men don’t tell tales.”

Briefly, Susannah wondered how many other chances Jake had taken over the years, risking imprisonment by coming down to the States. She assumed he’d come back for Sharon or perhaps she’d occasionally gone to him.

“You’re sure you can do this alone?” Carolyn asked worriedly. “I’d offer to wait at the entrance but he hasn’t said where you’re supposed to meet him. It might be right at the gates, and if that’s the case, he might disappear if he sees me.”

“You’re right. Anyway, I’ll be fine.” She would tell Joe about it, she resolved. Her husband deserved to know.

“I’ll stay here at the house until you get back,” Carolyn said.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Yes, I do. Someone needs to know where you are. Besides, I’m dying of curiosity.” She giggled then, sounding just as she had in high school.