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“Come and get it while it’s hot from the griddle,” Trudy called out, dragging Sage out of her thoughts about Hank.
With a regretful sigh, Sage turned away from the baby and made her way back to the table. Right after she sat back down, Trudy placed a plate overflowing with food in front of her.
“Is this all for me?” Sage asked, chuckling. There was no way in the world she could pack all of this food in, but she sure intended to try.
Trudy patted Sage on the shoulder. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you need some TLC. You’re an incredible young woman and I can tell you have a lot of heart, but I sense you’re going through something difficult.”
Sage tried to swallow her food, but raw emotion clogged her throat. She reached for her glass of orange juice and took a sip. Trudy was showing her motherly love and it caused a groundswell of grief to rise up inside her. Despite what her mother had done, Sage loved her. She missed having a mother. And she was still trying to wrap her head around the loss and her stunning deathbed confession.
Trudy held up her hands. “I’m not prying. That’s not my way. I just want to let you know you’re in a safe place to heal from whatever you’re going through. And you can stay here for as long as you like. I welcome the company.”
Sage felt such gratitude for being seen by Trudy. Even though her goal had been to keep a low profile while she was in town, it felt comforting to have the other woman acknowledge her pain. She felt so raw and ragged on the inside. It was such a heavy load to bear.
“I lost my mother recently,” Sage blurted out. “I’m trying to work through my grief. Some days I feel all right and then other times I feel as if the bottom is falling out of my world.”
Not to mention she was having an identity crisis of sorts. All of her life she’d been Sage Duncan and now she had to deal with the reality of being a completely different person.
“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Trudy said, her voice full of sorrow. “No wonder you needed a break from your life back home.” All of a sudden, Addie let out a plaintive wail from her playpen. Trudy walked over and picked up Addie, who clutched at her grandmother’s shirt as if she was a human life preserver.
Trudy turned back to face Sage. “But I know from my own personal experience that what you’re feeling is perfectly normal. It’s an up-and-down struggle. It gets better over time, but it never completely leaves you. It’s an ache in your soul unlike any other.”
“I keep wishing she’d had more time with us. There are so many things I’d like to ask her,” Sage confessed. “And now I’ll never get those answers.”
“That’s really difficult, Sage. But I think we all live with unresolved issues. Both of my husbands died unexpectedly, so I’ve always felt there were so many things left unsaid. I’ve always tried to focus on the love we shared and not the regrets.”
Sage wasn’t sure why, but she felt better just for having talked about her mother’s death with Trudy. It was so hard to bottle it all up inside and pretend as if everything was right in her world. She was dealing with so many tangled emotions. Trudy was a great listener and she radiated sincerity.
“Thanks for listening. And for understanding.”.
“Whoops. I almost forgot. This was placed under the door early this morning. It’s for you.” Trudy placed an envelope next to her plate. “Maybe you have an admirer.” She playfully winked at Sage, who shook her head and chuckled.
Sage picked up the envelope and eagerly opened it. She pulled out a piece of stationery the color of a robin’s egg. “It’s from Beulah!” she told Trudy, excitement rising up inside her as she read the bold script aloud. “‘Please join me at the North Star Chocolate Factory tomorrow for a tour and tasting. Your friend, Beulah North.’” She picked up a sausage and bit into it as she continued to gaze at the letter.
Trudy let out a whistle. “You sure made an impression on Beulah. Don’t get me wrong. She’s a great lady, but it typically takes some time for her to warm up. Sounds like you made a fantastic impression on her.”
“We spent some time together at the teahouse yesterday. She knew my tour of the chocolate factory was interfered with by the press conference and the ensuing
mayhem. This invitation is really sweet of her.”
“It is, especially since she’s going through a tough time.” Trudy waved at her plate. “Go ahead and eat up, young lady. Your food is getting cold.”
Sage dug into her food with a vengeance. She wasn’t sure if it was the Alaskan air, but her appetite had picked up tremendously ever since she’d arrived. Everything tasted wonderful. Once she finished her food, she stood up and walked over to the sink and quickly washed her plate and utensils. Although Trudy always insisted on Sage leaving the dishes for her to clean, she actually enjoyed helping out with chores. It made her feel as if she wasn’t simply a paying guest at the inn.
“Trudy, do you think you’ll be driving into town today? If so, could I hitch a ride?” she asked. She was still eager to go to the town library and search through the microfilm even though she hated to ask Trudy for another favor.
“Of course you can. I’m taking Addie in for her checkup, so you’re welcome to come along and I can drop you off wherever you like.”
“That would be perfect,” Sage said gratefully. Trudy was such a generous, warmhearted woman, and with each passing day, she was beginning to feel more and more like a close friend. Yet at the same time, Sage felt incredibly guilty about harboring this huge secret.
You don’t have a choice, she reminded herself. Everything would blow up in her face if she told anyone here in Owl Creek the truth. She’d overheard Connor saying he wanted justice and her father would be the scapegoat. She couldn’t allow that to happen. Not in a million years.
On the ride into town, Trudy drove down back roads after meeting up with detour signs on the regular route. It allowed Sage to gain a whole new perspective on the picturesque hamlet. They drove past a bright red-and-yellow little free library overflowing with books. The sight of it made her smile. Suddenly, a large home surrounded by spruce trees came into view. She let out a gasp at the magnificent home. It was a large two-storied log cabin house accented by beautiful stonework and large modern windows.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Trudy asked, turning her head toward the grand home.
“It’s breathtaking! It looks like it should be on the cover of a magazine.”
“That’s the Norths’ home. Beulah’s husband, Jennings, had it built for her after they were married. Their son Nate was raised in that house, and after he married Willa they moved in and raised a family there.” Trudy let out a shudder. “That’s where little Lily was taken from. Right there on the second floor. The room on the corner.”
