The Girl Who Came Back

A few moments later she was standing in the blessedly cool café, grateful that the restaurant wasn’t any farther away. She’d forgotten how heavy the air could be here. She glanced around.

Ruby’s Café was a haunt from the old days. Many afternoons Eliza and her friends had shared milk shakes and fries, sometimes splurging on juicy burgers with the works. She almost expected to see the place full of high-school kids.

The café was comfortably full, but given the hour, there were few teenagers. The hostess seated her near the front and Eliza scanned the menu. Maybe she’d give in to nostalgia and have a hamburger with the works.

“Eliza Shaw?”

She looked up into the smiling face of Betsy Fellows, a former classmate.

“Betsy?”

“I wasn’t sure it was you. Look at you with that sleek hairstyle and slim figure. Wow, you look great!”

Eliza laughed, standing to hug her high-school friend.

“I can’t believe you recognized me. How are you?” How cool to run into Betsy her first night here, Eliza thought. If she stayed in town long enough, she’d look up a few other classmates. Those she wanted to see, she qualified, thinking of Cade.

“Doing great. Waiting tables as you can see. How long are you in town? Let’s get together and catch up.”

“I’d like that. I’m here because of Maddie, so I’m not sure exactly what my plans are. It depends on her.”

Betsy’s smile faded. “That’s a downright shame, isn’t it? How is she?”

“Still in a coma.”

“I hope she recovers.” Betsy glanced at her pad. “It was awful what happened to you all back then.” Looking at Eliza again, she shook her head.

Although this wasn’t the time or place to discuss it, Eliza hated to let the adults who’d been in charge all those years ago get off scot-free. They’d had the power and they’d abused it. If nothing else, maybe she could set the record straight while she was in town.

“Maddie was never the same,” Betsy said. “It was months before she started going out in public again. I remember my folks talking about it. And now this. Just when I thought she was getting excited about life again.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because of the new center for pregnant teens.”

Eliza frowned. “What center?”

“The one Maddie and Cade talked about building at the house on Poppin Hill.” Betsy seemed surprised that Eliza had to ask. “Cade’s here now,” she said, tilting her head to the left.

Eliza turned around and looked right into Cade’s dark gaze. He was seated at a table behind her with two other men.

“I don’t know about the project,” Eliza said, turning quickly away and sitting back down in her chair. Great, now the man probably thought they were talking about him. Which they were. “I thought the bank was about to foreclose.”

“I don’t know about that. But I know Cade and Maddie discussed a home for unwed pregnant teens. Even brought it before the planning commission for approval. Which it got, provisionally. Maddie was most determined. You remember what she was like when she made up her mind about something.”

Eliza nodded. So Cade and Maddie were partners in this scheme. Then why was he planning to buy her property if the bank sold it? To cut her out of the loop?

“I can fill you in, but not now,” Betsy said, keeping a practiced eye on the rest of her area. “It’s hopping tonight. Do you know what you want to eat yet?”

Eliza ordered and Betsy hurried off to the kitchen. She wanted to know everything, but for the moment would have to be patient.

Having Cade right behind her made Eliza feel self-conscious. His scathing comments after his sister’s death still had the power to hurt. She pushed the memories from her mind. Their relationship had ended years ago. She wouldn’t let his presence disturb her like this.

While Eliza was eating, another former classmate stopped by to greet her. That surprised her. Had she been close to other girls, not just April and Jo? Were her memories warped because of the way she was removed from Maraville?

Bemused, she left the café once she’d paid her bill, and headed for the hospital. The evening had cooled slightly and the walk would be pleasant. Eliza drew a breath of the soft southern air. It felt good to be back. In a surreal way, it seemed almost as if she had never left.

“Going to the hospital?” a familiar voice asked.

She glanced over at Cade as he fell into step with her.

“Yes.” She thought he had left the café before her.

“I’ll go with you.”

“I know the way.”

“What are you really doing here, Eliza?”

“I told you, I came to see Maddie.”

“You’ve ignored her for years, why now?”

“I haven’t ignored her. We’ve written, spoken on the phone a few times. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Did she tell you about the plans she and I talked about for the house?”

Eliza shook her head, wondering why Maddie hadn’t mentioned that. Of course, the last time Eliza had heard from her had been Christmas. She had written twice since then, but hadn’t received a letter in return. She wasn’t going to share that information with Cade. She’d find out what she could from Betsy when they got together for lunch the next day.

“If you and Maddie made plans together, why are you siding with the banker?” she asked.

“I’m hardly siding with Allen.”

“Seemed like it to me. He wants to sell, you want to buy.”

“He and I don’t see eye to eye on most things. But if the property goes up for sale, I’ll do my best to buy it. Keep it in the family so to speak.”

“Or cut Maddie out of the loop. It’s not going to come to that,” Eliza said.

“Oh no? Why not?”

“Never mind.” She could see the hospital now. Only a few more minutes and they’d be there.

He walked in silence as they approached the brick building. Eliza wished he’d leave, but he followed her in to the lobby. She wondered if he planned to accompany her all the way to Maddie’s room, and when he stepped into the elevator beside her, she figured she had her answer.

She looked at him. “Visiting as well?”

“I need to know if Maddie’s awake yet or not. Time’s running out.”

Eliza stared at the closed elevator doors. She wished he was a thousand miles away. Feeling edgy, she willed the elevator to rise quickly. At last the doors opened and she stepped out into the hall of the intensive care unit.

Cade went a couple of steps before he realized she wasn’t with him. Turning, he looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

“Cold feet?”

“I’m not going with you. You don’t need or want me around. You made that clear years ago, Cade. Visit Maddie all you want. When you leave, I’ll go in.”

“If she’s still in ICU, they won’t let me see her,” he said, ignoring her accusation.

She shrugged and leaned against the wall, prepared to wait forever if necessary, but she was not going with him.

Her cell phone rang.

“You can’t have that in here,” he said.

“I know the rules.” She fished the phone from her purse and checked the caller before switching it off.

It was Stephen. She turned and punched the button for the elevator. “I’ll go back outside to call,” she said as the doors slid open.

Alone on the front grounds a few minutes later, she quickly dialed Stephen’s number.

“Hello, Eliza. I tried calling you just now.”

“I know, Stephen. I was in the hospital and couldn’t take the call. What’s up?”

“I wanted to see how you’re doing. How’s Maddie? Any change in her condition?”

“Maddie’s still in a coma. I don’t think the future looks all that good. The longer she’s in the coma, the less likely it is she’ll recover.” Eliza didn’t like thinking about that.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know that’s disappointing. Is there anything you can do?”

“Not really. Be with her, I guess.”

“Do you know yet when you’ll be returning home? I’ll be disappointed if you can’t make it here this weekend.”

“I was only planning to come out for part of Saturday and Sunday,” Eliza reminded him. Why did she feel so cantankerous? She should be happy to hear from Stephen. “If I can’t make it, you’ll still have a good time.”

Her mood had to do with coming home to Maraville. Not coming home, she corrected herself. Coming back to visit. Maraville wasn’t home.

“I can fly down to join you if you need me,” he said.

He was sweet to offer. “Thank you, but there’s nothing you could do. Maraville is a sleepy southern town which hasn’t changed much since I left. As soon as I know more about Maddie’s prognosis, I’ll have a better idea when I’ll be heading back.” Much as she would like to see him, she knew he wouldn’t fit in here. And then she’d feel responsible for entertaining him.

“Call me tomorrow,” he said.

“I will.”

She clicked off the phone when he hung up. She should also check in with her boss, she realized.

Cade strode from the hospital.

“No change,” he said, not breaking his stride.

“Cade, wait,” she called as he moved past her.

He stopped and turned to look at her.

“Tell me about the loan,” she said.

“I don’t know the particulars, only that Maddie was having difficulties lately. She mentioned it once when we were talking.”

“When you two were planning that home for unwed teens?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What did she tell you about that?”

“Nothing. I heard it from Betsy.”

“I thought we had a deal going, but if Allen sells the property, it’ll change things.”

“But you plan to buy it.”

“If I can. But to recoup the costs, I’d have to develop at least part of the property. The house is going to take a lot of renovation to make it suitable for group living. If I have to purchase it outright on top of renovations, I’ll have to find the money somewhere.”

“What do you mean, develop the property?”

“Build some houses to raise cash.”

Eliza thought of the woods and meadow area in the twenty-five acres Maddie owned. As children, April, Jo and she had played freely there, their imaginations transforming the forest and fields into magical kingdoms.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Who would buy houses here?”

“Maraville is becoming a popular bedroom community of New Orleans. Lots of new houses are going up. Maddie’s land is prime. I could build a development there that would cover the costs of buying the property and funding the home I want to establish.”

“How could you?” Eliza was outraged at the thought.

Cade shrugged. “There’s a consortium trying to buy up property around here for an exclusive golf and country club. Maddie’s twenty-five acres would be prime land for that. It’s them or me, and I’d rather it be me.”

“The property is too hilly,” Eliza protested. “It’d make a lousy golf course.”

“But the house would make a terrific country club, and some of the back acreage could be leveled enough for a golf course. I met a lot of opposition with my proposal. Allen would love nothing better than to see it permanently squashed.”

“A home for unwed teens. Was Maddie planning to go on living in the house?”

“She was going to run the place,” Cade told her. “I guess her stroke puts an end to that idea.”

“After losing her foster care license?” Surely they hadn’t forgotten that, Eliza thought. “Who would let her?”

“It’s a long story. In the meantime, I hope Allen won’t try to push things through just because she’s in a coma.”

“They were seeing each other just before I left. I guess the romance died,” she added, almost to herself.

“They stopped seeing each other the same time you girls left,” Cade told her. “Guess he couldn’t risk being associated with a child abuser.”

Anger flared in Eliza. “Maddie never abused anyone and you know it.”

CHAPTER FOUR

CADE WATCHED ELIZA WALK AWAY, back into the lit lobby. She’d changed in the years since he’d last seen her. She was tall and slim and carried herself with an air of assurance that had been lacking that last afternoon when she’d come to see him. She’d been with Shell Montegue all day, then had tracked down Cade with some cock-and-bull story about Chelsea lying. He’d never heard the real story from his sister; she’d been dead the next time he’d seen her. If Eliza had told him about Chelsea’s call earlier, he might have saved his sister.

Or if she’d kept quiet about Eddie seeing Darcy. Maybe he could have told Chelsea in a way that would have been less traumatic for her. But how could Eddie’s cheating not be a shock when Chelsea had been pregnant with his baby?

He’d never forgive Eliza for telling his sister.

For a moment, the past caught up with him. He remembered the times they’d shared, the plans they’d made. His feelings for Eliza had been so intense. He’d never experienced anything close to them in all the years they’d been apart.

He turned and headed for his car. He had hours of work still ahead and no time to reminisce. Somehow he had to make sure Allen didn’t jerk the property out from under Maddie and him. The proposed home for teens was too important to him. He was counting on its completion to bring some kind of healing to his life. Nothing else had worked.

Cade drove the short distance to the old house his mother had owned, which he’d inherited after her death. Pulling into the driveway, he tried to ignore the dilapidated state it was in. The place was in need of major repairs, repainting and some kind of landscaping. Hard to believe the owner was a successful builder. He should do something about it.

But he no longer lived in Maraville. His home was in New Orleans, and he only used the house here when he stayed over. He’d been here a couple of weeks now to work on the Poppin Hill project and already felt itchy and anxious to leave.

Letting himself into the house, he paused as he always did, expecting to hear Chelsea calling out, or loud rock music, or one of his mother’s drunken soliloquies. But the empty walls echoed with silence. No one lived here anymore. Only the son, who came infrequently.

Cade went to the kitchen and quickly got a beer from the refrigerator. He took it to the back stoop and sat on the top step, gazing over the rapidly fading line of trees in the distance. It would be dark before long.

He’d liked the dark at one time. He and Eliza had used it to sneak out and meet at the town park. No one had seen them; it had been their special time. He frowned, not wanting to take a walk down memory lane, but his mind seemed to have other ideas.

For a moment, he felt eighteen again, so caught up with the dark-haired beauty from the house on Poppin Hill. He’d lived for the times they could be together, just the two of them.

If he’d kept his mind on his responsibilities to his family instead of being ruled by teenage hormones, his sister would be alive today. And maybe even his mother.

But they were both gone.

Once he built his home for unwed pregnant teens, he’d see about getting rid of the house. It would need work before he could sell it. Maybe he should rent it out. Even then, it needed major repairs. Time he made some long-overdue decisions.

After he finished the beer, he headed inside to the makeshift office he’d set up in the dining room. There were several faxes waiting for him. And mail forwarded by his secretary.

He called the foreman on the McIver job and discussed the progress. He knew Joe Randall was on top of things, but Cade hadn’t built a successful business by leaving things to others. It was his company, and if he couldn’t be there for the day-to-day operation, he’d keep long-distance tabs on the work.

The McIver project was a luxury apartment building with lots of green space. It was behind schedule due to delays in the delivery of cabinets for the kitchens. He hoped his crew could catch up soon and finish the project. Joe was optimistic.

Cade read the faxes, jotted some notes. When he’d dealt with the pressing matters, his attention turned back to the group home he wanted to establish. Tilting back in the chair, he tried to think of ways to make sure Allen didn’t get control of Maddie Oglethorpe’s property.

Much as he hated to consider it, one solution would be to enlist Eliza’s help. Everyone knew she’d been raised by Maddie. She was the closest thing to a daughter Maddie had.

Could he get a judge to grant her permission to occupy the house? As for the delinquent payments, he’d try to float another loan. His cash flow was limited at the moment, but once the McIver property was completed, he’d receive a huge check, hefty enough for a sizable profit and operating capital for another year. He just wished that job wasn’t still weeks from completion.

Cade brought the chair down on all four legs and rose. He was beat. Time for bed. Options would come, or they wouldn’t. He’d learned that over the years.

Could Eliza do anything? She owed him. He couldn’t change the past, but he would use any means available to insure the group home was established. He needed to do that. For Chelsea—and for himself.

ELIZA ENTERED the ICU and went straight to Maddie’s bed. The nurse greeted her with a smile.

“No change. Have a seat. Talk to her again, maybe she’ll wake up.”

Eliza pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. She gently brushed back some of the gray hair from Maddie’s forehead. It had been dark and thick all those years ago.

She took Maddie’s hand. For a moment, time seemed to shift. She remembered Maddie taking her hand when she’d first picked her up. Where had that been? In an office? Eliza couldn’t remember, only that her mother was gone and she was scared.

Then this stern-looking woman had reached out and taken her hand. Offered her home to an orphan who had nowhere else to go.

“I don’t think I ever told you how much I appreciated you, Maddie,” Eliza said in a low voice. She didn’t want the nurse to hear, but she had to tell Maddie. “Where would I be today if you hadn’t taken me in?” Gently she stroked the worn hand. Their roles were reversed now. She was the strong one, and it was Maddie who needed her help.

“I can stay as long as you need me,” Eliza said. “Wake up and we’ll make plans. I’ll find April and Jo and it’ll be the four of us again, if only for a visit. Do you know where they are? Did you ever find them? You said in your first letter that you hadn’t heard from either one. I don’t know where they were sent, but if I can locate them, I will. Wake up and tell me how to make that pecan pie of yours that was so good we almost got sick eating so much. Or how to make that honey ham we had on Sundays after church.”

Eliza swallowed. She’d forgotten the attempts Maddie had made to give them the best possible home. Money had been tight. She’d told them that more often than not when they’d asked for things. Eliza had a much better appreciation now of how Maddie must have stretched every dollar.

“I’m getting married soon,” Eliza said, hoping something would break through to Maddie. “He’s a lawyer in Boston. Very successful. You’ll have to come up to meet him before the wedding. You’ll be the mother of the bride. We still have to set a date. We’ll have to make it summertime. Boston in winter is too cold. You can’t imagine the snow.”

Slowly Eliza told Maddie more about her life in Boston, of her ambitions to one day open a catering firm. She wanted Maddie to know that her cooking had influenced Eliza’s choice of career.

Glancing at her watch, Eliza saw it was after eleven. The nurses had completely disregarded the visitor rules. It would be close to midnight by the time she got to bed. She squeezed Maddie’s hand slightly. “I have to go now. But I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Maddie’s fingers squeezed back.

“Maddie?” Eliza’s fatigue fled. Had she imagined it, or had there been a response?

She squeezed again. A moment later Maddie definitely squeezed her hand.

“Nurse!” Eliza looked around.

The young woman rushed to the bedside.

“Problem?”

“I don’t think so. I think she squeezed my hand.”

The nurse took Maddie’s hand and gently gripped it. A moment later she smiled. “She sure did. Let me call Dr. Pendarvis. He’ll want to know immediately.” Patting Maddie on the shoulder, she headed for the phone at the desk.

“Maddie, wake up. It’s me, Eliza. I’ve come to visit you but you’re asleep.”

The older woman’s eyelids fluttered, and then Maddie slowly opened her eyes, gazing at Eliza.

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