the sidewalk, Greer emerged more slowly from the Blazer, and then took a minute to lock the doors, even though no one in Homestead had ever done so in the past.
Shelby didn’t wait for her mom at the entry, but shoved open one of the peeling double doors and disappeared inside, causing a bell over the door to jingle. Such a small thing, but Greer was further catapulted back to her childhood, when she’d trailed up these steps after her dad, clutching money she’d earned doing chores around the farm. Robert Bell, always stern, invariably scolded her for spending every last penny on books, knickknacks and candy. And yet…despite his own thrifty ways, he’d never tried to stop her. The memory was a sharp reminder of all she’d lost.
A lump settled in her throat as a string of familiar scents wafted past on the breeze created as Shelby let the door bang shut. Greer knew what her daughter would find inside. Oak barrels of varying sizes, brimming with gourmet goodies. Well, gourmet by Homestead’s standards. Delicacies such as home-cured jerky, fat dill pickles, peppermint drops, or specialties like imported teas. Seasonally, Mrs. Tanner stocked spicy cinnamon-orange, or pear-and-apple blend. For as far back as Greer could remember, stepping into Tanner’s had been like walking into a treasure trove. Food was the least of what they offered. Collectibles, toys, Christmas ornaments, kitchen gadgets and sundry gifts hung from the ceiling or were tucked in a myriad of cubbyholes. She’d have to bribe Shelby with a second trip to town if she hoped to pry her out of the store anytime soon.
Needing to let her eyes adjust to the dim interior after leaving the bright fall sun, Greer hesitated beside a barrel of shiny red apples. She supported herself against it to make sure her jelly knees weren’t going to let her down.
Once, she’d loved this store. Loved this town. She blinked rapidly to stave off tears she thought had all been shed long ago, and attempted to locate Shelby, all while compiling observations—well-oiled dark oak floors, a painted tin ceiling, dancing wind chimes tinkling softly in the lazy breeze of a fan. Her gaze skipped over the clerk standing behind the counter. She did notice he operated a more modern cash register than she recalled.
A customer laughed at something the clerk said. Greer judged both men to be a bit older than her almost twenty-seven years. It was hard to tell until her eyes adjusted. But she was reassured that something had changed. Affable LeRoy Tanner, a contemporary of Greer’s dad, obviously no longer owned the store. LeRoy and his wife had been fixtures in town forever, it seemed.
In her sporadic letters, Greer’s mother had indicated that a number of old-time residents had fallen on hard luck and left town.
A booming voice addressed Greer by name, and she snapped her head around. Realizing it was one of the men at the counter, she squinted to see better.
Shelby abandoned the Madam Alexander doll she was inspecting to burrow into Greer’s side. “Mama, that man knows you,” she said in a stage whisper.
Greer cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, you…ah…have me at a disadvantage. I’m still sun-blind.” She was pretty sure it was the clerk who’d spoken, yet it was the customer who galvanized her attention. A good two inches shorter but broader-shouldered than the clerk, the customer wore typical rancher garb—square-heeled boots, blue jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt. It was his arresting blue eyes under a worn baseball cap that gave her pause. Not your typical cowboy, but in spite of the general consensus, there was more to Texas than cowboys.
“I’m Edmond Tanner,” the clerk said, rounding the counter with his hand outstretched. “My dad, LeRoy, would’ve been here at the time you left. I’ve gotta confess, your hair gave you away. I’d’ve known those red curls even if Loretta hadn’t told us you were due to get in today, Greer.” His hearty chuckle was cut short by a rib-jab from his companion.
“Oops, forgive my bad manners.” Edmond cocked his thumb like a pistol. “I figured you two knew each other. Greer…Noah Kelley. Er…I reckon I oughta call him Father Kelley. With your dad being on the church board and all, I assumed Loretta had passed on the news about Father Holden’s stroke. We’re lucky the greater regional Episcopal council saw fit to let Noah fill in until his pop’s back on his feet.”
Greer reeled at the announcement and did a double take. Now she remembered Noah Kelley. They’d both been much younger. And he had certainly changed. Holden’s son used to wear his hair slicked down. He’d looked—well, stiff in starched white shirts and the requisite Sunday suit.
Noah responded to the lengthy introduction with a dismissive shrug. “I’d probably graduated from college and entered seminary before you got out of high school, so there’s no reason you’d know I ended up an associate priest at a church in Austin for…oh, more years than I care to think about. Time sure flies.”
Ed Tanner stroked his chin. “You’re gettin’ old, Noah. I forgot your mom recently ordered a cake for your, uh, thirty-second birthday wasn’t it?”
“Thirty-first,” Noah said, playfully aiming a punch at Ed’s bony arm. “Years come and years go. Think how long you’ve been an old married man, Ed. Why don’t we forget age and just welcome Greer home.” Noah’s eyes rested on her briefly. “I do remember you,” he said after a pause. “You wore pigtails and were nearer the age of—is the charming girl at your side your daughter?”
“Yep, my name is Shelby,” the child piped up without a shred of modesty.
Noah’s teeth flashed in a grin. “Well, I hope I’ll have the privilege of seeing both of you lovely ladies again soon. At church on Sunday?”
“No, you won’t,” Greer shot back so quickly it surprised everyone. “We haven’t even moved in yet.” She grabbed Shelby’s hand and hurriedly collected a shopping cart. How did she tell the local Episcopal priest that she hadn’t darkened a church door since she’d left Homestead—because his dad had been instrumental in convincing her parents to send her into exile? Noah Kelley was a sneaky one. Not only didn’t he resemble any man of God Greer had ever seen, where the heck was his identifying collar? How dared he go about town looking like an ordinary rancher.
“Come on, Shelby, let’s start with vegetables.” Greer aimed her cart toward the very back of the store where she remembered Tanner’s displayed fresh produce. Talk about bad luck. Of all the people she’d give anything not to run into here in Homestead, a relative of Father Holden Kelley topped her list.
In the occasional letters Greer received from her mom, Loretta Bell had probably avoided mentioning Holden or any member of his church board on purpose. No surprise there, given the shouting match they’d all had ten years ago.
NOAH EXCHANGED a blank look with Ed. Intrigued, he excused himself and hurried down the aisle after the woman and girl. He caught up quickly because Shelby had stopped to inspect a rack of kids’ books. “My invitation to attend church remains open for whenever you get settled, Greer. Attendance at St. Mark’s fell off even before Pop’s stroke. My main goal is to recapture the strayed or lost,” he said, turning up the wattage on a slightly crooked smile. “I’d especially like to entice back young families such as yours.” Noah’s bright gaze again shifted to Shelby. “You’d be eight or nine? We have a growing Sunday school that would gladly make room for one more. Perhaps your mom remembers Debra Coleville, or she may have been Debra Rooney then. She teaches a combined second-and third-grade class.”
Shelby hugged the book. “Will some of the kids be in my third grade at regular school? I just turned nine.”
“I think Megan Ritter’s eight. Her sister, Heather, is six or seven, and their brother, Brad, is nine. So’s Callie Montgomery’s sister, Brittany. And…the Gallaghers have a range of ages,” he said, rattling off a stream of names.
Some sounded vaguely familiar. Greer scrabbled through her mind but was unable to place anyone specific except for Gallagher. Every Texan knew State Senator Clint Gallagher.
“Mama, if I met some kids Sunday, I’d have friends for when I start school next week.”
Greer released her breath and gave a severe shake of her head. “I said no, Shelby. We need every