“You don’t even have to ask,” I murmured, dropping a kiss onto her mouth.
That seemed to relax her, so I took a chance and hugged her close. She clutched at my back, and my chin rested on her shoulder. “I’m going to hold you all night,” I whispered.
Her head bobbed against me.
“I’m ready for my apple, young man,” Ms. Scarlet said, appearing out of nowhere. That woman was like a ninja. And old, sassy granny ninja.
Amnesia jolted in my arms, but I pulled back casually, more used to Ms. Scarlet’s ways. “I’m just about done stocking up. You can take your pick,” I told her with a smile.
Her eyes slid to Am. I cleared my throat. “Amnesia, this is Ms. Scarlet. She has lived here—” I started, but Ms. Scarlet cut me off.
“Since the beginning of time.”
Amnesia smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
“Let me take a look at you, girl,” she said, shuffling closer. Ms. Scarlet handed me her bag, and I took it so she could grasp Am by the chin and study her face.
“Hmm,” she said, finally releasing her. “I can see why Eddie is so taken with ya.”
“Thank you…?” Amnesia replied.
“He’s an ornery one, this boy. When he was young, he used to carry frogs in his pockets. Nothing but trouble,” she muttered.
Amnesia laughed. “Frogs!”
Looking at Am, I said, “Ribbit.”
She laughed even harder.
Scarlet looked at Am again, then at me. “Could be, Eddie. But I don’t think it really matters.”
I knew exactly what she meant. “You’re right,” I said softly. “It doesn’t.”
Ms. Scarlet poked around in the apples a few minutes and selected only one. Afterward, she took her bag from me and put the fruit inside. “Come along,” she beckoned, heading toward the register. “It’s time for me to be heading home.”
I winked at Am. She giggled. “I’ll just go help Maggie.”
At the counter, I rang up Ms. Scarlet carefully packing her things back into her bag. “Do you need some help outside?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not an invalid.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
“And you need to fix that display of rice back there. One of the boxes is loose and dented. I was damn near crushed when I walked by!”
“I’ll do that right away.” I promised.
I bet when she woke up in the morning, down in hell, the devil sighed.
Even though she told me she didn’t need help, I walked her to the front entrance anyway and held open the door. “It was nice seeing you. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
Just before stepping outside, she stopped beside me and glanced up. Her white hair was short, her face bore wrinkles, but her blue eyes were clear and sharp. “It’s good to see you happy again,” she said, reaching out and taking my hand. “It’s been too many years since I’ve seen that glint in your eyes.”
“Thank you,” I said. My heart held a special place for Ms. Scarlet.
“I know I only just met her, but my old eyes don’t miss a thing. She’s a keeper. Don’t you let her go.”
I shook my head. “I won’t.”
She nodded once, satisfied. “Good.”
With that, she walked onto the porch, down the steps, and into the sunshine.
The feeling of being watched crawled up my back like a long-legged spider. Each of its eight legs left a trail of discomfort and a stark need to slap at my skin to brush it away.
There was no spider, though, and as I gazed around, I saw no eyes.
The memory I had this morning had been terrible (to put it mildly), but it hadn’t necessarily been the kind to leave behind this creep-tastic feeling I couldn’t rid myself of. I did my best to ignore it because I had a life to live.
Maggie already had dog food, dog treats, and ice cream in the cart when I found her by the milk. Glancing down, I laughed. “Priorities.”
“That’s right,” she mused. “Treats for Elmo and treats for us.”
Reaching into the case, I grabbed some milk and then moved down to grab some cream cheese and other items we’d put on a list. I’d been cooking a lot with Maggie; she was really good in the kitchen and she showed me how to make a lot of things. I was still definitely learning, but it was fun and I enjoyed the time with her.
“Maggie?” I asked, turning from the case and glancing at her.
“Yeah?” She gazed down at the list.
“You were best friends with her,” I said. “With Ann.”
She paused, glancing up. Her eyes held a note of surprise but also wistfulness. “She was my very best friend, so close we were more like sisters.”
“How did you meet?” I asked.
She smiled. “Actually, it was in this store. She and Clarke had just moved to town, and she was trying to find some ingredient in the aisles. I heard her muttering to herself about being lost. I gave her a tour of the place, and we were friends ever since.”
“You miss her.”
“Oh, honey. Every single day. Her, Clarke, and my Chris.”
That was a lot of loss for one person, and I felt bad for her.
“Do I remind you of her?” I whispered.
Maggie’s eyes turned sad. She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “You definitely have the same kind heart.”
“She was a good person? And so was Sadie?”
“She was the best woman I knew. And Sadie was her pride and joy.”
I nodded, digesting the information and wondering what my life might have been like if I never disappeared. Did it really matter, though? Because I had.
A slight noise behind me caused me to turn and scan around, but no one was there. “Can I see the list?” I asked, brushing it off.
“Sure,” she said and handed it over.
We wandered up and down a few aisles, selecting some things, and I stood in the pasta aisle for a long time, marveling at the many different kinds and shapes. “How the heck am I supposed to pick something?”
Maggie laughed. “Get a few.”
“Really?” My hair swung around my neck when I turned.
“Of course!”
“Maggie!” a woman called from the other end of the aisle. “I was just going to call you this evening.”
“Oh Lord,” Maggie muttered under her breath. “Run! Save yourself,” she whispered dramatically, then turned back, plastering on a giant smile. “Grace!” she called. “So wonderful to see you!”
She walked away, and I couldn’t help but feel she was saving me from an inquisition. I went back to picking pasta and gazing at the jars of sauce. Once I had my choices in the cart, I glanced around to see Maggie still talking to her friend. I headed in the other direction to collect the rest of the items on the list.
I noticed a corner of the store dedicated to T-shirts and Lake Loch merchandise, so I wandered over because there was a stuffed Loch Ness monster on the shelf, and it made me smile. Eddie probably had those made for the store. He said it was the legends of the Loch Ness being spotted here that brought in tourists, but I knew better. He liked it.