Chapter Thirty-one

Jessie had just come outside and closed the cabin door when a car drove up. Mary Ruth Henniger climbed out gracefully and walked over to her.

"Mary Ruth, how are you today?" Jessie asked pleasantly.

"Very good, thank you."

She had a folded piece of paper in her hand and Jessie raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"What brings you out?" she asked.

"Well, I just had the strangest phone call. Annie Stone, who hasn't called me in all the years she's lived out here, rang me up to give a message to her daughter. She insisted Jessie Stone was staying at one of my cabins. She described you and I told her you weren't Jessie Stone. Why, Jessie Stone hasn't been here since her daddy died. But she insisted I give you a message."

Jessie laughed nervously, wondering how to tell this kind woman that she had been using an alias.

"Actually, I am Jessie Stone. I'm sorry."

"Well, I'll be," Mary Ruth murmured. "You've cut your beautiful long hair off. No wonder."

Jessie laughed again. It was the first thing she had done when she'd moved to San Francisco all those years ago. Her hair had reached nearly to her waist when she'd lived here. Jack always said he liked her with long hair.

"I didn't want anyone to know who I was when I came here in August," she explained. "I'm sorry about the Jennifer Parker thing."

"Well, imagine that. We all assumed you had left for good," she said. "What in the world are you doing here?" she asked bluntly.

"I came to see my mother," she said simply. She pointed at the note in her hands. "What's the message?"

"Oh, here," she said, handing her the note. "She's wants you to call her. That's her number there. You're welcome to use my phone," Mary Ruth offered.

"Thanks, but I've got a phone. I appreciate you coming all the way out here though," Jessie said politely. She waited for Mary Ruth to drive off before calling Annie.

"It's Jessie. Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Nothing's wrong, I just didn't know how else to reach you," Annie explained. "I tried calling Chris, but I can't find her."

"Oh. I didn't think to give you the number to my cell phone."

"Well, we didn't really talk about when we would get together again and tonight is my normal night to have dinner with Chris. I thought, well, you should join us. I'm sure Chris won't mind," Annie said. "I so want the two of you to be friends," she added. Jessie smiled and nodded, wondering what Annie's reaction would be if she knew just how close they had been this summer.

"I understand. And I don't think she would mind, other than me cutting in on her time with you," Jessie said lightly. "I actually saw her last night at the Rock House. We had a chance to visit."

"Good. So that means you'll come?"

"I'll come, Annie. Thank you."

After the call ended, Jessie stood staring into the trees reflectively. Would Chris mind? She didn't think so. After all, they'd had an enjoyable visit last night. Then Jessie remembered the quiet, fleeting kiss she had given Chris when they parted. The soft sigh that Chris uttered had been nearly enough to make Jessie deepen the kiss, but she had not dared. Instead, she pulled away after the briefest of touches but not before she saw the thinly veiled desire that Chris had tried to hide.

She doubted they would have any time alone tonight. Besides, with Chris there, she and Annie would most likely not get into any heavy discussions, which was just fine with her. After yesterday, her emotions were still a bit raw.

Jessie drove into town, finishing the task she had started before Mary Ruth had come by with the message. Firewood. Chris had said the lodge sold it, and she filled the back of her SUV for a mere thirty dollars.

She stacked it neatly on the back porch but after making the many trips to and from her car with armloads of wood, she was too tired for her afternoon jog. Instead, she stretched out on the sofa, a deep sleep claiming her almost instantly.