Chapter 49: Welcome Home

The first person she wanted to see was Arthur, but she wasn’t sure if he would want to see her. She decided to ease back into Clovelly first. That meant renewing the friendship, then presenting the person with a token of her affection. So of course she stopped at the bakery immediately after her long flight. Her mascara had run down her cheeks, her hair was a mess, and she was still in her million dollar wedding dress, which was now torn and soiled.

Faye ran up to her and hugged her long and hard for several minutes. “Oh Honey, my dear, sweet girl is back! We all missed you terribly. Tell me you’re here to stay.”

“I’m here to stay, if you’ll have me back as your Co-Manager?”

“Of course. It’s not easy to fill your shoes, Honey. The offer also still stands for the above shop studio apartment...”

“Yeah. I’ll have to figure out where I’ll live.” She reached in her inner jacket pocket found some rolled documents with a red ribbon tied around them like an old scroll.

“What’s this?” Faye asked.

“Open it up and see.”

Faye unrolled the scroll of papers. One was the deed to the land that the bakery sat on. The second was a document saying she did not have to pay rent on the bakery since she now owned the entire building, including the apartment. Rachel had used her time at her father’s mansion before the wedding to use her access to his money while she had it. Faye rushed over and hugged Rachel again.

“Is this for real, Rachel, Honey?”

“Yes. Absolutely. I want you to be able to focus on running and expanding the bakery as little or as much as you want. If you need to lean on me sometimes, that’s fine, too. It’s a win-win for me because on top of Co-Manager, by paying off the cost of the building and the land, I became a new investor also.”

“Oh Honey, Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”

“Just tell me when you want me back?” Rachel inquired, well aware that she would no longer have access to wealth and would have to work for a living.

“How about tomorrow to close? Or is that too soon for you?”

“Tomorrow sounds just right.”

“Okay, Faye. See you then. I still have some more stops to make. We’ll catch up then.”

“Sounds good. Great to have you back.”

Several of the townspeople saw her and welcomed her back with open arms. They realized what a huge contribution she had made to Clovelly.

She dropped off her things at the bed and breakfast, not presuming that either Arthur or Beatrice would want her to come back to live with them. She borrowed a bicycle and headed to see Beatrice.

# # #

Rachel decided that she would take the first step and apologize to her. Beatrice threw open the door and held her close and tight. “My Dear, Sweet, Precious girl. You came back! You came back!”

“Yes, Beatrice. I did.”

“I told him you would return. I told him,” she said excitedly, shedding tears of joy.

“Arthur...?”

“Yes. He was angry initially, but after less than a day he wanted you back.”

“Really?” she said, unable to contain her excitement at this news.

“Truly. I know you and I also exchanged some strong words...”

“Yes, Beatrice, and I ask you to forgive me.”

“You’re forgiven Rachel. I just wanted you two to be able to move forward on solid ground. But it was not my place and I was out of line by sticking my nose in your business as a couple and nosing around your room here.

They hugged again. Beatrice had made zucchini-chocolate chip bread and they ate together at her table after what seemed like an eternity.

“Beatrice, tell me something, please. Why is everyone smiling at me? I know people in Clovelly are friendly, but now everyone stops and says hello like we’re old acquaintances and I’m not just another American tourist.”

“Let me see if I can find it. Ah...here it is. It’s because of this article that made our parish newspaper last week when you left. It’s a news article on you by the town photojournalist who snapped a picture of you the evening before the miracle occurred that enabled Faye to keep the bakery up and running. It starts at the front of the lifestyle section and it continues a full page inside. All about you. Very thorough and very complimentary. All of Clovelly got to know you a little better and you became less of a tourist, but more of a champion who made all of us feel like winners...a creative, community advocate and organizer.”

“You saved it for me?”

“Yes, Dear. I didn’t know how I’d ever get it to you, but I prayed and knew that Arthur would move heaven and earth to find you and bring you back.

“Where is he now, at the library studying, I imagine?”

“No. He’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“To New York to find you, then take that state’s the bar exam. Since you left, he has been sending daily messages to your email, the only way he knew to contact you. Your father must have erased them all. I guess these probably never got to you, huh?”

“No. I had no idea.”

“He was going to crash the wedding ceremony and object to the marriage.”

“So he pursued me?”

“Yes. You are, above all else, a good woman and he realized he was better with you than without you...but I’ll let him explain all of that to you.”

“I can’t believe it. He came to the city for me on the eve of his test and was there at the same time I was! Who knows, he might have even been in the congregation when I left Kurt at the altar for him to flirt with as many bridesmaids as he wanted. When will he be back?”

“The exam is over on Wednesday afternoon. He said if he wasn’t successful with you or the bar, he’d just have to come back to Clovelly and try to get past his dreams for you both and try to move forward with a grave reality that, unfortunately, did not have you in it.”

“Oh,” her voice dropping to a mere whisper.

“Don’t worry, Dear, he should be back by suppertime on Thursday.”

“Great. I’ll hope for the best outcome. I have something I’d like to give you.”

“Oh my, you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“It’s just a token. Here, open it up.”

It was a small, heavy, rectangular box. She shook it, then opened it. Inside of the box were 100 cream colored, quality paper stock business cards with her name, phone number and email address with the title, “Extraordinary Gardener” in embossed black ink.

“I had them made up here before I left. My departure was so sudden...and I left on bad terms with you...I had already paid for them, but I never had the chance to pick them up. I couldn’t come here empty handed. I remembered them on the bike ride here”

“You dear, sweet girl.”

“Now there’s just one more piece to the puzzle to solve...Arthur.”