“Well, hello there,” Oliver says as he pokes his head inside. “Thought I heard someone out here. Figured it was you, though I didn’t expect both of you. Glad it ain’t thieves.”
I laugh and hurry over to kiss Oliver’s cheek. “Not this time. How are you, Ollie?”
“I get by just fine, Miss Daphne.”
But I step back and frown when I look up at the handsome man. His eyes are a bit sunken and shadowed, the circles darker than I’ve ever seen them.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I ask him.
“Don’t you worry about me,” he says. “I have a wife that does enough of that.”
“How is Miss Annabelle?”
“Fit as a fiddle and as beautiful as ever. She said to let you know she has some gumbo on the fire and that you should stay for it.”
“I won’t argue with gumbo,” I say and pat his arm. “We’re just going through some of Jack’s parents’ antiques.”
“I think it’s time to sell some things,” Jack adds.
“There are some fine pieces in here,” Oliver says with a nod. “Should make someone happy. Y’all come in any time. The food’ll be nice and hot for you.”
“Thank you,” I call after him and then turn to Jack. “Is he really okay?”
“I see it, too,” Jackson replies with a sigh. “He’s been acting pretty normal, but he just looks…beat. I’ll mention it to Annabelle. I’m sure she’ll make him go to the doctor.”
“Good. I think he needs to.” I pull a tarp and grin in happiness when I uncover the writing desk. “Here it is.”
“Mom loved that thing,” Jack says. “I don’t know where she got it.”
“I’ll tell you.” I run my hand over the top of the piece and smile softly. “Oh, it’s older than I thought. 1818. This was built in Maryland. Came here with a young couple who wanted to make a life in New Orleans. That family passed it down to your mama.”
“I didn’t know my mother’s family,” Jack admits and shoves his hands into his pockets.
“She was the last of them,” I reply softly. “Look, Jack, I was going to offer to buy this from you for my personal collection, but you should keep it in your family. Pass it on to someone someday.”
“You don’t need to buy it,” he says. “It’s yours, Daph.”
I shake my head. But, oh, how I long to own this piece. It’s pulled at me since the first time I saw it.
“If you ever want it back, you only have to say the word.”
His smile is quick. “So noted. Let’s get through some more of this before we go in for dinner.”
“My stomach is growling,” I say as I pull back a tarp and gasp.
The piano.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Jimmy.” I’m at the stove, cooking up some soup for the man sitting at the table, his head in his hands. Jack’s at work, and I don’t want Jimmy to be alone.
His wife died only a week ago.
I set a bowl of soup on the table at his elbow, and he catches my hand before I can move away.
“You see things, Daphne.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Will you look? For me? Maybe it’ll give me a moment with her, I just need something.”
Goddess, I hurt for him. Jimmy and Elaine were so in love. So wonderful together.
Her death almost destroyed him.
“Sure. What should I touch?”
He looks around the room, almost desperately, and then points at the piano in the corner. “She loved to play. It was her favorite part of the day.”
“Then I’ll start there.”
I take a deep breath, sit on the bench, uncover the keys, and then rest my fingers on the ivories and smile. “Oh, Jimmy. You’re right. Playing was the best part of her day.”
“Can you talk to her? Can you tell her that I love her?”
His voice is full of tears.
“No, you know that’s not my gift. I can only see what was. But she did love this piano. More than that, she loved you and Jackson. Being a wife and mother filled her cup, Mr. Jimmy.”
“I know.” He drops back into his chair and wipes his eyes. “I know it did.”
“She was playing that morning.” I frown as the image comes into my head, sharp as can be. “She was playing and smiling. Fiddling with a new song. Something for your anniversary. Then, she felt so tired. Just so, so tired, and thought she’d take a nap before she got dinner started.
“She went up to the bedroom and laid down, thinking of you and Jack. Wondered if maybe Jack would come for dinner, too. And she could make some strawberry shortcake for dessert. She wanted to have both of her men under one roof for a meal. She missed Jack after he moved out and started taking classes in the city. But she was so proud of him, too. And so happy that he was with a nice girl.
“And then, she just drifted off to sleep. No dreams. No pain. Just…sleep.”
I shake myself out of the vision and whip my head around to stare at Mr. Jimmy, who’s sobbing quietly now and watching me with so much grief and guilt, I feel ashamed for saying everything I just did.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all of that.”
“No, you should.” He swallows and wipes at the tears on his cheeks. “Now I know what her last moments were like. Damn it, Daphne, it was my fault.”
“No—”
“Yes. I’m the one who didn’t fix that gas leak correctly. Didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars to hire someone to handle it the right way. And because of that, because of a few dollars, my baby’s gone.”
I don’t know what to do. What to say.
“Daph?”
I blink and glance over at Jack, who’s watching me with a scowl. “Huh?”
“Where’d you go, sweets?”
“Oh. Just memories. You can definitely sell the piano. Let’s move on.”
“Daph—”
“Let’s move on,” I say again and uncover another piece.
After thirty minutes, we’ve mentally cataloged everything in the garage. He has a small fortune just sitting here.
“I’m happy to consign all of this for you, Jack.”
“Awesome, thank you. I’ll make arrangements for it to be shipped to Reflections.”
I nod as he closes the door, locks it, and then turns to me. “Let’s grab some gumbo.”
“Let’s talk first.”
“No.” I rest my hand on his shoulder. I can’t read his thoughts like I once could, and that’s for the best. “I’m hungry, and Miss Annabelle went to a lot of trouble. So, we’ll go eat.”
He curses under his breath but doesn’t argue as I set off for the house.
“Miss Annabelle hasn’t changed a bit.” I lean back against the car seat with the window rolled down, enjoying the hot air as it blows through my hair. “She’s sweet and sassy all at once. And makes the best gumbo ever—don’t tell Millie I said that.”
He laughs and nods, turning onto my street. “She’s the best. Mind if I come up for a bit?”