CHAPTER 6
GRACE
“I think I might spend the night,” I said to Ryder on the phone as I walked the short distance from the school to the Greensville town square.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The principal didn’t want to hear about Molly. I suspect she already knows, but won’t do a thing about it. Poor girl. Her father seems to have considerable influence around here. His name is on everything.”
I walked past the shops, my breath forming white clouds from the cold. I walked past Green’s Hardware Store, Green’s Cut & Curl, First Bank of Greenville, and Green’s Girls, which appeared to be a dress shop. The only thing I could find that wasn’t named after Mr. Green was Jenny’s Diner on the corner.
“You want me to come down?” Ryder asked.
“I’ll let you know for sure in a few hours,” I replied. “I’m going to get a bite to eat and see what else I can find out.”
“Okay, be safe, my love,” he said.
“Always.”
I hung up and walked into a bustling dining room. One of the waitresses greeted me with a wave, a young woman with bright blue eyes and dark flowing hair. She escorted me to a booth by the window with a coffee pot in her hand.
“Coffee?”
“Please,” I said.
“You aren’t from around here,” she said.
“How could you tell?”
“Because I haven’t seen your face before.”
“You’re right,” I said, as she poured a cup of coffee for me and handed me a menu. “Looks like this is the only place that doesn’t have ‘Green’ in the name around here.”
“Sure is,” she said, lifting her chin proudly. “My grandma had to fight tooth and nail for that. Back when that was an option. Try to do that now and you’ll get your business license revoked.”
“I see,” I replied, looking around and realizing for the first time that most of the other customers were directly staring at me.
“Don’t mind them,” the waitress said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Nothing new’s happened in their lives since World War II.”
I nodded and flashed her a grateful smile.
“I’m Grace,” I said.
“Nice to meet you, Grace, I’m Jackie.”
“Thank you, Jackie,” I said, picking up the menu. “I’ll just have scrambled eggs and bacon, please.”
“Coming right up,” she said, walking away.
It was impossible to ignore all the heads turned my way, so instead, I met the gaze of each pair of curious eyes directly. As I suspected, as soon as I did, one by one, they all turned away, leaving me in peace with my steaming mug of coffee. Slowly, I sipped it, looking out the window onto the square. It reminded me a little of the one in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, with a tall church steeple pristinely towering over the single block of tree-lined park. If it wasn’t for the modern clothes everyone was wearing, I could easily have felt as if I was back in the nineteen-fifties. Nothing seemed to have changed much — from the signs in the windows to the vintage lampposts lining the sidewalks.
I wondered who Jenny was and figured she must have been quite the rebel in her time to go against the grain by using her own name on her diner. Then, I thought about Mr. Green and his family and wondered what kind of people they were that they insisted everything be named after them.
It was eerie, in a way.
Like I’d been transported to some imaginary universe in a Disney movie or something. Everything was clean, not a speck of litter or a dirty window anywhere, despite the snow — which was pristine in itself, as if the usual transformation to a slushy mud pile wasn’t allowed here.
Jackie returned with my breakfast, a soft smile on her face.
“What brings you to Greenville, Grace?”
I hesitated, unable to tell her the truth.
“I’m writing a book about small towns in Oregon,” I said. “Stumbled through a few weeks back and found it quite charming. Thought I’d come back to get a better feel for the place.”
“We’re a long detour from the 26,” she said, citing the main highway into the Mt. Hood wilderness.
“I like to veer off the beaten path, I guess,” I said.
“Well, glad you found us, but I’m afraid you’ll not find much more excitement than what you see here.”
“I was hoping to spend the night, or several, perhaps. Is there a hotel?”
“Nope.”
“Motel?” I asked.
“Nope. There is technically a bed and breakfast run by Ms. Dottie, back behind the church there, in an old blue Victorian,” she pointed across the park. “She doesn’t get much business, but I bet she’d welcome you if you knocked on the door.”
“Will do,” I said. “Thank you again.”
“If I were you, though, I’d head up to Timberline Lodge and spend the night. It’s beautiful up there and the accommodations are a lot nicer.”
“I think I’ll try my chances at Ms. Dottie’s,” I said.
“Suit yourself,” she said, turning away again.
I finished my breakfast slowly, contemplating my next move. By the constant glances I was getting from the other customers, I felt like I was being watched with every bite I took.
I finished and left Jackie a nice tip, before heading back out into the cold in search of Ms. Dottie’s bed and breakfast.
I found it housed in a gorgeous blue and white Victorian. Book-ended with two towering turrets, a beautiful wrap-around front porch wound its way around the sides. I tried not to drool as I climbed the stairs leading to the front door. After ringing the bell, I imagined a simpler time, with a smitten couple sitting on the porch swing drinking iced tea, watching over the quiet streets on a warm night. I was still smiling when an older woman answered the door. She had bright blue eyes that sparkled in her wrinkled face, her shoulders slightly humped over inside her pink floral dress.
She beamed at me, her smile as bright as sunshine.
“Hello, dear, how can I help you?” she asked, her voice shaking with age.
“My name’s Grace. I was told I might be able to rent a room from you for a while.”
“A room?”
“Jackie, over at Jenny’s Diner told me this was a bed and breakfast.”
“Oh. Well, sure, technically it is. Haven’t had a real guest in a year or so.”
“Would you be up for one now?” I asked.
“For you? Absolutely. It’d be nice to have some company. Come in, dear! Get out of that cold.”
“Thank you,” I smiled, stepping over the threshold and straight into the past. Beautiful antique furniture filled the front room, the walls and doors laced with all original features. An elaborately carved wooden staircase led up the stairs to my right and the gleaming hardwood floors underfoot looked smooth as silk.
“I’m Dottie. I grew up here and inherited the house from my grandmother. Would you like some tea, dear?”
“I’d love some,” I said, walking into the front parlour.
“Have a seat, Grace, I’ll be right back,” Dottie said.
Everything matched. Blue and white damask-covered sofas looked out the bay windows onto the snow covered lawn. Pale blue silk chairs sat on either side of a huge stone fireplace that crackled with hearty flames. I took off my coat and sat down on the sofa, enviously admiring the old-school charm of the place. Dottie returned quickly with a steaming mug of green tea. She sat it on the white marble coffee table in front of me and sat in one of the chairs across from me.
“It’s so nice to have company,” she said.
“Thank you for having me,” I replied.
“What brings you to town?” she asked.
“I’m writing a book about small Oregon towns,” I said, my lie getting easier each time I repeated it. “I drove through a few weeks ago and found Greenville very charming. I thought I’d stay for a little while and see the sights.”
“Well, if you’ve already driven through, you’ve seen them all already.”
I smiled politely and nodded.
“Have you lived here all your life?”
“Oh, yes. Born and raised.”
“So you must enjoy it.”
“I suppose. I don’t know where else I’d go,” she said, almost wistfully. “I’ve travelled quite a bit, but I keep coming back. I enjoy the quiet pace, the absence of traffic…” Her voice died down and she looked out the window as if she were remembering a different time. “Not much has changed…”
“Do you live here alone?”
“I do now. My family’s all passed. My husband died a few years back.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “Is that why you don’t run the B&B so much anymore?”
“Oh, no, not at all. I’m perfectly capable of doing it on my own. As I said, we don’t get many visitors around here. Most people drive through and keep on going.”
“I see.”
“Do you have family around here, dear?”
“No, I don’t,” I replied.
“A beautiful girl like yourself surely doesn’t live alone.”
“No, I don’t.”
“So you have a man? Or a woman?”
I smiled at such a modern suggestion from such an older woman.
“I do, yes. His name is Ryder. He might join me later.”
“Lovely. It’s important to have love in your life. Life can be so lonely.”
“Do you have children?” I asked.
“Well, I did. They’re all grown up now and living their own lives. They left this place as soon as they could. Who can blame them, really? My son lives in Portland and my daughter lives in Seattle.”
“Do they visit often?’
“Oh, you know, not often enough. Which is why I’m glad to see you! Let me show you to your room. I keep things nice and tidy for unexpected guests. And since you’re the only one here, you can have the nicest room of all.”
She led me up the stairs to a beautiful room. Housed in one of the turrets, the room was round and filled with a breathtakingly beautiful four-poster bed, with a soft, thick floral rug on the floor in front of another fireplace.
“This is incredible,” I whispered, walking around the room and looking out the window. The church lay in the distance, a lovely view of snow covered rooflines.
“I’ll start a fire for you,” she said.
“Not just yet,” I said. “I need to retrieve my car from the school around the corner and do a little shopping first. I’ll be back in an hour or two.”
“Alright, dear, whatever you wish. I’ll have dinner ready at six, if that’s okay?”
“That sounds lovely,” I replied.
“Do you have luggage?” she asked.
“Not too much,” I said.
“Well, there are extra toothbrushes in the bathroom and anything else you might need.”
“Thank you, Dottie, I appreciate it so much.”
“My pleasure. Like I said, it’s nice to have another warm body around here.”
“Say, what do you know about Bodhi Green?” I asked, before she could walk out.
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything you’d like to tell me.”
“Well, he’s a shrewd businessman, movie-star handsome, and to be honest, a bit of a bastard.”
I laughed and nodded.
“What makes him a bastard?”
“Well, for all the money and power he has in this town, despite his best efforts at appearing to care about the community, I’ve come to realize he’s really only concerned with adding to his fortune.”
“I see. And his family?”
“They’re all dead. Except his daughter and wife, of course.”
“They’re close?”
“They like to keep up appearances, I would say. As to how close they really are, well, people talk, I guess. He’s never been known for being particularly loving or gentle.”
“I see,” I said. “I was wondering about him. Since his name is on everything…”
“Oh, yes, right. That was started by his great-grandfather actually, as merely a strong suggestion for new business owners. Nowadays, I hear it’s more of a requirement. If I had more energy, I’d probably change the name of my own business just to spite him.”
“You don’t seem particularly fond of him.”
“I suppose I’m not. But I keep to myself these days. I suppose I’m not particularly fond of most folks.”
I laughed and nodded in understanding.
“Well, thank you. I’ll go retrieve my car and run my errands now.”
I smiled and followed her back downstairs.
“See you in a little while,” she said. “Make yourself at home when you return.”
“Will do,” I said, heading back outside.
I took a deep breath on the stairs, looking around and trying to figure out the best way to help Molly. Now that I’d spent a little more time here, I was beginning to think I might need a little more help.
I called Ryder on the way back to my car.
“I might need some other feet on the ground,” I said. “Green seems to rule this place with an iron fist.”
“I’ll head up,” he said. “I’ll bring one of the guys with me.”
“Okay,” I replied. “But leave the cuts at home. Everyone’s staring at me enough already.”