No, Annie told herself, she was not going to dwell on Billy, although that had become nearly impossible since she’d learned his new wife was pregnant. What hurt most was that Billy knew how much she’d longed for a child. Before the wedding, they’d frequently discussed the family they’d have—at least three kids, close together. As an engineer, Billy earned enough to support a wife and children; he’d claimed he was willing to forgo extra cars and trips and other luxuries. Annie had thought of little else but quitting her job at the library and becoming a full-time wife and mother.
During the five years of their marriage, Billy had put her off with a detailed list of reasons they should wait before starting a family. In retrospect, it was a blessing children hadn’t been involved in the divorce.
Annie had wanted to put all the pain and betrayal of the marriage behind her; she’d done that symbolically by reverting to her maiden name.
The car accident had cost her six months of employment, three operations, physical therapy and almost constant pain. But those were minor inconveniences compared to the death of her marriage.
“Make a new life for yourself in Promise,” Jane had suggested. “Our library has a limited budget and is only open part-time. This town needs a good bookstore.”
In the weeks since, they’d exchanged countless letters and talked endlessly, running up huge long-distance bills. Annie had learned about cowboys, cattle and ranchers. She’d learned that Texas cuisine included barbecue, chili without beans and lots of hot peppers. At least, she was already familiar with Mexican food—which she loved; according to Jane, there was a good and authentic Mexican restaurant in Promise. Jane had told her to listen to some country-and-western music, especially Willie Nelson. Her friend had described the people of Promise, the community itself and her own role as physician in the town’s only clinic. Hearing Jane’s enthusiasm for Promise, Texas, Annie understood her decision not to return to California.
In some ways, Annie already felt part of the community. She knew the town and its history; she knew something about every family in the area. And thanks to Jane she could almost talk like a Texan. Their lengthy phone sessions were usually punctuated with high-spirited giggles that were reminiscent of their high-school days.
And now she was ready.
She’d sold or given away what she couldn’t carry, and the U-Haul trailer was packed to the brim. When she finally reached the town limits, the church steeple was the first thing to catch her eye. The bowling alley was next, then the city park, followed by the post office.
Annie pulled into the bowling-alley parking lot and cut the engine. It was exactly as Jane had described, complete with a Greyhound Bus sign and a neon light advertising the café and a $1.99 breakfast special.
Jordan’s Town and Country Western Wear sat on the corner across the street—and there it was, the empty space next door. She’d put down money to lease, with an option to buy. The place had originally been a real-estate office, but some time ago the company had moved to larger quarters. Jane had assured Annie that this would be the perfect spot for a bookstore; Annie had contacted the rental agent and they’d quickly reached an agreement. A bookstore was just what the town needed, it seemed, and Annie could think of no better way to invest her insurance settlement.
Best of all, there was a small apartment above the store. It had a large picture window that looked out over Main Street and the city park. Jane had arranged to have the place painted for her, and they’d decided on sage-green walls. This was to be Annie’s home.
Jane had asked Annie to stop by the clinic the moment she arrived. The two of them had planned every aspect of this move, and Jane wanted to be the first to welcome her.
Annie climbed out of the car and methodically eased the ache from her arms and legs; the hours of driving meant stiff cramped muscles and pain deep in her bones. She glanced around, absorbing the feel of the town. She studied Main Street with its row of old-fashioned streetlights, decorated with baskets of May flowers. Vehicles, most of them battered pickup trucks, angled in from the street and filled the parking spaces. People strolled leisurely about, stopping to chat with each other from time to time.
The sun shone brightly for early May. Annie could hear birdsong everywhere. She noticed a bed of roses, already in bloom, around the base of a statue that stood in the center of the park. Jane had told her that her friend Savannah Smith had planted those roses.
It was a nice town, Annie decided. Everything she’d anticipated and more.
“Howdy, ma’am,” a man said, touching the rim of his cowboy hat as he walked past. “Can I help you find something?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks.” The town was friendly, too, but then, Jane had prepared her for that. She’d just sampled what Jane had written about so often—something she called “real Texas hospitality.”
Yes, Jane was right: Promise would indeed make her a good home. With that in mind, Annie headed toward the clinic. Her pace was slow; although her limp often wasn’t noticed—unless she was tired or had been on her feet for hours—the long drive had had its effect. The intermittent pain and the scars were as much a part of her now as her features or her personality.
As luck would have it, Jane was talking to her receptionist when Annie stepped inside the clinic.
“Annie!” Jane hurried toward her, smiling hugely and engulfing her in an enthusiastic hug. “You look wonderful!”
“So do you,” Annie returned in all honesty. Jane was six-and-a-half months pregnant, although she barely looked it, especially wearing the loose white jacket. Annie knew how excited Jane was about this baby. Because of her contract to work at the clinic, she and her husband, Cal, had delayed starting their family. The town had recently hired another doctor, and Jane planned to work part-time after the birth.
“Jenny,” Jane said as she turned toward the receptionist, “this is Annie Applegate, one of my best friends. We grew up together.”
“I’m so pleased you’re here,” Jenny said, her smile encouraging. “Dr. Jane’s been talking about it for weeks.”
“I’ve got fifteen minutes or so between appointments,” Jane said, tugging at Annie’s hand. “Come and meet Dovie, and if there’s time I’ll take you over to meet Ellie and—”
“Already?” Annie protested, but not too strenuously. She’d been hearing about the women of Promise for months...no, years. She couldn’t wait to meet them—even if she didn’t know how she’d keep them all straight.
“Dovie baked scones this morning, and I promised Ellie I’d give her a call the minute you got here. Savannah’s dying to meet you, too. She’s the one who grows roses.”
Annie nodded. She remembered who Savannah was. Dovie, an older woman, owned an antique shop, and Ellie, she recalled, was married to Cal Patterson’s brother, Glen. Moments earlier, Annie had been exhausted, but five minutes with Jane and she was raring to go. “I want to see my store as soon as I can. The apartment, too, of course.”
“Max Jordan has the key for you—that’s his western-wear store. By the way, his son was recently elected sheriff.” She paused as though she’d just thought of something. “He’s single, if you’re interested.”
“I’m not,” Annie assured her, but had to laugh. It was almost as if they were back in high school. Jane, with her boundless energy for life, was always trying to organize everyone else.
“Oh, Annie, you’re gonna love it here!”
Annie was counting on that.
“And I’m going to love having you here.”
“Another Californian,” Annie teased, although she was well aware that Jane considered