Page 121 of A Soldier's Return

Even when she worked in the garden, Abigail would wear some kind of gorgeous jeweled earbobs and a matching necklace.

“I need to glitter,” she used to say with that mischievous gleam in her blue eyes. “It takes the attention away from my wrinkles.”

To Sage’s shock, Anna turned the box with its jumbled contents and upended the whole thing onto her bed.

The two of them stared at the huge sparkly pile for a long moment. Sage hadn’t given much thought to the collection, but now she couldn’t seem to look away.

“Do you suppose any of it’s real?” Sage whispered.

“I don’t know.” Anna spoke in the same hushed tone. “I’m not sure Iwantto know.”

She started pawing through the collection, pulling out a gleaming strand of pearls here, a chunky citrine and topaz necklace there.

Finally she stopped and pulled out an Art Deco choker in stones the exact midnight shade of the dress. “This is it. It’s perfect.”

The stones felt as smooth and cool as polished sea glass. After another moment of treasure hunting, Anna pulled out a pair of matching dangly earrings that seemed to capture the light and reflect it back in a hundred different shades of blue.

“I guess we really should have this collection appraised,” Anna said while Sage put them in.

“You don’t sound any more enthusiastic than I am.”

“They’re Abigail’s. I hate the idea of parting withanyof her things. But let’s face it, the upkeep on the house is going to be more than either of us can afford. The heating bill alone is almost as much as I was paying for rent on my condo.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“You’re right. No depressing talk,” Anna said firmly. “Let’s just get you ready. We can worry about heating bills and extravagant jewelry collections another day.”

Already Sage could feel her hair slipping out of the style. Before the whole thing could fall apart, Anna fiddled with a few strands, smoothed a few more, then stepped back to admire her handiwork.

“All done. What do you think?”

Sage stared at her full-length mirror at the stranger gazing back at her. Not a stranger, she corrected. She only had a single picture of the slim, lovely mother she barely remembered, a picture rescued and hidden away when her father started to purge that part of his life after his second marriage.

She hadn’t looked at it in a long time, but somehow she knew if someone snapped a picture of her right now and compared it with that precious photograph, the two women would be nearly a match.

Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she choked them back. “Oh, Anna. Thank you. The necklace and earrings are exactly right.”

Anna stepped back and studied her. “It’s almost spooky the way they match, as if Abigail bought them just to go with that dress.”

Maybe because she had been thinking of her mother, but Sage could swear she felt invisible fingers gently brush her cheek.

She shivered a little and was grateful when the doorbell rang.

“There’s Eben,” she said, then felt ridiculous for the inanity. Who else would it be?

“Have a wonderful time,” Anna said. “Give my love to Stanley and Jade.”

“I will.”

Anna looked bright and animated, Sage thought, so very different from the stiff businessman she had always considered her. She really was becoming a dear friend, something Sage never would have expected.

She reached out and gave Anna a quick, impulsive hug. “Thank you again.”

Anna looked stunned but pleased. “You’re very welcome. I’ll go let him in. Wait up here a moment so you can make a grand entrance down the stairs.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’m not in high school.”

“Trust me. Stay here.”

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