Troy sat in the doctor's lounge with Keith. He was troubled again. Troy's chair faced the window. He stared out, blankly.

"She hasn't answered the phone all day, Keith. I know that she's already gone."

"It was nothing that you could do. The flights were backed up from the blizzard. It's unfortunate that Dr. Thorsby couldn't get a flight out until the morning. You know Deanna, it's commendable how long she waited, anyway."

"I know," Troy said shaking his head.

Keith felt so bad for his friend. Pain radiated off of Troy. He scoured his mind trying to think of something comforting to say. "This is going to work.  You've got to believe that."

"I just can't imagine what she's going to do. Things are not like when she left. Her parents are dead. She has no relationship with her siblings. The man that destroyed her life, what if he's a nut case? I'm worried, Keith. Going back might be more traumatic than either of us anticipated."

Keith got up, walked across the room and brought them both cups of coffee. He slipped the cup in front of Troy. "Sugar?"

"No."

"Listen, Troy, the way things are, Deanna is stuck. It's pain in her past and without Aiden, it's pain now. Sometimes dealing with what you've run from gets you unstuck. Deanna is strong, you're going to be okay."

"I want to believe that so badly."

"It's a choice to believe or not to believe. You're going to believe something. Why not believe for the best outcome?"

"You're right, Keith."

***

The temperature had dropped. There was a threat of snow up in the mountains.  Heavy snow clouds tracked across the purplish evening sky. Deanna had passed a sign reading Canton, GA. She knew that she was only 40 miles away from Ellijay. The black town car hugged the swirling roads as it snaked higher north.

The trip had been a tearful one, as movies played out in her head. There was a pile of wet tissues on the passenger side floor. She turned the defroster on, clearing the windshield from the effects of changed elevations.

Occasionally, she took comfort in the dazzling trees as they zipped past. Autumn didn't look this amazing in Chicago. The split between her inner and outer vision often blurred. Somehow, she managed to stay focused on the road, while seeing her life drift by. Deanna lifted a tissue dabbing away the tear that clung to her nose.

"Didn't I tell you not to come back here." Billy Bob's voice was deliberately low, yet filled with venom.

"I don't have anywhere to go, Billy Bob, please. They threw me out."

"Why the hell didn't you take the pill. Pregnant – damn it, Deanna."

Deanna insides balled in confusion. Was this the same man that over and over had declared his love? Was this the same man that consumed her body and whispered that she was the only woman in his life? The man that was fused into her being. Her love for him was as strong as the devastating blow she felt now.  Deanna's body was trembling from the cold and from his callousness.

"Billy, you love me, right?" Her eyes pleaded for any sign of compassion or warmth. But his eyes were dead. "I don't have anywhere to go. He was coming to shoot you, Billy."

Even now Deanna could see the rage in her father's eyes. It made her shiver. She saw the gun drop from his hand as she had plowed into him. Her mother grabbed her by the hair – get out – the words caused her blood to freeze again.

"Shit!" said Billy.

"Who's at the door, Billy?" a southern woman's voice said.

The next thought caused Deanna to pull the car to the side of the road. Memories she'd repressed surfaced like a turbulent sea. She leaned against the steering well and wept.

Deanna's eyes widened when she saw the swell in the woman's belly. She felt bile rise in her throat. Billy Bob's eyes sliced across Deanna. His lips thinned. He glared at her as if to say - you'd better not say a word.

"Myrna, this is my cousin, Trina. She got herself in the family way. Her parents kicked her out."

Deanna shook uncontrollably. Her body was racked with pain, but she knew she couldn't cry. Billy Bob's glare had silenced her.

"She can't stay here. We've got our own baby coming."

"You need to go on back in the house. She's staying."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

Deanna's eyes bounced between them. She didn't recognize Billy Bob. This was not the same caring man that had controlled her body. This man was dark with violence seething just beneath the surface. Myrna cursed and huffed off.

Billy Bob held the door open. Deanna was shattered. She turned to run. He grabbed her arm. "You ain't got nowhere else to go. Get in here."

Deanna remembered shaking her head in disgust. Billy Bob took her suitcase and put it in the room across from his bedroom, the one she'd lain with him in. "You'll sleep in there."

"I can't stay there with you across the hall with her," she pleaded in a whisper. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

"You'll sleep in here so I can close the door and not see you."

The words had choked her. Deanna's knees buckled. Billy picked her up and dumped her on the bed. As he closed the door she could see Myrna about to crawl into Billy's bed.

When Deanna looked up, the inky purple sky had blackened. Soft drifts of snow covered her windshield. She turned on the wipers. "Am I ready for this?" She thought a few moments. He's taken enough from me.  Deanna wiped her tears and headed to Ellijay.

***

It was late by the time Deanna reached Ellijay. The were no street lights, but Deanna knew those roads like a GPS. The longer she drove, the stronger she felt. Suddenly her tears turned into rage. She'd keep that feeling to deal with the scum that defecated on her life. "God if he's dead, I'll unbury him!"

She was determined to be as close to Billy as possible. So, she headed toward the Apple Blossom Inn. She'd never gone inside the inn and didn't know Nanna or Jas. It was a place that she passed by on the way to be with Billy. The only other time it came to mind is when the P.I. told her that Aiden had been there.

As she drove through downtown Ellijay she was surprised to see it teaming with life. Banners hung in the town square – The Apple Blossom Festival. She smiled. It was incredible that they were still having the fair.  Her eyes trailed the streets.  Ellijay had grown. This is beautiful. 

A spark of her life before Billy complicated it, pleasantly flared. She used to have fun at the festival. The fresh aroma of funnel cakes and cotton candy flooded the air. The warm memories made her stop the car. She parked in the first spot she could find. 

Deanna stepped out and stretched her legs from the long drive. She bundled up in her coat and made her way through town. Country music spilled from café's and honky-tonk bars.  People were line dancing in the public square. Everyone was enjoying the apple harvest.  Deanna stepped into a shop and ordered a glass of hot apple cider.  As she sat down at the table, her cell phone dinged. It was Troy.

No need in asking where you are. I'll be in Ellijay in the morning. Where will you be staying?

She smiled and allowed love for her husband to well in her heart. Deanna was going to make everything up to him for the rest of her life. God had given her the right man to mend her broken pieces and patiently walk through hardships she'd caused in her own life.

I love you. Deanna kissed the phone as she sent the message.

I know.

I just arrived. I will be at the Apple Blossom Inn.

Rest well, darling. Can't wait to see you.

Me too.

The thought of Troy's support added more strength to Deanna. It was enough to make her want to cast off her shadows and dance. She drank the last bit of cider. Sunlight spilled into her soul as she gave in to the festivities. Deanna stepped in the street and started line dancing with the happy crowd.

***

"So, you're not going to tell me what happened when you confronted Beauregard?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Michelle."

She slammed the pot lid down on the chili.

Bruce turned to his wife and gave a stern look. "Don't get upset with me about this."

"Why can't you tell me? It bothers me to see you this way."

"Now, you understand how I felt," Bruce said.

Michelle crossed her arms and glared at Bruce. She walked over to the pantry and pulled out a package of cornbread mix. "Then you should know how I feel."

Bruce didn't respond.

"Do you want jalapenos and cheese in the cornbread?" She stirred the ingredients in a large bowl. "Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry. I'm distracted."

Michelle stopped stirring and sat down at the table next to Bruce. "Nanna's not sick, is she?

Bruce smirked. "Far from that."

"Then what?"

"Michelle, give me some time to process things."

***

Deanna's brows knit together. She stood with her arms crossed.  "Certainly, you must have one room available?"

"Sorry ma'am but I've been trying to tell you for the last ten minutes that we are booked solid."

"Won't someone be checking out in the morning? I can wait in the lobby tonight."

The front desk clerk eyes softened and she smiled. "I wish that I could help you ma'am, but the inn is full because of the festival."

Deanna raised her voice. "You don't understand I absolutely must have a room here."

Nanna and Major strode in, arm in arm. A smile covered her face. They had returned from the festival in good spirits and arms stuffed with bags filled with everything "apple" from vendors far and near. Nanna's pies had been an absolute hit.  She stopped and glanced at the distressed woman. "Is everything all right, Shawna?"

"Well, I was explaining that we have no more rooms available. I was telling her that there are other hotels..."

Nanna was pricked in her heart. She reflected that only a few months ago the inn was dead. Now all the rooms were filled. Nanna glanced at the woman. "You look troubled."

"It's very important that I be at this inn."

Nanna tried to place the woman's face but could not. She had an uncanny memory for guests that had visited the inn, nothing came to mind. Nanna gave Deanna a once over, noting something odd. She looked familiar. "Have we ever met before?"

"No."

"I'm Arabella Stone, the owner of the inn."

"Ma'am is there any way that you can help me?"

The desperation in her voice and expression tugged on Nanna's heart. Nanna walked around the desk and flipped through the registration log. She couldn't believe it, even the west wing was full. Nanna looked up sadly, "I was trying to see when the earliest person would be checking out, but most people are staying through the Apple Festival."

Deanna's face clouded. The exhaustion from the last few months of searching for Aiden and dealing with her past brimmed in her eyes. Nanna touched Deanna's hand. "Oh, my dear, what is the matter?" Deanna's lips were trembling. Nanna felt horrible.

"She can have my room," said Major, abruptly. He was hardly there anyway. "I'll go move my clothes out."

Deanna wiped her face. "Thank you, sir. You don't know how much this means to me."

Major shook Deanna's hand heartily. "I'm Major Stallworth. Nice to meet you and have a nice stay here."

"I'm Deanna."

"Welcome to the inn, Deanna," said Nanna. "Well that settles things. Thank you, Major." She turned to the receptionist. "Please send for someone to clean the room."

Nanna gave a sideways glance. "You're sure we've never met? You look so familiar?"

"No ma'am. I've never been in this inn."

Nanna slipped her hand in Deanna's. "Why don't you and I go to the kitchen and have a sandwich and hot cider while they get the room ready."

***

Jas sighed in amazement again as she sat with Aiden in the A5 in the middle of the lake.  The ghostly fog lifted off the lake, shrouding the rising sun in a silky white veil. He had the whole day planned for them. They'd be taking a short trip up to Delhi, New York.  He was brimming with excitement about the festival they were about to attend in the upper Catskills.  She was feeding off of his energy and wondering why they had to get there so early since the event didn't really start until the afternoon.

The A5 glided across the lake, then lifted.  "Wow," Jas whispered. From the air, the rising fog was even more spectacular.

Aiden slipped his Ray Bans on. "Beautiful, isn't it."

"Like nothing that I've ever seen."

The plane sliced through the chilling air soon making it's decent onto a small lake. From the air, Jas looked down at the large colorful tents spread across the huge field. Carnival rides were strewn across the area as well.  She could see people gathering from every direction headed towards the tents carting their harvest items in boxes and wheelbarrows. Bright red apples, pumpkins and corn could be distinguished as the plane lowered. Everything was teaming with life.

Jas stepped from the plane and stretched.

"This way," Aiden smiled. He took Jas's hand.

"What's all this excitement about?"

"You'll see."

Aiden literally dragged Jas across the field. His long strides were much faster than she could walk. He finally bent down. "Climb on."

Jas laughed as she climbed on his back. He secured her legs against his arms and then ran across the field. The chilling morning wind tickled her face making her laugh. Jas kissed the back of his neck. "I love you, Aiden."

"Love you too, babe."

Jas glanced back. The plane looked like a small dot from the distance he'd run. When she turned back around her mouth dropped open. "You didn't."

"I did," he laughed.

Her eyes beheld the large red tent. The sign across it read, "The Apple Blossom Inn Pies." As they entered the tent, Jas placed her hand over her mouth, overwhelmed.

Her eyes scanned across the giant size mural that was a picture of the front porch of the inn. Nanna was sitting in the rocking chair, holding a pie box. In front of the mural were rocking chairs just like the ones on the front porch of the inn. Tables were spaced out in the large tent all loaded with boxes of pies.

"Oh, Aiden." She wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his chest. "You're so good to us."

"You're all I've got, babe."

Jas slipped out from Aiden and began to thank the staff that had come to attend the event.  She remembered many of the faces from the meeting that they'd had at Aiden's home.

He watched joy spread across Jas's face. Aiden crossed his arms across his chest feeling so contented. It made him happy to see her engaging with the staff and the expression of her satisfaction. After personally greeting everyone, Jas made her way back to Aiden.

"We're going to sell every one of these pies, aren't we?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Aiden, I just don't know what to say. Our inn can last forever now."

"That's the idea. I forgot to tell you that you've already made $175,000. I sent Nanna the check a few weeks ago."

"What?"

"Yes, it was during the time when we were going through..."

"Don't mention it. Dr. Hayden says everything is fine."

Aiden leaned down and kissed Jas on the forehead. "Well babe, we're going to leave all this to the staff. I brought you here to enjoy the day."  He extended his arm, leading Jas across the open field. "This is a wonderful festival and there so much to do. Where would you like to start?"