George froze with the receiver in hand.
"You own it? Are you . . . you're the baby?" Annie asked, amazed.
"Yes," I said, smiling. "The baby."
They both just stared at me.
Annie realized it first and spun on George.
"Call Al for her already," she ordered.
He quickly tapped out the numbers.
"I have a fare for you," he said over the phone. "To the Atwell farm. Okay." He hung up. "He'll be here in five minutes. Just throwing on his jacket," George said. "He's right down the street."
"Do the Parleys know you're coming?" Annie asked.
I didn't want to let out how little I knew about the tenants at the farm.
"I mean," she continued, "Pru Farley was in here just this afternoon and didn't mention you."
"Not everyone tells you their business, Annie," George told her.
Her eyes went to my suitcase.
"You're staying a while, I see."
"Yes," I said, smiling. "I'm staying a while."
"Well, I . . how have you been?" she asked, dying to know everything. "Where have you been all these years?"
"I've been. . . away," I replied.
"I can remember your mother carrying you in here just like it was yesterday," she said. "For an infant, you had such a serious way of looking at people, fixing your eyes on them like two tiny searchlights. Your mother wouldn't let me give you a lollipop, but she did let me give you a carrot. You ate it like a rabbit. Remember, George?"
He grunted and smiled.
"Pru and Brice Farley are a very nice young couple," George said. "He's the guidance counselor at the high school."
"I'm sure she knows all about the Farleys, George," Annie told him. Then she looked at me to see if I did.
I nodded without comment.
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"There's a rumor that Marvin Becker, an attorney, is trying to buy your land and develop tract vacation homes on it. Is that why you've come?" she asked.
"Don't mind her. She thinks she has to write the column for local news," George said.
"I do not. Everyone knows about it," she protested. A car pulled up in front of the store.
"There's Al," George said. "He got here quicker than I thought. He doesn't get that many fares this time of the year, so he's anxious."
"Don't worry, he's a good driver," Annie said. "Thank you."
"You were some beautiful child," she said. "It doesn't surprise me to see that you're a beautiful young lady now."
I held my smile.