Chapter Forty-One, Part Two

It was nearly two weeks before Robert had a chance to give Emily the letter. He kept missing her at the store, but he declined to entrust the letter to Norma’s care. There were things he wanted to say to her, things too important to pass along through a third party.

Finally on a windy gray day in mid-December, Robert was minding the shop alone when the bells on the door jangled. Emily slipped inside and stood for a moment just inside the doorway, blowing on her hands to warm them. Their eyes met and she hesitated, but then she pulled off her knit hat and shoved it in the pocket of her coat. She approached the counter.

Robert looked around, but Fernanda was busy with a customer and the stock boy was out of their line of sight at the end of the housewares aisle. He motioned Emily into the back room and she followed him warily.

“If you can’t give me—”

He shook his head. “That’s not why I asked you back here. You’ll get what you came for.” He went to a lockbox and took out the envelope. “But first, I want you have this.”

She took it from him with suspicion in her eyes, but at his urging slipped a ragged fingernail under the seal and opened it. Her expression didn’t change as she read the official-looking letter, but for a moment she stopped breathing. “Is this real?”

“Of course it’s real. You’re holding it, aren’t you?”

“You know what I mean. Did Arthur really…”

“Not exactly,” Robert said. “But he obviously loved you and wanted you to be well. That’s what this is for. I hope.”

Emily shook her head. “There’s no way. Julio would take it all.”

“Go to Santa Fe alone. Don’t look at me like that. When we were growing up I remember you always found a way to get what you wanted. If you want this badly enough, you’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t have the supplies I would need. And Julio would know something was up if he saw me packing and collecting things like dried food and matches.”

“Take whatever you want from here, then.”

“Santa Fe is too far in the snow.”

“Go right after the next supply run. The trail will be clear. You might even find some travelers to join up with along the way. Once you get to Tres Piedras, you can take the train.”

“And what will I use to buy a ticket? This is just a letter. Until I collect, I have no money. Julio doesn’t even let me have cash for groceries.”

Robert knew this, of course. The Ruiz groceries were always put on credit, which Julio paid when he felt like it. “I’ll give you the money for a train ticket.”

Emily sucked in her breath and shook her head. “This is more than I can accept. What do you expect to get out of it? If you don’t want to buy my wine anymore, you only have to say so, you know.”

“I realize that. And buying your wine would probably be cheaper in the long run.” Robert looked at the floor while he considered his next words. “As you know, I recently lost someone I loved very much. I like to think you have too, since it’s certainly the case that my brother loved you. He would have done this for you, but now he can’t. So I’m doing it.”

“Why? The two of you were never close.”

“Maybe I’m getting sentimental in my old age.” He reached for Emily’s hand. “Do whatever you want. Go tomorrow, or wait until spring. Wait a year or two, or ten…or don’t do it at all. But know that you have a way out. You’re not trapped anymore.”

Robert let go of her hand and went to get her weekly jugs of wine, setting them inside the canvas bag she silently gave him. “Norma knows about this, by the way. So when and if you’re ready, just come here anytime and get what you need, including train fare. Okay?”

Emily took the bag and nodded but refused to meet his eyes.

“I’ll go check that the coast is clear. No point getting any rumors started about what we’re doing here in the back room.” Robert went to the door and checked the store. “You’re good,” he said over his shoulder.

She slipped past him and went to stand on the other side of the counter, as if she had been there all along. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll think about what you said.”

“I hope you do.” Robert watched in silence as she went to the door and shoved it open, ringing the bells again and letting in a gust of cold air that smelled faintly of pine and chimney smoke. He said a silent prayer that he had done the right thing.