Page 55 of Fa-La-La-La Faking It
Belle set the phone down and switched her attention to the more informal snapshot. Her eyes widened. “You weren’t kidding. That dog looks exactly like Fuzzy. It’s even got the cute spot right on top of its head, just like he does.”
“I know, right?”
When Adaline first brought Fuzzy home, she’d read everything she could find about Cavalier King Charles spaniels. The marking on Fuzzy’s head was known as the Blenheim Spot. Sometimes it was called the Duchess’s Thumbprint, because according to legend, in 1704, the Duchess of Marlborough had a beloved Cavalier who kept her company while her husband was away fighting at the Battle of Blenheim. The duchess stroked her little dog’s head whenever she was anxious, and soon the Cavalier gave birth to a litter of puppies who all had a distinctive spot on top of their heads, right where the duchess’s thumb usually rested.
Adaline loved this bit of trivia, just like she loved the way that the past was so interconnected with the present. Fate felt like a long, twisting curl of ribbon, wrapped around a Christmas gift tucked under a tree. It was time to pull the ribbon the loose.
Jace read off the names and dates of various horse shows, while Belle typed away at the keyboard. The results from each show were easy to find, and once they were able to match up the placements with the ribbons tacked to the horse’s halter in each picture, they landed on a name.
“Marilyn Miller.” Belle leaned back in her chair and cast a questioning look at Jace. “Does that sound familiar?”
“Never heard it before.” He frowned.
Adaline sighed. “This is weird. I was hoping we might find out her last name was Martin.”
Maybe Gus really had been a lifelong bachelor like Jace had originally thought. Maybe the bridal veil he’d found had never been worn.
Were they going through all this trouble just to discover that he’d been left at the altar?
On Christmas?
Adaline’s stomach twisted. This was beginning to feel wrong. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so eager to encourage Jace to go prying into Gus’s history.
Too late now, though. They’d already tugged the ribbon loose, and the truth was unfurling right before their eyes.
She glanced at Jace, and their gazes met...held. Adaline could sense his conflicting emotions. They were so thick they filled the entire room. He wanted to know, and at the same time, he didn’t. Maybe Gus had kept the truth about himself locked away for a reason.
“Guys.” Belle swallowed with an audible gulp. “I found it.”
Adaline’s mouth went dry in an instant. She found Jace’s hand and wove her fingers through his as they both turned their attention toward the computer monitor.
An image of a newspaper article more than fifty years old filled the screen.
Tragedy Strikes Bluebonnet: Marilyn Miller Martin’s Life Cut Short in Train Accident on Christmas Eve
Bluebonnet, Texas—The tight-knit community of Bluebonnet is reeling from the devastating loss of Marilyn Miller Martin, a beloved resident whose life was tragically cut short in a train accident on Christmas Eve. Marilyn, 24, was returning home from a horse show when the incident occurred, leaving family, friends and neighbors in shock and mourning.
Born and raised in Bluebonnet, Marilyn was a vibrant member of the community known for her passion for horses and her unwavering kindness. She was deeply involved in equestrian events, often seen competing in horse shows throughout the state and volunteering her time to help others in the equestrian community.
Marilyn’s love for horses was matched only by her love for her family and friends. She was known for her infectious smile, compassionate heart and willingness to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Her presence brightened the lives of those around her, and her absence will be keenly felt by all who knew her.
The circumstances surrounding Marilyn’s untimely passing have cast a shadow over the holiday season in Bluebonnet. The train accident, which occurred as she was traveling home to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones, has left the community grappling with profound grief and disbelief.
In the wake of this tragedy, the people of Bluebonnet have come together to support one another and to honor Marilyn’s memory. Tributes pour in from friends and acquaintances, recalling her warmth, generosity, and the joy she brought to those around her.
Marilyn leaves behind her husband of less than one year, Gus Martin, and her beloved Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Charlie, a wedding gift from her husband, along with countless friends, all of whom will cherish her memory and the indelible mark she left on their lives. As Bluebonnet mourns the loss of one of its own this Christmas, Marilyn’s spirit will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
Chapter Eighteen
The article was a blow to the chest that Jace still felt twenty-four hours later as he arrived at the senior center to visit his uncle. He felt like he’d been moving around in a daze since uncovering Gus’s secret. He’d needed time for the news to sink in before he took the article to Uncle Gus, so he’d worked the Christmas tree lot as usual yesterday evening. He’d closed up shop early so he could attend the dance recital for Bluebonnet Ballet School with Adaline. He’d held her hand in the dark while children fluttered around on the stage and paper snowflakes fell from the ceiling, all the while wondering why Gus had never said anything to him about Marilyn. Why hadn’t his parents? No one had uttered a word...ever.
So much about Gus made sense now. Not just his disdain for Christmas and his overall unhappiness, but everything to do with the way he’d responded to Adaline.
It wasn’t just the puppy. True, that part was a striking coincidence. Fuzzy looked so much like Charlie that Gus probably thought he was seeing things the first time Adaline knocked on the door of room 212. But as Jace had sat reading the words on the computer screen at the library, he’d almost felt like he could’ve been reading an article about Adaline.
Infectious smile...compassionate heart...willingness to lend a helping hand to anyone in need...
Jace couldn’t get the description out of his head. Had Gus seen the similarities too? Did he look at Adaline and the puppy in her arms and feel like he’d been transported straight to the past?
