Gram nodded. And weve got good seats. I told Joe that if he wanted a seat in the front row with us, hed better manage to show up on time.
Whose date is he for the night, yours or Paulinas?
She huffed. Mine, I guess. Paulina has been swearing since she was twelve that shed never date. How she ever managed to marry three times is beyond me. Come to think of it, Id best sit between them just in case lightning strikes again. Joes old heart probably couldnt take it.
Connor smiled as he walked Gram to the bus. He loved the way her mind always wandered into a story. Bending, he kissed her check. I love you, Gram.
I love you, too, Connor.
Shed remembered his name. It was a good day.
When he turned back to the store, he noticed Jillian was locking the door.
Ready? she asked as she turned to face him.
Ready, he answered, thinking hed been waiting all day for these few minutes they shared. He offered his arm as if they were in an old black-and-white movie.
Hesitantly, Jillian placed her hand around his elbow and began to tell him all the details of Joes dream of being a Toe Tent king. The old guy swore his ideas came to him while he was daydreaming about camping.
Connor listened, but mostly he just enjoyed the walk. He liked the easy way their steps matched and how her words never seemed in a hurry, like some folks talk as if rushing the clock. In a few more days it would be March and almost time for spring. Then, maybe, if she was still around, theyd slow their pace.
The air had stilled and the evening glowed in sunsets last light. The smells of winter drifted near: wood fireplaces, the last scent of dying sagebrush. This was his favorite time of year. Spring might be for dreaming, but winter was for reflecting.
I was afraid youd be staying late tonight, he said as they walked through leaves rushing nowhere in the wake of each passing car.
Why? Did you think I needed to? The work still seems overwhelming.
No. Im glad you didnt put in longer hours tonight. Too great a time to walk. But if youd like to come in on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, I could offer to help.
That would be great. I could move twice as fast with photographing if I had help with the layout.
Youve got a nice camera.
She nodded. I bought it a few years back when I was a Realtors assistant, and I found I couldnt leave it behind when I moved on. I never seem to get pictures developed though, just store them on my laptop and keep on taking more.
He grinned. Shed finally told him something personal.
When they reached the gate of the bed-and-breakfast, she broke the comfortable silence that had drifted between them for a few minutes. Ive been talking too much. She hesitated. If you want to come in, Mrs. Kelly always leaves cookies out in the parlor.
Connor was too surprised by the invitation to answer.
Her words quickly filled the silence. Ive been waiting all day to hear how you like my latest articles. It might just be for the community blog, but Im thrilled about writing something others will read.
Oh, of course. He felt like a fool for even thinking shed invite him in for some other reason. She hadnt even hinted at flirting with him. Id love to talk about them, and cookies are one thing I never say no to. But youll have to promise to cut me off after two.
He followed her to the parlor. Hed been in the old home a dozen times, but it never seemed as inviting as it did tonight. Low flames in the fireplace. The smell of gingerbread drifting from the kitchen. Jillian removing her coat as if settling in for a chat.
She made him a cup of hot cocoa to go with the cookies and they talked about her writing.
Id like to submit a few to one of the big papers in the state. Connor was comfortable talking business. Who knows, someone might pick them up. If they did, theyd pay far more than the twenty dollars I can afford.
You really think someone would want them?
Sure. I loved the story of the Orlando quilt I read this afternoon. A girl driving cross-country every year to visit her grandparents and seeing all the sights through a childs eyes. Then, as an adult, she quilted from her memory. I loved the picture of her Yellowstone block with the bear as tall as Old Faithful.
And, Jillian, youve got the pictures to go with each story. Id think that would be a real selling point in a human interest piece.
She laughed with excitement, and the sound made him smile.
When he reached for his fifth cookie, her hand covered his. I have to cut you off, Connor, I promised. You still have to walk home. Any more cookies and youll have to roll.
He turned his hand over and held her fingers. Thanks. I have no restraint.
Standing, he drew her up with him. Okay if I send the articles? I think youve got a chance of making some money. Plus, if one of the big papers does pick it up, the articles might draw people to the county museum to see the quilts.
You think I might make as much as Toe Tents?
He liked that she was so tall. He could look into her eyes. Probably not, he teased.
A thump came from just above their heads.
The ghost? he whispered.
Probably. Mrs. K is in the kitchen. I hear old Willie now and then. He likes to move around about the time the clock strikes midnight.
They both laughed.
Reluctantly, he let go of her hand and walked to the door. There are always strange sounds in a house this old. See you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow, she answered.
To his surprise, she followed him to the porch, and he didnt have to turn around to know that she watched him as he walked away. She had been standing in the same spot every night as he glanced back, just before he turned the corner.
He closed his hand tightly as if trying to hold the warmth of her fingers for one more moment.
In his thirty-seven years, hed never learned to weigh his feelings. The important ones, the unimportant ones. Not for women anyway. He could be polite, even funny sometimes. He could pretend to notice they were flirting, but he was never sure how to react.
But with Jillian, it was different. If she stayed around long enough, he might start to feel something for her, and it was his experience anytime his heart got involved, even slightly, it was bad news.
6
Sunnie Larady glared at the woman who had invaded Grams shop for the past few weeks. Jillian James looked nice enough, but she had to be up to something. No one under forty spends all day in a quilt shop. Jillian was almost as old as her father. She was tall, a few inches less than six feet, and she looked intelligent.
So if she wasnt crazy, she must be up to something.
Sunnie knew her height because she measured everyone by her own height, hoping one day that all the people in the world would all grow half a dozen inches, then shed be normal. The school counselor said she reached her elevation early, but how did she know? At sixteen, she might still be heading up.
Forget that worry. Right now Sunnie saw her mission clearly. She needed to keep an eye on the stranger.
Why had Dad hired someone to go through the dusty old inventory anyway? Maybe Gram was forgetting things. All old people do. That didnt mean Gram needed a keeper.
The woman couldnt be planning to rob the place. No one in their right mind would steal from a quilt shop.
Jillian looked up from her notes and smiled at Sunnie. Shall we begin? she asked, as if they were going on a great adventure and not simply counting quilts.
I want to help, but I dont want to bother any of Grams things. She was Eugenia Laradys only great-grandchild. It was her duty to protect Grams stuff. This place is like the cemetery. Its okay to clean up, but I dont think we should be moving the quilts around, or Gram might think shes lost something. It was ten after nine and Sunnie was already bored.
Jumping up onto the counter, she decided shed wait until Jillian told her what to do. No sense giving her ideas. After all, she was just the assistant. Her dad had made that clear. If Jillian told her to do something she didnt like, shed just call Dad. Until then, shed follow orders.
Jillian smiled at her again and leaned against the counter, too. She must be working by the hour also. Your comment reminds me of a graveyard outside of Hamm, Luxembourg. General Patton is buried there. He died in a car crash in 1945 just after the war was over, but he wanted to be buried with his men who died in the Battle of the Bulge. Its a peaceful place in the countryside now, but once, they say the spot ran red with blood.
Any reason youre giving me this history lesson? Sunnie picked at the hole in her jeans, making it bigger. Ive had enough history. My dad writes books about tribes in Texas who died off before the Pilgrims landed. He writes mysteries too, but none of them get published, and he wrote a time-travel series he doesnt even try to sell to anyone. To me, all those people are dead and might as well be forgotten. He also writes childrens stories about battles. You two should have a long talk.
I have no reason for bringing Patton up, except I just remembered that when Pattons wife came to visit her husbands grave, she had him moved in front of the other graves. Like he was still leading his men. Some said maybe he would have been happier being with them.
I get it. Moving things in a cemetery. Sunnie rolled her eyes. She hated people who thought conversation was a connect-the-dots hunt. Doze off for two sentences and youre lost.
While she was on the hating things subject, she hated Jillians straight black hair. It was too shiny and seemed to flow down her back when she moved. Witches, if there really were any, probably had hair like that.
As if Jillian could read her thoughts, she picked up a rubber band and tied her hair into a messy bun. Even that looked good.
Jillian got very professional all at once. Im here to log your Grams things, not relocate them. I promise Ill be very careful with the quilts and Im very happy to have your help.
Sunnie was glad when Gram came back from the kitchen. This new lady didnt make much more sense than her dad, always spouting facts of no use in the real world. Between Gram repeating herself and Jillian talking about cemeteries, Saturdays were going to be double boring.
But if Sunnie was being honest, at least Jillian James tried to talk to her, and that was more than most people over twenty bothered to do. Sunnie had thought of claiming to be sick this morning, but then Dad might not let her go out with Derrick and shed been counting the hours since Wednesday when hed ask her to hang out with him Saturday night. It didnt matter what they did tonight; just being with him was all shed been thinking about for a month. He was so perfect.
Dad didnt seem to understand how lucky she was. Just turned sixteen and already dating the most talked-about boy in school. She was a sophomore and he was a senior. Even when she told Dad that Derrick had the best baby blue eyes in the world, he wasnt impressed.
Of course, it was Derricks second senior year. He had missed some school because of a few car wrecks, but he was the hottest guy at Laurel Springs High. Hed played football last year, had the letter jacket to prove it. But he didnt wear it much. Claimed this year was strictly for partying. Hed said his new leather jacket was much cooler.
I thought wed start by taking down a few of the wall quilts. Jillian interrupted Sunnies R-rated prediction of what might happen tonight. Theyd been together during school several times, lunch, assemblies, but never for a date. But tonight, something was going to happen. Theyd have time to talk, to be alone.
Cant you just take pictures of them on the wall? Sunnie hoped to rest at work; after all, she didnt want to be tired tonight.
I could, Jillian seemed to be considering the alternate plan, but the shadows of the fans and the angles from window light would not reflect each block to its best advantage.
Sunnie gave in. No point in arguing. She had to do something while she was here or her dad wouldnt pay her eight bucks an hour. He was such a pain. He thought she should earn money. Didnt he understand most of her friends didnt have to work; passing grades should be enough work? Besides, everyone knew the Laradys owned land in town and out. She shouldnt have to work.
Plus, this job wasnt turning out to be as simple as shed thought. They had to carefully remove each tack, or brace, or cotton rope strapped to the back of the quilt. Once they got it down, it had to be dusted and spread out exactly right before Jillian took about a dozen shots. Then they did it all in reverse.
Sunnie decided shed die of boredom before noon.
The only break she got was when Jillian asked Gram questions about the quilt shed just photographed. Most of what Gram talked about wasnt worth writing down, but she did mention that one Texas Star pattern had been pieced by Sunnies great-great-grandmother.
While Gram talked and Jillian took notes, Sunnie ran her hand slowly over the quilt, realizing that she was touching something that five generations had touched.
When they started on the next quilt hanging high on the wall, Gram said she had to clean the office this morning and couldnt help them, but she spent most of her time visiting with the customers and Mr. Dunaway. If it hadnt been impossible, Sunnie would swear the two were flirting with each other. Sunnie couldnt bear to watch. Even if they were flirting, Mr. Dunaway wouldnt remember what to do after hand patting and winking. Every time he called her grandmother Jeanie, Gram smiled.
Three hours. Four quilts. A dozen visitors, and every time the door chimed Gram popped out of the office like a jack-in-the-box. This was going to take forever. Sunnie tried to stay awake by trying to calculate how many hours it would take for her to earn enough to buy a car.
When Derrick came in, Sunnie almost ran to him and yelled, Save me. Im dying in this place.
Only, he didnt like that kind of thing. Derrick said he liked things real. The first afternoon theyd hung out hed told her what he expected from her if they were going to be together. No holding hands. No touching in public. No junior high stuff like boyfriend and girlfriend.
He said she was lucky a nineteen-year-old guy like him ever agreed to be seen with a sixteen-year-old, so she needed to understand how things were before it got out that they were together. He picked the time and place. Then, hed texted her Wednesday that theyd get together Saturday night.
When she texted back that she had to work, so needed to know the exact time, he just answered, Ill find you.