to twitch in agitation. “So he knows she’s been living here,” Abby said half aloud.
“Oh, sure. He moved her in and stayed for a few days.” Naomi studied Abby’s face. “How long’s it been since you’ve seen him?”
“Ten years or so.” Abby shrugged as if it was of no importance to her.
“Well, he sure did grow up nice.” Naomi grinned, her brown eyes twinkling.
“If he’s so nice, why was his elderly grandmother living alone in a house that’s falling down?” Abby snapped. “Where I come from, that’s not considered nice.”
“I meant he’s one fine-looking man.” Naomi watched for a reaction. “Tall and broad-shouldered. Really grew into his looks, if you know what I mean. You should have seen Janelle, down at the Primrose Cafe, when he’d go in for his coffee in the mor nings. Why, she just about… ”
“Was that the only time he was here? When Belle moved in?” Abby cut her off, not interested in Alex’s local conquests.
“No, he’s been back a few times. Not since Miz Cassidy passed on, though. I think back in the beginning of last summer, he was here for a few days. Think Miz Matthews said he fixed the plumbing in the front bathroom when he was here.”
“That’s the least he could have done,” Abby grumbled.
“Funny, you know, I always thought that you and he would … ” Naomi stopped in mid-sentence, her words cut off by Abby’s frozen gaze. “Then again, maybe not.” She shrugged.
Naomi stood and brushed a few dried leav es off the back of her jeans. “I guess I need to get back on over to the house. My son will be getting up soon, then it’ll be time to run down to the school and pick up my daughter.”
“How old are your children?” Abby made an effort to be neighborly.
“My little girl will be five in a few months—she goes to the preschool down at the church. My boy is almost three.” Naomi smiled. “Just the right ages to make you want to pull your hair out half the time and smother them with kisses the other half. Now, listen, if you need anything—anything at all—don’t be hesitating to knock on my door. I’ll be baking bread tonight, so I’ll bring over a loaf in the morning.”
“That’s very nice of you.”
“I’ve been sending bread over to Miz Matthews—and Miz Cassidy, before her passing—since we moved here. And stew or soups, when I make a big batch. Seems the least I could do for them.” Naomi brushed off her acts of kindness as easily as she had dispatched the leaves from the seat of her pants. “Which reminds me of why I was stopping over here this afternoon. I usually do Miz Matthews’s laundry for her once a week. There’s a washer and dryer in the basement”—she gestured toward the house—“but I was afraid for her or Miz Cassidy to use the steps.”
“I’m glad you told me. I guess I would have been wondering where to take our stuff … though it seems to me that Bell e did mention that you had been helping out. I’ll take a look when I go inside.”
“The dryer’s fine, but the washer stalls a bit between the first two cycles. I’d be happy to show how to get around that when you’re ready.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you, Naomi.”
“Just give me a call.” Naomi waved as she started toward the sidewalk. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad we finally met after all these years.”
“So am I,” Abby said sincerely. “I’m sorry it took so long. I would have liked to have known you, back then. And I want to thank you for taking such care of Aunt Leila. And of Belle.”
“Think nothing of it,” Naomi said with another wave of her hand. “It was just my way of paying them back.”
“For what?”
“For giving me dreams,” Naomi called over her shoulder as she crossed the street.
10
I t was almost midnight by the time Abby checked all the locks on the doors and began to turn off the downstairs lights. She’d been in the sitting room at Leila’s desk
“Oh, sure. He moved her in and stayed for a few days.” Naomi studied Abby’s face. “How long’s it been since you’ve seen him?”
“Ten years or so.” Abby shrugged as if it was of no importance to her.
“Well, he sure did grow up nice.” Naomi grinned, her brown eyes twinkling.
“If he’s so nice, why was his elderly grandmother living alone in a house that’s falling down?” Abby snapped. “Where I come from, that’s not considered nice.”
“I meant he’s one fine-looking man.” Naomi watched for a reaction. “Tall and broad-shouldered. Really grew into his looks, if you know what I mean. You should have seen Janelle, down at the Primrose Cafe, when he’d go in for his coffee in the mor nings. Why, she just about… ”
“Was that the only time he was here? When Belle moved in?” Abby cut her off, not interested in Alex’s local conquests.
“No, he’s been back a few times. Not since Miz Cassidy passed on, though. I think back in the beginning of last summer, he was here for a few days. Think Miz Matthews said he fixed the plumbing in the front bathroom when he was here.”
“That’s the least he could have done,” Abby grumbled.
“Funny, you know, I always thought that you and he would … ” Naomi stopped in mid-sentence, her words cut off by Abby’s frozen gaze. “Then again, maybe not.” She shrugged.
Naomi stood and brushed a few dried leav es off the back of her jeans. “I guess I need to get back on over to the house. My son will be getting up soon, then it’ll be time to run down to the school and pick up my daughter.”
“How old are your children?” Abby made an effort to be neighborly.
“My little girl will be five in a few months—she goes to the preschool down at the church. My boy is almost three.” Naomi smiled. “Just the right ages to make you want to pull your hair out half the time and smother them with kisses the other half. Now, listen, if you need anything—anything at all—don’t be hesitating to knock on my door. I’ll be baking bread tonight, so I’ll bring over a loaf in the morning.”
“That’s very nice of you.”
“I’ve been sending bread over to Miz Matthews—and Miz Cassidy, before her passing—since we moved here. And stew or soups, when I make a big batch. Seems the least I could do for them.” Naomi brushed off her acts of kindness as easily as she had dispatched the leaves from the seat of her pants. “Which reminds me of why I was stopping over here this afternoon. I usually do Miz Matthews’s laundry for her once a week. There’s a washer and dryer in the basement”—she gestured toward the house—“but I was afraid for her or Miz Cassidy to use the steps.”
“I’m glad you told me. I guess I would have been wondering where to take our stuff … though it seems to me that Bell e did mention that you had been helping out. I’ll take a look when I go inside.”
“The dryer’s fine, but the washer stalls a bit between the first two cycles. I’d be happy to show how to get around that when you’re ready.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you, Naomi.”
“Just give me a call.” Naomi waved as she started toward the sidewalk. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad we finally met after all these years.”
“So am I,” Abby said sincerely. “I’m sorry it took so long. I would have liked to have known you, back then. And I want to thank you for taking such care of Aunt Leila. And of Belle.”
“Think nothing of it,” Naomi said with another wave of her hand. “It was just my way of paying them back.”
“For what?”
“For giving me dreams,” Naomi called over her shoulder as she crossed the street.
10
I t was almost midnight by the time Abby checked all the locks on the doors and began to turn off the downstairs lights. She’d been in the sitting room at Leila’s desk
Similar Books
