Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 06 - Magnolia Mansion Mysteries by Hope Callaghan Page A
Authors: Hope Callaghan
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one other restaurant in the complex, “Fifth Plate.” It was more of an upscale restaurant for special occasions. The only other place to grab a bite to eat was the snack shack inside the clubhouse, near the golf course.
Gloria had to admit Dreamwood had a ton of activities for residents. It just wasn’t her thing. At least not yet. Perhaps it was something else that stopped her from seriously considering a move. Gloria thought in the back of her mind if she moved to a place like Dreamwood, she’d be surrendering some of her independence.
Liz seemed to love it. She held the door and waited as Gloria and Mally stepped inside. The place was busy and it was only 5:00 in the afternoon.
Gloria glanced at the signboard on the way to the back. “Today’s special is liver and onions.” She wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t too picky of an eater but she hated liver and onions.
Liz grinned, fully aware of Gloria’s aversion to the special. “I’m sure you can find something else to eat.”
They made their way over to the end of the line. Gloria grabbed a tray then handed one to Liz. The smell of fresh baked bread filled the air. Her stomach grumbled as she set the tray on the metal runner.
Gloria started with a small side salad and moved onto the hot items. She set two pieces of meatloaf off to the side, grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes and brown gravy before sliding forward.
It was then she spied the fried chicken. Her mouth watered. She glanced down at her plate. There was plenty of room for a piece of chicken. She set it on her plate and added a mound of corn to the small space she had left.
“The raspberry tea is really good,” Liz told her.
Raspberry tea sounded perfect. Gloria grabbed a plastic cup, filled it half full of ice and then topped it off with the tea.
She and Mally waited for Liz at the end of the line. “Where do you want to sit?” She glanced around the room. A few of the faces looked familiar but the names… Gloria had a hard time remembering names. She tried word association. Sometimes that worked but there were times it backfired on her. Like the time she called Harry Washenter, one of the residents – Henry Kissinger. It was an honest mistake but Liz still teased her about it.
Liz pointed with one finger, her hand still gripping the heavy tray. “Over there. I see a couple open chairs next to Frances.”
Gloria and Mally followed Liz to the empty seats. Gloria set her tray on the table and settled in. Thankfully, she had remembered to grab a paper plate from the food line. She lifted a slice of meatloaf from her own plate and chopped it into small pieces.
She put the pieces on the paper plate and set it on the floor beside her. Mally licked her hand in appreciation before turning to the tasty morsels.
Gloria turned to Frances. “Heard anything from Milt?”
Liz narrowed her eyes and shook her head - but it was too late.
France lifted her head. Her eyes filled with tears. “Not a peep,” she answered sorrowfully.
Gloria quickly changed the subject. She pointed to the front doors. “I noticed they’re having a dance here tomorrow night,” she said.
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help matters as a tear trickled down poor Frances’s face. “Milt was going to take me.”
Liz scowled at Gloria and turned to her friend. “Did you hear about the body they found out in Belhaven?”
“I hope it’s not Milt’s,” Frances wailed. She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.
Gloria reached over and wrapped her arm around Frances’s shoulders. “I’m almost 100% certain it’s not Milt,” she assured her.
Frances shoved her chair back, grabbed her walker that was next to her chair and bolted from the room. Gloria’s heart sank as she watched her shuffled from the room.
Liz chewed on the end of a French fry. “Nice going, sis,” she said.
Gloria’s head whipped around. She
Gloria had to admit Dreamwood had a ton of activities for residents. It just wasn’t her thing. At least not yet. Perhaps it was something else that stopped her from seriously considering a move. Gloria thought in the back of her mind if she moved to a place like Dreamwood, she’d be surrendering some of her independence.
Liz seemed to love it. She held the door and waited as Gloria and Mally stepped inside. The place was busy and it was only 5:00 in the afternoon.
Gloria glanced at the signboard on the way to the back. “Today’s special is liver and onions.” She wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t too picky of an eater but she hated liver and onions.
Liz grinned, fully aware of Gloria’s aversion to the special. “I’m sure you can find something else to eat.”
They made their way over to the end of the line. Gloria grabbed a tray then handed one to Liz. The smell of fresh baked bread filled the air. Her stomach grumbled as she set the tray on the metal runner.
Gloria started with a small side salad and moved onto the hot items. She set two pieces of meatloaf off to the side, grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes and brown gravy before sliding forward.
It was then she spied the fried chicken. Her mouth watered. She glanced down at her plate. There was plenty of room for a piece of chicken. She set it on her plate and added a mound of corn to the small space she had left.
“The raspberry tea is really good,” Liz told her.
Raspberry tea sounded perfect. Gloria grabbed a plastic cup, filled it half full of ice and then topped it off with the tea.
She and Mally waited for Liz at the end of the line. “Where do you want to sit?” She glanced around the room. A few of the faces looked familiar but the names… Gloria had a hard time remembering names. She tried word association. Sometimes that worked but there were times it backfired on her. Like the time she called Harry Washenter, one of the residents – Henry Kissinger. It was an honest mistake but Liz still teased her about it.
Liz pointed with one finger, her hand still gripping the heavy tray. “Over there. I see a couple open chairs next to Frances.”
Gloria and Mally followed Liz to the empty seats. Gloria set her tray on the table and settled in. Thankfully, she had remembered to grab a paper plate from the food line. She lifted a slice of meatloaf from her own plate and chopped it into small pieces.
She put the pieces on the paper plate and set it on the floor beside her. Mally licked her hand in appreciation before turning to the tasty morsels.
Gloria turned to Frances. “Heard anything from Milt?”
Liz narrowed her eyes and shook her head - but it was too late.
France lifted her head. Her eyes filled with tears. “Not a peep,” she answered sorrowfully.
Gloria quickly changed the subject. She pointed to the front doors. “I noticed they’re having a dance here tomorrow night,” she said.
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help matters as a tear trickled down poor Frances’s face. “Milt was going to take me.”
Liz scowled at Gloria and turned to her friend. “Did you hear about the body they found out in Belhaven?”
“I hope it’s not Milt’s,” Frances wailed. She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.
Gloria reached over and wrapped her arm around Frances’s shoulders. “I’m almost 100% certain it’s not Milt,” she assured her.
Frances shoved her chair back, grabbed her walker that was next to her chair and bolted from the room. Gloria’s heart sank as she watched her shuffled from the room.
Liz chewed on the end of a French fry. “Nice going, sis,” she said.
Gloria’s head whipped around. She
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