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“No favors for outsiders, huh?”
“You know small towns.”
Boy, did he. That was the reason he’d stayed in Boston. “I told Granny I’d rather call someone in Athens, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She’ll only do business here in town. Said Arnie has done her carpet for thirty years.”
“Your Granny is definitely loyal.” She pointed. “There it is. Pull in the parking lot on the left.”
They parked, then walked in the store. A little bell jingled to announce their presence.
“I’ll be right with you,” called the voice he’d heard earlier on the phone.
“Why don’t you let me talk to Molly. She’s in my quilting group,” Lindsay said.
He didn’t want her thinking he was still a helpless nerd. “I can do this on my own, Lindsay.”
She shook her head.
“But thanks, anyway.”
She held her hand out as if offering him the store. “Fine. Do it your way.” She meandered to nearby sample books and started to flip through one.
A moment later, an attractive young woman came from the back. “Hi. Can I help you?”
“My name’s Bill Wellington. I called earlier.”
“The man from over in Windy Hollow?”
“No, I’m from Boston.”
“Boston, Georgia? Is there such a place?”
“No, ma’am. Boston, Massachusetts.”
“Ah,” she said as if solving a mystery. “You didn’t mention that earlier.”
“I’m here to pick out some carpet for my grandmother. We scheduled an appointment for a couple of weeks out, but I was hoping we could get it installed sooner.”
Her face screwed up as if she was confused. “So it’s for your grandmother?”
“Yes. She lives here in Magnolia. On Main Street. Her name is Bea Wellington.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so sooner? Arnie can probably get out there late next week for her.”
“Thank you.” But it grated on him that an outsider could have such a hard time getting service.
She pointed to the showroom. “Take a look and let me know if you have any questions.”
A few minutes later, as he and Lindsay searched the many books, Molly reappeared. “Oh, hi, Lindsay. When did you get here?”
“I came in with Bill. We’re old friends.”
“Hey, I saw you dropping off Hunter and Chase the other morning. They’ve grown so much and look so much like their daddy—all handsome and cute.” She practically twittered.
It appeared she was very interested in Lindsay’s brother.
“Yes, they’re sweet boys. And they’re like my own now.”
Molly’s smile dimmed a bit. He detected some animosity, at least from Lindsay’s side.
“I think I’ve found some carpet that will work nicely.” He pointed to a commercial grade, low-pile carpet in a neutral color. “It’s inexpensive since we’ll be selling Granny’s house.”
Molly gasped. “She’s selling her house? No way.”
“No way is right,” Lindsay said. “She’ll sell someday, of course. But I’d rather her buy something nice for now. Something she can enjoy in her old age.” She glared a final warning at him as she flipped open a sample book and pointed to a plush carpet in a pale shade of green—Granny’s favorite color.
“Fine. We’ll compromise. Molly, we’ll have the plush carpet but in a neutral beige color that will sell well.” He pointed to a color in Lindsay’s book called Wheat.
For a second, he thought he saw tears in Lindsay’s eyes. But it had to have been the lighting, because the next time she glared at him, they were gone.
Molly looked from him, to Lindsay, then back to him. Apparently, she decided he was the decision maker in the situation, because she wrote up the order. He checked to make sure she’d written Wheat instead of Thicket. She had. But she didn’t look comfortable doing it.
“Okay. We have you set for next Thursday for the carpet installation. Someone will be out to measure on Monday.”
“Thank you,” he said.
The clerk looked to Lindsay. “I’m sorry about the green, Lindsay.”
“It’s not your fault, Molly.” She walked out the door of the store.
He found her outside in his rental car. He opened his mouth and nearly said he was sorry, but then forced it shut. He felt awful, though.
He really did need to get over the guilt of leaving Lindsay so long ago. He couldn’t allow it to color his decisions.
No, he wouldn’t apologize. She had no right to keep interfering. Granny was his family, after all.
As he turned the car toward Donna Rae’s house, he remembered Granny’s orders. He sighed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Granny gave me strict instructions to take you out for lunch.”
“No, thanks. I have leftovers at home.”
“She’ll fuss at me.”
“She would, wouldn’t she?” She laughed. “Well, why don’t we stop and pick up something from Minnie’s to take home for all of us to eat.”
“Minnie’s still in business?” Minnie’s Meat and Three. It had become his favorite restaurant once he hit a growth spurt in eighth grade and couldn’t ever seem to eat enough. The growth spurt continued all the way through high school.
“She’s still open. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”
He hadn’t had Minnie’s fried chicken in fifteen years. And he’d like to see her, too. “Good idea. My mouth’s watering just thinking about the chicken.”
As they walked in the restaurant, there was a perceptible hush, a lull in the conversation.
Lindsay realized that most people, even if they knew who he was, wouldn’t recognize him. Some wouldn’t even remember him.
He was so smart and good-looking. She couldn’t help but wonder why he’d never married. Maybe he’d never found someone to share his passion for physics. He’d loved the subject from the time he was old enough to read—in kindergarten, according to Granny Bea. When he’d moved to town the summer after fourth grade, Lindsay often found him outside, perched in the mimosa tree, reading thick nonfiction books about atomic particles that he’d checked out from the library.
He touched her elbow and guided her to a table, acting as if they weren’t the center of attention. She was afraid their appearance together might become a topic for gossip.
When they sat, he whispered, “I can’t believe I decided to come here. Too many people. All staring.”
“Many probably don’t recognize you. They’ll assume I’ve got a boyfriend from out of town.”
“Should I stand and state my name, tell them we’re not a couple? Then ask them to quit staring?” His golden-brown eyes sparked with warmth.
“Maybe once your novelty wears off, you’ll have some peace.”
“My novelty will never wear off. I’ve always been considered an oddball.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Minnie said in her deep, husky, smoker’s voice as she approached the table. “My best customer has finally come home.”
“Ms. Minnie, so good to see you.” He stood and hugged her, dwarfing her small frame.
“Mercy, look at you, child. You grew up into the rafters and finally put some meat on your bones.”
“It was your chicken, Ms. Minnie. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been blown away by a good strong wind.”
“Well, I’ll make sure you get all your favorites today.” She smiled at Lindsay. “Hey, Lindsay. Your regular?”
“I can’t resist. And a plate for Granny Bea, as well, please. Everything to go.”
Minnie hurried toward the kitchen, whistling “I’ll Fly Away.”
They sat in silence. She ran her finger over a split in the laminated menu. “I know you visit your granny. How come I haven’t seen you in so many years?”
“I’ve actually flown her up to visit me more often than I’ve come here. And my rare trips home have been very brief.” He darted a glance into her eyes, then looked away, toward the front door. “I guess we haven’t run into each other.”
She couldn’t shake the feeling he’d avoided her.
“Well, maybe you’ll see some old friends this time.”
“I’m only here for Granny. But it’s nice to see Minnie.”
Would he have ever come to see her? “You’ll have to go visit Pastor Eddie. He’d love to see you.”
Minnie set two glasses of syrupy-thick sweet iced tea on the table. “On the house while you wait.” She tapped Bill on the shoulder. “So, sugar, what brings you to town after all this time?”
“Granny took a fall. Broke her wrist.”
“Bill Wellington, shame on you. You shouldn’t wait for a crisis to make you come home,” Minnie said.
“I apologize. I’ve been in town, but haven’t made it over to the restaurant.”
“I forgive you. This time.” Minnie shook her finger at him. “No excuses from now on.”
“He won’t be able to resist your chicken now that he’ll have another taste,” Lindsay said.
“See,” Ms. Minnie said almost like a frog croaking. “You can’t resist the people who care about you.”
Lindsay laughed at the sounds Minnie managed to make, as well as the look on Bill’s face. Something inside fluttered. She felt…well…happy. It was almost as if she and Bill were spending time together as friends once again.
“So how long are ya staying, sugar?”
“Actually, I won’t be here but a few days,” he said, blowing the friendly little vision out of Lindsay’s mind. “I have to get back to my classes to prepare for finals.”
“Well, you be sure to stop by next time.” Minnie patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
Lindsay sipped her tea. “I’m sure my family will want to see you while you’re here.”
“I’d like that.” He stretched his arms across the back of the booth, which emphasized how large he was. “You know, I’ll be glad to help you with your nephews anytime you need it, Lindsay.”
“Okay.” Her heart squeezed. She forced herself to look him in the eye with a smile on her face. “Thank you.”
“You’ve been a good friend to Granny. It’s the least I can do.”
Yeah. A good friend to Granny. Not a word about what good friends they’d been years ago. Not a word about wanting to be her friend now. She clamped her teeth together so she could resist the urge to blurt out that he should head on back to Boston and leave them alone.
She could kick herself for letting a bit of hope creep up on her.
When they arrived back at Granny’s with lunch, Lindsay, who’d been quiet the whole way home, said, “I’ll help you carry this in, then I’ll take mine home to eat.”
He knew it was the right thing to do. The smart thing. But as she reached for her sack of food, he pulled it away from her. “Why don’t you stay and eat with us?”
“I need to get home. I need to…well, I—”
As he was about to accuse her of making excuses, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A haze. Behind the house.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Is that smoke?”
She didn’t answer. She took off running toward the house.
He closed the gap and beat her through the front door. He bounded to the kitchen where smoke filled the air. It rolled in plumes from a pan on the stove, the acrid smell choking him. He grabbed the handle of the pot and ran out the back door with it.
“I’ve got the garden hose,” Lindsay said from beside the back steps as she turned the water on. She unrolled the hose and pulled it over to spray the singed food.
