Part 20 (1/2)
”But where are you going to put a horse?” Morning Glory looked from Lauren to Hedy and back again. ”That's not a small item like a Bluebird of Happiness.”
”I've got an idea.” Hedy looked like the cat that ate the cream. ”Kent's got an empty barn, doesn't he?”
Lauren couldn't keep from chuckling at her aunt the matchmaker. ”As a matter of fact, he does indeed, and he volunteered it. I think we'll start there till we see how everything goes in Wildcat Bluff.”
”Everything will go just fine,” Morning Glory said with finality. ”But don't you dare start using that place till you clean it first.”
”I saw it this morning and it looks fine.”
Morning Glory narrowed her bright eyes. ”That's not what I mean and you know it. Stay right there and I'll get what you need to move forward with that place.” She quickly turned and disappeared into her store.
Lauren glanced down at her aunt. ”I don't think she's changed a bit since I left here.”
”I agree.” Hedy smiled fondly. ”She's got more energy than a two-year-old and enough ideas to float a fleet.”
”Here you go!” Morning Glory popped back through the open doorway and held out two items. ”These are for you.”
”Thanks. What do I owe you?” Lauren felt skeptical as she accepted what looked like a roll of dried leaves wrapped and tied with a red cord along with a long, braided section of gra.s.s.
”Not a thing. You'll do something for me sometime and it'll all come out in the wash,” Morning Glory said. ”Now, that's sage and sweetgra.s.s. You remember, don't you? Once you light them, they'll burn slow and steady. You want to smudge by swirling the smoke around inside the barn. That'll remove any lingering odors or negative vibrations.”
”Oh yes.” Now Lauren remembered the ancient Comanche and other native nation cleansing system that Morning Glory recommended for all new enterprises. It couldn't hurt to try it. ”I'm sure this will do the trick.”
”Groovy,” Morning Glory agreed.
Listening to her, Lauren couldn't help but remember how Wildcat Bluff was built by strong, independent settlers who had minds of their own when it came to life and happiness. They came west so n.o.body could tell them how to live their lives. They fit right in to the former Comancheria that had been created by the fiercely protective Comanche. Wildcat Bluff's descendants were of that same strong persuasion. And Lauren was glad to be back amongst her people.
”What about that cup of tea?” Hedy gestured toward the tearoom. ”I've got pomegranate green tea steeping for us.”
”Sounds delicious,” Lauren said. ”Morning Glory, do you want to join us?”
”Wish I could, but I've got work to do.” She waved a languid hand toward her store. ”We'll have plenty of time to chat later.”
”Bye for now.” Lauren watched Morning Glory hurry away before she smiled down at her aunt. Fish or cut bait. She hoped this chat went well. Still, she didn't see how Hedy couldn't love her idea.
”Come along.” Hedy zipped toward the tearoom.
”I hope you've got my favorite blueberry m.u.f.fins, too.” Lauren followed her aunt, feeling as if she'd truly stepped back in time.
”Blueberry?” Hedy stopped, and then gave a big smile. ”Of course, blueberry m.u.f.fins. I'd almost forgotten. Those were good days, weren't they?”
Lauren returned Hedy's smile, but she could tell her aunt hadn't remembered the m.u.f.fins. She felt uneasiness spread like a chill up her spine.
Chapter 24.
Lauren sat across the small table from Hedy in the tearoom area of Adelia's Delights. She took a sip of tea from the to-go container, remembering nostalgically when they'd enjoyed drinking tea from pretty, delicate china. Earlier she'd carefully put her sage and sweetgra.s.s in her purse and hung her bag over the back of her chair.
”I bet I know what you're thinking about the cups. I never thought I'd do it, but I've changed with the times.” Hedy held up her tea. ”I miss the old days when we drank from beautiful china, but that time is long gone for me. I even use paper plates at home. It's just not worth the bother to wash and dry anymore.”
”I understand,” Lauren agreed, even as she knew the old Hedy would never have resorted to paper products. ”I use plenty of paper, too. And don't even get me started on the trouble with the new dishwashers.”
”Mine's twenty years old and still chugging away.” Hedy chuckled. ”It'll probably last me forever since I don't use it much anymore.”
”That's the legacy I want from you.” Lauren smiled, thinking of all the problems she'd heard from friends about their new, flaky appliances. ”Vintage dishwasher, range, washer and dryer, freezer. Those are like gold.”
Hedy laughed harder. ”You don't want my beautiful china and silver?”
”If you insist, I'll eventually take that, too-only it all gets washed by hand.”
”Good choice. I've already packed those away for you since I'm not using them nowadays.”
”But don't you want to keep enjoying your fine things?”
”No buts' about it. You're the child of my heart as well as my family. I want to pa.s.s my heritage, meaning my stuff while it's in good shape, down to you. You can keep it, use it, or pa.s.s it along to someone who'll enjoy it.”
”Aunt Hedy, please don't talk like that. You're much too young to think about the distant future.”
”Not a bit of it. Seventy is about the right age to get your affairs in order.” Hedy glanced around the store, then back at Lauren. ”I'm working on it, but it's going to take some time.”
”You've got too much going on in your life to start planning on how to limit it now.”
”Truth of the matter”-Hedy leaned forward-”I'm not feeling as spry as I used to when I was younger.”
”There's not a medical reason, is there?” Lauren held her breath, not wanting to hear some devastating news.
”No. I'm the same-ole, same-ole, but I'm feeling more like a sourpuss every day.”
”That doesn't sound like my Aunt Hedy.”
”Not the old me, but the new me.”
”Let's back up here. You're too important to Wildcat Bluff, what with the fire station, Adelia's, and everything else you do to even think about-”
”I'm going to cut back. Let the younger ones step up to the plate.”
”They won't know what to do.”
”I'll train them.” Hedy set down her cup and looked down at her motorized wheelchair. ”I've been meaning to talk to you about-”
”I want to talk to you about-” Lauren stopped once she realized they were about to speak over each other. ”Excuse me. Go ahead.”
Hedy leaned back, picked up her tea, and cradled the cup in both hands. ”No, you're just back in town. I want to hear what's on your mind besides a certain good-looking cowboy firefighter.”
Lauren couldn't help but smile. ”I admit he is that.” Now was the time to take the plunge with Hedy before she got cold feet, particularly since she was more concerned than ever by the way her aunt was feeling and thinking about life. No wonder she appeared so dispirited to everyone.
”Even Hannah adores him,” Hedy said.