by R A Wallace
Megan debated her response.
The other woman looked down at the bird nest of dropped and snarled stitches in front of her then back up at Megan. “It’s hopeless, isn’t it?”
Finally, Megan had an idea. “Have you ever thought of trying crochet instead?”
Nancy looked hopeful. “You think I could learn that?”
Megan was wondering the same thing. “Let’s give it a try. We’ll do something simple, but something that you would still be able to give as a gift to your grandniece.”
Megan reached into her bag and pulled out two crochet hooks. After passing one to Nancy, she picked up two skeins of multicolored yarn made from her own sheep. She handed one to Nancy then leaned over and held her hands out in front of her to demonstrate.
“We start with a simple chain.” Megan showed Nancy how to form a knot to begin her first stitch, then she slowly created a chain.
Nancy quickly caught on with it. “That’s easy. If I could make something just doing this, I’m good to go.”
The other ladies laughed with her.
Megan stopped with her chain. “Okay, now we’re going to start the next row. We use the chain to hook our yarn through. That’s how we make our stitches.”
Megan slowly demonstrated with Nancy following. When they were done with the first row, she turned it and began the next row. On and on, Nancy followed her as they created a square around four to five inches in size.
“That’s not bad, but it doesn’t look much like a bonnet,” Nancy said as she held the finished square following Megan’s example.
“Now we’re going to work on the three sides. We don’t do anything with the fourth edge of our square. That is the bottom of the bonnet that will be at the baby’s neck in the back. We’re going to start on one corner and work our way around three of the sides. Then we’ll turn it and add another row, and another until the three sides are long enough for the shape of a newborn head.”
Nancy gamely followed along. It didn’t take many rows before the shape of the bonnet began to emerge. “Oh, I see now. The square that we made will be on the back of the baby’s head. We’re making the sides and the top.” Nancy began to get excited about her accomplishment. Not long after, she finished the three sides.
Then she looked up at Megan expectantly. “Is that all there is to it?”
“Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve made one but I used to do a quick shell stitch for the final row to finish it off. It makes it look a little fancier, I guess. Then we’ll go back to the chain stitch and make one chain at each corner. Those could be used to tie the bonnet together.”
By the time the ladies packed up and left, they were all thrilled with what they had made. Nancy, in particular, was ecstatic to have a finished product that looked much better than anything she had hoped for. Megan waved goodbye to them as they drove away, then carried her pie and rice pudding to her truck. It was time to go into town.
Chapter Five
Unused to the tension in the house and unable to make sense of the changes around him, he darted from room to room, often dodging feet as he went. He’d been at it for days. Whenever the door opened, and it seemed to open often as strangers stopped by in an unending stream, he shot into action and aimed for freedom. Perhaps things would make more sense on the other side of the door.
He heard another vehicle outside and immediately went into the hallway. As the doorbell rang, he danced out of the way, hoping to avoid the exasperated voice that had been calling after him for days. As soon as the door opened, he bolted.
“Cooper! Oh, that dog!” Hilary shouted. Turning an exasperated look to the elderly woman who lived down the street, Hilary forced herself to remain calm. It wasn’t easy. Since the death of her husband, her world had been anything but calm.
“Mrs. Peterson. It’s so kind of you to think of us.” Hilary took the casserole dish from the elderly woman. It was the second one she had brought in two days.
Linda emerged from the kitchen and moved behind Hilary. “I’ll take this. Mrs. Peterson, would you like to come in?”
“Oh, no. I won’t trouble you. I just wanted you to have this.” The old woman rested her hand on Hilary’s briefly before turning and walking away from the house.
Hilary stood at the open door and watched her. Cooper was nowhere in sight and it was too cold to stand there with the door open. “I have no clue where he is now.”
Linda peered out the door and shook her head. “Don’t worry about him now. If he comes back, we’ll deal with it.”
“I just don’t know what to do with him anymore. He was really Colin’s dog.”
Linda began walking back to the kitchen with the casserole. “He’s just confused. Maybe he’ll settle down in a few days.”
Hilary followed her sister. “He’s a border collie though. It’s not fair to keep him in the house all the time and I just don’t have the patience for him.”
Linda stopped at the center island in the kitchen and set the casserole dish down next to another dozen that had arrived that morning. “Maybe we could ask Casey?”
Hilary stopped on the other side of the island. “Maybe. That sounds like a good idea.”
“I’ll take care of it then.” Linda pulled up a corner of the foil covering and checked the casserole. Then she wrote down the name of the dish next to Mrs. Peterson’s name. She didn’t know if Hilary would ever want to know who brought what, but keeping the list made her feel a little more useful.
Hilary absently looked at the casserole dishes. Several others had also stopped just before Mrs. Peterson to drop food off. “What are we going to do with all of these?”
“I’ve been serving some of them as people drop by. We’ve been eating some when it’s just the two of us. We’ll use some for after the funeral tomorrow. The rest we’ll freeze.” Linda rewrapped the casserole and labeled it with a marker. Then she began putting the dishes into the refrigerator. What wouldn’t fit would go into the freezer.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been much help. I can’t seem to think straight.” Hilary wrapped her arms around herself.
“It’s okay. That’s what sisters are for. I’ll put these in the freezer out in the garage.” Linda picked up two of the casseroles and left Hilary standing in the middle of the kitchen, her mind miles away. She was still standing there when Linda returned to get more casserole dishes. On her last return trip, she heard the doorbell ring.
Leaving her sister in the kitchen, Linda answered the door. “Megan. Thank you for thinking of us.”
Megan passed over the pie. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Is this pie? A little sugar and some coffee sound good right now. Would you like to come in?” Linda looked down at Cooper. Megan was holding his collar with one hand.
Megan followed Linda and repeated her condolences to Hilary. After setting the pie down, Linda rinsed out the coffee pot and began making another pot. Cooper walked over to his water bowl and drank.
“You found Cooper?” Hilary asked Linda.
“Megan did. Where was he this time?” Linda directed her question to Megan.
“Down at the corner. He was trying to herd two small children back to their house.”
Hilary shook her head. “My poor neighbors.”
Linda began slicing the pie. “I know we should save this for tomorrow, but I want the sugar fix right now.”
Hilary sighed and offered Megan a half smile that didn’t reach her tired eyes. She hadn’t slept well in days. “I know I could use it. I spent the morning with the funeral director. I had to bring him Colin’s clothes.” Her voice trailed off.
“I can bring something else tomorrow,” Megan said just as the doorbell rang.
Linda turned around from the refrigerator with creamer in her hand and looked at the other two women.
“I’ll get it,” Megan offered. Hilary gave her a look of relief. Megan returned to the front door and opened it, expecting another neighbor with food. She wa
s, instead, met with an irate woman.
“You have all the nerve!”
Surprised at the emotion, Megan took a step back but remained at the door. Whatever issue the woman had, Megan didn’t want her to add further stress to the grieving widow inside.
“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong house.” Megan used the most soothing voice she had and studied the woman in front of her for her reaction. She appeared to be five or so years older than Megan. She had dark hair and was around Megan’s height which put her at around five five. Her face and neck were flushed, her eyes were bloodshot, and her composure now was questionable. Whatever her issue, she was very upset.
“Oh, I have the right house. I came here to tell you that I don’t appreciate your joke!”
Megan felt her brows raise in surprise. “I’m sorry that you’re having a difficult day, but you need to leave now.”
The other woman moved forward and tried to push her way into the house. Megan stood her ground.
“What’s going on?” Linda had moved into the hallway. Hilary stood behind her.
The other woman ignored them and continued to focus on Megan. Pointing her finger in Megan’s face, she yelled, “You posted a picture of my husband and said that he’s dead! What is your problem?”
“What are you talking about?” Linda moved closer to the door.
“I’m calling the police,” Hilary said behind her.
For the first time, the woman turned her focus from Megan and looked at the other two women in the hallway. She gave only a cursory glance at Linda. She paled when she saw Hilary.
Megan shifted her eyes from the distraught woman over to Hilary. That was when she noticed the resemblance. The two could have been sisters. The distraught woman at the door resembled Hilary more than Hilary resembled Linda. Megan swiveled her head between the two women, taking in the resemblance.
Linda caught her motion and did the same, her mouth dropping open. “Who are you?”
“Alaina Boswell. What’s going on here?” Her facial expression had changed from anger to confusion. She shifted her gaze between Megan and Hilary.
“Boswell?” Linda asked, her eyes narrowing. “Are you related to Colin Boswell?”
Alaina focused her gaze on Hilary. “He’s my husband. Someone forwarded an online photo to me that said he died here in Teaberry. If it’s your idea of a joke, that isn’t funny.”
Megan moved quickly toward Hilary when she saw the color drain from the other woman’s face. Hilary put her hand out and leaned against the wall while Linda put an arm around her. Megan remained close but turned to look at Alaina again.
No one spoke for several moments. Hilary could hear her own heartbeat in her head. The pounding there now was worse than when she’d found her husband. Her eyes were locked with the other woman’s.
A movement behind Linda and Hilary caught Megan’s attention. It was Cooper. Seeing the open door, he was going to make another run for it.
Megan motioned to the door behind Alaina. “Maybe you should come in. We can sit down and talk about this.”
Seeing that no one moved, Megan walked over to the door, brushing past Alaina and closed the door. Then she gently took the other woman’s arm and led her back toward Linda and Hilary. Both women took a reflexive step back from their approach. Finally, Linda guided her sister to the living room and helped her into a chair.
Megan directed the other woman to the couch and gently pushed her down into it.
“Now, let’s try this again. You said that your name is Alaina?” Megan sat next to her on the couch.
Alaina’s gaze remained locked with Hilary. She nodded numbly.
“Alaina!” Megan said loudly to get her attention.
Alaina turned to Megan. As she did, she noticed a picture on the wall behind Megan. Alaina’s eyes grew wide with surprise then shot back to Hilary.
“Why do you have a picture with my husband?” Alaina said in a strained voice.
That was when the other three women finally understood.
“You’re saying that Colin Boswell is your husband?” Megan asked.
An indistinguishable noise escaped Hilary.
“Yes, he is. We’ve been married for five years.” Alaina’s voice was stronger now. “Who are you?” she demanded of Hilary.
Hilary remained mute.
Linda answered for her. “Her name is Hilary Boswell. She’s been married to Colin for eight years. And, yes, your husband is dead.”
Chapter Six
Megan parked in Erica’s driveway, grabbed some of the grocery bags, and went to the front door. She pressed the doorbell with her elbow and waited until Brad opened the door.
“Hey, there you are. This is awesome of you, thanks. I’ll put these in the kitchen and get the rest from your truck.” Brad led the way into the house. When he went into the kitchen, Megan continued walking toward the living room. She found Erica propped up on pillows. She was staring into space, both hands on her enlarged abdomen.
“You aren’t working on a cold case. What gives?” Megan asked as she took a chair near her friend.
Erica startled as though surprised to find her former sister-in-law in the room. “Hey. Did you just get here?”
Megan studied Erica. Her normally pale face appeared even lighter than usual. “Are you okay?”
Erica didn’t answer at first. She shook her head slightly and sighed.
“My parents just left.”
“Ah.” The last time Megan had seen her former in-laws, they had made their dislike of her clear. They had always believed their son to be perfect. As far as they were concerned, Megan was to blame for his infidelities during her marriage. Megan could almost understand their need to hold their son’s memory in a positive light.
What she had never understood was how they could treat Erica as though she were some sort of an afterthought. No matter what Erica’s achievements were, she had never measured up to their son. It was a comparison Megan could not agree with. Josh had rarely held a job, rarely spent his nights at home, and had always squandered what little money Megan had managed to make.
Erica looked at her friend. “Exactly.”
Brad joined them in the living room but didn’t sit down. He motioned toward his home office. “I need to get some more work done.”
“Yes. Sorry my parents interrupted you before.”
Brad shrugged. “It’s okay. I just want to get this last program wrapped up, so I can focus on you when it’s time.” Based on what the doctor had said at her last checkup, Erica would be giving birth any moment. Although not yet at full term, she had lasted longer with the twins than anyone had expected.
“Thanks again for getting the groceries, Megan.” Brad had not wanted to leave Erica alone long enough to go shopping. “And for the rice pudding. She’s been craving it.”
“Anytime. Happy programming.” She waited until Brad had left the room before turning back to Erica.
“You sure you’re okay? You can usually withstand your parents.”
Erica shook her head, still staring into space. “Not this time. This time, they asked for too much.”
Megan thought back to all of the many times Erica’s parents had ignored her outright or discounted her achievements in the past and wondered how they could top any of that. Sensing the turmoil her friend was in, she waited until Erica was ready to talk about it.
Finally, Erica turned to face Megan. Her hazel eyes held torment. “They want me to name one of the babies after Josh.”
Megan felt the breath leave her lungs. It was like taking an unexpected blow to her middle. Whatever she had thought Erica might say, that hadn’t been it. Finally, her concern for her friend overrode her own feelings.
“How do you feel about that?” Megan had no clue what she thought about it herself. But it was Erica’s decision. Erica and Brad should have the honor of naming the babies without concern for what anyone else thought.
Erica watched the emotions cross Megan’s face. T
he last one looked like acceptance. It didn’t surprise her. She knew that Megan would love the babies no matter what.
“I feel that I’ll name my babies whatever I want and that my parents have no say in the matter. I don’t care if they disown me.” Erica shook her head again and placed her hands protectively across her belly. “I’ll never treat my children the way my parents treated me.”
“If you’re worried about me…” Megan began.
Erica cut her off. “I know you’d deal with it. Better than I would, in fact.”
“Well, whatever you two decide, I’ll love them either way.” Megan watched Erica flinch. “They look active today.”
Erica nodded as she rubbed. “That they are. You got here a little later than you said you would. Did you run into trouble?”
Megan thought about Hilary. “You could say that.” She explained to Erica what had happened.
“Wow. That’s something you don’t expect to hear. How did Hilary take it?”
Megan took a moment to answer as she considered it. “Better than you would think, actually. Maybe she’s still in shock over his accident.”
“Still, that had to be difficult to take in. Maybe it will hit her later.”
“Maybe. I’ll know tomorrow. Hilary invited Alaina to the funeral.” Megan had been surprised at the invitation. She wondered how she would have handled the same situation when Josh had died. She hoped she’d have been as gracious. She just wasn’t certain that was the case.
“Wow! That’s… that’s just, wow.”
“What do you think will happen? You know, about Colin marrying two different women.” Megan wondered if there would be any charges brought against him, but she couldn’t see how.
Erica shrugged. “That might be up to the women and their lawyers. As far at the police are concerned, he’s already gone.”
***
Compared to the relative silence at Erica’s house, Lauren’s house was a hub of activity. After being admitted to the house by Lauren’s mother-in-law, Bev, Megan followed her to Lauren’s work kitchen and found Vince at the large center island in the middle of the room. Her cousin, Lauren, was sitting in a comfortable chair, directing him. Bev returned to the sink to continue washing the mixing bowls and other things Vince had already used.