Mom made a dismissive gesture with her fork, ignoring the eggs on her plate. “But how did you get along with Nathan?”
“Fine.” She wanted to confess she’d fallen asleep on the way home, but her mother would be distressed and lecture her about working too much.
“Oh.” No one could pack more commentary into a single short word than her mother.
“It’s nice you had some fun for a change,” Gramps said tactfully.
Annie tried to change the subject, but her mother was single-minded.
“I thought your dress worked nicely,” Mom said, “but I think it’s past time for you to have a new outfit for special occasions. Why don’t we go to the mall this weekend—my treat. It’s the least I can do now that you’ve started to date again.”
“I haven’t started to date again, Mom. It was just a thank-you for helping Nathan with his aunt. I really don’t need new clothes.”
“Would anyone like more toast?” her grandfather asked, although neither of them had finished the piece they had.
“No, thank you, Dwight. Don’t you think Annie deserves a nice new dress?”
“Annie is pretty, no matter what she wears,” Gramps said.
Hardly tasting what she ate, Annie hurriedly finished breakfast and drove to the Sawyer house. This was one morning when she really didn’t want to see Nathan. What could she say about falling asleep on the way home? Did he think she was bored? Nothing could be farther from the truth! Every moment with him had been precious, all the more so because he’d probably never ask her to go anywhere with him again.
When she pulled into the drive, Nathan was standing behind his car, doing something in the trunk. He straightened immediately when she stopped the VW.
“Good morning,” he called as she got out of the car. “I was just checking my jumper cables. Can’t get ready for freezing temperatures too soon.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Yes, I was waiting for you,” he said a bit sheepishly.
“Is Mattie all right?”
“Right as rain—her words, not mine. I just wanted to tell you what a good time I had last evening.”
“I did too—but I’m so sorry for falling asleep. It wasn’t your company.”
“I never thought it was.” He smiled, and it meant more to her than anything he could say. “I’m sorry the play was so bad. Next time I’ll pay more attention to where I’m taking you.”
Would there be a next time? She didn’t know what to say. Maybe he was only trying to make up for taking her to a boring performance.
“Afraid I have to get to work. Mattie is looking forward to going to the church with you—and I’m relieved she won’t make you do more jobs today. I’m not sure how it would sit with my mother if she starts rearranging furniture or uprooting shrubs or.…”
Annie laughed, feeling a little sorry for his mother. No one liked to have someone else changing things, although apparently Mrs. Sawyer wasn’t very interested in her kitchen.
She watched wistfully as he got into his car and drove off. Nathan was out of her league, and she almost wished they hadn’t gone out. Being with him made her feel cherished and special, but she was sure he was only being polite when he mentioned taking her someplace else.
Walking slowly toward the house, she tried to look cheerful for Mattie’s sake, but her thoughts were gloomy. Maybe it would’ve been better if she’d never taken this job. Now there was a void in her life only Nathan could fill, but she knew how hopeless it was to think of a future with a Sawyer.
“I’m ready to go,” the older woman said as soon as Annie stepped into the house.
Much to her surprise, Mattie looked ten years younger. She was wearing a light blue pantsuit with a frilly white blouse. For the first time since Annie had known her, she’d curled her hair and put on makeup, but it wasn’t just her appearance. Mattie looked happy.
“I can’t tell you how good it feels to be doing something useful,” she admitted on the way to Annie’s car. “You can use those crutches to tie up tomato plants.”
Much to her surprise, Annie’s mood lightened as she took Mattie to church and introduced her to Grace, an older woman with a halo of fuzzy white hair and deep smile lines on her face. The two women were soon chatting away like old friends as they slowly and carefully folded Sunday’s bulletins. When they finished their jobs, Mattie insisted on taking Grace and Annie to lunch.
“I know just the place,” Grace said. “My granddaughter is part owner of the sweetest little tea shop. I help her out from time to time by making my lemon tarts or working the cash register.”
“You work there?” Mattie asked, wanting to hear every detail of Grace’s participation.
“It’s the highlight of my week,” Grace admitted.
The Cottage Tea Shop was as quaint as the name suggested with small wooden tables and a single flower on each one. Grace’s granddaughter turned out to be Jenny Tobias, who’d been several years behind Annie in school. It was a real treat to have dainty cucumber sandwiches and miniature cream puffs, but it was even nicer to see Mattie enjoying herself so much.
“How often do you help out?” Mattie asked, seemingly fascinated because Grace sometimes worked there.
“Only on Monday and Tuesday,” her new friend said. “On Wednesday my Bible study group meets—I must introduce you—and I volunteer in the church library on Thursday. I do like to keep busy.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Mattie said emphatically.
On the ride home, Mattie couldn’t thank Annie enough for taking her to church and introducing her to Grace.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed being involved in church activities until today,” she said. “I’ll be happy to help out whenever there’s something I can do.”
Unlike every other day at the Sawyer house, Annie’s afternoon was free of chores. Mattie was content to quietly read, dozing off in the chair and letting her book fall to the floor after a while.
With no job list, Annie started to feel guilty for taking money to be there. She wandered out to the lovely garden, pulling a weed here and a dried bloom there. The gardener did a good job, so there really wasn’t much to do. On impulse, she got a knife from the kitchen and cut enough flowers for a colorful bouquet, putting them in a clear glass vase she found in a kitchen cupboard.
She was putting the arrangement on a table in the foyer when the front door opened.
“Nathan, you’re home early.” Why was her heart beating faster?
“Home with bad news, I’m sorry to say. Where’s Mattie?”
“Napping in the den. She fell asleep reading.”
“Come with me. Maybe you can help soften what I have to tell her.”
He didn’t leave her any option. She fell into step behind him, hating the thought of anything that would spoil Mattie’s pleasant day.
“Aunt Mattie,” Nathan said in a soft voice, waiting until his aunt was fully awake before sitting down opposite her in one of the wing chairs and motioning for Annie to sit too.
“Well, I must have dozed off. I didn’t expect to sleep until you got home,” she said, retrieving the book she’d been reading.
“I’m home early. Aunt Mattie, I’m afraid I have some bad news from your attorney, Joshua Baines.”
“Joshua got in touch with you? He’s supposed to be looking after my affairs. Why didn’t he call me?”
“This really isn’t any of my business,” Annie said, starting to stand.
“No, stay,” Mattie said. “I don’t have any secrets.”
“Joshua called me so I could break the news to you,” Nathan said, looking unhappy and reluctant to tell her.
“That doesn’t sound good.” Mattie sat up straighter and squared her shoulders, bracing herself to hear something bad.
“The contractor he hired to fix your house said it can’t be repaired. It would be cheaper to tear it down and build new. Besides the extensive tornado damage, the foundation was weakened by termit
es.”
“The house was almost ninety years old when Tom and I bought it,” Mattie said in a sad voice. “We did a lot to improve it, but I guess nothing lasts forever.”
Annie saw her eyes grow moist, but Mattie didn’t let herself cry.
“I’m truly sorry, Aunt Mattie,” Nathan said.
“I guess it’d be foolish to rebuild at my age.” She seemed to shrink before Annie’s eyes.
“Not foolish, but maybe you can consider alternatives. Joshua also said he’s had a fair offer for the land you have left,” Nathan said.
“I know the alternative if I go back to Iowa: the old folks’ home. I don’t have the energy to start over.”
“You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you like,” Nathan said in a consoling voice.
“I respect your mother, Nathan, but we’re like oil and water. It would never work living in the same house.”
“You’ve started to make friends here,” Annie said, wanting very much to ease the older woman’s pain.
“That’s true. We had a lovely lunch with a lady from your church. I’d like to participate in your congregation,” Mattie said thoughtfully.
Annie told Nathan about their day while Mattie lapsed into silence.
“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Nathan said. “My parents won’t be home until after Labor Day. Anyway, it’s a big house. You could have your own little apartment right here. In fact, I’m thinking of moving out. My space would be perfect for you.”
“No, I’d still be underfoot. It’s not like me to go all day without talking to anyone. Of course, at home my friends and I would talk on the telephone quite a bit.”
“You can still do that from here,” Annie said, trying to offer encouragement.
Mattie shook her head but didn’t comment on the long call from her friend in Iowa.
“One thing I am not going to do is move into one of those assisted living places. I want my own home,” Mattie said decisively.
“There’s a nice new apartment complex going up south of town,” Nathan said. “Some of the units are ready for occupancy.”
His aunt only thought about that suggestion for a few seconds.
“No, I’ve never shared a wall with anyone, and I’m not going to start now. I need room for a garden and a patio to sit outside. I’m going to buy a house right here in Westover.”
“I’d love to have you close, Aunt Mattie, but don’t you want to think about it before making a decision?”
“No, I’ve decided. Much as it hurts to know I can never go back to the house Tom and I shared, it’s the right thing to do. I’ll be on my own but still have people I care about close.”
Nathan stood and gave his great aunt a big hug. “I’ll do all I can to help you find someplace nice.”
“Annie will help me. We’ve done enough fiddling around here.” She nodded her way.
“Maybe that’s asking too much,” Nathan said.
“No, I’d be happy to look at houses with Mattie,” Annie said.
“Good, we’ll get started first thing Monday. I need a few days to get used to the idea. Meanwhile, I noticed there’s a bell choir program at the church Sunday afternoon. I always read the bulletin board for announcements.”
“I’d be happy to take you,” Nathan said. “Maybe Annie can join us.”
Was this how he wanted to compensate her for the bad play? Annie didn’t want him to feel obligated.
“Thank you, but I usually spend Sunday afternoon with my mother,” Annie said. “We don’t get much time together.”
“Bring her along,” Mattie said.
“We have other plans.”
Annie hated to fib, but she couldn’t tag along just because Nathan felt he should make up for taking her to a boring production. He didn’t realize being with him meant more to her than where he took her. And she was never going to let him suspect how much she cared about him. The more time she spent with him, the harder it would be when her job here was over and he was out of her life for good.
Chapter 16
When Annie pulled into the Sawyers’ driveway Monday morning, Nathan’s car was still there. So was a vehicle she’d never seen before, a fairly new tan four-door. She parked and hurried to the door of the house, letting herself in as she’d been told to do from her first day there.
In the foyer Nathan and Mattie were talking to a tall, slender woman in a snug-fitting red suit, her platinum blond hair piled high on her head. Her back was turned, but Annie’s first thought was what a good match she was for Nathan: tall, shapely, and sophisticated. Then she turned around, and Annie saw she was closer to his mother’s age than Nathan’s.
“Annie, this is Belinda Jensen from the real estate agency. She’s going to show you and Mattie some houses this morning. This is my aunt’s friend Annie.”
It was nice of him to call her a friend instead of a paid companion, but then, Nathan was always tactful and considerate. It was a large part of why she cared so much for him.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Annie. This is a good time to buy a house. We’re in a bit of a summer slump, and I have lots of listings that might work for Mattie.”
Belinda’s lipstick matched her suit and her beige straw heels looked too high for tramping around gardens and lawns, but Annie appreciated her professional persona. She was looking forward to house hunting with her.
“I have to get to work,” Nathan said. “Sorry I can’t go with you.”
He shook hands with Belinda, kissed his aunt’s cheek, and smiled at Annie as though the two of them had a secret. “Come walk to the car with me.”
Mattie led the realtor to the den so she could sit and see pictures of the listings on Belinda’s lap top computer. Annie followed Nathan outside, wondering what he had to say to her.
“I really appreciate your going with Mattie. She’s inclined to make snap decisions, so make sure she sees everything available even if the first house looks perfect to her. I want to check her choices for myself before she makes an offer. I’m a little concerned because she didn’t know about the termite infestation in her old house, but, of course, an engineer has to check before she buys.”
“I don’t know anything about real estate,” Annie said, afraid he was expecting too much from her.
“You have more common sense than anyone I know,” he said encouragingly. “I’ll try to get home before you leave this afternoon.”
Common sense! She watched as he got into his car and drove away, not feeling at all flattered. No woman in love wants to hear she has common sense. But then, Nathan only saw her as his aunt’s companion. If she let herself expect more from him, she would be immensely disappointed.
After Mattie had seen all the photos of listings, she selected a few to see first. They went in the realtor’s car, Mattie riding in front and Annie in back. She felt totally out of place house hunting since she’d lived at home her whole life except when she went to community college and shared an apartment with two other girls.
Not for the first time, she thought it was time to get her own place, even if it was a tiny apartment. She was twenty-six, more than old enough to strike off on her own, but living with Mom and Gramps was the only way she could save enough to buy the flower shop.
“Usually my clients like to leave their house when I show it, but the woman who owns the first place is quite elderly. It’s difficult for her to get out. In fact, she’s selling her house to move into assisted living.”
“How sad,” Mattie said, no doubt thinking of how much she wanted to stay independent.
Belinda stopped in front of a small bungalow in one of the older parts of town. Someone had tried to perk it up by hanging a basket of flowers on the porch and painting the front door a bright lime-green, but the touches of color only made the rest of the exterior look more shabby.
“Mrs. Hamilton,” the realtor said when a tiny woman leaning heavily on a cane answered her ring. “Thank you for letting us see your home so early in t
he morning. This is Mrs. Hayward and Annie.”
A shy kitty poked it’s head out from behind a couch covered with shredded upholstery, but Annie didn’t need to see it to know Mrs. Hamilton had cats. The smell was dreadful, and several other felines watched their progress through the rooms.
“I’m dreadfully sorry,” the realtor said when they were back in her car. “That’s the first time I’ve been in that house. I’ll speak to the person who listed it about the odor.”
“It’s sad the owner isn’t able to take better care of her pets anymore,” Annie said sympathetically.
“On the farm, we kept our cats in the barn,” Mattie said, not unkindly. “I wouldn’t be interested in that house anyway. It would need too many renovations.”
What made Nathan think his aunt didn’t have enough common sense to look at houses without her? Now that Mattie’s ankle had healed, she really didn’t need Annie. Was Nathan being charitable, hiring her through the summer? Maybe she should give up her job—and her hopes for a shop of her own. With Nathan constantly on her mind, she didn’t see her future as clearly as she once had.
The next house was a small ranch style, not new but well maintained. Annie liked the sunny yellow paint and the marigolds lining the walkway, but Mattie wasn’t enthusiastic after they walked through it.
“I really would like a second bathroom, even a half-bath would do in case there’s a plumbing problem. I suppose one could be added in that closet off the kitchen,” she said thoughtfully.
“We’ve only begun looking,” the realtor assured her. “I have an absolutely adorable cottage to show you on Elm Street.”
“Oh, my,” Mattie said when they stopped in front of a small home with pink stucco siding and wooden shingles on the roof. Instead of a lawn, the entire lot was one big garden with ornamental features including gnomes, a miniature stone windmill, and flagstone paths.
“It is adorable,” Annie said, admiring the morning glories climbing up one side of the house. “Like something in a book of fairy tales.”
“Or maybe not,” Mattie said, stepping around a broken board in the porch floor.
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