Eugene reached to open the bottle for her. "You're not feeling well?" His eyes searched her face.
"It's nothing. I'm feeling much better now. Please don't say anything to Katie," Mattie implored anxiously. "I don't want her to worry."
"Well, if you don't want me to. Are you sure you're feeling better?" Eugene studied her closely. "Katie worries because she cares so much for you. She says you're the only family she has now." He glanced at the refrigerator as she poured their drinks. "She told me there's only just you and her, and the cousins over in Maryvale now? No other family?"
"Yes, that's right." Mattie kept a grip on her impatience at all the questions. "Just, please, don't say anything to her that might make her think I'm not well and upset her, will you?"
"All right, since you're feeling better now," Eugene agreed. "Is there anything I can do for you before I leave? We've finished off this coke, but there's more in the refrigerator now. Or I can go back to the store for anything else you might want?"
Mattie shook her head as they got up from the table. "No, there's nothing I can think of. I've got a grocery order on the way now with juice and some things. I won't have to order any more carbonated drinks, thanks to you."
Her eyes twinkled as he stood there so anxious to be of service, thinking Katie was right, she had been too hard on him. "I'm going to wrap this other sandwich for you to have later when you take a break."
She went immediately to wrap the sandwich, afraid he'd volunteer to do the dishes, a bit ashamed of how anxious she was to get rid of him.
He cast a somewhat longing look at Mattie's work stacked beside the word processor but she didn't comment. He'd been warned not to ask about how the book was coming or about her work in general. He joined Mattie at the door.
As she held it for him she said, "I do appreciate your coming, Eugene." She smiled, "I guess you're almost as good as Katie keeps telling me you are."
"Yeah," Eugene laughed heartily, "Absolutely, almost," he grinned back as he went out. "Thanks for lunch."
* * *
There were no customers in the shop and Miss Mayme didn't see any who might be on their way in. Coffee time, she decided, going back to the office.
"I see," Miss Minnie was on the phone but saw her coming and made a face. She rolled her eyes at the instrument braced against her shoulder. Her expression said she had had about enough of whatever she was hearing.
Miss Mayme busied herself with the coffee making and listened to the side of the conversation she could hear while she was at it.
"Yes, that was nice of him. Lucky he got a chance to go."
There wasn't much to hear of Miss Minnie's side of the conversation, but by the time she replaced the receiver, it was with obvious relief.
"Katie," she said. "I guess you could tell. She sure is sold on Eugene Austin's good qualities. But that's her business, I don't want to hear about them."
"Consider it your good deed for the day," Miss Mayme consoled her. "With Mattie gone, there's no one else she can talk to about him."
"You know, now that you mention that, we've been lucky there. About Mattie's stay at the lake, I mean. Katie and Eugene have taken care of Mattie's needs all right without much help from us. We've visited some and called too, but aside from that, she's certainly been no trouble to us compared to what I thought it was going to be like, having her this close to us."
"She must have meant it when she said she went up there to get away and work."
Miss Mayme was distracted by movement in her peripheral vision. Looking out the office door she saw Connie coming toward the shop carrying a box.
"Doughnut alert," she shrieked in delight.
The door chimes jingled as Connie entered. She came straight to the office and set the box in the place on the desk Miss Minnie had hurried to clear. The operation had all the precision of a plane coming in for a landing.
"Welcome to you and your box too."
"My box and I thank you," Connie bowed formally before sitting down. "I thought it was time for some nourishment and gossip, it's been a while."
"Can't even remember the last," Miss Mayme poured coffee.
"What have we got to gossip about? Or should we make up something?"
"That would be cheating."
"And not as much fun, either."
Connie plunged right into the subject closest to her heart, matchmaking. "Tim Carpenter and Hannah McLaughlin are going out together. I don't know how serious it is, but they are. Cas and I saw them at the movies, and we also saw them when we went out to the Roadhouse for barbeque one day last week."
"We saw them too. Mayme and I saw them go to lunch together. Tim picked her up in his car."
"And having a good view of the Smithy, we've seen them a couple of times when they walked over there, too."
"I went to check out some books last week and Hannah mentioned she had a date with him. I guess they got past whatever the snag was. I'm going to cross my fingers for them."
* * *
Working at her word processor Mattie adjusted her glasses. She deleted a recipe and made a note to substitute another for it before continuing. She sighed, correcting a typo in the next line. The typos increased when she got tired, and she got up and stretched her legs. She took off her glasses, knowing she needed a break. She took a deep breath and stretched the muscles in her arms as she pushed her chair aside for a couple of leg lifts.
"This is about all of it. There's always more proofing to do, but that's not unusual. There are some things I want to look over, too, to be sure of. But I'm so tired. I think I'll get something to drink and rest a little while before I finish this section."
The breeze felt soothing and cool on Mattie's cheeks as she opened the door. She rested in the porch swing while she drank her coke. She moved gently to and fro, feeling a little giddy and disoriented, but enjoying the cool air.
"Didn't know this swing would come in so handy. It's pleasant out here, and so pretty. It's a good place to work, just what I was looking for. I may just decide to take that real estate agent up on buying the place if the price is right."
The phone was ringing as she went back in, but there was no one on the line by the time she got to it. Afraid it might have been Katie, she resolved to call her back and tell her she was outside so she wouldn't worry.
She sat down and leaned on her elbows, her worry lines deepening as she looked at the phone. She felt weak and light headed as if she might just float away, and the phone seemed to be slowly moving clockwise with the rest of the room. She was glad she was sitting down.
"It's my stomach is acting up again, maybe I should eat something. But, I'm not hungry, and I'm so tired. I've got to call Katie. If that was her on the phone. I know - she'll - worry."
But she didn't reach for the phone, it seemed such an effort. Her eyes closed as she nestled her head on her arms next to the silent phone.
Chapter 9
Miss Mayme grimaced at Miss Minnie over the receiver she held between her shoulder and her cheek as she listened.
"We're awfully busy right now, Katie," she was explaining.
Miss Minnie shook her head, guessing at the problem on the other end of the line.
In a few more minutes, Miss Mayme looked so uncomfortable Miss Minnie took the phone from her.
"Katie? This is your cousin Minnie, a customer just came in for an arrangement Mayme made for her." She listened to Katie's anxious voice.
"Oh, I see. I was just telling her," Katie explained, "I know you must be awfully busy, and I'm more than likely worrying for nothing."
"What's the matter, Katie? What is it that's worrying you?"
"It's about Mattie. It's been two weeks now since I've been up to see her. Eugene and I planned to go up there again this weekend, but he's had to put his car in the shop. Then I planned to go up there today, since it's my day off. I'm off today, Tuesday, and Sunday because I work Saturdays."
Miss Minnie got a better grip on the phone and her patien
ce, knowing that interrupting her to remind her she knew that would only make Katie's explanation longer.
"But then when I went out to go to see about her this morning, my car wouldn't start. I'm afraid even if I can get it started later, to take it out of town without getting whatever's wrong with it checked out and fixed."
"I don't blame you. I wouldn't either. Isn't there a place near you where you have it serviced? Get the oil changed and things like that?"
"Yes, and I called them. They can't give me a definite time to get to it. The service manager said he would call me. But it's been two weeks since I've been up to see Mattie, in fact, it's nearly three now. I was hoping you or Mayme, one of you, could just go up there and see that she's all right and not in need of anything."
Katie sounded so miserable Miss Minnie gave Miss Mayme a look of understanding as she stood listening.
With a sigh visible to her sister but inaudible on the phone, Miss Minnie weakened. "I'll make a quick trip up there Sunday after church," she promised. "But I'll have to come back to be at work the next day. Monday's the day I bring my ledger up to date from the previous week's business and get out the statements that are due."
"I understand. And I really do appreciate the trips you've made up there and your calling to check on her. I know she can be trying sometimes," Katie apologized.
"She's not trying, she's just trying to work on her book," Miss Minnie smiled at the play on words, her heart going out to Katie. "So if you call that trying, I'm afraid it's a family trait. The only reason I hesitated is we are busy at the shop right now. I also know Mattie doesn't want to be bothered too much. But I'll go Sunday and I'll call you when I get back." She felt as relieved as Miss Mayme had been to be rescued as she replaced the receiver.
"Not so easy to say no, is it?" Miss Mayme spoke from the door, keeping an eye on the shop.
"No it's not. And after all, they are our cousins. Katie sounds so worried, I think I'll give Mattie a call."
"Whether she wants to be bothered or not," Miss Mayme grinned as she left. "I'll go back out front in case someone comes in."
She was busy dusting some of the gift items when Miss Minnie came to her side.
"What is it? Didn't she answer?" Miss Mayme shook the feather duster, expecting some kind of bad news to come from such a serious face.
"Yes. She answered," Miss Minnie said thoughtfully. Her sister tilted her head, waiting.
"She said she's fine. But, Mayme, she didn't sound fine." Miss Minnie frowned, "She doesn't even sound like Mattie to me."
Miss Mayme tossed the duster back under the counter among the supplies. "What do you mean, not like Mattie," Miss Mayme demanded, getting as worried as her sister looked.
"I don't know exactly. She answered my questions and said there's not anything she needs. She sounded, I suppose listless is the word. Not interested in anything I said."
"She's more than likely tired and sleepy, to sound that way. Probably been up late working on her book. That's why she went up there, remember, so she could work anytime she wants to. She told all of us that."
"That's probably it," was accompanied by a nod. "She'll get a nap later and make up for the late hours." Miss Minnie felt better and went back to work.
* * *
Katie hummed to herself as she worked, looking happily around her at the new curtains and the gleaming cabinets.
It was a pleasure to cook in the new kitchen and she always remembered at the sight of it how lucky she and Mattie were that they had gone to the store and not been in the house when the explosion happened.
She remembered the last time she had talked to Mattie. She had said she was making good progress on her book. But she had sounded so tired, or maybe it was lack of sleep since she was getting so much done on the book. The frown that appeared because she knew Mattie had to be reminded to eat right and take care of herself faded as she pictured their cousins Minnie and Mayme. It was comforting to know Minnie would go up to the lake to make sure Mattie was all right and didn't need anything. Yes, Minnie would go. She had promised.
"She needs someone to watch over her whether she admits it or not, to see that she eats right and rests when she should. The only good thing about her taking the cabin as far as I'm concerned, is Eugene and I can have some time alone." She smiled to herself.
The phone interrupted her thoughts. She peered though the glass door of the oven as she answered the call. She held the phone against her shoulder, managing to get out, "Hello?"
"Honey, I'm home!"
"Eugene!" She stood up straighter, flushed with pleasure. She laughed, "Right honey. Wrong home. You're supposed to be here."
"Soon as I can get presentable, I will be. I got permission to bring my van home. Where do you want to eat, or do you want me to pick up something on the way over? And did you get your car in the shop?"
Katie laughed again. "First, I'm glad you got to use the van. They should appreciate all that extra work you do. Second, our dinner is taken care of, and third, they will get to my car in a couple of days. Right now, my next door neighbor's son works fairly close to the book store so I'm giving him gas money to go back and forth to work with him until I can get my car running again. It turned out where he works is only a couple of blocks from the book store, wasn't that lucky?"
"Well! You've got everything so well arranged, I guess you don't need ME at all, do you?"
Eugene's mock indignation made Katie laugh again, care banished by affection and company. "Yes, I do. I need you and I fixed you an upside down cake for dessert to show it. How long is it going to take you to get presentable, as you call it?"
"I won't even wait for the water to get hot!"
"Never mind getting pneumonia," Katie relented. "Everything should be ready about the time you get here."
"I missed you all day," Eugene murmured softly into the phone.
Over the good dinner Katie had fixed him Eugene apologized again for not being able to take her to see Mattie.
"It's all right," Katie shrugged slightly. "My cousin Minnie is going by Sunday just to check and see if she needs anything."
Eugene frowned. "Why? She knows to call if she needs anything, and the store delivers."
"I know, but I'm a little worried about her. Last time I talked to her on the phone, she didn't have much to say. She sounded tired or something." Katie frowned slightly remembering her voice.
"Maybe she is, Katie," Eugene explained as if she was a slow learner. "She's working on her book, like she said she was going to do. And if she's burning the midnight oil and concentrating that hard on it maybe it will be the big success her first one was. She'll be through with it soon and come home where she can rest."
He smiled at Katie. "And you can fuss over her as much as you want to."
"Oh, I know she went up there to work. That's all I heard for days before she went. But she did sound so tired out, maybe she's getting a cold or something. Or maybe she's sick?" Katie wasn't convinced Mattie didn't need her.
Eugene got up and pulled her up into his arms. Holding her close to him, his kiss demanded first place in her troubled mind.
He left later than usual that night, much later.
"You're not going to get much rest. Why don't you just stay? I want you to," Katie whispered to him at the door. "Please, just stay?"
"You know I can't do that." Eugene was adamant as Dudley Do Right. "What would the neighbors say? I've got to get my van away from here, the news has been over for nearly two hours now. "
"Will that van turn into a pumpkin at midnight?" Katie asked dreamily, her arms around his neck.
"It just might, we can't take any chances."
He softened his refusal with another kiss, which seemed nothing like goodbye to Katie. After he closed the door she leaned against it a long moment before going up to bed alone.
* * *
Wednesday morning as they had their first cup of coffee at the shop, Miss Minnie was still vaguely uneasy about Mattie.
"If it's bothering you, call her again. Maybe she's had a good night's sleep and feels better today."
"Good idea. I'll put the speaker on."
They waited expectantly as the phone rang. On the fifth ring, their eyes met. Three more rings and Miss Minnie disconnected.
"She's got to be there, she would have to be awfully sound asleep not to have heard the phone ringing that long."
"Maybe she's outside," Miss Mayme ventured hopefully.
Miss Minnie was busily pulling on her sweater, thinking of all the things that could have happened to Mattie from falling down the back steps to a werewolf loose in the woods around the lake. She decided not to read any more horror stories.
Miss Mayme simply followed her around. Then getting her purse from a drawer she said, "I'll go impose on Cas, Mayme. I'll hitchhike home with him and get the car. You'll have the van. I may have to stay overnight if she is sick, so don't worry. You can manage all right a day or two if you have to can't you?"
"Of course. And be careful, you're the only sister I've got!" Miss Mayme had read the werewolf novel, too.
Miss Minnie took time out at the door for a hug. "If Cas isn't there, one of the deputies or someone will be. I'll make better time in the car anyway, I'm more used to it."
Miss Mayme stood at the flower shop door looking worried, feeling helpless. Then the phone rang and dragged her back to business, at least from the neck down.
* * *
Cas was in his office and on his feet before Miss Minnie finished explaining why she was hitchhiking home. Hearing about the unanswered phone brought out his worry lines too.
"We don't need to go get your car unless there's something you want to take, we can just go from here."
"No, there's no need for you to go." She had to refuse his offer firmly. "I may have to stay overnight if she's sick and needs care."
"I can follow you then, and you'll have your car and I'll be there if you need me."
"No, no. I certainly do appreciate the offer but all I need is a ride home," she insisted. "I'm probably worrying for no reason. No need to get anyone else upset. I'll just check and make sure she's all right and doesn't need anything as Katie would have if her car hadn't quit on her."
Recipe for Trouble Page 14