by Debby Mayne
“Bloomfield can be a very happy place.” As Sherry spoke, she saw Brad nodding in her peripheral vision.
Lacy skipped out of the kitchen and stopped at the edge of the living room. “Miss Nomi said to tell everyone supper’s ready. We’re eating buffet.”
Naomi walked up behind Lacy. “I thought it would be easier to serve buffet-style, so come on into the kitchen and help yourselves.”
Ten minutes later Brad asked everyone to hold hands for the blessing. Sherry made sure only her fingertips touched Brad’s. She wasn’t about to let some momentary tummy flutter make her lose her mind, so she did what she always did. She avoided what she could.
After the blessing Brad took a bite of his lasagna and nodded. “This is delicious, Naomi. As always. If I didn’t know how good of a cook you were all the time, I’d think this was just part of a campaign for Gina and Lacy to move here.” He winked at Naomi.
Naomi’s eyes twinkled as she placed her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her fist. “Who says I’m not campaigning?”
“Miss Nomi, my mommy says it’s not p’lite to put your elbows on the table.” The comically bossy tone of Lacy’s voice created a ripple of laughter around the table.
“Oops, sorry.” Naomi put both hands in her lap. “Your mommy’s right, sweetie. I need to watch my manners.”
Brad put down his fork and turned to Gina. “I sure hope your family is able to move to Bloomfield. We need someone to keep Naomi in line, and it looks like Lacy might be the one to do that.” He grinned at Naomi.
Naomi shrugged. “I can’t help it if I have a soft spot for kids.”
“We still have a bunch of things to consider . . .” Gina smiled.
Naomi reached over and gave Gina’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Yes, of course, we understand. Don’t get me wrong. We’d like nothing more than for you and Lacy to make Bloomfield home, but more important is how it affects your family.”
Gina’s smile faded as she sighed. “I guess I owe you all an explanation, after all this.” She glanced over at Lacy who shoveled food into her mouth. She told the group what she’d already discussed with Sherry. “Jeremy is a good man, and he’s doing the best he knows how. It’s just that . . .” She looked around the table helplessly.
Sherry gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “We understand.”
“I don’t think anyone will ever fully understand, unless they’ve been through it.” Gina forced a closed-mouth smile. “But I appreciate the kind words and support while we’ve been here.”
Lacy swallowed the last bite of her food and put her fork on her plate. “I like it here, Mommy. When Daddy comes home, can we bring him to see Miss Nomi and Mr. Brad and the old maid lady?”
Naomi’s eyebrows shot up, and even though she lifted her napkin to her mouth, Sherry could see the upturned corners of her lips.
“Sure, sweetie.” Gina cast an apologetic but helpless look toward Sherry before placing her hand on Lacy’s shoulder. “Are you finished with supper?”
“Uh-huh. What’s for dessert?”
“Lacy!” Gina shook her head. “It’s not very nice to ask for things.”
Naomi stood. “That’s okay. I told Lacy I had a surprise dessert if she ate a good supper.”
“Oh, no wonder she cleaned her plate.” Gina chuckled. “You’re good with kids.”
“By the time my fourth kid arrived, I figured out that bribery worked, and I didn’t hesitate to use it.”
Brad leaned back and chuckled. “And you still don’t.”
“That’s because it still works.” Naomi nodded toward the kitchen. “Want to give me a hand, Lacy?”
Lacy hopped down out of the chair and started to run off but stopped and turned to Gina. “Mommy, may I be ’scused?”
“That’s more like it.” Gina leaned toward Lacy and cupped her chin. “Yes, you may be excused, but please be very careful and do what Miss Naomi tells you to do.”
“Okay.” With that, Lacy skipped off toward the kitchen, leaving her mother, Sherry, and Brad sitting there awkwardly staring at each other.
“Maybe I should see if I can help,” Sherry said.
“No,” Naomi called out from the kitchen. “You stay right there and let us wait on you.”
Sherry was happy when Brad turned toward Gina. “So what are your plans now?”
Gina’s gaze went from Brad to Sherry and back to Brad. “I’d like to check out a few more places before I go back home.”
“Do you think Jeremy might actually consider moving here?” Brad asked.
Gina’s forehead crinkled. “You know, I think he just might go for it.” She took a sip of water. “Jeremy has always liked adventure. He used to tease me about being too comfortable with the status quo, which, I have to admit, is one of the reasons I came here.” She cleared her throat and added, “And I think what bothered him most when he lost his job was that we had to move in with my folks.”
Naomi stepped out of the kitchen and nodded. “My husband and I had to do that for a short time. It hurt my husband’s pride, but he eventually got over it. I’m sure Jeremy will, too, once you’re back on your feet.” Before anyone had a chance to respond, she darted back into the kitchen.
Lacy came around the corner carrying a dish with a slice of Naomi’s renowned pound cake topped with ice cream and chocolate shavings. “Mommy, lookie what me and Miss Nomi made for you.”
“Miss Naomi and I,” Gina corrected. “That looks delicious, sweetie! But it’s way more than I can eat. Will you share it with me?”
Lacy handed her mother the dessert and took a step back. “We don’t have to share. Miss Nomi said I could have my own.”
Naomi entered the dining room with a dessert in each hand. “Here you go, folks. Enjoy.”
“Where’s yours?” Brad asked as he lifted his dessert fork.
“Lacy and I are the servers, so we made sure to take care of everyone else first.” She gestured toward the kitchen. “Let’s go get our cake and ice cream, Lacy.”
Gina stared down at her cake for a few seconds before looking back up at Sherry and Brad. “Naomi is amazing. I should take notes on how to deal with Lacy.”
LATER THAT NIGHT SHERRY curled up in bed with her favorite classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. She’d read it at least a dozen times before, and each time she came away with something new. Although she’d noticed the flirtatious nature of the Bennet sisters before, it nearly jumped off the page as she read each scene tonight. She sighed as she closed the book and thought about the differences between herself and these characters.
She couldn’t fall asleep right away, so she stared up at the ceiling as the light from the moon filled the room and cast an ethereal glow. If she squinted her eyes, she could almost imagine herself playing the part of the witty and intelligent Elizabeth, charming Mr. Darcy into coming back for more. In her mind, however, Brad’s face was superimposed over Mr. Darcy’s, making her shiver.
Stop it right now. The experience with Theo should have been enough to prevent such silly thoughts. But the more time she spent around Brad, the more difficult it became to keep such ridiculous, absurd illusions from entering her mind.
Sherry squeezed her eyes shut and tried to fall asleep. After another ten minutes of trying, she finally reached over and switched the bedside lamp back on. Maybe it would help to read tomorrow’s daily devotion.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING Sherry sipped her coffee and tried to wrap her mind around anything except how Brad made her tingle from head to toe. What would Elizabbeth do? Sherry didn’t have the sharp tongue and biting wit of her favorite Bennet sister, the very reason she admired the character so much.
After her shower Sherry wrapped up in her robe and went to her closet to find something that suited her mood. She stroked the dress she wanted t
o wear before letting go and instead pulled out the standard boring slacks, button-front shirt, and nubby beige sweater that went with everything, knowing it would make her invisible. Perfect. Now she could concentrate on work and not on herself.
Too bad Andy Barnhardt hadn’t gotten the memo. He stood at the door of the card shop waiting for her when she arrived.
“Hey, Andy. What can I do for you?”
He looked her up and down. “Rough night?”
Sherry wanted to hide, but she tried to laugh off his comment instead. “Not really.”
He gave her another once-over and cleared his throat. “I have a huge favor, and I’ll understand if you say no.”
She unlocked the door and gestured for him to follow her inside. The lack of Andy’s usual gruff demeanor threw her off-guard. “What do you need?”
He pursed his lips, scrunched his face, and looked her in the eye. “I have to go out of town for a couple of days, and you know I can’t leave Murray alone.”
Sherry cringed. Between Murray’s bad manners and inability to keep his beak shut, she thought she’d go out of her mind the last time she’d bird-sat.
“He’s been asking about you, and—”
“What?”
Andy tilted his head. “I said I needed someone to watch Murray—”
“No, not that. You said he was asking about me. Who?”
“Murray.” He let loose one of his charming smiles. “He enjoyed staying with you. He says your name a lot now.”
Sherry folded her arms and cast a dubious glance toward Andy. “Oh, he does, does he?”
Andy nodded. “All the time. He says ‘Hi, Sherry,’ ‘What’s up, Sherry,’ and ‘Where are the birthday cards, Sherry.’” Andy chuckled. “He even has some new favorite commercials, after hanging out with you.”
“Really?” Andy might not have realized it, but he gave her all the more reason to say no on the bird-sitting gig.
“Yes. You know, I never paid much attention to TV marketing before, but I watch more manly shows, with car and deodorant commercials. Now he talks about flawless makeup and decadent chocolate and feminine . . . more girly stuff.”
Sherry stifled a giggle. “I’m sorry, Andy, but—”
“Please?” Andy put his palms together. “I have no other options, and Pamela really wants me to go to her parents’ house with her.”
“You’re going somewhere with Pamela?” That did make things a bit different. She did not want to be on Pamela’s bad side.
Andy nodded. “Only if you can watch Murray.”
“Wouldn’t he be happier with the vet?”
Shaking his head, Andy sighed. “No. Sarah said he was too disruptive last time, and he scared the dogs.”
Sherry hated the fact that she’d do this to keep Pamela happy, but she couldn’t deny the reality. “How long will you be gone?”
Andy’s expression softened. “Three days?”
Three days with Murray seemed like eternity, but she nodded. “Okay, three days, but not a day more. When are you leaving?”
Andy couldn’t hold back a smile as he backed toward the door. “In just a few minutes. Murray’s in the car waiting with Pamela. I’ll go get him now.”
As she waited for Andy to get his bird, she thought about how long he and Pamela had been dating. Sometimes it was hard to forget they weren’t a married couple, but Sherry suspected they were both happy with things just the way they were. Pamela had the freedom to run the garden club, and Andy didn’t have to worry about her schedule with his demanding twenty-four hours on-duty and forty-eight hours off at the firehouse.
CHAPTER SIX
Maybe having Murray wasn’t so bad. He’d been quiet for . . . Sherry glanced at the clock . . . almost two hours, even during the time the half-dozen customers had been in the store, the door chiming behind them each way. Andy had left some snacks for Murray, and the bird barely noticed anything else as he nibbled carrots and pretzels. The tension in her shoulders faded.
Then the door opened again. Before Sherry had a chance to greet Naomi, Murray belted out a loud, “Squawk! Enemy forces are gaining on us! Squawk! Enemy forces are gaining on us!”
Naomi lifted an eyebrow, shook her head, and softly chuckled. “Sometimes I wonder about Andy. What’s he teaching his bird?”
Sherry nodded. “My question is why.”
“He did serve some time in Nam, but he should be over it by now.”
Sherry put down the pricing gun she’d been using for the new shipment of stuffed animals and walked around from behind the counter. “What can I help you with?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing after your date with Brad.”
“Date?”
“Yeah, remember? You were with Brad most of the afternoon yesterday.”
Sherry sighed. “That wasn’t exactly what I’d call a date.”
“Then what was it?” Naomi leaned on the front counter, folded her arms, and looked Sherry squarely in the eye.
“We were just hanging out with you, remember?”
“Call it what you want, but I consider ‘hanging out’ with a guy who gives you the collywobbles a date.”
“He doesn’t give me the colly-whatevers. We were just trying to be nice to Gina.”
“So do you like her?” Naomi held her gaze.
“I do.” She glanced over at the parrot. He had his back to them, but his cocked head and slight tilt toward them raised suspicion. “I think we need to be careful what we say.” She pointed to Murray.
Naomi smiled. “You’re right. Too bad I wasn’t here when Andy brought him. I could’ve given you a lesson on how to say no. That isn’t exactly your strong suit.”
No kidding.
“So have you been busy this morning?”
“Good morning, Murray . . . squawk . . . Rise and shine.”
Sherry could tell it took every ounce of self-restraint Naomi could muster to keep from laughing. If Sherry didn’t have three days of Murray ahead of her, she would have thought he was funny too.
Naomi placed a hand to one side of her mouth and whispered, “How long do you have to put up with that?”
“Three days.”
“Three days of bliss . . . squawk . . . Three days of bliss.”
Naomi’s eyebrows shot up. “I wonder where that came from? If Murray keeps this up, Andy has some ’splainin’ to do. Maybe you should jot down what Murray says, in case we ever need to put Andy in his place.”
Sherry grinned. “You mean blackmail?”
“Well, since you put it that way, maybe not. But I agree that you need to be cautious.” Naomi pulled away from the counter. “I need to get some birthday cards.” She glanced around. “Looks like you moved things around since last time I was here. Where are the funny ones?”
“Oh, that’s so funny . . . ha-ha-ha . . . squawk!”
Naomi snorted. “Fresh bird.”
“Fresh as a morning daisy . . . squawk.”
“Did you say where the funny cards were? I couldn’t hear you over that . . .” She pointed to Murray, cupped her hand at one side of her mouth, and whispered, “impudent bird.”
“Over past the display of stuffed animals. I’ll let you browse. Just let me know if you need me.”
After Naomi went on her card search, Sherry picked up the pricing gun and resumed her task. She glanced at Murray every few seconds and caught him staring at her.
“What are you looking at, Murray?”
“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid . . . squawk . . . Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
Sherry groaned. There had to be an end to this bird’s vocabulary, and she hoped he’d come to it soon. A whole three days of this could send her to the loony farm.
After fifteen min
utes of quiet broken by an occasional ruffling of feathers, Naomi brought a stack of cards to the counter to pay. “Sherry, sweetie, please try to relax a bit with Brad. You’re still young and attractive . . . that is, if you would take my advice and update your wardrobe a smidge.” Naomi shook her head and gave Sherry a look of disapproval. “You’re so pretty, and that sweater doesn’t do you justice. I don’t know why you have to keep wearing it.”
“This sweater is comforta—”
“Nonsense. Comfort is overrated. We’ll go shopping, and I’ll get you a cute little cardigan that doesn’t look like something the dog dug up.”
“I appreciate the offer, Naomi, but I really don’t need anything new.”
“And I suppose you think you’re happy rattling around in that big old house that’s falling down around you?” Oh man, Naomi was on a roll.
“It’s the only house I’ve ever lived in.”
“Yes,” Naomi said. “I know. And that’s the very reason you need to consider moving . . . like maybe to those new apartments. What’re they called?” She gazed off for a moment
“Fontainebleau?”
Naomi nodded. “Yeah.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good reason.”
“Look, sweetie, I know you loved your mom and dad, and they loved you. But they wouldn’t want that house to tie you down. The place is nothing but an albatross that is keeping you from moving forward.”
“It’s where I live, Naomi.”
“No, I’m afraid it just seems that way. You’re not really living.”
Sherry sighed. Naomi meant well, but she didn’t understand.
“The house is all I have left from my parents.”
“Nonsense. You have much more than that, including a beautiful, warm heart.” She placed her fists on her hips. “So sell the house and get on with life.”
“I don’t have anyone beating down the door to buy the house.”
Naomi lifted her hands. “You have to fix a few things, freshen it up a bit, and put it on the market first, sweetie.” She tipped her head and widened her eyes. “In case you haven’t noticed, houses don’t repair themselves.”