“What a beautiful morning for a walk,” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Did you go down by the lake?” Josh asked. “On still mornings like today the water is like glass.”
“We actually walked on the path through the woods past the greenhouse,” Henry said as he sat down at the table next to his granddaughter.
Lance appeared in the door of the kitchen. “Amy, what day did you want to come back?”
She stood for a minute trying to think. With Josh and Cami’s concert on Sunday, she wanted to be back before then. “Would someone be able to pick me up on Friday?”
“Yep, we can arrange that,” Josh assured her.
“Okay then, Friday.”
Again Lance disappeared.
“You’re leaving?” Charlotte asked as she placed slices of apple on a plate.
Amy glanced at the older woman, wondering what she thought about everything that had transpired the previous evening. “Just for a couple of days. I have a job interview on Wednesday for a substitute teaching position.”
“You don’t live here?”
Amy shook her head. “No, I live in Dallas with my folks. I’m just here to help Jessa and Lance while Jessa is on bed -rest.”
“You’re a teacher?”
“Yes. I teach first grade. Unfortunately, the school I’ve taught at the last couple of years burned down the other week. That put me out of a job, so I’m on the hunt for a new one.”
“Maybe you should consider staying here in Collingsworth. From what I hear, Isabella would be delighted if you did.”
Amy let her gaze go to the little girl sitting beside Henry. “Yes, I know she would. Unfortunately, right now my life is in Dallas.”
“Is it? How about your heart?”
Tears pricked at Amy’s eyes at the question. She looked down at the platter of pancakes in front of her. She felt a touch on her arm and saw Charlotte’s hand resting there. Wrinkled with age spots, but oh so gentle in its touch.
Charlotte’s hand slid down to cover Amy’s, and she said, “I would very much like to spend a few minutes talking with you.”
Amy glanced over at the woman and saw a soft smile on her face. “Okay.” The word came out as barely a whisper but when Charlotte moved her hand, Amy knew she’d heard.
She picked up the platter and moved around the counter to set it on the table. In Lance’s absence, Josh prayed for the food. With all the chatter from the children, Amy found it easy to avoid conversation. She was trying hard not to think about what had happened the night before. She needed to get through the next few days without crying and,if possible, thinking about Will.
Lance arrived halfway through breakfast to inform her that the ticket was booked, and everything was a go for her to fly out of Fargo the next afternoon.
“I didn’t mean for you to pay for the ticket,” Amy protested. “I will pay you back.”
Lance laughed. “You’ll do no such thing. Consider it a bonus.”
Amy got up and gave her cousin a hug. “You spoil me.”
She felt a rush of affection as he tweaked her nose and said, “I don’t have a sister of my own, so you’ll have to do.”
Once breakfast was done and cleaned up, Amy texted her flight plans to Sammi, who had offered to pick her up from the airport. She figured she’d surprise her parents with her arrival. It would also give her some time with Sammi to spill everything.
“Come walk with me?”
Amy glanced up from her phone to see Charlotte standing there. “Walk?”
“Yes. Just around that lovely big back yard.”
