I sent Elijah a text once I arrived at the Gambini estate then woke Lyric and Memphis. I handed them both a piece of gum to freshen their breath, and we headed to the front door. I wasn’t prepared for some of the rare china and antiques I found inside the house, and Memphis discovered records that made me question if I should call an ambulance for him. Those high dollar items were way out of our price range, and neither of us wanted Sonny to get taken advantage of when it was obvious he wasn’t familiar with their value. Memphis and I promised to email him the contact information of appraisers and auction houses who wouldn’t try to screw him over. There were many wonderful items we both could afford, including an extraordinary Blue Libbey collection.
I realized I hadn’t told them about my plans to meet up with Elijah once we were loaded up and heading south. “I’m sorry, guys. You were so tired, and my mind was preoccupied.”
“It’s no problem,” Lyric said. “Memphis and I will grab a bite to eat at the exit then drive back to Blissville.”
“We’ll even unload the SUV for you before we drop it off at your house,” Memphis added. “Is any of the stuff going home with you?”
“No, I’m going to sell all of it.” I rarely kept the things I found at estates. “Thank you so much for helping me.”
It didn’t take us long to arrive at the London exit where Elijah waited for us in the parking lot of Long John Silvers.
“Mmmmm. Greasy fish, coleslaw, fries, and hush puppies,” Memphis said. “I haven’t eaten here in forever.”
“I’ve never eaten here,” Lyric said.
“You’re in for a treat.”
Lyric looked to me for confirmation, but I just shrugged. Different strokes for different folks. “I get a basket that has fried chicken instead of fish that’s good.”
“I’m up for new experiences,” Lyric said, holding out his hands for my keys.
“See you guys later,” I said, dropping them into his open palm.
Elijah was waiting next to the passenger door of his old beat-up truck. He smiled like he was seeing the sun for the first time in years. “You always look so beautiful, Freckles.”
I didn’t normally wear a dress and sandals to rummage through estates, but I didn’t want to wear just any old thing to meet Elijah’s mom and dad. I had decided to skip any dark and dusty corners to stay clean and smelling good, but I worried for nothing. The Gambini estate was immaculately clean, and there was an order to the collections.
“This old thing?” I asked, looking down at my cream dress with lavender and yellow flowers on it.
“My mom is going to love you, Maegan.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready to tackle anything with you by my side.”
Elijah opened the door for me and stood behind me as I hoisted myself inside the cab of his truck in as ladylike a way as possible. The first time he did it, I thought he was waiting to catch me if I fell and assured him I wasn’t a klutz. Elijah patiently explained he was blocking anyone from seeing my underwear if the wind caught my skirt and blew it up over my head. I adored his charm and caring mannerisms.
We didn’t say much on the ride to his parents’ house beyond me commenting on how lovely the old farmhouses and barns were. Since we were early, he showed me his high school and the field where he played football, the grocery store where he bagged groceries as a teenager, and a covered bridge that looked so old I held my breath while he drove through it.
“The community is a lot like Blissville, but more spread out because its rural.”
“I love all the cows,” I said wistfully. “There’s only grain farms around us now.”
“Many farmers have stopped raising beef and pork over the last few decades, but there are a few holdouts. Most of these guys out here are raising food for their own families and to sell to other people in the community they trust to pay when the time comes. They’re just making enough money to cover grain and vet bills.”
“I couldn’t eat anything I raised,” I told Elijah. “I’d want to make all the animals my pets.”
“It wouldn’t be easy.”
“Your family never had livestock?”
“My grandpa did when I was really little,” Elijah said. “I don’t remember seeing cows on his farm, but there’s pictures of me toddling around beside them.”
“It sounds like a lovely way to grow up. Clean and wholesome.”
Elijah snorted, pulling my attention off the fields and onto him. A wry smile had spread across his face. “Freckles, kids in the country have the same needs and desires as city kids. We just have to get more creative when going about it.”
