Page 25 of Wilde Flame

I smiled. “I met her at the store. Her daughter was in town visiting and brought her in. They made perfume together, and I just fell in love with her. I try to visit her once a week. It’s a lot of fun. She reminds me so much of my own grandmother, on my mother’s side. I never met my father’s mother.”

“Yeah, she’s a sweet lady.”

“She wants to teach me how to knit.” Looking over at Ensley, I added, “She told me she used to teach.”

Ensley smiled. “She was an English teacher for the tenth grade. Everyone loved her as a teacher. I think Emeline was the last year she taught, then she retired.”

“She’s a hoot. Makes me laugh.”

“I should swing by her place sometime and visit her.”

“Oh, you really should, Ensley. She’s so lovely, and I know she gets lonely. Like I said, I try to go over at least once a week. I missed the other day, so I thought I’d pop by today, since I blocked out my schedule at the store. I know it’s the holiday weekend, and we were so busy Friday and Saturday, but I’m hoping today will be slow. Plus, I hired a couple of high school seniors, and they begged me to let them work with Moreen today.”

Ensley smiled at me. “Then you should totally go over there today.”

I nodded and said, “I think I will.”

After going home and taking a long, hot shower, I got myself together and prayed my headache was gone for good. It was lightly snowing, but I decided to walk to Mrs. Harper’s house, since she was only two blocks away. I could use the fresh, crisp air to clear the last of the hangover cobwebs…and it would give me time to think about what happened at Caden’s this morning.

I wasn’t sure why I’d asked him that stupid question, when I already knew the answer from Emeline. His long-time girlfriend had hurt him. Badly. He’d asked her to marry him, and she’d said no, then left River Falls. That was all I knew, but even knowing so little, I knew it must’ve hurt him something fierce to have someone he’d dated for so long turn him down.

I stopped in front of Mrs. Harper’s and smiled up at the old house. According to the lady herself, it was one of the first homes in River Falls, built by the first doctor, who also saw patients there. It was a two-story yellow Victorian. The porch wrapped around the right side of the home and the dramatic two-story turret windows.

I walked up to the double doors and rang the doorbell. Glancing down, I saw a few boxes marked “Front Porch/Christmas.”

“Please tell me she’s not going to decorate in this weather?” I whispered.

The door opened, and Mrs. Harper let out a small gasp. “Oh dear! What did I ever do to deserve this surprise visit?”

She moved back so that I could come in. I stepped into the house, gave her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, then took off my scarf and gloves.

“I missed our visit this week and thought I’d make up for it today. Is now a good time?”

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, she replied, “This is the perfect time. I have another visitor. Let me introduce you to him.”

“Him?” I said, waggling my brows.

She playfully hit my arm. “I’m too old for this handsome cowboy.”

“Oh, my favorite kind of him.”

We both laughed.

“You know where to put your things,” she said, as she walked off toward the kitchen.

When you first entered the home, you were met with a grand staircase that wound up to the second floor. On the right was the living room, with antique furniture, a large fireplace, and the same piano that Mrs. Harper said she’d learned to play on when she was younger. Beyond that was the formal dining room, which held the biggest table I’d ever seen. A matching sideboard stood on one side, and pictures of her family covered the opposite wall.

To the left of the staircase was a coat room, a half bath, a family room, and a wide entry hall with a small table and two chairs along the backside of the curved stairs. Through that hallway you reached the kitchen, which was big for such an old house. There was a breakfast nook that held a table and four chairs. The family and dining rooms both opened to the kitchen, thanks to a remodel ten years ago, she’d told me about. That was also when Mrs. Harper added a large laundry room, at her husband’s suggestion. He’d passed away a few years ago.

The smell of something amazing hit me the moment I walked into the kitchen. “What are you making?” I asked, as I walked over to the oven and peeked in.

“Molasses cookies.”

“Yum, I’ve never had those before.”

She smiled. “They’re Caden’s favorite cookies, and we always make them when he comes over to decorate for Christmas.”

My smile faded. “Caden? Caden Wilde? Is he here?”