Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (194 page)

“Let’s
get
it
and
on
the
way
we
can
try
to
figure
out
Chad.
Before
that
call,
I’d
have
said
something
to
give
his
apartment
a
more
homey
feel,
but
now…”

“Sparse?”

“You
aren’t
kidding.”

“What
are
you
going
to
do
with
all
your
stuff?”

“Anything
not
personal,
I’m
leaving
at
the
duplex.
I’ll
rent
it
out
fully
furnished.
They
can
pack
anything
they
don’t
want
or
need
in
my
storage
shed.”

“Good
idea.”

He
reached
for
her
hand.
“Just
a
week
from
tomorrow
and
I’ll
walk
out
of
it
for
good.”

“I
have
a
feeling
it’s
going
to
be
a
very
long
week.”
And
a
long
day,
she
added
to
herself.

Traffic
was
crazy
busy.
“It
must
be
getting
close
to
lunch.
Have
an
idea
what
you
want
to
eat?”
Luke
asked.

“You’re
going
to
laugh
at
me.”

“I
doubt
it.
What?”

“I
want
one
of
those
gourmet
hot
dogs
from
that
place
near
Storyland.”

“Gourmet
dogs
it
is.
I
haven’t
had
one
of
those
in
ages.”

“I
wonder
if
Willow
has
ever
been
to
a
place
like
Storyland
or
the
Aquarium.
Maybe…”

“I
know
the
Aquarium
freaked
her
out.
I
don’t
think
she’d
understand
the
point
of
Storyland,
but
she
might
enjoy
the
symphony
or
maybe
the
Zoo…”

“Maybe
something
for
outside—to
make
her
work
easier.”

“Wait,
this
is
supposed
to
be
for
Chad.
We got Willow’s.
”

Frustration
bubbled
over
before
Aggie
could
stop
herself.
“Well,
if
they’re
getting
married,
what’s
the
difference?”

“Are
you
ok?
Did
I—”

“No.
Ok,
I
don’t
really
know
Chad.
What
does
he
like?
Does
he
have
a
good
camera?”

“I
think
so.
Willow
used
it
at
the
house
that
day…”

“Of
course
she
did.
Then
what
about—”

“Aggie,
you
seem
upset.
They’re
just
gifts.
We’ll
figure
out
something.
I
can
call
Aunt
Marianne.”

“Well,”
she
snapped,
“everything
I
come
up
with
isn’t
right
;
they
may
just
be
gifts,
but
obviously
they
have
to
work
too.”

Without
a
word,
Luke
pulled
into
a
supermarket
parking
lot,
parked
far
away
from
the
rest
of
the
cars,
and
shut
off
the
engine.
“Something
is
wrong.”

“Really?
I
hadn’t
noticed.”

“And
now
you’re
sarcastic.”
His
voice
seemed
cooler.

“I’m
sarcastic?
Who
is
Mr.
Superior
in
the
gift
department?”

“What
are
you
talking
about?”

In
a
near
perfect
imitation,
something
she
didn’t
know
she
could
do,
Aggie
recited,
“‘Would
Mom
maybe
feel
slighted
because
she
got
one
gift
and
Willow
got
several?’”

“I
don’t
understand.”

“That’s
just
the
point.
You
don’t
understand.
I’ve
got
this
crazy
thing
going
here.
We’re
talking
two-hundred
fifty
dollars
for
one
gift,
seventy-nine
for
another.
Who
knows
what
Storyland
will
be
for
a
family
season
pass,
and
then
we
still
have
Chad.”