Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (202 page)

“Don’t,”
she
said
with
as
much
severity
as
she
could
muster,
“destroy
my
delusions.
They
are
essential
to
my
sanity.”

As
they
stepped
from
the
room,
Laird’s
eager
expression
reminded
her
of
something.
“Oh,
by
the
way.
Where
would
you
suggest
that
I
find
ice
cream
at
nine-thirty
in
the
morning?”

~*~*~*~

A
delivery
van
arrived
near
four
o’clock
,
bringing
chairs
for
the
ceremony.
It
looked
odd
to
have
four
dozen
white
wooden
chairs
stacked
up
on
the
porch
in
midwinter,
but
there
was
nowhere
else
to
put
them.
Not
five
seconds
after
she
signed
the
receipt,
a
horrible
crash
came
from
the
kitchen.

Kenzie
flew
out
the
door
and
into
Aggie’s
arms.
“You
know
how
you
said
if
there’s
an
accident
and
I
tell
the
truth
that
I
won’t
get
spanked?
Well,
I
had
an
accident.
I
slipped
on
the
mat
in
the
kitchen
and
didn’t
want
to
hurt
my
arm
,
so
I
grabbed
the
cloth
on
the
island
and
all
the
vases
are
all
over
the
floor.”

The
alarm
on
Aggie’s
face
must
have
made
Kenzie
panic
because
she
began
reassuring
her
aunt
at
warp
speed.
“I
was
wearing
shoes,
so
I
didn’t
cut
myself
and
Ian
is
upstairs
with
Laird
now
so
he
can’t
get
hurt
and
the
twins
are
in
the
basement
so
they
can’t
get
hurt
and
I
did
tell
the
truth
so
I’m
reminding
you
in
case
you
forgot
that
it
was
an
accident
and
I’m
telling
the
truth.
”

“Your
arm
is
ok.”

“Yes.”

She
closed
her
eyes.
“Take
off
your
shoes
at
the
bottom
of
the
stairs
and
leave
them
there.
No
one
comes
downstairs
until
I
say
so.”
The
girl
turned
to
go
,
but
Aggie
thought
of
something
else.
“Wait.
Where’s
Tina?”

“She’s
cleaning
up
the
vases.”

As
Aggie
suspected,
the
bottoms
of
Kenzie’s
shoes
sparkled
with
imbedded
glass.
She’d
probably
crunched
over
it
on
her
way
to
come
confess.
“Oh,
thank
you,
Lord
that
she
was
even
wearing
shoes.”

Inside,
Aggie
called
out
to
Tina.
“How
bad
is
it?”

“Were
there
any
décor
ideas
that
you
didn’t
consider
because
you
thought
it’d
be
overkill?
They won’t be
now…”

“Is
my
dress
ok?”

“Perfectly
clean
and
hanging
in
your
room.”

Aggie
grabbed
the
mudroom
broom
and
began
sweeping
the
path
across
all
floors
to
the
door.
“Shoes?”

“On
the
floor
,
in
their
box
,
beneath
the
dress.”

“Suitcases?”

“Luke
has
everything
you’re
taking
except
your
carryon.”

Certain
that
her
essentials
were
covered,
Aggie
went
to
retrieve
the
vacuum
cleaner
for
the
area
rugs.
As
she
worked
to
ensure
every
sliver
was
removed
from
her
carpeting,
Aggie
sang.
“…work
while
the
dew
is
sparkling.
Work
‘mid
springing
flowers…”