Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (89 page)

“Do
you
have
yours
finished?”

“I
haven’t
even
looked.
There’s
a
huge
sale
at
one
of
the
chain
stores
next
week
though.
I’m
hoping
to
find
one
there—cheap.”

“Smart
girl.
Chad
said
that
some
people
spend
several
hundred
or
even
thousands
of
dollars
just
on
the
one
dress
that
they
only
wear
for
a
few
hours!”

“Yes,
they
aren’t
cheap.”

“I
don’t
suppose
you
have
anything
white
at
home…”

Aggie
stifled
a
snort.
“Not
that
would
work
for
a
festive
occasion
like
this,
no.”

Before
she
could
continue,
Aggie’s
phone
rang.
She
excused
herself
and
answered,
telling
Luke
that
all
was
well,
but
his
words
sent
her rushing to the
window
and
nodding
as
she
listened.
“You’re
right.
We’ve
got
to
get
out
of
here.
Thanks
for
calling.”

Just
then,
Tavish
burst
into
the
house.
“It’s
coming
down
pretty
hard,
Aunt
Aggie.
I
can’t
get
Cari
and
Lorna
to
come
in
and
Kenzie
won’t
leave
them.
She’s
afraid
she’ll
get
in
trouble.”

“We’re
going.
Tell
everyone
to
get
in
the
van.”

Ellie
crept
from
her
place
on
the
stair
landing
and
replaced
a
book
in
the
library.
“Do
you
want
me
to
carry
Ian
out
to
his
seat?”
The
girl
looked
pointedly
at
the
sleeping
baby
on
the
couch.

“I’ll
do
it.
It
might
be
slippery.”

“That
one
listens,”
Willow
said.
“She’s
an
intelligent
girl.”

“
She
scares
me
sometimes.
She’s
too
adult
for
a
child
her
age.”

“I
think,”
Willow
said
, retrieving
the
baby’s
coat
for
Aggie,
“I
would
have
been
like
her
as
a
child.
If
there
had
been
others
talking,
I
would
have
found
a
way
to
be
near.
You
would
learn
more
about
people
and
life
that
way.”

“That’s
why
I
said
she
scares
me
sometimes.
I
can’t
be
on
my
guard
as
much
I
probably
should
be.”

Willow’s
next
words
sounded
terrifyingly
odd
to
Aggie—and
true.
“I
wouldn’t
worry
about
it.
She’ll
be
an
adult
soon
enough
and
you
won’t
have
to
think
about
it
anymore.”

Thursday,
January
1
^st

Mibs says:
Did you find your gloves?

Luke says:
Mom says Uncle Zeke says he thinks he has them.

Mibs says:
Well, can you stop by tomorrow and grab ‘em?

Luke says:
Yep. And I can leave Meggie for the day. She’s been

alone a lot lately.

Mibs says:
You could bring her here. I mean, what’s the difference

between now and March?

Luke says:
I still have to see how she does with Miner and Sammie. I should do that when I’ll be around.

Mibs says:
I suppose.

Luke says:
Mom says Willow enjoyed holding Ian. Aunt Marianne told Mom that Willow joked about you maybe giving him up, so she could have him.”

Mibs says:
Not on your life.

Luke says:
I think
that’s the gist she got from Aunt Marianne. Mom also says she gave Willow an earful about marriage.

Mibs says:
Marriage? Willow? She seems pretty set against it.

Luke says:
She is. Mom thinks that Chad wants to go the marriage route and Willow is fighting it.

Mibs says:
Willow isn’t going to do it if she doesn’t want to do.

Mibs says:
Hey, got a question for you.

Luke says:
Shoot.

Mibs says:
Well, today when I went up to get Ellie for breakfast, she hid something from me.

Luke says:
Hid something? Like what?

Mibs says:
I don’t know. If I knew what I’d have told you.

Luke says:
Did you ask her about it?