Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (178 page)

Libby says
: Gift certificate to some place in the city—kind of a forced  date for you guys after you get back.

Aggie says:
Ok, that works too. Next?

Libby says:
An official Milliken-Stuart-Sullivan family Bible.

Aggie says:
Oh, like for writing marriage, births etc. Good idea. I think I’ll save that for wedding and do the other two. One for birthday, one for my missed Valentine’s Day.

Libby says:
Well, you don’t have to do both.

Aggie says:
No, but now I have an excuse to.

Aggie says:
You know what amazes me?

Libby says:
Nope. Sure don’t.

Aggie says:
He loves me. Isn’t that just the most amazing thing!

Libby says:
You’re going to laugh.

Aggie says:
Why?

Libby says:
Last night when we were wrapping your gift, my Luke said the same thing. “She loves me, mom! Isn’t that just the most amazing thing?”

Aggie says:
You know, when I took on these kids, I did it with the firm conviction that no man was going to look twice at a twenty-two year old with eight kids… or a twenty-six year old… or a thirty-nine year old…

Libby says:
And yet within months you had two men asking you to marry them.

Aggie says:
Yeah, but pity proposals don’t count in my book.

Aggie says:
I wasn’t really upset about it either—the not marrying part, not the proposal from William. That one ticked me off.

Libby says:
Rightfully so.

Aggie says:
I just took it as God’s direction for my life. Now I’m trying to imagine life without Luke and I can’t.

Libby says:
I think that’s how it always works, but in your case, it’s magnified a bit.

Aggie says:
Probably.

Aggie says:
Did Luke mention the Colorado issue?

Libby says:
Yes. I’ve got you covered—so to speak.

Aggie says:
Oh, thank you. I think it’d be best for Vannie anyway.

Libby says:
Luke agreed.

Aggie says:
Did he? He didn’t say. I mean, he didn’t act like it bothered him either way, but I wondered if he thought it was another silly promise.

Libby says:
Not at all.

Aggie says:
Oh my!

Libby says:
What?

Aggie says:
I wonder what the groundskeeper at the cemetery is going to think when the snow melts and he finds a hammer lying around the graves.

Libby says:
A hammer?

Aggie says:
Yeah. I brought one for the urn—to drive in the stake. I think we forgot it after the snowball fight.

Libby says:
Well, he’ll have something to tell the wife and kids that night, eh?

Aggie says:
Can you imagine the things he might wonder? Especially depending on where Tavish dropped it. It could be far enough not to be on Stuart “ploterty.”

Libby says:
Oh, that was bad. You should go to bed. You’re getting punchy.

Aggie says:
Did you see William and Tina?

Libby says:
Yes. I thought I was going to die laughing when he pulled out that whoopee cushion. He looked so confused.

Aggie says:
Contrast that with the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is looking.

Libby says:
I told Luke that if he ever figures out what the rest of us

have, he’s going to fall hard and fast.

Aggie says:
Let’s hope he doesn’t realize he’s done that until it’s too late. He won’t handle not being in control very well.

Libby says:
It’ll be good for him.

Aggie says:
There’s the first knock of the night. I expect more. Gotta go.

Libby says:
I’ll be praying for you.

Aggie says:
Thanks. Night.

Showers of Something

Saturday,
February
21
^st

In
her
red
sweater
and
black
skirt,
Aggie
felt
quite
out
of
place.
Normally,
she
wouldn’t
have
noticed,
but
upon
entering
the
church
fellowship
hall,
it
was
impossible
not
to
see
that
everyone
else,
including
Vannie
and
Tina,
were
all
wearing
blue.
“Did
I
miss
a
memo
about
dress
code?”

“Nope.
We
wanted
you
to
stand
out
just
like
the
bride
does
on
her
wedding
day,”
Myra
Vaughn
assured
her.

Tina’s
smirk
behind
Myra
nearly
choked
Aggie,
but
she
managed
to
keep
composed
long
enough
to
hang
her
purse
with
her
coat
and
follow
the
group
to
the
long
table
full
of
food.
A
plate
was
thrust
into
her
hand—by
whom
she
couldn’t
say.
“I
take
it
we’re
hungry?”

“Yes!
We
all
wanted
to
be
here
before
you
,
so
we
came
half
an
hour
early.”

“And
I’m
ten
minutes
late.
Dead
battery.”

“Hey,
it
was
worth
it.
Your
expression!”
Tina
giggled
and
elbowed
Mrs.
Dyke.
“Wasn’t
it
hilarious?”

“I’ll
get
you
for
that.
I’m
probably
going
to
lose
some
game
because
of
it.”

As
they
reached
the
end
of
the
line,
Tina
whispered,
“They
all
wrote
the
recipes
for
the
dish
they
brought
and
put
them
in
the
album
there.
One
lady
suggested
everyone
copy
their
recipe
a
couple
dozen
times
so
that
everyone
else
could
take
one
if
they
liked
the
dish.
She
was
hoping
to
convince
Tilly
Vernon
to
reconsider
her
peanut
butter
tuna
bake
as
a
potluck
offering.”