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Lucy strolled into her mother’s store, heard the prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite in G Major, and gave Horrible Horace a warning glare. “Choose your words carefully, bird. I’m in no mood and wouldn’t mind making a couple of your feathers fly.”
“Sad girl. Mad girl. Bad girl.”
“You’ve got that right, so don’t test my last nerve.” She picked up a large green apple from a yellow basket and rolled it in her hands.
“Don’t pitch that at my poor bird, Lucille Aurora Bennett.”
The gray parrot snickered, and she reluctantly dropped the fruit back into the basket. “I would never harm an innocent animal.”
Elaine kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I know, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t serve up a lesson to one you considered guilty of bad behavior.”
“The bird is a feathered nuisance and would make a better….”
“Don’t put that kind of energy into the world, young lady.”
“Fine.” She gave the offending fowl a fake smile and then slipped into a pink leather chair at the lunch counter. “Grams wants me to convince you to go on a date with the sheriff, and I was wondering if now is a good time to deliver my impassioned speech or if I should save it for later.”
“How about we skip the dating homily and let my meddling mother think I’m mulling over the idea?”
Lucy leaned forward and snatched a cookie off the plate. “I’m down for that deception since I’ve forgotten at least half the points I was supposed to make.” She took a nibble of the cookie and frowned. “Mom, these are more horrible than usual.”
“Really?” She lifted the plate and studied the small brown balls. “I thought the carob chips masked the spirulina and spinach.”
“Have you considered just making a plain carob chip cookie sometime?” She plucked a napkin from a silver holder and wrapped up the offending confection. “I bet they would sell out in no time.”
“No doubt,” Elaine replied before popping a cookie into her mouth. “But I can’t contribute further to the sugar-laden diet our town seems to favor.” She waved a hand. “Creating baked goods with no nutritional value is like becoming a drug dealer, and I won’t be a party to the dietary tragedy the Haven inhabitants seem intent on pursuing.”
There was no getting her mother off the soap box of healthy living, so she didn’t try. The woman was a born-again tofu evangelist and deeply committed to the improved heart health of the community. An important cause to be sure, but one that ensured she foisted horrible creations on anyone willing to stand still for more than a minute.
Thankfully, no one complained about choking down the occasional baked good since her mom’s campaign had been born of the tragedy of losing her husband to an unexpected massive heart attack.
Elaine covered the cookie plate with a linen napkin. “Enough about my delicious treats. How was Olivia’s dinner party last night?”
“It was a disaster, and I’m ashamed to admit that I ducked out early.” Frowning, she sat back. “The latest Hawker arrival had me flummoxed, and I’m afraid I was less than gracious.”
Elaine slid into a seat. “That’s unlike you, honey. Are you still reeling from the debacle with Ken?”
“Not specifically, but perhaps generally since I’m out of sorts.” She swung her foot in a circle. “It’s the most confounding thing, but I actually think the inked-up anti-prince has thrown me for a loop.”
Elaine bit back a smile. “I’m not sure if that’s the best kind of news or not.”
Lucy frowned. “How can that in any way be a positive development?” She blinked twice. “It’s nothing less than tragic if a man who possesses more chill than the North Pole is the one to push me off my game.”
“I met the boy yesterday and found him delightful.”
“Mom, he’s not a boy. He’s thirty-five, fully grown, and apparently some kind of retired Navy super-duper operator.”
Elaine smoothed out one of Lucy’s curls. “Perhaps we should take your twitterpated state as a lovely harbinger and assume his arrival signals an encouraging shift.”
“I’m all for a happy turn of events but doubt that Linc will be an ingredient since I’ve given up romantic entanglements.”
“Forever?” Elaine asked with doubt.
“No! I’m not going to send in an application for the Immaculate Order of the Obedient and become a nun.” She rearranged her bangles. “I’m simply taking a break and making sure that my soul evolution is proceeding as planned.”
“Well, that’s good news since I doubt those beatific women would allow you to enter their order.”
Lucy huffed. “Anyway, I’m going to keep my distance from Linc and concentrate on some new hobbies.”
