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Who was this woman, and how did she know Blaine?
What normal person just invited themselves over for breakfast? Especially with someone they’d never even met? The skin over her cheekbones tightened, and she shelved a desire to school this woman on stranger danger.
“I don’t have any coffee.” She kept her voice flat and gave a sorry-you-wasted-your-time sort of shrug. “I don’t even have a kettle.”
Despite all expectations, the woman’s eyes twinkled all the same, and she dug around in the basket. “Oh, that’s okay. I bought a flask. I even have cups. I cornered Frank, and he said something about you arriving with next to nothing.”
Emilia’s heart seemed to shrink, her muscles coiling with the implications that these townsfolk already gossiped about her. Perhaps she would have been better off disappearing within the throng of a busy city.
The woman’s hand materialized from the basket, and she indeed waved a silver flask in the air, the contents making a muffled sloshing sound.
Emilia buried a scowl. She hated rude people and didn’t want to be one, but she wasn’t all that certain someone in her predicament should be making her presence known.
“I don’t have a table. Or chairs. Or a couch. Or a fridge. All I have is electricity and running water.” She stepped back, wrapping her fingers around the door’s edge, ready to close it. “Maybe some other time…”
Or never. Never sounds good too.
The blonde’s already pale skin turned ashen, and her lips parted. Guilt swelled Emilia’s throat, that guilt acknowledging this woman had put considerable effort into this introduction.
“But you have a veranda with a giant old porch swing. It’s lovely out today. We can eat out here. I don’t mind. Please?” She fluttered her long, mascara-coated lashes and gestured to the veranda around her, before smashing her palm to her forehead. “Oh my. I’m so sorry. No wonder you’re reluctant to meet with me. I haven’t even introduced myself. Ally. My name’s Ally Egan, and I work for Blaine. I’m the next best person aside from him to help you with sourcing all the stuff you’ll need to settle down here in Harlow.”
Emilia stared ahead, her mind blank while she searched for another excuse to turn Ally away. Only, the strain in her body eased suddenly, and she figured that maybe she shouldn’t.
If what Ally said was true, then maybe Emilia could do with the help. Besides, this girl seemed about as desperate for an introduction as Emilia was to avoid one. Rather than becoming known as the town recluse, maybe she would stand out less if she tried to blend in.
Before she had time to overthink this, she reached out and unlatched the screen door, careful to use her left hand so this woman wouldn’t see the scrapes and bruises on her right. In stark contrast to her cool approach, the younger woman gave a high squeal and bounced on her heels, backing away to let Emilia pass.
Ally took a seat on the dove gray porch swing and unloaded a blue plastic bowl of bright red strawberries onto the long seat. “I picked these this morning. They’re from Mom and Dad’s garden, and you’re going to absolutely love them.”
Emilia sat on the swing’s far end, one hand resting on her chest and clutching her robe’s lapels closed. “Ah. Thanks?”
What was she even doing? Sitting out here in next to nothing, clearly. Catching the cold morning air with a woman she’d only just met.
Next came a plate piled high with oven-fresh biscuits, steam rising from their warm, golden dough. Ally’s gaze lifted to meet Emilia’s. “Mom made these from her own special recipe. She said to say hi, by the way.”
Emilia surveyed the basket’s assortment of jellies and a bowl of fluffy, whipped cream. A million times more appealing than the convenience store hot dogs and half-stale bread she’d survived on up until now.
“You went to all this effort for me?” She settled deeper into the seat and allowed an elbow to dig into the armrest. Maybe if Ally wasn’t fussed about this encounter, she shouldn’t be, either. Besides, she glanced at the empty fields in all directions. With no one nearby to spot her, maybe she was safe enough…
Ally’s focus held to the flask she worked to unscrew. “You betcha, though I have to admit, my motives are a little selfish. The last few years have seen most people my age move outta town for work or college. Harlow lacks young blood, and well, when I heard you’d moved in…” She gave a crooked smile. “I tried to ask Blaine about you, but he just grunted something inaudible. So, I found Frank and Maureen as they were closing up the general store, and they filled me in. Anyway, I thought maybe you’d be someone interesting to know.”
The dark, rich scent of fresh coffee had a small smile pulling on Emilia’s face. A few seconds passed before Ally’s words about getting to know her filtered through.
“I’m really glad you visited, but I don’t know how long I’ll be staying in town.” She reached for the coffee Ally extended, hoping to drop the topic now.
“Still, it’d be nice just to have some company.” Ally’s grin twisted at the corner, her gaze falling to her coffee cup. “Even if just for a while. I don’t expect you to entertain me or anything.”
Emilia paused, her first taste of blessed coffee a mere inch from her lips. She had zero plans to make new friends but still hadn’t decided which tactic would serve her best—getting to know Harlow’s residents or remaining as mysterious as possible.
Well, too late for mystery now. Not with what Frank said about locals inviting themselves in, a claim Ally here had already proved true.
Then again, at least this way people might notice if I go missing. If Anthony…
No. She couldn’t go there. At least, not in front of Ally. Emilia needed to get into the habit of forgetting him, of moving on with her life. Maybe she could find some sort of middle ground with Ally, like being polite but a little distant, while not being blacklisted as the local pariah. It would be a cruel move to let this woman think they could be fast and forever buddies.
Besides, it’s time I worked on my rusty social skills. I’m not Anthony’s quiet little woman anymore.
She braced herself with a sip of coffee and let that memory slide. “Okay look, please don’t say anything, but I don’t think Blaine likes me all that much. So maybe you’re right, maybe you are the one to help me set up house.”
