“Why the sudden change, buddy? Are the prices going up or something? Talk to me.”
“Mr. Benson, two thugs tried to hold us up in the hotel in Frisco. I’ll arrange your shipments but you’ll have to pick them up yourself or hire people like these gentlemen to do it for you.”
“Are you all right? I mean, what happened?” Beatrice looked completely shocked as she dropped onto a chair, her eyes riveted on Matt’s.
“It was terrifying for both of us and we’re not going to do these deliveries anymore.”
By the time they finished at the foundry and made their way back to La Grande to the motel it was another late night and they both crashed, half undressed and completely exhausted.
The next morning they slept in and then enjoyed a tender loving after quick showers. By the time they ordered their breakfasts at Foley Station Jade felt so hungry she could hardly sit up. She decided coffee wasn’t good enough, this time, and drank a huge glass of orange juice instead. Her biscuits and beans were delicious and the applesauce was better than any jam would have been.
She sighed her contentment and leaned back against her chair. “Ah, I’m beginning to feel human again. That was a hectic two days and I’m glad we aren’t planning to do it again. I’m flattered that you told Benson I would make the security arrangements for the shipments but I’ve got a lot of research to do before I can really hang out my shingle as a shipper of valuable goods. I’ll probably have to take a test on the laws by some government agency and get myself bondable, too. Are you sure you want to give this up?”
Matt held his hands up. “Positive. I shoot my revolver at the range a couple of times a year to keep up my skill but I never thought I’d have to shoot anyone. I’m still dreaming about those two creeps. Just make sure we aren’t going to be handling those valuables ourselves, period. It’s not worth it. Lee will have to make the arrangements if you don’t.”
“I’m sure I can get the hang of it. How often did you do this last year?”
He stopped to think for a moment. “I think it was only three times last year. Do you think you can handle a May shipment? Lee said he’ll have a shipment coming in during April or May.”
Jade took a notepad out of her purse and wrote in it. “I’m going to plan that into my schedule. If I decide I need to wait until June I’m simply going to explain it to Lee. He can always keep the stuff in a safety deposit box for a month, if he has to. Thank the good Lord, this is a load off my mind. I can’t seem to shake the feeling we’re not safe until we’re back in Mishap.”
They hurried to Portland and back down the I-5 to a restaurant south of Salem where they had a late lunch of broiled salmon with a delicious fruit sauce. “Thank you for stopping here. As much as I want to get back to the farm I couldn’t go any longer on our breakfast.”
Matt smiled and took her hand. “I was hoping we could forget our bad experience and start living our romantic life again. From now on I work on safety designs, my new glass working process, and helping you when you need it. I don’t need to add excitement to my life as long as we make love like we did this morning.”
Jade returned his wicked smile. “Amen to that and a whole lot of peace and quiet. Besides, we have a wedding to plan.”
“I’m relieved you haven’t forgotten about it. I was afraid I was pushing you into something.”
“I don’t push that easily. I really do love you and it’s really romantic of you to pick Valentine’s Day. We just have to hurry a little, that’s all.”
It was five o’clock when they pulled into the yard at Agate Farm. Glory and the geese made enough noise to make it festive and Cedric came out to help carry in the groceries and luggage. “So how was your trip? It’s a good thing you stuck to freeways. They had a hell of a storm hit McKenzie Pass last night. Guess the highway was closed clear down to Prineville. ‘Course, all we got was rain.”
“We caught the edge of it at La Grande, before we left this morning.”
The house was warm against the chill rain which blew in with them and the kitchen smelled of hot apple cider.
“It is so good to be home.” Jade hugged Tilly and admired the stew and dumplings simmering on the stove before they put their things away.
After they all settled down to dinner Cedric gave both Matt and Jade a suspicious look. “Okay. What happened? You’re both holding something back. Something serious.”
Jade glanced at Matt and sighed. “It’s sort of one of those bad news good news kind of things.”
“Let’s hear the bad news first,” Cedric said. “I hate bad stuff with my dessert.”
Matt told them about the mugging.
Tilly clutched at her throat and patted Jade’s hand. “That must’ve been terrifying. Are you really all right?”
“We’re fine, Tilly. We’re going to make arrangements for the stuff to be distributed by people in the security business after this. We’re not doing it anymore.”
“Gracious! I hope not.”
“The good news is that Matt and I are going to get married on Valentine’s Day and we’ll have it right here.”
“Oh, I’m so pleased!” This time Tilly clasped her hands together and beamed at them. “Oh, but…but that’s only a few weeks away.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Til. You women complicate those blasted things until a man can’t hardly stand to be there. Just bake a cake and wear your best outfit and call a preacher.”
Tilly gave Cedric such a furious glare that Jade was amazed Cedric could hold up under it. “Okay, guys, relax. We’re going to keep it simple and it’ll be just fine. We’re not all that busy at the company right now so I’ll probably have Velma help me with the calls to arrange everything. It’ll be fine. Really.”
By Wednesday night Jade could feel panic well up in her throat. She needed to find a gown and there were only three full weekends before the big day. She hadn’t been able to get an e-mail reply from her father or his girlfriend and Martha Horn, the beloved housekeeper from her childhood, hadn’t returned her calls.
“Relax, boss. I know this great little shop in Eugene where the gowns are really gorgeous and they’re actually made by the ladies who own it. They’re not cheap but they’re nothing like the designer stuff from back east or California. I’ll give you the directions in just a minute. Let me get them.” Velma scurried out of Jade’s office and returned a few minutes later with a crude map, the instructions written on the side of the page. “You and Tilly can go get it on Saturday and that’ll be out of the way.”
“I doubt that Tilly will have time to go with me. She’ll be busy getting the layers baked so she can freeze them ahead of time. Matt will go with me.”
Velma’s voice turned into a squeak. “You can’t do that! The cake is supposed to be fresh and the groom isn’t supposed to see your dress until the ceremony. It’s bad luck.”
“I don’t believe in any of that stuff, Velma, and the cake will be fine. It can thaw while we get the tables set up. Then she can stick it all together down here at the hall and frost it. We realized my house won’t hold all of us and the VFW hall will work just fine.”
Velma stomped off, muttering, while Jade began to lock up.
On Saturday night Jade received a call from someone named Annie Bates. “Miss Holloway? This is the next door neighbor to Martha Horn. I believe you’re a close friend of hers?”
“Yes, I am. Has something happened to her?” Jade could feel hot pain hit her chest.
“I’m very sorry but she passed away the night before last. We took her to the hospital a week ago when she complained of chest pains. It turned out to be pneumonia and she took a turn for the worse a few days ago. We didn’t start going through her things to find out who to notify until yesterday and we’re still at it. I’m very sorry we took so long.”
Jade gulped and tried to get her breath. “Did she leave directions for how she wanted things to be handled?”
“Yes, she did. She had everything written down and a copy f
iled with the mortuary in our neighborhood so we did what she said. Her ashes will be scattered tomorrow morning but we’ll try to reschedule if you want to attend. Her sister will attend to that. She has no one else except us few neighbors.”
“I won’t interfere with what you have planned. Thank you for letting me know.”
“I’m really sorry. She left her sister everything except for a letter that I found addressed to you. I mailed it this morning. I suppose her sister will sell Martha’s little house. There’s not much here. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No. Not really. I’ll watch for the letter. Thank you. You’ve been very kind. Thank you.” Jade felt numb and cold with a low buzzing in her head.
She decided she was too nauseous to eat dinner and took a shower instead. She wandered into her bedroom in her robe and found Matt waiting for her. He reached for her with both arms and held her while she cried and told him about the many times Martha had been there for her when she was a lonely child whose parents barely remembered she was there.
Jade received Martha’s letter a few days later. In it Martha told her she was feeling awfully tired and thought she’d better get this letter ready just in case. “I want you to know, Jade, that you were the daughter we always wanted and we have always been so proud of you. Henry said just that before he died.” Those words caused another cascade of tears but they brought a smile to Jade also.
On the last day of January, she got a call from her father’s girlfriend, Daphne. “I’m so sorry we took so long to get back to you. We didn’t get your messages until yesterday and then we had a bunch of appointments. We’re not in Minneapolis anymore, Jade.”
“Oh, my gosh. It’s Dad’s heart, isn’t it? I knew it.” A deep, tired sadness settled on her.
“Yes, but times are changing, girl. Wait’ll I tell you. Old Doc Libby retired and his young replacement read Hampton the riot act like you and I never did. He used gory pictures and the whole bit. Let me tell you, he was great! He scared the living daylights out of Hampton. So here we are. I moved us out here to Portland, with the help of a dozen good people, of course, and your dad has been on the treadmill every day and he does warm up stretches before he starts every morning.”
“You’re kidding!” Jade clapped her hands and almost dropped the phone. “How did you manage it?”
“I told him that his new doctor has arranged for someone really tough and mean for him to talk to, out here, if he has any questions. He’s been meek as a lamb. He eats his veggies and drinks water. He complains like an old lady but he does it. He hasn’t had one martini or piece of meat for the last three weeks. You should be very proud of him.”
“Oh, I am and I’ll tell him so. So you’re here in Portland, Oregon?”
“Yes. He goes in for tests every week at the Portland Medical Center. They are watching him very close. It’s a new regimen they put these guys on, to see if they can avoid the bypasses and all that other surgery. He’s already got his blood pressure down below the danger zone. It’s still too high but it’s sure an improvement.”
“So, I guess you guys won’t be at my wedding. Don’t worry. I understand. We’ll try to see you later on, now that you’re this close. Or, do you plan to go back home pretty quick?”
“Oh, no. This is our new home. That doctor back there says there’s no use going back there unless he just wants to die. He says that environment got him into his bad habits and he needs to start a new life out here, near his only close relative, you. He told him to form new friendships with people who walk and have regular sleep habits instead of hanging out with sophisticated drunks who only party and smoke and sit on their fat duffs. Besides, his agent sold the old estate two days ago and we’re buying this place. So here we’ll stay.”
“My goodness, Daphne, you’re a wonder. How about you? Won’t you miss your friends?”
“Honey, I lost twenty pounds on my exercise program last year and I lost another ten since we’ve been here. I look like I did in college and I won’t miss my gossipy, back-stabbing friends one bit. I was ready to go. In fact, I’ve been playing tennis here every week and I’m taking an art class. Can you believe it? So, anyway, I figure we’ll make your wedding but if it looks like we can’t, we’ll call.”
Jade was laughing by the time she hung up. Things were looking up. Now, all she had to do was find someone to marry her and Matt.
On Sunday morning Tilly made an announcement at breakfast. “We’re going to have a guest for lunch today. Jade asked me to help her find someone to do the ceremony so I invited Rev. Hoxmire to dine with us. He’ll be here at one.”
Cedric scowled at her. “I can’t stand preachers and you know it! They’re always so pompous and now he’ll be nagging me to go to his church. Why couldn’t you just sign him up and Jade pay him. It’s just a business deal, after all.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to go to church once in a while, you old sinner!”
“Now, don’t let our wedding cause trouble between you!” Jade made her voice as stern as she could, even though she wanted to laugh. “We’ll just be polite, Uncle. Don’t worry. He’ll forget all about us after the wedding.”
Cedric wiggled his head and grumbled but went back to his breakfast. Matt hid a grin and winked at Jade.
When the plump little reverend was ushered in the door, by Matt, Jade noticed that Tilly’s flustered deference to him seemed to make Cedric jealous. Cedric sat in the corner reading his newspaper as if nothing unusual was happening but his face was red and his mouth tight.
When everyone was seated at the table Tilly asked the reverend to say grace. After their mumbled amens, they began to pass around the fragrant platters of food. Rev. Hoxmire beamed at Tilly like a suitor. “This is wonderful, Tilly. Ham is my favorite meat and these fruit garnishes taste fresh picked. The hot rolls are delicious.”
“Yes, we’re very lucky to have Tilly do the cooking around here. We’d starve if I did it.” Jade smiled at Tilly and then at the minister. “Uh, Rev. Hoxmire, Matt and I would like to write down our vows so they’re more personal. Will that be okay with you?”
“Oh, absolutely! I think it’s wonderful the way young people declare their true feelings at the important occasions now days. It makes me feel like they really know what they’re getting themselves into, instead of letting their parents drag them into doing the right thing.”
“As long as you don’t put in any of that airy fairy stuff, I guess it’s okay.” Cedric’s voice sounded like that of a disgruntled old bear.
“Cedric! That’s up to the kids, not us.” Tilly’s whisper seemed to shut down the entire group. No one made a sound for a moment.
“Relax, Uncle. I’ve never been airy or fairy and you know it. My friends couldn’t even get me to join in on an Easter egg hunt when I was a kid. Not only did I reject the idea of an Easter bunny and the tooth fairy but I banished Santa Claus and witches, too. And I refused to eat turkey after I petted one at the children’s zoo.”
“I didn’t say you had to be a righteous killjoy.”
“How do you feel about fish?” The minister smiled at Jade as if he were about to start laughing.
“I love them, broiled.”
“I consider the catching of cutthroat trout to be a taste of heaven, if they are fried directly out of the stream. Cleaned, of course. That’s what prompted me to move out here, your wonderful trout streams. We had mostly bass and catfish back in Iowa.”
From that moment on Cedric and Hoxmire talked about fly fishing, tying flies, and the best time of day to catch cutthroat. The other three simply smiled at each other and enjoyed their food.
Jade shut the front door when Cedric walked the minister out to his car. They were still talking about fishing. Then she burst out laughing, trying to keep her voice down. “I can’t believe it. Uncle even promised to take Tilly to church before fishing season starts. What happened to the old atheist I knew and loved.”
Tilly waved the notion away. “I’ll believe
it when he escorts me in the door. I know he misses Archer, his old fishing partner, but I can’t believe he’ll bend his rules for anybody.”
The night before the wedding Juani closed The Pretty Egg early and insisted on providing the rehearsal dinner. “There’s probably some kind of social rule I’m breaking by letting you pay for this,” Jade whispered. She was helping Juani and Tilly set the platters of food out before everyone sat down to eat.
“Oh, pooh on society! Since when did we worry about propriety around these parts. This is my wedding present to you, kiddo, and you better grab it while you can. I’m considered a terrible pinch penny.”
“Not true and you know it. Hey, who did that pretty centerpiece?”
“Isn’t that great? Sarah made that. She said that’s her gift to you and she’s going to take it over to the hall first thing in the morning.”
“Oh, that’ll be perfect.” Jade took a moment to revel in the bold red tulips and paper white narcissus blooms with their heady fragrance. Sarah had surrounded them with a tiny, dark-green ivy and a white lace ribbon. “She’s almost as marvelous a gardener as you are.”
The dinner turned out to be a jovial affair with Cedric and Rev. Hoxmire telling humorous fishing stories and Juani telling about a wedding on an Indian reservation she had attended once. “My uncle was marrying the chief’s only daughter so it was kind of a big deal and we all showed up in our best clothes, bearing the usual traditional gifts. My grandfather insisted that a priest do the legal ceremony and the chief wanted the blessing of the healer so they sort of shared the serious stuff. It was kind of kooky but everybody tried to get in the spirit of the thing until the healer got the priest tipsy on some of his local brew. The next thing I knew the priest was wearing a ceremonial headdress and following the old healer around while he shook a bean gourd and chanted the Lord’s Prayer. The healer was waving his beaded lance and doing his dance but he stopped dead and looked back at the priest and started laughing so hard he fell over on his back. Then everybody started laughing. We just couldn’t help it. Even the priest laughed but I heard his bishop got very angry about the whole thing, when he heard about it. I felt sorry for the poor old priest.”
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