“Uh...excuse me,” Sam said and slipped out of the back door.
Michelle sighed. “I better go check on Momma Peach. Take this woman down to the station, okay? And...use the back door. It's best if Momma Peach doesn't see her on the way out.”
“Will do,” Grace smiled. “And...thanks. Partner.” Her eyes gleamed up at Michelle.
“No,” Michelle said and hugged Grace, “thank you for becoming part of our family.”
Grace hugged Michelle back. “I saw a man standing out in the rain when I arrived. I think he's your man. Tall, dark-haired, a little nervous looking?”
“Really? Oh…” Michelle asked in a nervous voice. Grace nodded, slapped Jasmine awake, and pulled her outside.
“Good wishes,” Grace told Michelle and closed the back door.
Michelle drew in a scared breath, walked out into the front room, and spotted Momma Peach fanning the air. “Phew...Momma Peach,” Michelle said, covered her nose, and ran outside before she passed out.
“It's must be that Tabasco sauce I had on my eggs!” Momma Peach yelled and then stopped. The sound of a fly buzzing around the air caught her attention. “Oh no...oh no.” Momma Peach picked up a newspaper lying on the front counter, rolled it up, and began creeping around the front room, past the displays of peach pies, peach bread, peach cakes and peach muffins. “Where are you...where are you...” A fly buzzed past Momma Peach's face. “Aha!” She screamed and began chasing the fly.
Outside in the rain, Able spotted Momma Peach running past the front display window, swatting the newspaper in the air. Then Michelle stepped outside onto the porch, looking as beautiful as ever. He swallowed nervously. “Fly?” he asked her in a nervous voice.
Michelle turned her head and watched the usual antics. “Fly,” she sighed, allowing the heavy rain to wet her hair and leather jacket. Poor Able wasn't even wearing a rain jacket. The man was wearing a dorky brown and green sweater that was soaked through and through. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “You weren't even at the airport when I arrived home. I was starting to think…”
Able ran a nervous hand through his wet hair. “I was wrong not to pick you up. I'm sorry.”
Michelle stared at the man she loved. The man she loved stared back at her. “I'm sorry I called you a Momma's Boy. I didn't mean it.”
Able shrugged his shoulders. “I know you didn’t. And I know it’s also kinda the truth, really,” he confessed. “Sam had a talk with me while you were gone.” Able nodded toward the street. Michelle spotted Sam getting into an old truck. Sam waved and drove away.
“I thought Sam took your side?” Michelle asked, chattering now and refusing to step out of the rain.
“He did,” Able explained. “But he also told me...it’s time to man up and start worrying more about my future wife's feelings and stop worrying about my mother’s feelings.” Able looked at the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “Michelle...I'm sorry. I was putting my mother first and that was wrong. I should have defended you and taken your side the whole time. I...told my mother...it’s time for her to ride in the backseat on this whole wedding thing.”
Michelle couldn't believe her ears. “You did?” she said. And then, out of the blue, an image of one of the tribal women entered her mind. She imagined the woman lying awake at night, wondering about the world, life, people...and love, as loneliness whispered sorrow into her lost heart. Michelle had a chance at love...a chance to become a wife and mother...to live a full life. Was a little argument worth destroying that chance?
“Die, you devil fly!” Momma Peach yelled from inside the bakery and nearly knocked over a wooden shelf full of freshly baked peach bread as she swatted at the fly. “Die, vermin! Ain't no fly gonna enter my bakery and leave alive! No sir and No ma’am!”
“Wanna come in for some coffee?” Michelle asked Able.
“Really?” Able asked in a shocked voice. “You mean...you're not mad at me anymore? You're not going to make me work hard for it?”
Michelle walked up to Able, gave him a sweet kiss even though they were both dripping wet. Then she took his hand and walked him toward the diner. “Able, while I was in Australia, a lot happened,” she said and began explaining about her recent adventure.
“Die, stupid fly!” Momma Peach's voice echoed out onto the rainy street. “Ain't no fly gonna—” Momma Peach stopped mid-sentence, heard her stomach make a strange sound, and then stormed toward the bathroom with a worried look on her face.
Yes, life was back to normal. At least for Momma Peach and her family. Far away in Australia, Andrea walked into a grocery store, retrieved a grocery cart, and began shopping for food. A beautiful woman with dark skin walked next to her, wearing a lovely white dress and staring at the colorful displays with eyes huge and wide with expectation.
“You're doing fine,” Andrea whispered to the woman. “All of my girls are doing fine.” The woman smiled and pointed to a package of potato chips. “Why sure,” Andrea smiled. “Those are very good.” Andrea looked around at the other shoppers. Not one person was staring at her. “Let the world look for us underground...no one will ever expect we're now walking among them in plain sight.” The woman smiled, opened the bag of potato chips, and took a bite. Her eyes grew wide with excitement. “Yes, very good,” Andrea smiled and patted the woman's hands. “But we really have to pay for that first.” She laughed good-naturedly. She mused to herself, watching the woman wander down the aisle checking out the different items, “Maybe someday Momma Peach will see how beautiful all of my girls have become. But not today. For now, I have to get my girls settled into the world.”
“We can pay with gold?” the beautiful woman asked and pointed at the potato chip bag in her hand, crunching another few in delight.
Andrea nodded. “Yes, all the gold that came down in the cave-in is going to pay for that...and everything else all of my girls need.” The beautiful woman smiled. It sure was nice being in this new world—a strange, beautiful, mysterious world.
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About the Author
Wendy Meadows is the USA Today bestselling author of many novels and novellas, from cozy mysteries to clean, sweet romances. Check out her popular cozy mystery series Sweetfern Harbor, Alaska Cozy and Sweet Peach Bakery, just to name a few.
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Get in touch with Wendy
www.wendymeadows.com
Read more by Wendy
Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Series
Nether Edge Mystery Series
Chocolate Cozy Mystery Series
Alaska Cozy Mystery Series
Sweet Peach Bakery Cozy Series
Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Series
Candy Shop Mysteries
Pineville Gazette Mystery Series
Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Meadows
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
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Not Peachy, Mate Page 15
