Page 19 of Until Joy

Nope.

What’s more, it was a lunch date, not a dinner date. A daylight date. However…

Miss Laverne wouldn’t be there.

But we were going to be at a restaurant. So, it was kind of a big deal. He’d promised me barbeque brisket, macaroni and cheese, with baked beans. I had eaten just a small portion of Miss Laverne’s meatloaf last night, just imagining the barbeque we were going to indulge in this afternoon. I’d asked July where the best barbeque places were in Murfreesboro, and she gave me the names of two. I’d looked them up. Both had fantastic ratings.

Yep, I was in for a treat.

I went into the kitchen, but Miss Laverne wasn’t there.

“Miss Laverne?” I called out.

“Up here, honey.”

I jogged up the steps to the bedroom she had converted into her quilting room. I was always assaulted by the rainbow—myriad colors strewn about whenever I entered her quilting domain. Today she was in the rocker in the corner doing some hand stitching.

“What are you working on?”

“November asked me if I could work on something for her grandsons, James and Dean. Of course she wants a motorcycle motif.”

I snorted. I’d met July’s little rascals. Their names cracked me the hell up, and the boys were adorable.

“Are you putting pictures of the real James Dean on it? You know, that iconic one where he is sitting on his bike?”

“I’m sure it’s copyrighted. I don’t want to do anything illegal.”

I loved this woman. I’d seen some of her other quilts for the people she considered hers. Miss Laverne was part of the fabric of this town, pun intended. I wanted to be her when I grew up. Okay, I probably still wanted to be Little Grandma, but Miss Laverne was a close second.

“Let me look around and see if I can purchase a legal print. If I can, then you should be able to scan it onto a piece of fabric.”

The older lady's face lit up. “That would be fabulous!”

I grinned. “Have you had breakfast?”

“I had an orange this morning.”

“Why don’t I make you a little something while I’m baking?”

“Is Graham coming over for lunch?” Miss Laverne asked.

“No, he’s taking me out to lunch.”

“Oh yes, you told me that. You’re going to have brisket. This darn quilt has been taking up all my mind. I’m trying to get it done in time for November’s pool party.”

“That sounds nice.”

“I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.” She smiled as she set aside the quilt and got up.

“What are you talking about? I’m not going,” I corrected her.

“What are you talking about? You’re my houseguest and you work for July. Of course you’re going.”

“I’m your tenant, and I work for July. That doesn’t mean I’ll be invited.”

“I’ll call November right now,” she said as she walked by me and headed for the stairs. “By the time you go into work this evening, July will tell you that you better get your patootie to the pool party.”

“But who’s going to watch the animals?”