ignored the way her mother always referred to her brother’s children as “Kathy’s kids” instead of her own grandchildren. Audrey Lawrence didn’t quite approve of the girl her son, Jack, had married, even after nearly ten years of marriage, and some of that distaste fell on the children.
Privately, Meg sometimes wondered if her mother would’ve quite approved of anyone her brother might have chosen With Meg, Audrey seemed content enough with the men she dated and was even hopeful over Clive. But then, she’d never really come close to actually marrying one of them, she reminded herself
“At least they help, Mom, and don’t grumble when they do,” Meg remarked as she dutifully took down the ivy leaf bowl and set it on the kitchen counter before taking the stainless flatware into the dining room to finish the table setting. The good silver only came out for special occasions, preferably without children.
“I’d think you’d just be happy to see Andy and Sara at all, since you usually complain Jack and the family don’t come to see you very often.”
“Jack could manage more than he does,” Audrey said with a sniff. “St. Louis isn’t that far ”
“Jack has a busy schedule, Mom,” she said, refraining from mentioning that her brother might come more frequently if their mother were more gracious toward his wife. “He came as fast as he could when you needed him, didn’t he? And Kathy has been wonderful to park Andy and Sara with her mother this last week to come and help take care of you.”
At the moment, Kathy was out getting milk.
“Yes, but it took a heart attack for Jack to make the first trip in three months.”
Meg closed her mouth on the suggestion that her mother could’ve made the three-hour trip to St. Louis just as easily. The truth was, before the heart attack scare, Audrey was so busy with church activities, her women’s clubs and social engagements, she’d scarcely had time for her children They’d teasingly called her the “merry widow” more than once.
“It wasn’t a full-blown heart attack, Mom. You’re lucky that way, because now maybe you’ll pay more attention to taking care of yourself properly.”
“It was real enough!”
Meg hid a sigh. Her mother had always been a hard woman to please, but since her illness, she was more disgruntled than usual.
Even though the doctor had assured Audrey that her attack had been slight, and she was recovering nicely, her mother hadn’t regained her self-confidence in the things she could do.
Meg decided to turn the subject.
“Why don’t you come into the kitchen and supervise icing the cake. Jack and the kids will be here any min—”
Andy and Sara swung through the back screen at that moment, and the phone rang Meg picked up the kitchen extension just as Jack, following the children in, called, “We’re here. Hi, sis.”
She glanced up to smile a welcome at her brother and nearly dropped the phone when she heard Kelsey’s deep voice.
“Sounds like I called at a busy time. Am I interrupting dinner?”
“Oh, Kels.”
Jack looked up, raising his brows. She turned her back on him. He knew her too well, and she didn’t want to risk his reading anything into her expression while her heart pounded into her throat at the very sound of Kelsey’s voice. Her face had always given her away where Kelsey was concerned, anyway.
“No, we haven’t begun yet,” she said.
“Good.” He paused. “About tomorrow…”
Kathy came in with the milk, and joyous shrieks followed when Andy and Sara threw themselves at their mother.
“Hi, munchkins.” Kathy laughed, hugging them close.
“Hmm…a few days absence makes Mommy popular, huh?”
“Definitely does with Daddy,” Jack replied with a wicked grin over his children’s heads, then leaned to kiss his wife.
Meg’s heart always warmed at the love she saw between her brother and his wife, and she even owned up to a bit of envy of it. But now she plugged her ear with a finger against the happy noise.
“I hope my plans with Lissa and Aimee are still on,” she said into the phone.
“Jack,” her mother called from the other room.
“No problem there, Meg,” Kelsey assured. “The girls are so excited, they’ve talked about it all week. They’re trying to make up their minds what to wear.”
“Oh, tell them nothing formal,” she said as Jack landed a kiss on her forehead, leaned into the phone to give a “Hi, Kelsey” before going on his way into the living room. “Shorts, T-shirts and sandals are fine.”
“Okay.” Another pause ensued from his end while a brief knock sounded on the back door.
“May I pop in for just a minute?” Sandy Yoder called through the screen. “I’m not here to stay.”
“Sounds like you’re really busy,” Kelsey said, turning her attention. “Tell old Jack and all hello, and my best to your mother. I’ll, uh…I’ll see you tomorrow, Meg. Bye.”
“Yeah, Kels.” She hung up the phone feeling like Kelsey hadn’t given her the real reason for his call.
The plump woman set a huge cherry pie on the kitchen table. “I just knew you’d have need of a little extra something with Jack and the children in the house for a few days.”
“That’s really nice of you, Mrs. Yoder.” Meg picked up the big ivy leaf platter and dished up the pot roast, her mind only half engaged in what she was doing. What had Kelsey really wanted? “Shall we set a plate for you at the dinner table?”
“Oh, no, dear. I’ve had my supper. Don’t like to eat so late, y’know, and I’m on my way to meet with the church building committee.”
“Why don’t you go on in and say hello to Mom, then,” Meg suggested. The next few minutes bustled by as she made gravy from the pan drippings while Kathy finished getting the other food on the table.
“Well, I’ve got to go,” her mother’s friend said, walking back through the kitchen a few minutes later as Meg filled the iced tea glasses. “The committee is meeting at seven-thirty. Was that Kelsey on the phone a moment ago?”
“Mmm…” Meg answered, concentrating.
“Poor man. He hasn’t been the same since Dee Dee died, y’know,” Mrs. Yoder continued, shaking her head. “Too bad he hasn’t any folks to help with that brood he’s got. They need a mother.”
“I suppose so,” Meg answered automatically.
“He should get on with marrying Linda Burroughs and be done with it. Linda’s good at managing a household, y’know, and she’d put some discipline back into those children.”
Kathy made a quick pass through the kitchen, picked up the bowl of corn and basket of bread rolls, slanted Meg a speaking glance and headed once more for the dining room.
“Oh?” Meg murmured. “I didn’t think they were so badly behaved. Just kids.”
“And Linda’s girl—can’t think of the child’s name—but she’s Lissa’s age. They make a matched pair, I’m thinking.”
Meg had forgotten that Linda had a girl Lissa’s age, and she wondered why Lissa hadn’t bothered to mention it on Sunday. If she and the girl were friends, wouldn’t she have said so? But Lissa hadn’t appeared at all eager to go to the Burroughs’s house, Meg thought.
“I hear you’re taking Lissa and Aimee for a day out tomorrow.”
“Yes, I am.” Now how did Sandy Yoder hear that? From her mother,