Chapter 14 #2
Tuesday night, Brodie and Pansy made their evening circle out to the end of the property and through the orchard where the air smelled like peach and apple blossoms. There was no sign of Audrey, so they went back to the place where the broken fence used to be, and Brodie stared out across the open space for several minutes.
Lights shone out the windows of the house, but off in the distance, he could hear the rumble of tractor engines.
“She must be working late tonight,” he told Pansy and led her back to the pen.
Wednesday morning, Tripp had barely gotten breakfast on the table when Bernie and Pepper breezed in the back door. He reached up into the cabinet and set another plate on the dining room table. “Good mornin’, Miz Bernie.”
She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and shook her finger at Tripp. “I told you boys to call me Aunt Bernie. You are family.”
“Yes, ma’am, Aunt Bernie,” Tripp said with a grin. “We’ve got scrambled eggs and sausage plus waffles for breakfast. I hope you haven’t eaten.”
“Not since my midnight snack,” she said, “and good mornin’ to all y’all.”
Brodie and Joe Clay nodded toward her, and both said, “Mornin’” in sleepy voices.
Mary Jane crossed the room and hugged Bernie. “What are you and Pepper doing out so early?”
Bernie unhooked Pepper’s leash from his collar. He plopped down under the kitchen table and closed his eyes.
“He’s a lightweight,” Bernie said with a giggle.
“He don’t like to be woken up so early, but he also doesn’t like to be left at home.
And I’m out so early because I’ve got a full day.
First me and Pepper have some last-minute details to work out with Vera and Gladys about the speed dating at Bo and Maverick’s new bar.
I’m almost as excited about that as I am about getting more babies in the family.
Then we’re going to take a walk to the barn to see what…
” she stopped and looked at Joe Clay. “You go on and say grace so these boys can eat and get on about their day.”
Joe Clay mumbled a quick prayer and then heaped his plate before passing the platter on to Mary Jane.
“The barn is coming right along. We’re hoping to hang sheetrock today in the apartment.
The plumber came yesterday and set all the pipes for the bathrooms, and the electrician has finished up his part of the job,” he told Bernie.
“Okay, then,” Bernie piled up three waffles and poured warm buttered syrup on them.
How such a little woman could eat so much amazed Brodie. But then it probably took a lot of food to create all the brassiness that came out of her.
“I’ll get to see some progress then,” she said.
“Knox, when you get whatever all is on your list, I want you to put a deck on the backside, but don’t attach it to my house.
I want to be able to hitch it up to my house and pull it away.
Me and the girls are going to take it and Pepper down to Florida come summertime, but not until after the wedding.
Bo said I can be a bridesmaid, so I don’t want to miss anything about helping get the wedding ready. ”
“It might be next summer before I can get around to doing anything for you, Aunt Bernie,” Knox said.
“All seven sisters have projects for me as soon as I get done with Tripp’s barn, and then me and Joe Clay are going to build a new parsonage, and Brodie still needs a house.
We hope to have the parsonage done by fall and maybe Brodie’s house by Christmas.
In between all that, I’m going to work on the old store building for myself. ”
“No rush,” Bernie said, “but remember I’m old and might kick the bucket before you get it done if you don’t get with it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Knox said.
“Aunt Bernie, are you planning to go to Wednesday night church services?” Mary Jane asked. “Edits on my newest project came today, and I’ll be working until midnight on them, so I won’t be going or attending the quilting committee meeting afterward. You will be nice, though, right?”
“Of course, I’m going. We’ll be deciding which missionaries get the money from our latest quilting bee project,” Bernie said, and then narrowed her eyes. “I’ll be as nice as Hettie is. That’s all I can promise.”
“So, Hettie will be there?” Joe Clay asked.
Bernie sighed so hard that it came out like a snort. “Probably, and she’ll disagree with everything I suggest.”
Mary Jane picked up the platter of waffles and passed them around the table again. “You two always disagree. Maybe it would be good to let her win once in a while.”
Bernie laid her fork down and narrowed her eyes. “Not a chance. She’s so bossy that God don’t want her in heaven and the devil won’t have her in hell. That’s why she’s lived this long, plus she’s pickled. I hear she drinks whiskey sours like water.”
“This coming from a woman who has Irish coffee for breakfast?” Joe Clay asked.
Bernie whipped around and glared at Joe Clay. “At least I don’t go around with a drink in my hands all day long like I hear she does. Are you guys going to church tonight? I’ll hitch a ride with one of you if you are.”
“Don’t know about the sons-in-law, but us four”—Joe Clay waved his hand to take in Brodie, Tripp, and Knox—“will be there. While you ladies have your quilting meeting, we’re going to talk to Parker about the new parsonage.”
“So”—Knox cleared his throat and changed the subject—“Tripp, what color are you going to paint the walls in your new apartment?”
“Something neutral,” Tripp said, “and speaking of that, the lumberyard is delivering a load of sheetrock first thing this morning, so we probably need to get this kitchen cleaned up and get moving toward the worksite.”
“I’ll do cleanup,” Bernie said. “You boys get on about your business. I may have another plate of waffles, and I don’t like to rush.”
“Thank you,” Brodie said, and almost felt sorry for the two old gals if Joe Clay started something that evening that would help him get a real date with Audrey—but not sorry enough to tell his father to call it off.