Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A my sighed in frustration and scooted back from her desk. She’d spent the morning alone in this oversized room. The newspaper was done—but not right. She wanted to swap out a couple of articles for something different.
She stood and stared down at her open laptop. The screen showed a page of the paper and a blinking cursor.
Unfortunately, staring at that cursor had done nothing to create an article that would fill the space.
Purse in hand, she headed for the door. In the past, she might have gone to a coffee shop and sat with her laptop, absorbing the energy of the room and the people around her. That somehow fed her creativity. Being alone didn’t always cut it. Not when she needed to have a fertile mind filled with ideas to choose from. Her mind was currently blank.
She locked the door behind her, a regular occurrence since that first night when Scott had snuck up on her. Then she headed for the restaurant. Just thinking about Scott made her smile. It had been nice having someone in her office for a couple of days. He wouldn’t be here forever, but it was nice to have someone to talk to while she worked. If he were here, he could turn into a good friend. That’s all she had room for in her life right now.
She opened the door to Dinah’s Place, and wonderful scents wafted out. Her cup of coffee just became coffee and lunch. Today’s special smelled great, so she decided to order whatever it was.
“By yourself today, Amy?” Michelle asked with a lift of her eyebrow.
Amy stared at her for a moment as she tried to figure out the subtext. Then it dawned on her. She’d been in here the last two days with Scott. If Michelle thought they had a romance going on, that probably meant the whole town did. She needed to nip that in the bud.
“Scott was helping me with a couple of things to do with the newspaper. He’s amazing with computers if you need any help.” Then Amy gestured toward a couple of empty tables against the wall. “Is it okay if I take one of those?”
Michelle sighed. Her apparently expected juicy news had fizzled to nothing. Just as Amy wanted it to. The good thing about understanding reporting and writing was that you sometimes got it right and could change opinions based on words.
“Sure.” Michelle followed her over to the table then pulled her pad out to take the order. “Coffee?” Michelle wrote the word on her pad without Amy replying. She did love being a regular in a place where they knew what she wanted. “And today’s special is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots.”
She’d planned on the special but changed her mind. “I’m not a huge fan of glazed carrots. I think I’ll take a bowl of soup and a chicken salad sandwich.”
After Michelle walked away, a voice from the neighboring table said, “Dinah does a good job on everything. Her chicken salad is excellent, but if you ever want the best, you need some of Mrs. Barton’s.”
Startled, Amy turned toward the familiar voice. “Mrs. Robinson! It’s always nice to see you.”
“And you too. This is Elaine. Micah’s grandmother.”
Amy had seen the other woman around town a few times but hadn’t realized who she was.
A kind older woman with a great tan sat at the table. “I’m happy to finally meet you, Amy. I’ve been enjoying the newspaper when I’m in town. I remember it from years ago, and it had gotten rather dull. You’re bringing a fresh breath of life to it.”
Amy felt those words to her soul. That was exactly what she was trying to do. “Thank you.”
At that moment, Michelle came over with her coffee, along with the creamer and sugar she always took in it. She’d tried to break herself from the habit of adding sugar to coffee, but she couldn’t drink the brew without some. Michelle followed her beverage with minestrone soup and the sandwich. One of the best things about this restaurant was that the bread was homemade and fresh.
Before she’d taken a bite, Mrs. Robinson asked, “Where’s your young man today?”
Amy wanted to bury her face in her soup bowl.
Did everyone think she and Scott were an item? “Scott was just helping me with my computer. He’s visiting Greg from out of town, and he’s very, very good with computers.”
Mrs. Robinson stared at her for just a moment too long—long enough that Amy wondered what she was thinking.
“If you say so, my dear.”
Elaine asked, “Are you working on any interesting articles right now?”
Amy sighed again, but at least this had nothing to do with Scott. But for some reason, she felt a little stuck right now. “The newspaper is almost done. It just needs something interesting, maybe a human interest story.”
And then she realized what her answer would be. “Mrs. Robinson, would you allow me to do an article about Nosey?”
The older woman smiled so widely and brightly that it dropped at least ten years from her age. “Oh my goodness, Amy. Nosey and I would love that. And you know, he’s rather a ham when someone’s taking photos.”
Amy chuckled. “Then I will be by later today. Is there a time that works best for you?”
They scheduled the meeting for four o’clock.
Then Elaine, checking her watch, said, “And that is my reminder that I need to get going.”
As though on cue, Michelle came over with a to-go bag and set it in front of Mrs. Robinson. “One meatloaf special to go for your dinner.”
Amy waved goodbye as the two of them made their way toward the door. Mrs. Robinson seemed a little more wobbly today. That concerned Amy. People in Two Hearts would need to visit her more, especially late in the day and on Sunday when the diner wasn’t open, so she wasn’t alone.
With her story idea in mind, Amy smiled as she made notes in a small notebook she always carried in her purse. Nosey would be just what the newspaper needed. He would give it warmth and interest.
Everyone loved a rabbit.
Amy had debated asking Paige to come to take pictures for the article, but then she remembered Mrs. Robinson saying that Nosey didn’t take to just anyone. Since he seemed to like her, she’d take her own pictures. She’d done that many times for articles in the past.
When she arrived, she found Mrs. Robinson waiting at her door. As usual, Nosey was at her side. When Mrs. Robinson started to open the storm door, Amy called out to her, “Don’t open it. I’ll be right there.” When she got closer, she added, “I want to make sure Nosey doesn’t get out again.”
Mrs. Robinson looked down at her side. “Oh, my goodness. I didn’t even realize he was here.” She moved toward her chair and Nosey followed. Then Amy went inside.
“I used to be so observant. Do you think I’m getting slow?”
Amy could honestly answer. “I don’t see that in any way. You seem sharp to me.”
Mrs. Robinson smiled slightly. “Well, what would you like to know about Nosey?”
Amy had been thinking about that on and off throughout the day. “Can you tell me about how you got him?”
“I’d be delighted to.”
Amy let her talk as she recorded the conversation. “I was sad after I lost my husband. The house became lonely. When a friend suggested I get a pet, that sounded like a great idea. Every cat or dog we’d had over the years had been a stray, so I asked the vet to let me know when he had a cat or a kitten that needed a home. I thought I could take care of a cat better than a dog that needed to be walked. And cats are smart enough to move out of the way. Sometimes, dogs just want to lie where they want to lie.” She chuckled.
“So I got a call one day. Someone had found a domestic rabbit, and they hadn’t been able to learn who the owners were. The vet said some people get bunnies as Easter gifts for their children and then let them go into the wild, thinking they can take care of themselves. But they’re just as much a house pet as a cat or a dog, and they don’t know how to do that. He brought Nosey over to me, and we took to each other right away.” She looked down at her rabbit, now curled up in his bed. “And after that, the house didn’t feel lonely anymore.”
Amy stared at her, caught up in the story. “That feeling is what I always thought I’d get if I had a rabbit.”
“You want a pet rabbit?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m not even sure where the idea came from. I’ve always been a big reader, so maybe someone had a pet rabbit in a book. It may just be that since we were never allowed to have a pet—Mom said we moved too much with our stepdad in the military and it just wouldn’t be fair to have a pet—that a rabbit sounded fun and different.”
Mrs. Robinson said, “A rabbit definitely is something special. They may not curl up in your lap like a cat or a dog, but they love you just the same. And there have been a few times when Nosey has taken to my lap. Those moments are always special to me. I don’t play with him as much as I used to. But he does like it when I roll this ball.”
She pointed to a toy Amy hadn’t noticed before. Amy picked up the long stick and dangled it in front of the rabbit she’d thought had been sleeping. He bopped it with his nose. Laughing, Amy did it again. “He is fun, isn’t he?”
Mrs. Robinson watched her in a way that made Amy wonder if she’d crossed a line somehow. She carefully set down the toy and went back to asking questions. “Is there anything else you can think of about Nosey?”
She laughed. “Well, you’ve already discovered he loves parsley.”
Amy reached into her purse and pulled out a little packet she’d brought. “Parsley and basil?”
Mrs. Robinson sat back in her chair and folded her hands over her lap. “He would love that. Your visit is exactly what we needed today.” Then Mrs. Robinson switched the conversation. “Are you planning to stay in Two Hearts?”
“If I can.”
Mrs. Robinson frowned. “I thought you’d bought the newspaper?”
“A small town newspaper doesn’t bring in as much income as I’d hoped. I’m still living with my brother.” Amy sighed. Every time she said those words or thought about it, she caught herself sighing. “I love my brother, but it has been really hard sharing a space with someone who thinks watching sports and eating pizza are the ultimate activities.”
“That sounds exactly like my Ken. Sports and pizza were his favorite things on a Sunday afternoon. There must be a place in this town to rent, though. So many places have been empty for a long time.”
“Honestly, I haven’t searched as much as I should because I’ve been focusing everything on the newspaper.” After a moment, she added, “And right now, I’m taking out enough money for food each month, but everything else is going right back into the business.”
Mrs. Robinson made a tsk-tsk sound. “You need to take care of yourself, my dear.” She glanced lovingly around her room. “I’ve had a great place to spend my life. You know, Two Hearts was really something when I was a kid. It’s good to see it coming back to life. I’ve been in this house through good times and not, but I think it’s still in pretty good shape.”
Other than being a little dated, Amy had to agree. “Yes, ma’am. The rooms are a good size. And the kitchen is bright and sunny.” She’d been in there one time to get a glass of water for Mrs. Robinson.
Under her breath, Amy heard Mrs. Robinson mutter something like, “Sometimes you have to know when it’s time.” She didn’t know what that meant, and the comment seemed personal, so she didn’t ask.
Mrs. Robinson seemed to shake herself out of her unrest. “When will Nosey’s article be out?”
Amy was happy the conversation circled back to business. “Monday afternoon. I’ll bring you a few copies.”
“That’s wonderful. And maybe some parsley for Nosey?”
Amy laughed. “Definitely some parsley for Nosey.” That meant she’d get more time with the rabbit. She needed to get a place of her own and a pet. It felt as if those things would help Two Hearts feel even more like home.
Her life had been torn apart when Logan had broken up with her. It had been devastating when, less than two months later, he’d become engaged to his new girlfriend.
She needed to build a new home and life here in Two Hearts.