Kristen’s eyes blurred as the two women hugged. She blinked hard, then cleared her throat and helped Sadie down from the step stool. “Sadie, why don’t you go wash your face? I’ll clean up in here.”
Emmy released Ruth Ann. “Excuse me, Ruth Ann. I need to give Sadie a hand. Then we’ll have supper. You’re welcome to join us.”
Ruth Ann smiled. “I’d love to.”
When Emmy left, grinning with satisfaction, Kristen grabbed a roll of paper towels, handed a few to Ruth Ann to clean her face, and began wiping down the counter and the table. The afternoon sun had dipped, and it glinted through the kitchen windows, casting long shadows on the walls. Outside the rhythmic rattle of cicadas echoed around the house.
“Am I too late?”
Kristen’s hand stilled against the table. “Too late for what?”
“For Emmy. How is she?” Ruth Ann had cleaned the whipped cream from her face, but a tear rolled down each cheek. “I heard her episode in town was bad.”
“It was, but everyone’s entitled to a rough day now and then.” Kristen resumed wiping up the whipped cream. “Mitch and I have taken on the majority of the work lately, and since she’s been resting, she’s been much better.” She steadied her voice, despite the dread unfurling in her veins. “She’s going to get well. It’ll just take some time.”
It was silent for a minute save for the squeak of the damp paper towel that Kristen was using to scrub the countertop; then Ruth Ann spoke.
“You say that with conviction, but I don’t see it here.” She touched Kristen’s temple, her fingertip resting against the corner of her eye. “You’ve felt that thin line between heaven and hell, too, haven’t you?”
Kristen froze, then straightened. “What?”
Ruth Ann wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “When my husband fell ill with pneumonia, the doctors told me he was so weak, he didn’t have long. They s
aid I should prepare, but I didn’t. Instead, I prayed—I prayed so hard—and tried to picture him well. Tried to see him getting out of that bed and us walking hand in hand out of that hospital together. That would’ve been my heaven, had he taken a breath in the opposite direction.” A fresh sheen of tears glistened in her eyes. “But all I felt was this strange fear knot in my stomach and tighten around my heart. I hoped and prayed, even when I knew I had absolutely no control and could feel what was coming.”
Kristen shook her head, unable to speak.
Ruth Ann studied her, then said, “My faith is just as strong as Emmy’s, but my eyes are open. I still pray, but I also face reality. That’s why I came today. Mitch told me a while back that Emmy could use a friend when things started to go bad.” She bit her lip. “But it wasn’t until I heard about what happened that I realized how bad off she really was. And how little time might be left to make amends.”
Kristen stiffened. “Emmy will get better. Just like Hart’s Hollow. We’re going to see to it.”
Ruth Ann studied her, a sad look of pity crossing her expression. “I hope you’re right. I really do.”
CHAPTER 9
The Dutch Restaurant’s blueberry and cream cheese rolls had always been sweet, but with Kristen’s flirtatious smile and deep green eyes facing Mitch from the other side of the booth, they tasted all the sweeter to him.
“Careful.” Laughing, he reached across the table and wiped a sticky spot of icing from her chin. “It’s running away from you.”
She covered her mouth and giggled while she finished chewing. “Emmy was right. These are wonderful.”
“She used to bring me and Carrie here every weekend when we were kids. I’d put away five or six of them on a good day.” He nudged a small plate with one remaining decadent baked treat toward her. “Have another.”
“Oh, no.” She held up a hand. “Thank you. I’ve already had two, and if I eat another bite, you’ll have to roll me out of here.”
“Coffee, then,” he urged, politely getting the waitress’s attention. “At least one more cup before we head to the hardware store for the porch swing?”
Anything to entice her into lingering right here in this spot—in this moment—with him for just a little longer. Hell, for as long as he could tempt her.
“Okay,” she said, smiling. “I can always go for more coffee, especially at this time of the morning. I usually need another kick of caffeine around nine.”
Those cute dimples of hers were back, and her nose wrinkled just an adorable bit when she laughed. Pink tinged her tanned cheeks, and the Saturday morning sunlight poured through the wide restaurant windows, casting a golden glow along the smooth skin of her neck and bare shoulders and making her blond curls shine.
They couldn’t have picked a better morning to drive into town for breakfast and shop for Emmy’s new porch furniture. Though the first of June was almost upon them, the air still held a cool, springlike freshness in the earliest hours of the day, and he’d driven with the windows down, filling the truck’s cab with a swift breeze, which picked up the appealing scent of Kristen’s shampoo and swirled it around, teasing his nose.
She hadn’t spoken much during the ride or mentioned how Emmy’s visit with Ruth Ann had gone the prior afternoon. Just had sat quietly in the passenger seat, admiring the scenery and turning her head to smile at him on occasion. And it hadn’t mattered. Because simply having her by his side again, just the two of them, with miles of road unrolling ahead and nothing but green, fertile fields and possibility surrounding them, had been all his happy heart could handle at the time.
Still admiring her, he sat back in his seat as the waitress stopped by with a carafe of fresh brew. Kristen’s eyes followed the other woman’s hands as she filled each ceramic cup to the brim. Her thick lashes lifted, and she murmured, “Thank you,” her full lips parting just enough to make him wonder how much sweeter her kiss would taste with the familiar flavor of his favorite childhood treat on her tongue.