Quilt As Desired

Randy jumped onto the sofa and started licking his face. He awoke, spluttering and spitting, and pushed her down.

'What time is it?” he asked. “Did I miss the movie?'

'It's ten after seven, and, yes, you did miss the movie,” Harriet told him and laughed.

'Did you take advantage of me while I was asleep?'

'You wish. But I did take your dog out.'

'You're still wearing last night's clothes, so I guess we did sleep together, huh? Was it good for you?'

'You've got a one-track mind, buddy boy. I need to get dressed to go back to your mother's house.'

'Do I at least get a cup of coffee before you throw us out?'

'Yes, you can have a cup of coffee, but then you have to go so I can get ready.'

He was still sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the paper when she came down from her shower. She was dressed in jeans and a red T-shirt. Randy was licking the floor around the empty bowl Harriet had filled with cereal for her before she went upstairs. She looked hopefully at Harriet.

'I thought you were leaving,” she said.

'I am. I'm just not anxious to go to my mom's house. My brother's arriving today.'

'Don't you get along with your brother?'

'We don't not get along. Since he's the oldest he expects everything to be his way. He thinks he knows what's best for all of us no matter what the subject. And he hates Foggy Point. He couldn't wait to leave when he got out of high school, and he'll blame Mom's death on the fact that she lived here. He wanted her to relocate to Seattle when he got out of college, but she wouldn't consider it. He's sure she stayed here because of me. He might be right. Maybe if we'd moved to Seattle all those years ago she'd be with us today.'

'You can't know that. She might have died in a car accident or been hit by a meteor.'

They were still arguing when the studio doorbell rang.

'Are you expecting company?” Aiden asked.

'Not that I know of.” She got up and went to the studio, Randy close on her heels. She opened the door. Sarah Ness walked in without waiting to be asked.

'Hi, Harriet. I hope it's okay that I came this early. I knew you'd be up since you're going to Avanell's at nine. I made a quilt for my sister's birthday and need you to stitch it for me by Monday.'

'You do know it's Sunday, right? And you know I'm going to be at Avanell's all day.'

'It's not that hard.” Sarah said. “My sister's birthday is Wednesday.'

'I can have it for you by the end of the day on Monday, but it'll cost you.'

'I don't remember asking for a discount.'

'Give it to me,” Harriet said.

'It's in the car, I'll go get it.'

'Who's here?” Aiden asked as he came into the studio.

'Be careful,” Harriet said. “There are probably still pins on the floor, and believe me, you don't want to step on one in your bare feet.'

'Dr. Jalbert,” Sarah said. “What are you doing here? Is there a problem?'

'Miss Ness,” he said with a smile. “We're just fine here, thanks for asking.'

Sarah stiffened. She looked from Aiden to Harriet and back again.

'I'll be back Monday at four,” she said and turned on her heel and left.

Aiden grinned.

'You're not helping things, you know,” Harriet said. “She's a customer. According to Aunt Beth, a very good customer.'

'She needs to know how things are, and the sooner she does the better for all of us.'

'And just exactly how are things? Never mind, forget I asked.'

'I know how things aren't, and she's my customer, too. Or at least her cat is, and the sooner she understands what isn't going to happen the better off we'll all be.'

Harriet opened her mouth to speak.

'Stop right there. I don't want to hear about how she's my age and all.'

'How do you know what I was going to say?'

He raised his eyebrow and stared at her.

'Okay, so maybe I was going to mention age,” she admitted. “She is closer to your age, you know.'

'Yeah, and she's a self-centered neurotic. Is being my age supposed to make up for that?'

'No, and it's none of my business, anyway. I need to go to your mom's house.'

'Want to go with me and Randy?'

'I think not. Besides, I'm picking up Mavis.'

They went back into the kitchen. Fred was eating his kibbles and keeping a wary eye on Randy, who sat under the kitchen table watching his every move.

Aiden gathered Randy up and left. Harriet went upstairs, brushed her teeth and then left to pick up Mavis.

Chapter Nineteen

'Did you get some rest?” Mavis asked as she got into the car. She was wearing faded pull-on jeans and a purple sweatshirt with three squirrels painted on the front.

'I rented a couple of movies. I discovered DeAnn worked at the video store.'

'Welcome to small-town America. I can tell you, I didn't make it very late last night. I ate a frozen dinner, watched one TV program and went to bed.'

'The stash dispersal has to be more draining for those of you who knew Avanell well.'

'That it is. I can remember when she bought most of those fabrics. I bought many of them myself. Every one of them is a memory of times we've lost.” Mavis looked down at her lap. “I'm sorry,” she said after a few minutes. “I didn't mean to be so maudlin.'

'Hey, don't apologize for missing a good friend.” Harriet wondered what it was like to know someone that many years.

They rode in silence for the rest of the trip. Harriet pulled into the driveway, let Mavis out then parked in front of the large detached garage that had probably once been a carriage house. She got out and was about to walk around the house to the front door when the back door opened.

'Hey, toots, want me to show you a shortcut?” Aiden called. Randy ran out between his feet and started dancing around her.

'How can I refuse such an offer?” she said and followed him into the house.

He led her across an enclosed porch and into a butler's pantry. A narrow hallway led to a breakfast room, which in turn led to a large formal dining room.

She was in the room before she realized there were people seated at the table eating breakfast.

'I'm sorry,” she said to Michelle and a man she recognized as Marcel. “I didn't realize anyone was in here.'

'It's an easy mistake to make,” Michelle said “Why would you expect there to be people eating in their own dining room in the morning?'

'Ignore her,” Aiden said, and started for the door on the wall opposite the one they had entered through.

'Harriet?” Marcel said. “Is that you? I'd heard you were living in California.'

'I was, but I've decided to move back here,” she told him with more conviction than she felt.

'You couldn't pay me enough to come back here to live.'

'Doesn't seem like that's going to be a problem,” Michelle said.

'I better go join the other quilters. I can find my way from here,” she said to Aiden. “It's nice to see you again, Marcel. I'm just sorry it has to be under such sad circumstances.'

'Yeah, right.'

She climbed the stairs to the second floor. Jenny and DeAnn must have arrived while she was in the dining