“Enjoy your visit,” Bernice said. Another person telling her, more or less, to take a break.
“Thanks, Bernice.” Rachel really liked the older woman, who was not only Kate’s daughter-in-law and Kelsey’s mother-in-law, but her fellow server. In fact, she liked every one of her co-workers.
“I’m so grateful you were able to join me today,” Kate said.
“I’m the grateful one. I like spending time with you, Grandma Kate.”
“That’s entirely mutual, Rachel.” Kate poured Rachel a cup of tea then poured one for herself. She set the pot down and looked up.
“How is our Elizabeth doing? She had a checkup just the other day, didn’t she?”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile. Through an accident of birth, her daughter never had a grandmother she remembered. Through a twist of fate, they had both found one in Katherine Wesley Benedict.
“She loves it here. She and her best friend, Bonnie, are going to have their first sleepover at our place, on Saturday. She is blossoming, thanks to the equine therapy. And yes, her one-year checkup was the day before yesterday, and I just got a call on the results. She’s cancer-free.”
“Oh, now that is very good news! I’ve been doing a great deal of research lately. The scientists have been having such good luck with childhood leukemia. The odds are better than ever that Elizabeth will live a full and vibrant life.” Kate patted her hand. “That was so wise of you, taking her to St. Jude’s in Memphis.”
“I just knew that was where she had to be. Grandma Kate...” Rachel set her cup down. Her emotions were roiling. Having said those words—cancer-free—out loud made them real. Her baby girl was one year cancer-free!
“I know I’ve said it before, but it truly bears repeating. Thank you again for telling me about that house that your friends in Memphis had needed a house sitter for and for encouraging me to contact the people at Maria’s Quest. I had no idea that they had a fund for helping the families of children like Elizabeth. I don’t know how I could have managed those months during her treatment without that help. I’ll never be able to pay back such kindness.”
“You don’t owe me a single thing, sweetheart. I believe we’re all here on this earth to do what we can to help others. You and Elizabeth have faced more than your share of heartache and grief over the last couple of years. You both deserve every good thing.”
“I don’t think about those bad times so much anymore. We’ve received so many blessings, lately. My thoughts—and Elizabeth’s—are mostly positive here in our new hometown. Lusty feels like home more than any place ever has.”
“I do like the sound of that.” The older woman smiled and cut herself another bite of her cream puff. Her eyes closed in perfect bliss. Rachel took a bite of her own pastry and knew exactly how Grandma Kate felt. Tracy was the best pastry chef in the world, in her opinion.
Kate Benedict opened eyes. Her attention was caught by something behind Rachel. Then her smile widened, and her eyes positively sparkled.
Rachel guessed another of her many grandchildren had just entered the restaurant.
“Oh, my, this is such a nice surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see you today! But here you are, and both of you together! Two of my favorite grandsons!”
Rachel felt the approach and had been expecting teenaged boys. Instead, two good-sized men came into view. Even from where she was sitting, she knew their attention was all on Kate. They each took a turn bending to give the nonagenarian a hug.
“Grandma Kate! It’s so good to see you,” the man with the lighter hair said. He was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt and wore a spring jacket.
The other, darker- haired man was wearing a military uniform. He echoed his cousin’s sentiment. “Hey, Grandma Kate. Good to see you! How are you?”
“I’m doing very well, thank you. Rachel, this is Trace Langley and Brandon Gillespie—two of Lusty’s wandering sons, both finally come home at last! Brandon is a Marine—he’s First Lieutenant Gillespie—and is now an instructor over at Goodfellow, where my own dear husbands were flight instructors so many years ago. Trace is a first responder, a firefighter, and also recently given the rank of lieutenant with the Lusty Fire Department. Gentlemen, meet Rachel Cosgrove, one of our newest residents.”
Both men turned to her as if just seeing her for the first time. Brandon met her gaze, and she felt the strangest sensation. He was…handsome seemed too weak, too tired a word to describe him. His dark hair, short and well-groomed, looked incredibly soft. His dark eyes, fathomless, drew her in. She extended her arm, and as Brandon picked up her hand, that sensation only magnified. Do I know him? Why does he seem so darn familiar to me? Why do I just want to… It took every bit of will she possessed to shut her thoughts down.
“Hello, Rachel. It’s nice to meet you.” At last.
The sound of his voice snapped her out of the fog that had begun to descend over her. He had not said “at last” with emphasis, and she had no idea why her imagination had slipped those two words into her consciousness. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Lieutenant,” she said.
“Just Brandon.” Brandon didn’t release her hand. Instead, he…he gave it to his cousin.
Of all the strange things for him to do. Before she could think of something to say, she looked at the man now holding her hand, and every thought simply left her head.
Trace’s lighter brown, almost blond hair, cut slightly longer, looked as if he’d run his fingers through it. His brown eyes reminded her of milk chocolate, her favorite kind. Meeting that young man’s gaze, that strange sensation and that feeling of familiarity struck her again. And for just a moment, not more than a few heartbeats, really, Rachel Cosgrove understood the meaning of the expression, déjà vu.
“It’s very nice
