Page 3

Chapter Three

Ryan helped Alan carry our bags inside while Jessica and Sean went next door to get Sophie and bring her home. I walked across the lawn to check on Butterflies and Blooms , which had closed for the day. I didn’t bother to go inside since I knew Lydia Perkins, my assistant, would have taken care of everything, so I just peeked through the side window.

My shop looked neat and well-stocked, with nothing out of place. Satisfied that I needn’t do anything related to work until noon the next day, I turned toward our mailbox at the curb and noticed Clare still standing on her sister’s porch.

Too far apart for her to hear me calling, I crossed the street and walked toward 147. “Is everything OK?”

Clare shook her head with an expression of frustration. “I’ve rung the bell numerous times and tried calling Lizzie’s phone to no avail. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come after all.”

“You said she stays busy, so she might have had to go out. You’re welcome to wait for her at my house. ”

“I thought I’d just stay on the porch until she comes home.”

“Nonsense,” I replied. “It’s supper time and we’ll probably order pizza from Franco’s, so come on over and I’ll walk back with you later.”

“I suppose I should,” she nodded. “I’ll leave my bags here and just bring my purse.” I knew she’d retrieved a small suitcase from baggage claim and she also had the carry-on that I watched for her at the O’Hare airport.

“Is that all you brought with you?” I asked.

“Other than a few changes of clothing, my nightgown, and a toothbrush, I didn’t think I’d need to bring anything else.”

“That’s great. Honestly, I’ve never been able to travel so lightly, no matter how often I’ve tried.”

She nodded but hadn’t smiled. “I didn’t know what kind of reception I’d get, so I didn’t plan to stay long. However, I never expected this silent treatment.” She sorrowfully shook her head and placed her phone in her purse. “I hate to be such a bother to you and your family.”

“It’s no bother at all,” I said, leading her down the steps. “I imagine we’ll have a bit of chaos since Alan and I have been away for almost two weeks, but it’s all in good fun.”

Clare didn’t respond and I didn’t press her for information. She looked worried enough, as I would be if I’d flown out to see my daughter in Colorado and she didn’t greet me at the door.

Was Elizabeth expecting her sister? I didn’t know what to make of the situation, although it didn’t seem like anything more than crossed wires.

^^ ^

Clare and I entered my house to find my husband resting in the living room recliner, Sean feeding Sophie near the back door, and Jess putting paper plates and napkins on the kitchen island. Alan opened his eyes to say, “I called in our order for pizzas and Ryan went to pick them up. Is everything OK?”

“Clare’s sister must have gone out,” I replied. “She’ll eat with us, then meet up with her later.”

“Good,” Alan nodded. “Hope you like pizza.”

“Of course,” she replied. “More importantly, I’m grateful for your hospitality. You’ve been more than kind.”

Alan smiled congenially. “No problem. We enjoy making new friends.”

I showed Clare to our guest bathroom where she could freshen up, then went to see if Jess needed any help. From my view of her standing at the sink, she definitely looked pregnant, much more so than when we left for Japan. “How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Great! The doctor told me that Jolene and I are doing very well.”

Her infectious grin left me smiling. “You picked the baby’s name?”

“We did, and even Sean is happy about it.”

Sean looked at me with his expressive brown eyes. “Yeah, because I can call her Joe, and that’s a boy’s name.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she sighed.

She and I went to the living room sofa and made room for Clare when she returned from the bathroom. From there, we could watch Sean insist that Sophie “sit” and “give a paw” before receiving her bowl of food.

“Your home is lovely,” Clare stated. “It’s so nice that you can participate in what’s going on in the kitchen while you relax in the living room.”

“It didn’t always look like this,” I said. “Alan and I decided on the open floor plan after we bought the house, which meant tearing down walls and painting every room.”

Sean called, “Guess what color the kitchen was.”

Clare raised her shoulders, questioning, “Yellow?”

“Nope, it was orange,” he boasted. “Really ugly orange.”

Alan opened his eyes to join in the conversation. “How do you know? You didn’t live in Aspen Notch when we moved here.”

“I know because I’ve heard G-G talk about it, like a thousand times.”

“That’s probably true,” Alan nodded, stifling a smile.

When Ryan arrived to place the two pizzas on the kitchen island, I suggested that we have a casual supper. “We can serve ourselves; and Ryan, we should have a new bag of potato chips in the cabinet. Would you open it, please?”

I held back until Jess helped Sean get settled, as did Clare, and I wondered what she thought of my kooky family. Eventually, we filled our plates and returned to the living room. “Do you often all eat together?” she asked.

“I suppose we do, depending on our schedules,” I replied. “Tonight is special because Ryan and Jessica gave up part of their Sunday to pick us up at the airport.”

“We honestly didn’t mind, Mimi, and Sean had a chance to watch your plane land. You know he loves that.”

Jessica’s comment offered a great segue for Sean to tell us about his experience, which he did quite readily. After giving us a detailed description, he turned his attention to Clare .

“I’m going to be a pilot when I grow up,” he announced solemnly. “My dad’s grandfather was a pilot, and he was really brave because he flew planes in a war that had bombs and stuff. I don’t want to be that kind of pilot because it’s scary. Right, dad?”

“Right, son. Last I heard, you wanted to be a doctor-pilot.”

“Yeah. That’d be cool. I’ll fly planes to places where people are sick and I’ll make them better.”

Clare offered a solicitous smile. “That’s a good ambition. Do you know any doctor-pilots?”

“No,” Sean replied. “I met a real pilot one time and I was going to ask him if he was a doctor, but I forgot. My dad told me there are doctor-pilots, and he knows about stuff like that.”

“He’s definitely correct,” Clare said, “because I personally know two of them.”

“Wow! Can I meet them?”

“I’d love to introduce you, but they live very far away in a country called Uganda.”

“Is that near Japan?” Sean asked.

“No, it’s in Africa.”

“Did you visit someone there?” he questioned.

“No, I lived there as a missionary for twenty-five years.”

“What’s a missionary?”

“It’s a person who travels afar to help others. In my case, I opened a clinic and took care of sick people. Sometimes, though, I needed the doctor for someone’s serious injury, and he’d fly his plane to come help me.”

“Wow! That’s really cool!”

I paused, halfway between bites, and caught Alan’s eye. He’d raised an eyebrow with an expression of skepticism. Turning to Clare, I asked, “Are you a nun or something? ”

“I am,” she replied, “as well as a physician’s assistant. I’m on a sabbatical and wanted to see my sister before I return to my clinic. Do you think she’s home yet?”

Ryan walked over to the front window and peered across the street. “There are no lights on at her house yet, though it’s still early. Would you like another slice of pizza?”

She handed him her paper plate. “I’d love one. Thank you.”

I had a million questions, although I suddenly felt tongue-tied. Sean, however, filled in my awkward silence with his own inquiries.

Clare kindly enthralled him with her stories about the bush pilot for the next hour.