“That’s what I figured.” April nodded. “And Stella came to help out today. She volunteers with the shelter an afternoon a week. Her sister, Vivien, usually joins her, but she was too worn out after their vacation to come today.”
“Who?” Flynn asked.
“Stella,” April answered. “Remember the wiry little red-haired lady who brought us the chocolate cake the first day we were here? That’s Stella. Her sister is Vivien. They were Nanny Lucy’s quilting partners. Stella knew that Grandpa was a womanizer. She said that they started the quilt club to get Nanny Lucy out of a deep depression. No wonder I thought she hated me. Depression is a terrible thing.”
“I never saw that in her.” Nessa took a roll out of the basket and passed it over to April. “That’s why I’m having such a hard time with all this information we’ve uncovered.”
“Shocking, isn’t it, that she was a different person to each of us,” April said. “But now that I know some of what was on her mind, it makes her actions a little easier to understand.”
“Yep,” Flynn said, “and gets us closer to understanding our parents, too.”
“On another note, the guy that came into the shelter with that little girl was Kent Wallace. He’s part of the same law firm that Nanny Lucy used to set up her will. He works with Paul Jones.” April slathered her roll with butter. “If I keep eating like this, I’m going to outgrow my jeans.”
“You’ve got a job now. You can buy new jeans, and, honey, you need a few more pounds. I’ll help you along—there were jars of blackberries in the cellar, so we’re all eating cobbler for dessert,” Nessa said.
Flynn groaned. “That’s just my favorite pie in the whole world. It’s a good thing I’ve got a job, or I’d be outgrowing my jeans, too.”
“Might be a good idea,” April chuckled.
“Why’s that?” Nessa asked.
“If he didn’t look like a movie star, maybe the women wouldn’t flock to him,” April said, dissolving into giggles.
“Oh, ha ha. But that reminds me,” Nessa said. “Tilly gave me her phone number. I put it on the top of the fridge when I got home and forgot to tell you, Flynn. She said that if you don’t call her, she might just show up here at the place with her kids. Jackson told her that the falls was off-limits to the public, but she could come to the house. She’s the pushiest woman I’ve ever known, so you’d do well to steer clear of her.”
“I’m doing my best.” Flynn buried his head in his hands. “Burn that number. I’m not calling her, and I’m steering clear of Weezy’s.”
April took a long sip of her sweet tea and smiled. For the first time in her life, she was beginning to feel at home. There had never been much laughter in the house when she was growing up. Now it seemed like every time they all got tickled, a little more of the past was washed away by their happiness.
Chapter Eighteen
Have you ever stained a piece of wood?” Jackson looked up from the table saw where he was working when Flynn came into the building.
“No, but I’m willing to learn,” Flynn answered, glad to be trusted with another job.
“I’ve got so many orders that I’m getting behind. I’d sure like it if you could do the finish work for me from now on. I can get the pieces built pretty fast, but the finish takes forever and slows me down.” Jackson pointed to a couple of hope chests on a worktable. “You’ve got those sanded. They’re ready to put the dark cherry stain on them. I’ll show you how to do the lid on one. It’s really easy. Just brush it on until you finish one side, let it set about five minutes to soak up the color, and then use paper towels to wipe it off.” He demonstrated as he talked. “Then tomorrow you can put a coat of varnish on each of them.”
“That I can do.” Flynn was excited to be learning something new. Sanding had taken his mind away from everything and given him time to think. Hopefully, staining would be just as satisfying. “I’ve done my fair share of painting, and it can’t be a lot different than that.”
“Not at all. Just keep the strokes even and overlapped, with no runs.” Jackson handed him the brush and went back to cutting out more pieces. When he turned off the saw, he turned around and nodded. “Good job there. You’ve got a job here full-time if you decide to stick around once the quilt is done. And thank you.”
“For what? You’re paying me to do this,” Flynn said.
“Nessa and I had supper at Weezy’s when we went to the cemetery. You’ve taken heat off me and probably the entire unmarried male population of Blossom when it comes to Tilly.” Jackson grinned.
“You’re welcome, but I’m not getting tangled up with that woman, either. I’ll just stay out of Weezy’s, and if she comes up in the yard, I’ll hide over here.” Flynn laughed.
He could see himself in Tilly and wondered if she had ever thought about changing her lifestyle. Did she have a troubled background like he did, or maybe an ex-husband who’d made her feel worthless? “Makes a man wonder what kind of husband she had.”
“I have no idea, but I’m glad that Nessa was with me, or I might be the one running and hiding.” Jackson chuckled.
“What’s your secret?” Flynn asked. “I’m trying to get my life straightened out, not dive into more trouble.”
“Stay away from the known spots where women like Tilly will ambush you,” Jackson answered. “Bars and Weezy’s.”
“And church?” Flynn added.
Jackson cocked his head to one side. “You’ve picked up women in church?”
“One of the best places,” Flynn answered. “If you’re going to church, they think you’re a stand-up guy who would never sleep with them and then not call or send flowers the next day.”
“You’ve been a little bit of a bastard, haven’t you?” Jackson asked.
“I learned it from the best. You already know all about my dad. But now I’m doing my best to unlearn it and start over with a clean slate.” Flynn looked at the hope chest he’d been working on. It had started out as raw wood, and to get to be a finished product, it had to endure screws being sunk into it, the sanding and staining processes, and then varnish. That was the way his life had been since he’d decided to come to Blossom and get a new start. It had been a lot and would be even more, a lengthy process from start to finish. Some of it might not be pleasant, but when he was done, he hoped to be more like his mother—like his father had said. “Did you and Nessa have a good time on your cemetery date? Now that’s one place I’ve never picked up a woman.”
“Me either.” Jackson’s grin got bigger. “And that was the first time I ever took a date to the cemetery.”
“Not even in high school on Halloween?” Flynn asked.
“We went to the cemetery once on Halloween, but it was just a group of us kids goofing off, not a date with a single girl,” Jackson answered.
“Yep, same here.” Flynn wiped away the stain on the end of the hope chest. “Nessa came in all aglow and happy. But as a friend, I should warn you that both of you better think about this. You’re neighbors, you know.”