Previously Loved Treasures (Serendipity #2)(24)

When the clock sounded seven loud gongs Ida jumped up. “Oh, my gosh, I’ve forgotten about supper. Louie is going to be furious.” She pointed a finger toward the hallway and asked Caroline to go rap on Louie’s door. “Tell him dinner’s going to be a bit late. Say it will be ready by seven-thirty.”

Caroline knocked twice before Louie woke and stumbled to the door. When she delivered the message, he rubbed his eyes and glanced down at his watch.

“I think I’ll pass on dinner,” he said. “I’m still full from lunch.”

“Okay,” she answered and turned to leave, but before she was halfway down the hall he called out.

“I suppose I could do with a sandwich or two of that sliced ham.”

~

As it turned out none of the residents were very hungry, so Ida returned the roast beef to the refrigerator and simply set out two platters with the makings of sandwiches. With there being little interest in the food, a lively conversation bounced back and forth across the table. The main topic of discussion was Caroline’s novel.

“Being a novelist is an admirable profession,” Doctor Payne said. “It’s not like being a doctor, but it’s certainly admirable.”

Louie seldom missed an opportunity to trim the pompous Payne down to size and piped up. “You wasn’t never a doctor, you was a dentist!” A snicker hung onto the word “dentist.”

“Dentists are doctors,” Wilbur replied. “It’s just a different doctoral degree.”

“Hardy-har-har,” Louie chuckled. “No matter what you call a mule, he’s still a jackass.” He had a few more comments on the tip of his tongue, but when Louie saw the look Ida gave him he went back to talking about Caroline’s novel. “So, you got an agent for this book, or a publisher maybe?”

“Not yet,” she answered, then explained the book was only three-quarters finished. “I’ve got my computer with me, and I’m hoping to complete it while I’m here.”

Ida raised a hand to her forehead. “Oh, no. I thought I had everything ready, but I’ve forgotten to put a desk in your room!”

“That’s no problem,” Caroline replied. “I can work on the kitchen table.”

Of course Ida would not hear of it. “I know of a wonderful little shop that has anything and everything a person could want. Tomorrow morning we’ll take a drive over and pick out a lovely desk for your room.”

Although Caroline insisted such a thing was not necessary, Ida’s mind was made up.

~

It was after nine when Ida finally suggested Caroline get settled in her room.

“Sounds good,” Caroline said and called for Clarence to come along.

Ida went first, taking the stairs one at a time and pausing to catch her breath after each step. Caroline followed and Clarence padded behind. When Ida opened the door to the room, Caroline peered in. “Oh, Grandma, it’s beautiful!”

“It used to be your daddy’s room.” Ida’s words were threaded with a mixture of joy and sadness. “Of course it looked a lot different then.”

Caroline lifted the worn teddy bear off the bed. “Was this Daddy’s?”

Ida teetered on the edge of truth for a moment, then decided there was no harm in a small lie that could bring happiness. She nodded. “Yes, indeed, and I know James would want you to have Teddy.”

“Teddy,” Caroline repeated wistfully.

She then turned, wrapped her arms around Ida, and whispered, “Thank you, Grandma.”

That’s when Ida knew she had done the right thing.

~

That night Clarence again climbed into bed with Caroline and pressed his back against her thigh. After they’d settled into place, she reached for the nightstand to turn off the light. Teddy sat alongside the lamp, and Caroline could almost swear the bear was smiling. That smile was the last thing she saw before the room went dark.

~

The next morning a soft rap on the door awakened Caroline. When she opened the door, Ida stood there with a steaming mug of coffee.

“Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes,” she said, “but I thought you might like an eye-opener first.” She handed the mug to Caroline then disappeared back down the stairs.

“But wait,” Caroline called, “don’t you need help fixing—”

“Nope,” Ida answered as she crossed to the hallway and disappeared from sight.

~

It was early March, and while the afternoons were becoming warm there was still a chill in the morning air. Caroline dressed in jeans and a light sweater then hurried downstairs. She had no sooner slid into a chair when Ida came from the kitchen with a large platter of scrambled eggs and sausage links. That was followed by baskets piled high with homemade biscuits and pieces of honeydew melon cut into tiny squares.

The platters were passed around the table and everyone, including the bone-thin Harriet, shoveled a good-sized portion onto their plate. Louie scooped up twice as much as the others. “Nothing like a good hot breakfast,” he said and passed the platter to Wilbur.

When everyone finished eating there was not even a stain left on the platters and only one biscuit left in the basket. As Ida began stacking the dirty dishes, Caroline joined in. “They sure are a hungry bunch,” she whispered.