Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(71)

“I don’t like gingersnaps,” Cody said.

“Which I told her, and now she’s upset.”

“Should I tell her I’ll eat gingersnaps?” Cody asked, eager to appease his sister.

“No way,” Brad insisted. “Let her pout, if that’s what she wants.”

Lydia put away her purse and removed her sweater before joining her husband in the family area. Brad had the television on, watching the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Needing a distraction, she reached for her knitting.

“Casey’s worried about her grandmother,” Lydia said after a few stitches. “And frankly, so am I.”

“Anything new?” Brad reverted his attention from the screen back to Lydia.

“She claims she’s talking to my dad again.”

“Does Grandma really talk to him?” Cody asked, sitting on the floor and bunching up his knees.

“Of course she doesn’t,” Brad insisted. “He’s been dead since before I knew Lydia.”

“What do you think, Mom?” Cody asked.

She hardly knew what to say. “I think my mother misses him so much that in her mind he is still alive.”

“Oh.” Cody had an odd look as if he was willing to accept what she said even if he didn’t understand.

About a half hour later Casey came out of her bedroom. “You can bake gingersnap cookies if you want,” Cody called out to her. “I’ll eat them.”

“I don’t feel like baking,” Casey said as she slumped down on the sofa.

The phone rang, and Cody waited for a moment before he rushed to answer. Generally, Casey was the one who got to the phone first. “Hello,” her son said into the receiver.

“Yes. Hold on a minute, please.”

“Mom,” he said. “It’s the place where Grandma lives. They said it’s an emergency.”

Chapter Twenty-six

Her first few days back at the shop, Lauren couldn’t get out of John Michael Jewelry fast enough. She hadn’t officially been married a week, and a good portion of that time had been spent dealing with customers at the store. Elisa and Garry remained in eastern Washington, and Lauren felt responsible for keeping the store open and running smoothly.

Earlier, Rooster had sent her a text saying he’d be waiting for her at The French Cafe just down the street when she was available. As soon as all the diamonds and higher-priced gems were safely tucked inside the safe, Lauren was free to leave.

Although the skies remained overcast, Rooster had chosen a sidewalk table. He stood as she approached. They briefly hugged, and she noticed that he’d ordered her a latte, which was waiting for her. Her heart melted a little; how thoughtful he was.

“Well, how was your day?” Rooster asked, looking relaxed as he sat down and crossed his long legs.

“Frustrating,” she admitted. “I couldn’t wait to get off so I could be with you. What about you?” she asked.

“Mostly frustrating,” he admitted, grinning and then lowering his voice. “I kept calculating how many more hours it would be before I could get you back in bed.”

“Rooster!”

He swung his head, and his ponytail bounced against his leather jacket. “What can I say, I’m a healthy red-blooded male who’s eager to make love to his wife.”

It hadn’t surprised her that Rooster had proven to be a thoughtful, gentle lover. It was hard to take in the fact that she was a married woman, although Rooster left her in little doubt of that. For a quickly arranged wedding, it had been wonderful. Lauren was grateful her family had been able to attend, and it’d been a bonus to have Max and Bethanne with them, too. Already, her mother and Bethanne had their heads together working on a reception.

“Did you connect with your boss?” Rooster asked, reaching for his coffee.

Lauren knew he was eager for Elisa and Garry’s return so they could have a few days together alone.

“We spoke briefly this afternoon.” The conversation had been far too short and, unfortunately, one-sided. Elisa continued to be stressed out over her daughter’s future.

“Did they say when they plan to return?”

Her husband had honeymoon plans on his mind, and he wasn’t going to like this any better than she did. “I don’t expect them to get to town before tomorrow afternoon. More than likely, they won’t be in the store until Friday.”

Just as she suspected, Rooster frowned at the news. “I’ll talk to Max about taking off a few additional days.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a couple brochures. “I did a bit of walking while waiting for you and came across a travel agency. I was thinking we could get away to Victoria, British Columbia, for a night or two. It isn’t far, and we can catch the foot ferry from the Seattle waterfront and stay at the Empress Hotel.”

“I’ve always wanted to spend the night there,” Lauren said wistfully. It was a gorgeous hotel built in the early 1900s, with an ivy-covered brick exterior. It had an English flavor, as did the entire business district. Lauren had heard friends claim visiting Victoria was like stepping onto the streets of London.

“Then the Empress is where we’ll honeymoon.”

“Oh, Rooster, you make me feel so loved.” Lauren felt like she wanted to cry. Afraid she was about to embarrass them both, she reached for her latte and raised it to her lips.