“You look tired. Sit a spell and let’s visit,” Amanda said.
Ellie shook her head. “I want to get home before dark. I’ll stay while you eat, but then I’m leaving.” Ellie extended a hand. “I stopped by that barbecue joint that you like and brought ribs. You can save those for later.”
Amanda put her hand in Ellie’s. “Thanks for everything. I’ve missed you.” She slung an arm around Ellie’s shoulders, and they went inside together. “Let’s eat and then we’ll move the old bed out and the new one in. We do share food around here, so we’ll put the ribs on the stove and if the others want some, then fine. If not, I’ll have the leftovers for breakfast.”
“Barbecued ribs for breakfast?” Ellie frowned.
“I’m pregnant.” Amanda patted her shoulder.
Jamie yelled up from the bottom of the stairs, “Is that ribs I smell? You didn’t tell me you were cooking supper, Amanda.”
She and Gracie appeared. Jamie picked up a T-shirt from the back of a kitchen chair and jerked it on over her bright-orange two-piece suit. Gracie wore a cute little bathing suit with Cinderella on the front, and she kept right on going down the hall.
“She’s going to change into something dry.” Jamie held out her hand to Ellie. “I’m Jamie, and you must be Amanda’s aunt Ellie.”
Ellie shook hands with her and nodded toward the table. “Amanda has no idea how to make barbecue, but I know where to buy it.”
“Thank you. I was going to make us a sandwich, but that smells so good. Nothing like a whole afternoon in the water to build an appetite,” Jamie said.
“Hey, Jamie,” Hattie yelled from the front door. “Are you here?”
Jamie quickly crossed the deck and went inside. “Right here. We were just coming in from an afternoon swim.”
“I wondered if I could steal Gracie to help me at the church. I’ve got to get things set up for tomorrow’s Bible school. Lisa is going to help me, so I thought maybe Gracie might like to go along,” Hattie said. “I could have called, but I was driving right past anyway.”
Gracie shot out of the bedroom wearing nothing but panties and a T-shirt. “Please, Mama. I want to go see my new friend.”
“How soon?” Jamie asked.
“About twenty minutes. I’ve already got Lisa out in the car, but I need to pick up treats for tomorrow at my house, so I’ll get Gracie on the way back through. Just grab her booster for me.” Hattie nodded toward Ellie. “Hello. I’m Hattie Bell from next door.”
“I’m Ellie Hilton, Amanda’s aunt. Pleased to meet you,” Ellie said.
“Hey, Hattie.” Amanda waved. “Where’s the nearest dump ground?”
“What are you throwing out?”
“The king-size bed in the master bedroom,” Amanda answered.
“Would you mind donating it rather than tossing it? You remember Gracie’s friend Lisa whose house burned down? Her dad could probably use it,” Hattie said. “They live in the second house down from the bank. It’s yellow with white trim. Belonged to his grandma, and she let him use it until he can settle up with the insurance company.”
“Be more than glad to donate it,” Amanda said. “But it’s a bed and, well . . . you know.”
“It does have a mattress cover, right? And it’s washable?” Hattie asked.
Amanda nodded.
“That’s wonderful. I’ll call them and let them know. They have a pickup truck, so if you’ll just set it out on the porch, I’m sure they’ll come by and get it. His name is Paul Terry. Someone donated a bed for Lisa, but he’s been using an air mattress and I know he’ll be real happy to have a bed.”
“Even with the history?” Ellie asked.
“Honey, once it goes out of this house, the history is wiped clean.” Hattie grinned. “Gracie has time to eat, and I’ll have plenty of cookies so she and Lisa can have some later.”
“Can I go out to the car and see Lisa now?” Gracie bounced up and down like a windup toy.
“No, you can eat your supper and then get on some shorts. She doesn’t have to be dressed up tonight, does she?” Jamie asked.
“Play clothes is fine.” Hattie started toward the door. “I’ll call Paul soon as I get to the car.”
In the middle of getting Gracie settled at the table, Jamie heard someone knock on the door. It was too soon to be Hattie, so it was probably that detective. Where was Kate? She was the one he usually had questions for.
“I’ll get it.” Jamie wiped her hands on a paper towel.
She was expecting Waylon to be on the other side of the door, but it was three younger men, none of them over thirty. “Can I help you?” she asked out of caution.
“I’m Paul Terry, and these are two of my buddies from the church. Hattie called and said you had a bed to give away. We thought we’d come help you tear it down and put up the new one for you. It’s the least we can do.” Light-brown hair, some crow’s feet around the hazel eyes—a man that wouldn’t turn many heads until he smiled, and then bushels of charm came out.
Jamie opened the door and motioned them inside. “Come on in. The bed is in the last room on the left, and the new one is out there on the back of that pickup.”
“And the bassinet? Does it come into the house, too, or is it leaving?” Paul stopped in the middle of the room.
“It’s arriving,” Amanda called from the kitchen.
Jamie heard Aunt Ellie say something about how having it there would help Amanda get through the hard times.
“If you’ll bring it in, too, it would be a big help,” she said.
Paul smiled again. “You got it. To get to sleep on a real bed, I’d move a whole houseful of furniture.”
Amanda yelled from the kitchen again, “Hey, Paul, you can have all the bedding, too, but you’ll have to wash it.”
“Thank you.” Paul raised his voice, but his eyes were on Jamie. “This is the answer to a prayer. I am very grateful.” Then he nodded toward Jamie. “You are Gracie’s mother, right?”
“Yes, I am.” Jamie nodded.
“She’s all Lisa has been talking about.” Paul’s smile got even wider at the mention of his daughter.
“Well, Gracie is quite taken with her new friend, too.” Jamie was reluctant to return to the kitchen.
I’m not going to propose to him. I just want to get to know him better if his kid and mine are going to be friends, she argued with the voice in her head.
Kate pushed open the sliding doors into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at Jamie. “What is going on?”
“We’re giving away the bed. You got a problem with that?” Amanda answered quickly.
Kate shook her head and yawned. “I do not. What time is it?”
“Six thirty, and barbecue is on the stove if you are hungry,” Amanda answered.
“Good grief! I was working down on the dock and time got away from me,” Kate said.
The guys came out with the bed and loaded it onto their trucks. Then they took in the new bed and a bassinet filled with cute baby things. Ellie wanted to get home before dark, so she hugged Amanda and hurried off while Jamie finished getting Gracie’s plate ready.
“I would have helped tear down and unload for this supper.” Jamie held up a rib.