One Day in Apple Grove(81)
Miss Trudi paused in the doorway and asked, “How’s the design for the cake coming?”
Peggy sighed. “Kate’s done an amazing job. Wait until you see it.”
“Make sure it’s extra special,” Miss Trudi warned.
Peggy smiled. “It will be.”
“I’ll stop by later for that tea, dear.”
Watching the woman retreat, taking in Miss Trudi’s favorite outfit—jodhpurs, a crisp white button-down shirt, and wellies—Cait sighed. “I want to be Miss Trudi when I grow up.”
“Me too,” Peggy agreed, watching the older woman stride down the street before asking, “So how’s the stove?”
“Good as new.”
“How’s Doc’s stamina?”
Cait snorted and she slapped her hands over her mouth to keep from doing it again. “You are a wicked woman, Peggy McCormack, catching me off guard like that, hoping I’ll spill all of my secrets.”
“It’s part of my charm,” her friend preened, “and it used to work like one.”
Cait’s phone buzzed. “That’ll be Gracie.” She read the message. “Another repair job.” Cait’s gaze met her friend’s and confided, “I’m keeping him, Peggy.”
Peggy nodded. “If you change your mind, let me know.”
Cait was laughing as she waved good-bye and got into her car. She had a full day before they could put their plans to rescue Jamie into action.
By four thirty that afternoon she was exhausted, her face had scratches from the rotten wood she’d knocked loose while working on Miss Tisdale’s chicken coop, and she was so hungry she could have gnawed off her right hand.
“Should have stopped for lunch.” She knew better, but somehow with everything happening, time got away from her. So when Grace called, she was more than ready for a break.
“How are things on the home front, Gracie?”
Her sister sighed. “The usual, two more jobs for tomorrow and a cancellation. Your last stop has a stomach bug.”
“Whoa,” Cait said. “No need to catch something like that.”
“That’s what Mrs. Jenkins said.”
“I’m going to stop at the diner,” Cait told her sister. “I worked through lunch.”
“I’ll meet you over there,” her sister said before hanging up.
“Now I wonder what that’s all about.” Cleaning up the rest of her tools, she said good-bye to Miss Tisdale and drove into town.
There weren’t any spots left near the diner, so she parked behind the shop and walked up the alleyway between Mulcahys and the diner. The crowd of people gathered there caught her by surprise.
“Hey, Kate,” she called out, stepping inside. “Are you giving away free pie?”
The younger McCormack sister’s smile bloomed as she waved Cait inside. “Peggy just asked me to give you a call…but it’s better that you’re here!”
Cait smiled at the familiar faces of some of her friends and neighbors before asking, “Where’s Peggy?”
“Here.” She beamed, and the crowd made room for Peggy and Rhonda, who was hot on her heels.
“This is huge,” Rhonda said with a nod in Cait’s direction. “Huge!”
Before she could ask what they were talking about, the door opened behind them and Jack rushed in. “What’s the emergency?” His face was flushed, and he was limping, but he didn’t notice—he scanned the crowd and looked at her when he asked, “What’s going on?”
Cait shrugged. “I just got here after putting Miss Tisdale’s chicken coop back together. Don’t ask me.”
His gaze swept past her and then back again. His entire demeanor changed. “You’re hurt.” The brush of his fingertips along the edge of her scraped cheek soothed her.
“It’s just a scratch,” she protested, moving to make room for the people crowding around them.
“Let me look—” he began as the door opened wide behind him.
A ripple went through the crowd as Cait rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but she wasn’t seeing things. “Jamie!” Cait gave a hoot and elbowed her way to where Jack stood, staring at the puppy they’d planned to liberate in a few hours. The little dog wiggled in Mitch’s arms until he chuckled and handed the dog over to the still-silent Jack.
“What happened?” Cait asked.
Mitch looked from Rhonda to Cait and said, “Got this phone call about two hours ago,” he told them. “It seems that Ms. Blackwell will be going away on an extended vacation and wouldn’t be able to care for Crackers…uh…Jamie here.”