Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise by Joyce Magnin

Author:Joyce Magnin [Magnin, Joyce]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

22

As usual on Friday evening, Rose and Asa came by for dinner. It was the first day of summer. A cool breeze blew down from the mountains and brought the smell of pine and honeysuckle with it.

When I looked in the fridge, I didn't see much to make. I would need to go grocery shopping. I did find pork chops, however, and thought they would go nicely with mashed potatoes and salad. I'd had a hankering for mashed potatoes, so I peeled and quartered six nice russets and dropped them in salted water.

Rose and Asa arrived together.

"Hey, Charlotte," Asa said. "What's for supper? I'm starved."

"Pork chops."

"Sounds good." Asa flipped on the TV and sat on the sofa. Rose helped me in the kitchen.

"I thought practice went well," I said.

"It sure did," Asa said. "There's some real talent on the team. We just have to get Marlabeth to run the right direction, and Edwina is afraid of the ball or something."

Rose set the table.

"Use the cloth napkins," I said. "The pretty ones with the daisies on the edge. It is summer, after all. We should be summery, don't you think?"

Rose's mind was still on the practice. "Except for that Cash Vangarten spying on us."

I watched her toss Asa a sideways glance. "Or should I say spy on Charlotte?"

"Me?" I tested the potatoes with a fork. "Few more minutes."

I tossed Asa a can of Coke. He placed it between his knees and popped the top. "Rose thinks he's sweet on you."

"Oh, pish. He just came by with that lame excuse about the uniforms so he could get a look at our team."

"Whatever you say," Rose said.

I drained the spuds. "Come to think of it, Rose, I did tell him we were championship caliber." I laughed and beat the potatoes with a little more gusto.

"You what?"

"Well, he was giving me such a hard time, a real chauvinist, that day at the factory about Ha—"

Rose made wide eyes at me and tilted her head toward Asa.

"Anyway," I said. "It doesn't matter, really. He was just bothering me."

"I can see why. There's just something troublesome about him."

I called Asa to the table.

"Got any applesauce, Charlotte?" Rose asked. "I always like applesauce with chops."

"I sure do. Made some yesterday."

"Made it?" Asa said. "You can make applesauce?"

"Simple," I said. "I used Pink Lady apples, so it might be a little tart."

I plopped a spoonful in a bowl and set it on the table near Asa. "Got cinnamon?" he asked, looking up at me with his quiet blue eyes.

"Pink Lady. Isn't that the name of the restaurant where you met Cash?" Rose asked, even though I knew she knew the answer.

"Aha," Asa said. "Methinks the lady of the trailer has a crush."

"I do not." I tapped the potato masher against the pot. "My husband—my late husband—has not been late for all that long. I am not interested in starting a romance." I turned my wedding ring around on my finger and wondered how long I was supposed to wear it.

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