In Light of the Summit by Jamie McGillen

Author:Jamie McGillen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733423915
Publisher: Jamie McGillen

Chapter Sixteen

Spring Rain

Emily | April 1891

In early April, Emily began to come back to life. Her appetite had returned, and her work at the grocer had become a welcome habit. She donned her apron as she began her shift, then dug the metal scooper into the dried beans to measure out a bag that had been ordered the evening before.

Elizabeth had left to visit her aunt in Oregon to help with the many children and the spring planting, so there was little chance of bumping into Levi at the store.

The bell jingled over the front door, and she looked up to see Greta Gallagher.

“Good morning, Greta,” she said with a grin. “How nice to see you this morning. What can I get for you?”

“I’d like sugar and salt, but, in truth, I came here to invite you over for dinner, dear.” She leaned up against the counter and rested her elbows on top.

Emily reached behind her for a large bag of salt. “How many pounds of salt?”

It was common for her to receive pity dinner invitations. She mostly refused them. Everyone wanted to take care of the widow by feeding her, and it was too depressing. But the Gallaghers were like family to her, and Levi’s fishing boat would have already left for the spring fishing season.

“I’ll take one pound, please,” Greta said, a twinkle in her eye.

“Yes, that sounds nice. I’d love to join you. What day did you have in mind?”

“Why, today.”

“I haven’t seen Anna in a couple weeks, so I’d love to catch up with her as well,” Emily said, closing up the brown bag she’d put the salt into.

“Oh, Anna and Ben have dinner plans this evening,” Greta said, looking around at the shelves. “But I’m making your favorite tonight—chicken pie with gravy—so I simply had to invite you.”

Anna’s absence certainly changed Emily’s desire to go to the dinner, but how could she refuse now? “Oh, all right. Just the two of you? Shall I bring anything?”

Greta stood silently for a moment as if pondering something. “I’ll take two pounds of sugar, dear. No, of course you don’t need to bring anything.”

Emily frowned and pulled out the silver scooper to get sugar from the bag.

As she took the coins from Greta and handed her the two brown bags of goods, she had an ominous feeling about the invitation.

But that evening, she arrived at the Gallagher home with a basket of biscuits her mother had made that morning. She’d been raised better than to arrive empty-handed, and Greta knew it.

As she knocked on the door, the clouds began to sprinkle. Thank goodness she’d already made it there dry. The rains were fickle in April, and it might very well rain on her all the way home, but at least she wasn’t arriving as a sopping wet guest.

Greta opened the door and a gust of wind pushed against her back, guiding Emily inside the warm house. She took off her shawl and hung it up near the door, then gave Greta a hug.

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