Yellow Rose Mysteries 05 - Pushing Up Bluebonnets by Leann Sweeney

Author:Leann Sweeney [Sweeney, Leann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2008-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Kate told me and when I hung up, I looked down at

Diva and said, ‘‘This day is unraveling faster than that sweater I tried to knit for my seventh-grade boyfriend.’’

19

On the drive to the grocery store, Aunt Caroline was as

edgy as a hungry coyote, fidgeting, snapping at me, telling me my driving was atrocious—which it was not. Just getting her out of her house and into my Camry took

plenty of persuading and when we pulled into the Kroger parking lot, I was afraid she might balk again. But with a ‘‘Let’s get this silly exercise over with,’’

she ignored my extended hand to help her out of the

car, got out and strode ahead of me, her Prada handbag

swinging on her arm. Maybe they’d give out a ‘‘bestdressed-diabetic-on-tour award’’ after this meeting ended and make her happy.

A checker directed us to the in-store coffee shop. We

were running late thanks to Aunt Caroline’s earlier stalling, so if she’d hoped to be the center of attention here, she got her wish.

A lean, dark-haired woman smiled broadly when we

took our places at one of the small round tables. The woman was the only one standing and I assumed she

was in charge.

‘‘You must be Caroline. And who have we brought

with us to help today?’’ she asked.

‘‘ I have brought my niece Abigail, and perhaps you are woefully misinformed, young woman, but a plural

pronoun to describe a solitary person is very condescending. Exactly who are you, anyway?’’ Aunt Caroline said. I cringed, wanting to crawl under the table. No one

did imperious better than my aunt.

The woman didn’t even blink. ‘‘I’m Judith, the dieti-PUSHING UP BLUEBONNETS

137

tian. You spoke with my assistant on the phone. Can

we all introduce ourselves to Caroline? Remember, first

names only, unless you prefer to waive anonymity.’’

‘‘That wasn’t me on the phone,’’ Aunt Caroline called

out, interrupting the first person who tried to give her name. ‘‘It was my other well-intentioned but overprotective niece. This better be worth my time.’’

Now I wanted to slither under the floor tiles. Or shake

some sense into you-know-who.

But Judith, bless her heart, didn’t miss a beat. ‘‘You may not be happy about coming here today, but we’re

happy to have you. At some point I hope you will appreciate what you learn. Now, introductions, please?’’

There were seven other people, and all but Aunt Caroline and a woman named Esther were carrying around way too many pounds. I’m bad with names, especially

when they’re dumped on me all at once, and I didn’t

remember anybody but Esther. One of the men was sitting in a store electric cart and checked his blood sugar at least twice since we’d arrived. I guessed his weight had to be more than three hundred pounds. This must be so hard for him, I thought. Harder than for Aunt Caroline. I’m very familiar with the comfort that food

can offer and felt fortunate to be blessed with an overactive metabolism. My guess was that this man and I probably shared the same love of white bread and junk food. Judith said, ‘‘We’ll begin in the bakery to our right.

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