you going to give me that recipe?â Kay watched as her husband, John Jr., wolfed down another forkful of his motherâs beans.
âI already gave it to you, Kay.â Peggy looked confused and just a little bit offended that her daughter-in-law hadnât remembered.
âYou did? When?â
Jill looked like she wanted to ask for the recipe too, but wasnât about to risk it.
âAbout six years ago when you married my son.â Peggy looked over at her oldest son, who was still eating the baked beans. âI figured you were now part of the family, so I gave you all the recipes that my mother-in-law had given me. The way my mother cooked, you wouldnât have wanted any of her recipes.â
âThat was for the other baked beans you usually make. I want the recipe for these.â Kay swiped another forkful of the beans off Tylerâs plate. âThese are delicious.â
âThatâs the same recipe, Kay.â
Now it was Kayâs turn to look confused. Norah gave a quick glance in her motherâs direction and knew what had happened. Joanna had doctored up Peggyâs recipe without the other woman knowing it. Her mother was looking guilty. A change of subject was definitely in order before Peggyâs feelings got hurt. âHey, whatâs the best cell phone company to go with up here? My boss wants me to get one since Iâll be out of the office while working on some of my articles.â
Two different answers came her way from five different people.
Chapter Four
Joanna Stevens was bored. She had been bored most of her life, so she should be used to it by now. She wasnât. She stood in the middle of her backyard watching Zsa Zsa chase some flying insect around in circles and had what some would call an epiphany. She looked at her cute little cottage and the beginnings of a garden and realized she wasnât really living.
She was doing exactly what she had done since the week she had graduated from high school and gotten married. She cooked, cleaned, and tended the flower beds. Instead of waiting for her husband to come home at night, she was now waiting for Norah. She no longer had to tiptoe around an abusive husband who was quick with his insults and who occasionally lost his temper and struck out with his superior strength. She had Zsa Zsa to keep her company during the day, but it still wasnât enough.
She wanted to accomplish something with her life besides giving birth to Norah, knowing her way around a kitchen, and being able to tell the difference between a flower and a weed. She wanted to meet people, socialize, and become part of the community. Maybe even travel a bit. Get a passport and get it stamped at least once a decade. She needed something on her calendar besides the biannual dentist appointments and yearly mammogram. She not only wanted to live; she also wanted a life.
Since a life wasnât going to come knocking on the door and invite itself in, she would have to be the one to go out and find it. The first thing she needed to do was to get a job and to start practicing her smile for her passport photo. Traveling wasnât cheap, and it was a mighty big world out there.
While the divorce settlement and her share of the profits from the sale of her old house had been generous, she wasnât a wealthy woman. She had used the bulk of it to purchase the cottage. Norah was sharing the daily living expenses, but the home was in her name. Norah had insisted upon it. Norah had insisted on quite a few things during the past year and a half. It almost was like their roles had been reversed. Norah was the responsible adult, while she played the role of the obedient child.
Things were about to change.
She loved her daughter dearly, and the last thing she wanted was for Norah to put her life on hold because of her. For the last year and a half, Norah had stood beside her and helped her get through the divorce, the selling of their home,
âI already gave it to you, Kay.â Peggy looked confused and just a little bit offended that her daughter-in-law hadnât remembered.
âYou did? When?â
Jill looked like she wanted to ask for the recipe too, but wasnât about to risk it.
âAbout six years ago when you married my son.â Peggy looked over at her oldest son, who was still eating the baked beans. âI figured you were now part of the family, so I gave you all the recipes that my mother-in-law had given me. The way my mother cooked, you wouldnât have wanted any of her recipes.â
âThat was for the other baked beans you usually make. I want the recipe for these.â Kay swiped another forkful of the beans off Tylerâs plate. âThese are delicious.â
âThatâs the same recipe, Kay.â
Now it was Kayâs turn to look confused. Norah gave a quick glance in her motherâs direction and knew what had happened. Joanna had doctored up Peggyâs recipe without the other woman knowing it. Her mother was looking guilty. A change of subject was definitely in order before Peggyâs feelings got hurt. âHey, whatâs the best cell phone company to go with up here? My boss wants me to get one since Iâll be out of the office while working on some of my articles.â
Two different answers came her way from five different people.
Chapter Four
Joanna Stevens was bored. She had been bored most of her life, so she should be used to it by now. She wasnât. She stood in the middle of her backyard watching Zsa Zsa chase some flying insect around in circles and had what some would call an epiphany. She looked at her cute little cottage and the beginnings of a garden and realized she wasnât really living.
She was doing exactly what she had done since the week she had graduated from high school and gotten married. She cooked, cleaned, and tended the flower beds. Instead of waiting for her husband to come home at night, she was now waiting for Norah. She no longer had to tiptoe around an abusive husband who was quick with his insults and who occasionally lost his temper and struck out with his superior strength. She had Zsa Zsa to keep her company during the day, but it still wasnât enough.
She wanted to accomplish something with her life besides giving birth to Norah, knowing her way around a kitchen, and being able to tell the difference between a flower and a weed. She wanted to meet people, socialize, and become part of the community. Maybe even travel a bit. Get a passport and get it stamped at least once a decade. She needed something on her calendar besides the biannual dentist appointments and yearly mammogram. She not only wanted to live; she also wanted a life.
Since a life wasnât going to come knocking on the door and invite itself in, she would have to be the one to go out and find it. The first thing she needed to do was to get a job and to start practicing her smile for her passport photo. Traveling wasnât cheap, and it was a mighty big world out there.
While the divorce settlement and her share of the profits from the sale of her old house had been generous, she wasnât a wealthy woman. She had used the bulk of it to purchase the cottage. Norah was sharing the daily living expenses, but the home was in her name. Norah had insisted upon it. Norah had insisted on quite a few things during the past year and a half. It almost was like their roles had been reversed. Norah was the responsible adult, while she played the role of the obedient child.
Things were about to change.
She loved her daughter dearly, and the last thing she wanted was for Norah to put her life on hold because of her. For the last year and a half, Norah had stood beside her and helped her get through the divorce, the selling of their home,
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