Read Online Blame It On The Mistletoe - A Novel of Bright's Pond by Joyce Magnin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joyce Magnin
Tags: A Novel of Bright's Pond
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Park?"
I sipped my water. "I guess it does sound stupid. But it seemed uncanny to me that he should get the fountain going and be visiting Greenbrier and now the people are riding tricycles and kissing and skipping and stuff like that."
"Look," Mildred said. "I'll go talk to Leon but I don't think he's got anything to do with Greenbrier. How could he? There is no such thing as water that makes people young or gives them new life."
"I don't know. Just thought I should mention it."
"Anyway," Studebaker said, "are you all coming to the blessing? It should be a lot of fun."
"I haven't been up to Paradise in a long, long time," Dot said. "I'll go."
"Me too," Mildred said.
That was when Zeb came out of the kitchen. "Hey, Hey, everybody." He looked at me. "Hi, Grizzy."
"Hi, Zeb. How are you?"
"Just fine. Just fine."
The tension between us fell like a thick, wool blanket over the café. Everyone felt it. I could tell just by looking at their faces.
"Are you going?" I asked Zeb. "To the blessing?"
"Maybe. Are you?"
"Sure, it sounds like a blast."
"How are you getting there?" Zeb asked. "Flying?"
I looked daggers at him. Every chance he could he said something to jab at Cliff Cardwell.
"No, I'll drive my truck."
"Fine," Zeb said. And he went back to his kitchen.
Studebaker shook his head. "You two really need to work this out. Either get married or break up for good."
"Hear, hear," Dot said. "Make a decision."
My head started to ache. "I just came by to give you that info, Mildred. Do with it what you want. I better get back to the library before school lets out."
I got outside and Zeb was waiting near my truck. He was looking a little guilty.
"I'm sorry, Grizzy," he said. "For making that remark about flying to Paradise. I just get so jealous."
"You shouldn't. I keep telling you that there is nothing between Cliff and me except flying lessons."
We stood toe to toe. He lifted my chin with his fingertips and kissed me. My toes curled as I felt one leg lift off the ground. When he pulled away. A deep sigh bubbled like a fountain from my chest. "Oh, Zeb. Why do we fight?"
"Then you'll marry me?"
I took a step back. "I didn't say that—not yet."
"Then when? I'm going nuts."
"I don't know. Maybe if you just take the pressure off, and we can go on dates and spend time together without all this jealous stuff, and . . . Zeb, I really want to try and get my pilot's license before the marriage license. I know you don't understand, but I need to do this."
"OK, I guess I understand—sort of. And I promise: no more jealousy."
"And no more complaints when I need to see Agnes. I know I run off on you sometimes—" I leaned against the truck. "But how often do you run to the café to check on something or take care of a problem? How many times have you left me at the movie because you needed to check the café?"
"I know, I know. But it's different. The Full Moon is my livelihood. Hopefully one day it will be ours."
I glared at him. "So what you're saying is your problems are more important that mine? I've been taking care of Agnes for years, practically my whole life. I can't just stop."
Zeb kicked at a pebble. "No. Not exactly, but you got to admit that my café is important. And Agnes has other people to take care of her now." He pulled me close to him. "You need to let her go. I can't let the Full Moon go. We can't."
"And Agnes is my sister—" I kissed his cheek. "And if we get married, she'll be our sister."
Zeb backed away. "OK, Griselda. I get it. I guess I can wait, but you got to know how hard it is for me now. I've made up my mind. I'm ready to be married. Really ready."
"I know. I'm almost ready."
"OK. I'll see you later. Right now, I have baloney to fry."
I watched him go back inside the Full Moon before getting into the truck.
"Too much pressure," I said to myself as I turned the ignition. "Why does he have to put so much pressure on me?"
"Who's putting pressure on you?"
It was Cliff
I sipped my water. "I guess it does sound stupid. But it seemed uncanny to me that he should get the fountain going and be visiting Greenbrier and now the people are riding tricycles and kissing and skipping and stuff like that."
"Look," Mildred said. "I'll go talk to Leon but I don't think he's got anything to do with Greenbrier. How could he? There is no such thing as water that makes people young or gives them new life."
"I don't know. Just thought I should mention it."
"Anyway," Studebaker said, "are you all coming to the blessing? It should be a lot of fun."
"I haven't been up to Paradise in a long, long time," Dot said. "I'll go."
"Me too," Mildred said.
That was when Zeb came out of the kitchen. "Hey, Hey, everybody." He looked at me. "Hi, Grizzy."
"Hi, Zeb. How are you?"
"Just fine. Just fine."
The tension between us fell like a thick, wool blanket over the café. Everyone felt it. I could tell just by looking at their faces.
"Are you going?" I asked Zeb. "To the blessing?"
"Maybe. Are you?"
"Sure, it sounds like a blast."
"How are you getting there?" Zeb asked. "Flying?"
I looked daggers at him. Every chance he could he said something to jab at Cliff Cardwell.
"No, I'll drive my truck."
"Fine," Zeb said. And he went back to his kitchen.
Studebaker shook his head. "You two really need to work this out. Either get married or break up for good."
"Hear, hear," Dot said. "Make a decision."
My head started to ache. "I just came by to give you that info, Mildred. Do with it what you want. I better get back to the library before school lets out."
I got outside and Zeb was waiting near my truck. He was looking a little guilty.
"I'm sorry, Grizzy," he said. "For making that remark about flying to Paradise. I just get so jealous."
"You shouldn't. I keep telling you that there is nothing between Cliff and me except flying lessons."
We stood toe to toe. He lifted my chin with his fingertips and kissed me. My toes curled as I felt one leg lift off the ground. When he pulled away. A deep sigh bubbled like a fountain from my chest. "Oh, Zeb. Why do we fight?"
"Then you'll marry me?"
I took a step back. "I didn't say that—not yet."
"Then when? I'm going nuts."
"I don't know. Maybe if you just take the pressure off, and we can go on dates and spend time together without all this jealous stuff, and . . . Zeb, I really want to try and get my pilot's license before the marriage license. I know you don't understand, but I need to do this."
"OK, I guess I understand—sort of. And I promise: no more jealousy."
"And no more complaints when I need to see Agnes. I know I run off on you sometimes—" I leaned against the truck. "But how often do you run to the café to check on something or take care of a problem? How many times have you left me at the movie because you needed to check the café?"
"I know, I know. But it's different. The Full Moon is my livelihood. Hopefully one day it will be ours."
I glared at him. "So what you're saying is your problems are more important that mine? I've been taking care of Agnes for years, practically my whole life. I can't just stop."
Zeb kicked at a pebble. "No. Not exactly, but you got to admit that my café is important. And Agnes has other people to take care of her now." He pulled me close to him. "You need to let her go. I can't let the Full Moon go. We can't."
"And Agnes is my sister—" I kissed his cheek. "And if we get married, she'll be our sister."
Zeb backed away. "OK, Griselda. I get it. I guess I can wait, but you got to know how hard it is for me now. I've made up my mind. I'm ready to be married. Really ready."
"I know. I'm almost ready."
"OK. I'll see you later. Right now, I have baloney to fry."
I watched him go back inside the Full Moon before getting into the truck.
"Too much pressure," I said to myself as I turned the ignition. "Why does he have to put so much pressure on me?"
"Who's putting pressure on you?"
It was Cliff
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