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Read Online Elm Creek Quilts [06] The Master Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer Chiaverini
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risk making trouble by bothering him at his office. If something was seriously wrong, he wouldn’t be there, anyway. He would be with his wife.
A slow but steady flow of customers kept Summer and Diane too busy to have much time to chat, but it tapered off long enough for them to go to lunch. After Diane’s turn, Summer went to the Daily Grind for coffee and a salad. Judy was there, an empty plate on the table beside her laptop. Summer did not want to interrupt her work, but when she stopped by to say hello, Judy invited Summer to join her. Summer agreed and, as she seated herself, she couldn’t resist a glance at the computer screen. She glimpsed what looked to be lecture notes before Judy shut it down.
They chatted about quilt camp while Summer ate and Judy nursed a cup of black coffee. “Have you started your block for Sylvia’s quilt yet?” Summer asked.
“I confess I forgot all about it,” said Judy. “I don’t even have the fabric yet.”
“If you run out of time you could always buy one of those bargain kits at the Fabric Warehouse,” teased Summer, and had to laugh at her friend’s stricken expression. “I’m just kidding. You have plenty of time. I haven’t started my block, either.”
“I don’t know what’s more insulting,” said Judy, tossing her straight black hair over her shoulder and feigning moral outrage. “That you think I have such poor time management skills or that I’d take my business anywhere but Grandma’s Attic.”
Summer assured her she knew otherwise on both counts.
She would have stayed to talk longer, but she couldn’t linger with a clear conscience knowing Diane was at the store alone. Judy encouraged her to stay, but she had her computer switched back on before Summer pushed in her chair. On her way out, Summer passed two young men joining the line at the counter, digging in their back pockets for folded bills. She recognized the tall blond on sight, although she hadn’t baby-sat Diane’s sons in years. The younger of the brothers, Todd was handsome, athletic, and therefore popular, and his companion seemed much the same. The boys laughed and talked loudly like the lords of the local high school class that they were, wanting and expecting to be noticed, oblivious to the utter lack of interest of the college students and professors who had no idea how important they were among their peers. Summer smiled and left the coffee shop. She shouldn’t be so hard on Todd and his friend, who looked vaguely familiar. Troubled Michael had always been her favorite, and Todd couldn’t help that his perfection made him so annoying.
Back at Grandma’s Attic, the stream of customers slowed to a trickle by midafternoon, and despite Bonnie’s absence, Summer considered leaving early. Quilt camp would begin in almost three weeks, and Summer should have been at Elm Creek Manor helping Sarah. Out of guilt for her intended resignation, she had not reduced her hours at the quilt shop as she usually did by that time of year. Sarah rightly could have complained, but she probably had everything so well under control that she barely noticed Summer’s absence. Even so, come Monday, Summer would revert to her camp season hours. Maybe that would provide a natural transition into leaving permanently.
Eventually customer traffic slowed so much that Diane suggested that to pass the time they read the letters accompanying the blocks for Sylvia’s bridal quilt. Summer agreed, but thoughts of her enormous workload nagged at her so much she could not enjoy herself.
Just as she was about to ask Diane if she would mind closing on her own, the front bell jingled. A customer entered wearing a red wool coat trimmed with black fur, and black pumps rather than the snow boots nearly everyone else in Waterford favored this time of year. She removed a black fur hat and smoothed her platinum blond pageboy with a leather-gloved hand. “Isn’t Bonnie here today?”
“No,” said Diane abruptly,
A slow but steady flow of customers kept Summer and Diane too busy to have much time to chat, but it tapered off long enough for them to go to lunch. After Diane’s turn, Summer went to the Daily Grind for coffee and a salad. Judy was there, an empty plate on the table beside her laptop. Summer did not want to interrupt her work, but when she stopped by to say hello, Judy invited Summer to join her. Summer agreed and, as she seated herself, she couldn’t resist a glance at the computer screen. She glimpsed what looked to be lecture notes before Judy shut it down.
They chatted about quilt camp while Summer ate and Judy nursed a cup of black coffee. “Have you started your block for Sylvia’s quilt yet?” Summer asked.
“I confess I forgot all about it,” said Judy. “I don’t even have the fabric yet.”
“If you run out of time you could always buy one of those bargain kits at the Fabric Warehouse,” teased Summer, and had to laugh at her friend’s stricken expression. “I’m just kidding. You have plenty of time. I haven’t started my block, either.”
“I don’t know what’s more insulting,” said Judy, tossing her straight black hair over her shoulder and feigning moral outrage. “That you think I have such poor time management skills or that I’d take my business anywhere but Grandma’s Attic.”
Summer assured her she knew otherwise on both counts.
She would have stayed to talk longer, but she couldn’t linger with a clear conscience knowing Diane was at the store alone. Judy encouraged her to stay, but she had her computer switched back on before Summer pushed in her chair. On her way out, Summer passed two young men joining the line at the counter, digging in their back pockets for folded bills. She recognized the tall blond on sight, although she hadn’t baby-sat Diane’s sons in years. The younger of the brothers, Todd was handsome, athletic, and therefore popular, and his companion seemed much the same. The boys laughed and talked loudly like the lords of the local high school class that they were, wanting and expecting to be noticed, oblivious to the utter lack of interest of the college students and professors who had no idea how important they were among their peers. Summer smiled and left the coffee shop. She shouldn’t be so hard on Todd and his friend, who looked vaguely familiar. Troubled Michael had always been her favorite, and Todd couldn’t help that his perfection made him so annoying.
Back at Grandma’s Attic, the stream of customers slowed to a trickle by midafternoon, and despite Bonnie’s absence, Summer considered leaving early. Quilt camp would begin in almost three weeks, and Summer should have been at Elm Creek Manor helping Sarah. Out of guilt for her intended resignation, she had not reduced her hours at the quilt shop as she usually did by that time of year. Sarah rightly could have complained, but she probably had everything so well under control that she barely noticed Summer’s absence. Even so, come Monday, Summer would revert to her camp season hours. Maybe that would provide a natural transition into leaving permanently.
Eventually customer traffic slowed so much that Diane suggested that to pass the time they read the letters accompanying the blocks for Sylvia’s bridal quilt. Summer agreed, but thoughts of her enormous workload nagged at her so much she could not enjoy herself.
Just as she was about to ask Diane if she would mind closing on her own, the front bell jingled. A customer entered wearing a red wool coat trimmed with black fur, and black pumps rather than the snow boots nearly everyone else in Waterford favored this time of year. She removed a black fur hat and smoothed her platinum blond pageboy with a leather-gloved hand. “Isn’t Bonnie here today?”
“No,” said Diane abruptly,
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