me.”
She squeezed back. “All in good time, Ella
Lu.”
What did that even mean? This was serious.
“How did it go at the bank yesterday?”
I didn’t like the way she just dismissed
me and changed the subject, but I knew there was no sense in pushing her.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Brady Jackson
was the Vice President there?”
Her eyes gleamed. “Did you see him?” She
sounded almost excited about that prospect. That was very odd.
“Of course I saw him.”
“What happened?”
“What do you mean, what happened? I signed
the paperwork like you asked me to. What was supposed to happen?”
“Well, it’s been a long time since you’ve
seen each other.”
I wondered if I should tell her about him
coming over. I supposed I better, I’m sure it would get back to her anyway. I
sighed heavily. “Honestly, he brought his niece over unexpectedly to the house
last night and we had dinner together and they helped me decorate the trees.” I
looked over to see her reaction, which was quite the opposite of what I expected,
but I quickly threw in, “But don’t worry, I know the rules and we won’t be
seeing each other again.”
She looked at me thoughtfully and didn’t
say a word, but it was like I could see the gears in her mind working. She
really was behaving oddly this morning.
“Did you know about Benjamin and his
wife?”
She wickedly grinned. I took that as a
yes.
“You know you should have warned me.”
“I remember someone once telling me she
never wanted to talk about Kaysville,” she chided me.
I just shrugged my shoulders. I knew she
was right.
“What are your plans for the day?” she
asked.
“My plans are to stay at the hospital with
you.” Why was that even a question?
“Nonsense, child, it’s Christmas time and
there are things to be done, and you sitting here isn’t going to help me one
bit.”
That hurt a little. “You don’t want me
here?”
“Ella Lu, I love you more than air, but
there is shopping and preparations to be done. Oh, and I need you to go to the
bank today and make a deposit for me.”
I looked at her, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t
you give it to me yesterday?”
“It slipped my mind.”
She reached for her purse and handed me a
fairly large check. Who carries that kind of money around in their purse?
“Aunt Lu!”
She just smiled. “You better hurry, the
bank closes at one on Saturdays, and I also need you to get twenty brand new
one hundred dollar bills for some of the cards I’m sending out.”
“Anything else?” I couldn’t keep the sass
out of my voice.
“You’re going to church tomorrow, right?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Ella Lu, the Good Lord expects you in
church.”
“I didn’t bring church clothes.” Like that
settled the matter.
“Well I guess you better pick some up
while you shop today. But make sure you go to the bank first.”
“You do realize I’m an adult, right?”
She smiled at me patronizingly. I just
took the dang check out of her hand and kissed her goodbye.
Have I mentioned how much I hated being in
Alabama? Two days in a row at that dang bank! I walked in, and once again all
eyes were on me. I walked up to the youngest teller; I was hoping she wouldn’t
have clue who I was. I had already noticed some of the unkind glances of some
of the older women. I wanted to yell again, “Don’t worry I’m not in here to
touch your precious Brady!”
The teller was kind when she spoke to me,
so I was right.
“I need to make a deposit,” I informed her,
“but I don’t have the account number with me.”
“No problem,” she replied. “All I need is
your ID to look it up.”
I gladly handed over my driver’s license.
She, at once, began to look it up, but after
a moment she glanced up worriedly. “I’m sorry Ms. Eaton, I don’t have any
record of you having an account here.”
“I was just placed on Luanne Eaton’s
accounts yesterday, could you look it up under her name by
She squeezed back. “All in good time, Ella
Lu.”
What did that even mean? This was serious.
“How did it go at the bank yesterday?”
I didn’t like the way she just dismissed
me and changed the subject, but I knew there was no sense in pushing her.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Brady Jackson
was the Vice President there?”
Her eyes gleamed. “Did you see him?” She
sounded almost excited about that prospect. That was very odd.
“Of course I saw him.”
“What happened?”
“What do you mean, what happened? I signed
the paperwork like you asked me to. What was supposed to happen?”
“Well, it’s been a long time since you’ve
seen each other.”
I wondered if I should tell her about him
coming over. I supposed I better, I’m sure it would get back to her anyway. I
sighed heavily. “Honestly, he brought his niece over unexpectedly to the house
last night and we had dinner together and they helped me decorate the trees.” I
looked over to see her reaction, which was quite the opposite of what I expected,
but I quickly threw in, “But don’t worry, I know the rules and we won’t be
seeing each other again.”
She looked at me thoughtfully and didn’t
say a word, but it was like I could see the gears in her mind working. She
really was behaving oddly this morning.
“Did you know about Benjamin and his
wife?”
She wickedly grinned. I took that as a
yes.
“You know you should have warned me.”
“I remember someone once telling me she
never wanted to talk about Kaysville,” she chided me.
I just shrugged my shoulders. I knew she
was right.
“What are your plans for the day?” she
asked.
“My plans are to stay at the hospital with
you.” Why was that even a question?
“Nonsense, child, it’s Christmas time and
there are things to be done, and you sitting here isn’t going to help me one
bit.”
That hurt a little. “You don’t want me
here?”
“Ella Lu, I love you more than air, but
there is shopping and preparations to be done. Oh, and I need you to go to the
bank today and make a deposit for me.”
I looked at her, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t
you give it to me yesterday?”
“It slipped my mind.”
She reached for her purse and handed me a
fairly large check. Who carries that kind of money around in their purse?
“Aunt Lu!”
She just smiled. “You better hurry, the
bank closes at one on Saturdays, and I also need you to get twenty brand new
one hundred dollar bills for some of the cards I’m sending out.”
“Anything else?” I couldn’t keep the sass
out of my voice.
“You’re going to church tomorrow, right?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Ella Lu, the Good Lord expects you in
church.”
“I didn’t bring church clothes.” Like that
settled the matter.
“Well I guess you better pick some up
while you shop today. But make sure you go to the bank first.”
“You do realize I’m an adult, right?”
She smiled at me patronizingly. I just
took the dang check out of her hand and kissed her goodbye.
Have I mentioned how much I hated being in
Alabama? Two days in a row at that dang bank! I walked in, and once again all
eyes were on me. I walked up to the youngest teller; I was hoping she wouldn’t
have clue who I was. I had already noticed some of the unkind glances of some
of the older women. I wanted to yell again, “Don’t worry I’m not in here to
touch your precious Brady!”
The teller was kind when she spoke to me,
so I was right.
“I need to make a deposit,” I informed her,
“but I don’t have the account number with me.”
“No problem,” she replied. “All I need is
your ID to look it up.”
I gladly handed over my driver’s license.
She, at once, began to look it up, but after
a moment she glanced up worriedly. “I’m sorry Ms. Eaton, I don’t have any
record of you having an account here.”
“I was just placed on Luanne Eaton’s
accounts yesterday, could you look it up under her name by
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