Read Online Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chautona Havig
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like Monsieur Worth and more recently Christian Dior , and I realized that men have always been interested in women ’ s fashions and things .”
A voice from the doorway interrupted them. “ Thanks Willow. Not everyone understands that .”
“ Oh, Josh —” Becca blushed furiously. “ I had no business discussing you like that. Willow didn ’ t bring it up — ”
“ I don ’ t mind. People tend to find me a bit of an enigma. I’m not what they think—” he paused letting the words sink in and register. “— and I ’ m not like a lot of other men so they don ’ t know how to categorize me .”
“ Well, ” Willow said testily. “ Perhaps people should quit trying to categorize everyone in the first place .”
“ Perhaps, ” agreed Josh and Becca in unison. Josh continued with an amused smile, “ But it ’ s natural to want to know where you stand in relation to everyone else , so you categorize. It ’ s just human nature .”
Willow slid the pizzas from the oven and arranged them on a platter. “ Ok, time to eat .” She tossed her apron onto the counte r and grabbed the platter and salad bowl , nodding at plates and silverware. “ Can you guys grab those? ”
Willow and Chad said little during lunch. Instead, they watched their guests. Becca and Josh joked, laughed, and, it seemed to her, forged a nice friendship. Considering they both lived in Rockland, that seemed like a good thing.
“ So, we were going to try to card wool today, ” Willow began after everyone declared themselves overfull. “ What do you think Josh — too crafty for you? ” An excited look grew in her eyes. “ You and Chad could go out with the paintball guns! ”
“ I think —” Josh began giving Becca and Chad amused glances that left Willow in a state of utter confusion. “ I think I ’ d rather see how wool carding works .”
Willow jumped from the table eagerly. “ Let ’ s get the dishes —”
“ I ’ ll do them , Willow, you guys go get your wool stuff and have at it .” Chad kissed her cheek and pushed her toward the door. “ Go , woman! ”
“ I ’ m under orders , I guess .”
While Chad washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and pulled the chic ken from the ice box , readying it for a slow roast on the grill, Willow, Josh, and Becca congregated in the living room. She passed out towels, handed everyone a wad of washed fleece and referred to her notes. “ Ok, it says pull the locks from the fleece. You ’ re supposed to separate them into individual locks that aren ’ t interlocked with the rest of the fleece — I guess .”
They all worked until Willow thought she had a large enough pile on the coffee table. “ Ok. Who wants to keep separating? ”
Josh insisted he do it. “ I can ’ t mess this up. You guys do whatever you need to do .”
“ Ok , Becca, now we take these locks and we separate them. The instructions say to pull them apart sideways. We ’ re supposed to discard any really short pieces or if there is any left over ‘ dirt or debris . ’ ”
“ I can ’ t believe you ’ re just doing this without any kind of instruction .” Becca ’ s voice was heavy with admiration. “ I ’ d be afraid of ruining an expensive fleece! ”
“ This is how the Finley women learned everything, ” Chad called from the kitchen. “ If they don ’ t already know it instinctively, they just teach themselves .”
Willow shrugged. It made sense to her. She couldn ’ t understand why anyone would refrain from doing something just because they didn ’ t know how. If everyone did that, no one would learn anything. Seeing them waiting for her reply, she said as much.
“ Wow .”
Josh grinned at Becca ’ s response. “ I ’ ve come to the conclusion that ‘ wow ’ must be the most commonly used word around Willow .”
“ Got that right! ” Chad ’ s voice boomed from the kitchen.
“ You oughtta know! ” Josh shouted back , winking at Becca.
Becca smiled back before
A voice from the doorway interrupted them. “ Thanks Willow. Not everyone understands that .”
“ Oh, Josh —” Becca blushed furiously. “ I had no business discussing you like that. Willow didn ’ t bring it up — ”
“ I don ’ t mind. People tend to find me a bit of an enigma. I’m not what they think—” he paused letting the words sink in and register. “— and I ’ m not like a lot of other men so they don ’ t know how to categorize me .”
“ Well, ” Willow said testily. “ Perhaps people should quit trying to categorize everyone in the first place .”
“ Perhaps, ” agreed Josh and Becca in unison. Josh continued with an amused smile, “ But it ’ s natural to want to know where you stand in relation to everyone else , so you categorize. It ’ s just human nature .”
Willow slid the pizzas from the oven and arranged them on a platter. “ Ok, time to eat .” She tossed her apron onto the counte r and grabbed the platter and salad bowl , nodding at plates and silverware. “ Can you guys grab those? ”
Willow and Chad said little during lunch. Instead, they watched their guests. Becca and Josh joked, laughed, and, it seemed to her, forged a nice friendship. Considering they both lived in Rockland, that seemed like a good thing.
“ So, we were going to try to card wool today, ” Willow began after everyone declared themselves overfull. “ What do you think Josh — too crafty for you? ” An excited look grew in her eyes. “ You and Chad could go out with the paintball guns! ”
“ I think —” Josh began giving Becca and Chad amused glances that left Willow in a state of utter confusion. “ I think I ’ d rather see how wool carding works .”
Willow jumped from the table eagerly. “ Let ’ s get the dishes —”
“ I ’ ll do them , Willow, you guys go get your wool stuff and have at it .” Chad kissed her cheek and pushed her toward the door. “ Go , woman! ”
“ I ’ m under orders , I guess .”
While Chad washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and pulled the chic ken from the ice box , readying it for a slow roast on the grill, Willow, Josh, and Becca congregated in the living room. She passed out towels, handed everyone a wad of washed fleece and referred to her notes. “ Ok, it says pull the locks from the fleece. You ’ re supposed to separate them into individual locks that aren ’ t interlocked with the rest of the fleece — I guess .”
They all worked until Willow thought she had a large enough pile on the coffee table. “ Ok. Who wants to keep separating? ”
Josh insisted he do it. “ I can ’ t mess this up. You guys do whatever you need to do .”
“ Ok , Becca, now we take these locks and we separate them. The instructions say to pull them apart sideways. We ’ re supposed to discard any really short pieces or if there is any left over ‘ dirt or debris . ’ ”
“ I can ’ t believe you ’ re just doing this without any kind of instruction .” Becca ’ s voice was heavy with admiration. “ I ’ d be afraid of ruining an expensive fleece! ”
“ This is how the Finley women learned everything, ” Chad called from the kitchen. “ If they don ’ t already know it instinctively, they just teach themselves .”
Willow shrugged. It made sense to her. She couldn ’ t understand why anyone would refrain from doing something just because they didn ’ t know how. If everyone did that, no one would learn anything. Seeing them waiting for her reply, she said as much.
“ Wow .”
Josh grinned at Becca ’ s response. “ I ’ ve come to the conclusion that ‘ wow ’ must be the most commonly used word around Willow .”
“ Got that right! ” Chad ’ s voice boomed from the kitchen.
“ You oughtta know! ” Josh shouted back , winking at Becca.
Becca smiled back before
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