Read Online Son of a Preacher Man by Arianna Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Arianna Hart
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boy, who must be Billy, continued to look at her like she was an alien species.
“It must be the influence of those New Yorkers. Time is money and all that.”
“I was hoping for an extra few minutes to make it look like a bomb hadn’t gone off in the house. Well, come on in out of the heat before you melt. What were you thinking wearing white to a house with two boys? Although it is darling. I saw the perfect necklace to go with it. A gal sells her jewelry on consignment at the store—remind me tomorrow and I’ll show you.”
Nadya juggled the bags in her arms and wheeled her suitcase up the wide porch steps. The swing looked newly painted, and a fan spun lazily over a wicker loveseat and table set. Geraniums wilted a bit in window boxes and pots but added a splash of color and welcome to the white porch.
“God, it’s like nothing’s changed. I keep expecting your mom to yell for me to close the door before the flies get in.”
“We’ve redone some of the inside, but I couldn’t improve on Mama’s gardens, so I left them as they were. Sometimes she takes pity on me and weeds the beds when she comes on Sundays. Oh! I was just on the phone with her, and I told her about you coming for a visit. She said if you leave before Sunday you’d better stop in and see her or she’ll follow you to New York and tan your hide.”
“I will absolutely make sure I see her before I go back to New York. I owe your mama an awful lot. I don’t think I ever thanked her for standing up to everyone so we could be friends. That wasn’t an easy thing to do.”
Mary Ellen wiped tears from under her eyes even as she wrestled a wiggling Hunter into his clothes. “Will you stop saying stuff like that? I’m already a watering pot with all these pregnancy hormones flooding my system. I don’t need you making me worse.”
She sniffed again then set Hunter on his feet. “You two go on and watch TV. Dinner will be a while yet.” She shooed them off to the den before grabbing a bag out of Nadya’s arms. “I usually don’t let them watch more than an hour a day, but this will give us a chance to talk for a few minutes uninterrupted.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Nadya asked, leaving her suitcase by the door but taking the other bags to the kitchen with her. “I picked up some chocolate éclairs and some wine. And this.” She handed Mary Ellen the beautifully wrapped package.
“Go on with you. Why did you bring me a present?”
“Because I missed your last twelve birthdays, your wedding and your house warming. I have a lot to make up for. Open it. When I saw it, I thought of you.”
“Well, if you insist. You know how I love presents.” Mary Ellen sat at the wide farmhouse table and carefully pulled back the ribbon and the tape. When she got to the box, she opened it with all the care of a brain surgeon, pulling the tissue-paper-wrapped object out slowly.
“Oh my. This is beautiful. Just like you used to have on your porch.” She held the glass ball up to the light. Swirls of blue formed waves inside the clear ball.
“I remember you used to ask my mama about them, and she told you they were for protection, so I thought I’d get one for your house.”
“Here I go again.” She sniffed and pulled Nadya in for a hug.
“Look at this section here. Doesn’t it look like a mother holding a child? That’s why I had to get it for you.”
“It does. It’s perfect. I’m gonna hang it right here in the window over the sink so it’ll catch the morning sun.” She removed a wind chime that was on a hook and hung the glass ball so the mother-and-child swirl faced the kitchen.
“Doesn’t it look like it always belonged there? I love it.”
“I’m glad. Can I help with anything? I’m not a cook, but I can make a world-class salad.”
“It’s already done. I brought some three-bean salad home from the store today. Really, all that needs to be done is to put the dumplings in the pot, and I’ll
“It must be the influence of those New Yorkers. Time is money and all that.”
“I was hoping for an extra few minutes to make it look like a bomb hadn’t gone off in the house. Well, come on in out of the heat before you melt. What were you thinking wearing white to a house with two boys? Although it is darling. I saw the perfect necklace to go with it. A gal sells her jewelry on consignment at the store—remind me tomorrow and I’ll show you.”
Nadya juggled the bags in her arms and wheeled her suitcase up the wide porch steps. The swing looked newly painted, and a fan spun lazily over a wicker loveseat and table set. Geraniums wilted a bit in window boxes and pots but added a splash of color and welcome to the white porch.
“God, it’s like nothing’s changed. I keep expecting your mom to yell for me to close the door before the flies get in.”
“We’ve redone some of the inside, but I couldn’t improve on Mama’s gardens, so I left them as they were. Sometimes she takes pity on me and weeds the beds when she comes on Sundays. Oh! I was just on the phone with her, and I told her about you coming for a visit. She said if you leave before Sunday you’d better stop in and see her or she’ll follow you to New York and tan your hide.”
“I will absolutely make sure I see her before I go back to New York. I owe your mama an awful lot. I don’t think I ever thanked her for standing up to everyone so we could be friends. That wasn’t an easy thing to do.”
Mary Ellen wiped tears from under her eyes even as she wrestled a wiggling Hunter into his clothes. “Will you stop saying stuff like that? I’m already a watering pot with all these pregnancy hormones flooding my system. I don’t need you making me worse.”
She sniffed again then set Hunter on his feet. “You two go on and watch TV. Dinner will be a while yet.” She shooed them off to the den before grabbing a bag out of Nadya’s arms. “I usually don’t let them watch more than an hour a day, but this will give us a chance to talk for a few minutes uninterrupted.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Nadya asked, leaving her suitcase by the door but taking the other bags to the kitchen with her. “I picked up some chocolate éclairs and some wine. And this.” She handed Mary Ellen the beautifully wrapped package.
“Go on with you. Why did you bring me a present?”
“Because I missed your last twelve birthdays, your wedding and your house warming. I have a lot to make up for. Open it. When I saw it, I thought of you.”
“Well, if you insist. You know how I love presents.” Mary Ellen sat at the wide farmhouse table and carefully pulled back the ribbon and the tape. When she got to the box, she opened it with all the care of a brain surgeon, pulling the tissue-paper-wrapped object out slowly.
“Oh my. This is beautiful. Just like you used to have on your porch.” She held the glass ball up to the light. Swirls of blue formed waves inside the clear ball.
“I remember you used to ask my mama about them, and she told you they were for protection, so I thought I’d get one for your house.”
“Here I go again.” She sniffed and pulled Nadya in for a hug.
“Look at this section here. Doesn’t it look like a mother holding a child? That’s why I had to get it for you.”
“It does. It’s perfect. I’m gonna hang it right here in the window over the sink so it’ll catch the morning sun.” She removed a wind chime that was on a hook and hung the glass ball so the mother-and-child swirl faced the kitchen.
“Doesn’t it look like it always belonged there? I love it.”
“I’m glad. Can I help with anything? I’m not a cook, but I can make a world-class salad.”
“It’s already done. I brought some three-bean salad home from the store today. Really, all that needs to be done is to put the dumplings in the pot, and I’ll
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