Read Online Tempest's Course: Quilts of Love Series by Lynette Sowell - Free Book Online

fine.

    Kelly paced the emergency room lobby. They wouldn’t let her back with Tom. She got that. She kept glancing up every time the glass double doors whooshed open to see if Mrs. Pereira had arrived.
    The older woman sounded concerned when Kelly called her, thanks to Mrs. Acres giving her an emergency contact number. Surely, this constituted an emergency. Mrs. Pereira had said she would come right away.
    The doors opened again, and in came an older woman with hair as fiercely curly as Tom’s, with a nose like his, and warm, brown eyes. Mrs. Pereira, of course.
    “Mrs. Pereira.” Kelly approached the woman who wore a simple pantsuit and slip-on loafers. She suddenly remembered her own appearance, wearing her favorite ancient jeans and button-down work shirt, covered with equally ancient stains.
    “You must be Kelly.” The woman embraced her, which came as a surprise. “Thank you for calling me. That boy of mine won’t. Stubborn.”
    “Well, I’m not surprised.” Kelly shook her head. “I mean, we barely know each other, Tom and I. But he seems like he could be stubborn.”
    “You have that part of him figured out, though.”
    “Do you want a coffee or anything? Or a soda?” Kelly gestured to a bank of vending machines on one wall. “We might be here a while. Of course, they won’t tell me anything, since I’m not family.”
    “I’m fine right now.” Mrs. Pereira squared her shoulders. “As far as not knowing anything, I’ll see what I can do.”
    Kelly nodded and watched the older woman go to the reception desk before she headed to the vending machine for a cold drink. She purchased a soda then found a pair of cushioned chairs in a quiet corner.
    Mrs. Pereira joined her shortly. “Well, they wouldn’t tell me anything, either. But they did say they would let Tom know I’m here.” She sank onto the chair beside Kelly.
    “That’s good. I’m not sure if they told him I was there . . .” Kelly took a sip of her drink. “So what happened to Tom, that he has these seizures, if you don’t mind me asking?”
    “It happened during his military service. A freak accident, nothing combat related.” Mrs. Pereira frowned. “Anyway, he’s done great for a long time. I hadn’t thought about it in a long time, either. I finally felt like we had a break, that Tom was going to have a break, too. So how do you two know each other again?”
    “I . . . I just started working at Gray House. I’m a textile conservator and they hired me to restore an old quilt. So I’m living and working on-site.”
    “Are you from around here?”
    “I’m . . . I’m from the Haverhill area. I was able to break my lease and move here.”
    “What does your family think about you moving just like that?”
    “I . . . um . . . I really don’t have any family to speak of.” Kelly hadn’t admitted that to anyone since, well, she couldn’t remember.
    “Everyone has family, dear. I can’t imagine you not having anyone to care about where you are.”
    “There’s Lottie, my last foster mother, and her husband, Chuck. I fostered out of their care after I graduated high school, but I kept in touch with her.” She should have called Lottie again, she realized, since her arrival in New Bedford.
    “Ah, I see.” Mrs. Pereira patted her hand. “If you ever need anything, call me.”
    “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
    They fell into silence, but it didn’t feel as if she waited with a stranger. The sensation was a nice one. An open invitation to call the woman. Well, she wouldn’t if she didn’t have to. One lesson learned over the years: counting on people didn’t work very well. She had her own motto of sorts. If it was just her and God, she’d manage okay because He was watching out for her.
    The buzz of the waiting room surrounded them, and Kelly watched Mrs. Pereira’s chin sink lower toward her chest. She settled back on her own chair. She could leave now, knowing that Tom had a ride home once he was through. She