Chihuahua. Would you like to touch her?”
“Yes. I like dogs. I used to have a terrier.” Jilly placed the dog in Leona’s lap and Leona stroked it. Button shivered. “Oh, my. It’s a little bitty thing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jilly said. “That’s why Mama and me named her Button. I’ve had her for four years now and I take her everywhere, except when I go to school.”
“How old are you, child?”
“I’ll be twelve next Saturday.”
“Let me see the dog,” Grif said. Tripp stepped back and let everything happen naturally.
Jilly carried Button to Grif. “She’s a little nervous, but she’ll calm down in a minute.”
“These type of dogs need a lot of care,” Grif told Jilly.
“I give her lots of care and lots of love.”
“Let me hold Button,” Leona said and Jilly carried the dog back to her.
They did this for about thirty minutes and Tripp was sure Button was getting dizzy.
“How about something to drink?” he suggested.
“Coffee for me, son,” Grif said.
“Tea, please,” Leona added.
“And you, Jilly?”
“I’ll help,” she replied. “I’ll leave Button with you, Mrs. Daniels.”
“Why does she get to keep the dog?” Grif wanted to know. “She can barely see.”
“That’s not nice, Mr. Daniels,” Jilly scolded.
“At my age, girlie, I don’t have to be nice.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Aw,” Grif scoffed.
“You can sit by Mrs. Daniels and you both can watch Button.”
“I don’t like it over there.”
Jilly reached for his elbow. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
Tripp watched in astonishment as his father got to his feet and moved across the room with Jilly holding onto his arm. Once he was settled next to his wife, he reached for the dog.
“You have to be nice,” Jilly reminded him.
“He doesn’t know the meaning of the word,” Leona said.
“I haven’t been this close to you in years, Leona, so be careful, I might bite you.”
Jilly giggled and his father smiled, something he rarely did. A miracle was unfolding before Tripp and he just watched the wonderful sight.
“I’ll be right back,” Jilly said, and followed Tripp into the kitchen. Morris was sitting at the table knitting.
“Hi, Morris,” Jilly said.
“Ah, hi.” Surprise filtered across his face.
“I’m Jilly Walker, remember? I sometimes help you put groceries in your car when you’re shopping.”
“Yes. I know.” The surprise was still imprinted on his face and Tripp realized that Morris knew about Jilly. Probably knew a lot more, too.
“We’re fixing tea and coffee for Mom and Dad,” Tripp explained. “What would you like, Jilly?”
“Water, please. Mama doesn’t want me to drink a lot of soft drinks.”
Tripp wondered if Camila knew Jilly was here. He’d deal with that later. He placed everything on a tray.
“I’ll carry it,” Jilly offered.
He hesitated for a moment then let her carry the tray. Morris watched with a lifted brow as they left.
Jilly set the tray on the coffee table. “What would you like in your coffee, Mr. Daniels?”
“Black as sin.”
Jilly grinned and handed him a mug. “Mrs. Daniels, what would you like in your tea?”
“Just a little honey, please.”
Jilly stirred in the honey and held the cup out to Leona. When Leona didn’t take it, Jilly took her hand and guided it to the cup.
“Oh, thank you.”
Jilly sat cross-legged on the floor and Button jumped into her lap and curled into a ball. Tripp sat in a chair, watching, drinking a cup of coffee.
“What grade are you in?” Grif asked.
“Sixth,” Jilly replied. “And I make all A’s. I’m on the honor roll. I’m going to be a doctor.”
“That’s a mighty big ambition—and expensive.”
“My mama started saving for my college education when I was born. She puts money in the account every month.”
“Very wise,” Grif murmured.
“And when I work, I put money in the account, too.”
“You work?” Leona asked in shock.
“I help at my mama’s store
“Yes. I like dogs. I used to have a terrier.” Jilly placed the dog in Leona’s lap and Leona stroked it. Button shivered. “Oh, my. It’s a little bitty thing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jilly said. “That’s why Mama and me named her Button. I’ve had her for four years now and I take her everywhere, except when I go to school.”
“How old are you, child?”
“I’ll be twelve next Saturday.”
“Let me see the dog,” Grif said. Tripp stepped back and let everything happen naturally.
Jilly carried Button to Grif. “She’s a little nervous, but she’ll calm down in a minute.”
“These type of dogs need a lot of care,” Grif told Jilly.
“I give her lots of care and lots of love.”
“Let me hold Button,” Leona said and Jilly carried the dog back to her.
They did this for about thirty minutes and Tripp was sure Button was getting dizzy.
“How about something to drink?” he suggested.
“Coffee for me, son,” Grif said.
“Tea, please,” Leona added.
“And you, Jilly?”
“I’ll help,” she replied. “I’ll leave Button with you, Mrs. Daniels.”
“Why does she get to keep the dog?” Grif wanted to know. “She can barely see.”
“That’s not nice, Mr. Daniels,” Jilly scolded.
“At my age, girlie, I don’t have to be nice.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Aw,” Grif scoffed.
“You can sit by Mrs. Daniels and you both can watch Button.”
“I don’t like it over there.”
Jilly reached for his elbow. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
Tripp watched in astonishment as his father got to his feet and moved across the room with Jilly holding onto his arm. Once he was settled next to his wife, he reached for the dog.
“You have to be nice,” Jilly reminded him.
“He doesn’t know the meaning of the word,” Leona said.
“I haven’t been this close to you in years, Leona, so be careful, I might bite you.”
Jilly giggled and his father smiled, something he rarely did. A miracle was unfolding before Tripp and he just watched the wonderful sight.
“I’ll be right back,” Jilly said, and followed Tripp into the kitchen. Morris was sitting at the table knitting.
“Hi, Morris,” Jilly said.
“Ah, hi.” Surprise filtered across his face.
“I’m Jilly Walker, remember? I sometimes help you put groceries in your car when you’re shopping.”
“Yes. I know.” The surprise was still imprinted on his face and Tripp realized that Morris knew about Jilly. Probably knew a lot more, too.
“We’re fixing tea and coffee for Mom and Dad,” Tripp explained. “What would you like, Jilly?”
“Water, please. Mama doesn’t want me to drink a lot of soft drinks.”
Tripp wondered if Camila knew Jilly was here. He’d deal with that later. He placed everything on a tray.
“I’ll carry it,” Jilly offered.
He hesitated for a moment then let her carry the tray. Morris watched with a lifted brow as they left.
Jilly set the tray on the coffee table. “What would you like in your coffee, Mr. Daniels?”
“Black as sin.”
Jilly grinned and handed him a mug. “Mrs. Daniels, what would you like in your tea?”
“Just a little honey, please.”
Jilly stirred in the honey and held the cup out to Leona. When Leona didn’t take it, Jilly took her hand and guided it to the cup.
“Oh, thank you.”
Jilly sat cross-legged on the floor and Button jumped into her lap and curled into a ball. Tripp sat in a chair, watching, drinking a cup of coffee.
“What grade are you in?” Grif asked.
“Sixth,” Jilly replied. “And I make all A’s. I’m on the honor roll. I’m going to be a doctor.”
“That’s a mighty big ambition—and expensive.”
“My mama started saving for my college education when I was born. She puts money in the account every month.”
“Very wise,” Grif murmured.
“And when I work, I put money in the account, too.”
“You work?” Leona asked in shock.
“I help at my mama’s store
Similar Books
