Read Online Threads of Hope: Quilts of Love Series by Christa Allan - Free Book Online

mother’s eyes seemed to focus on Nina’s hips each time she offered her something sweet, she guessed her refusing it was her mother’s plan all along. Either that or her mother purposely provided her an easy escape.
    The sound of Nina’s key in the deadbolt flipped an internal barking switch in Manny that didn’t shut off until he spotted her walking through the door.
    “I need to remind your human grandmother there’s at least one man in my life who can’t contain his excitement when I walk through the door.” Manny’s tail wagged like a windshield wiper as he wiggled out of his crate and into Nina’s arms. “Though you really do need to chew a few breath mints before you tell me hello.”
    Manny trotted up the stairs after Nina. He gnawed on a rawhide bone he found under her bed, while she changed into her sweats. She rifled through her closet hoping to find something she already knew wouldn’t be there: a dress to wear to the benefit. Nothing even close to benefit-worthy. That dress she hoped Aretha could modify would set off the fashion police alarm.
    “Aretha doesn’t know it yet, but there’s a shopping trip in her future,” Nina told Manny as she grabbed her laptop from her dresser. He paid no attention to her until she mentioned going downstairs for food. He pushed the bone under her bed and led the way to the kitchen.
    After Manny had been fed, watered, and escorted outside for his nightly routine of fertilizing the flower bed, Nina settled in her chair to read the online news and compose questions for the council member she’d soon be interviewing. She opened her email to find a message from Daisy.
    “Just wanted you to know I’m fine, and I should be back in time for Janie’s party. Not much to talk about right now. I’ll call you. Hugs, D.”
    That was all the online news Nina could handle for the night.

10
    The day after Greg’s unexpected reunion with Nina O’Malley, he left Dr. Alvarez’s clinic and drove straight to the support group meeting he first attended four months ago. Elise, of course, found Threads of Hope even before he moved back to Houston. What she neglected to tell him was not only was this HIV/AIDS support group primarily women, they spent almost every meeting sewing quilt panels. The group, of course, knew everything about him, including the little known fact that he dabbled in photography, pencil sketches, and watercolors. All talents the group welcomed with enthusiasm, especially as they prepared their quilts for the We Care benefit.
    He told his sister later that he might not have ever returned to the group had a little girl named Tabitha and The AIDS Memorial Quilt not led him and Lily to their daughter.
    “Well, that worked out nicely then, didn’t it?” Elise purred, and Greg saw the look of triumph blaze in her eyes.
    Tonight, thinking of that exchange between himself and his sister, Greg smiled at her ability to transform what some might see as manipulative into something serendipitous. Lily would have been delighted by the group considering her gratitude tothe NAMES Project Foundation for all it did to preserve and care for the quilt that they’d viewed in Syracuse, New York.
    Originally, Greg hadn’t planned for his wife to join him at the Syracuse veterinary conference. But when she had her third miscarriage weeks before, Greg insisted she go with him. The second day there, Lily sent him a text asking him to meet her after his sessions at the Oncenter Convention Center. He found her sitting on a bench when he arrived, writing in the small leather-bound journal she carried in her purse. Though she smiled when she spotted him and her eyes were dry, he knew she’d been crying because of the faint, uneven black smudges under her lower lashes.
    “I want to show you something,” was all she’d said when she’d reached for his hand and led him into the center where huge quilts rained from the ceiling. Lily could barely thread a needle, so he couldn’t