Читать книгу Her Secret Sons - Tina Leonard - Страница 12

“There’s probably a proverb in the Bible somewhere about people who meddle,” Helen said worriedly as the four of them sat around a table at the Tulips Saloon. “We may all go to Hades for our part in this.”

They hadn’t seen or heard anything of Luke since his return. That was not a good sign, Helen thought, but worse was that they hadn’t seen Pepper or the boys. Neither had Duke or Zach graced the saloon with their presence.

“It does seem that we would have heard something from someone,” Pansy said, and Hiram and Bug nodded. “Remember when we promised ourselves a long time ago, before Zach and Jessie got married, that sometimes we overhelped and made things worse? So we quit the busybody business?”

“Yes,” Hiram said, “but then we sort of got roped back into it by Zach. He seemed needier than his brother somehow.”

“Fibbers,” Helen said impatiently. “We couldn’t bear to be left out. And now we may have meddled one time, too many. Someone get the Bible and see if we’re going to hell for it.”

Pansy giggled. “Too late now. I say we get out a cookbook, instead.”

Hiram and Bug sat up with enthusiasm. “You girls bake and us boys’ll play cards and lick the bowls.”

“How can I pass up that deal?” Helen said. “It’s better than waiting to hear something when we probably won’t.” She pulled out her special recipe box. “I’ve got a humdinger to try on you two unworthy guinea pigs. Red velvet cake like you’ve never tasted.”

“Mmm,” Hiram said. “You just go ahead and bake off those nerves you’re having. Bug and me’ll be happy to try your experiments.”

Pansy sniffed. “Useless.”

The door swung open with more force than usual, and Toby and Josh dashed in, followed by a more sedate Pepper.

“Now, boys,” Helen began, in her most grandmotherly voice, “we try to handle that door with care. It was handmade for us specially. We don’t throw it open like regular saloon doors.” She hugged the boys to her.

“Yes, Ms. Helen,” they said, awkwardly trying to squirm out of her embrace.

Pepper gave everyone in the room a kiss. “Good news,” she said. “I hired four girls for my office.”

“Local?” Pansy asked.

Pepper sat down. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of hiring anybody from outside of Tulips.”

“Oh.” Helen nodded. “We thought maybe you’d want professionals.”

“Well, they’ll be professional with some training.” Pepper motioned for her boys to sit beside her. “A secretary-receptionist, a nurse’s aide, an insurance clerk and an office manager.”

“Wow,” Pansy said, “you had this all thought out, Pepper.”

She nodded. “For a long time.” She gazed at her boys fondly. “I always knew we were coming home, one day.”

For a moment, the room went silent. “Snag a cookie from the kitchen, boys,” Pepper told her sons, laying a couple of dollars on the table.

Helen shook her head. “Put those away, Doctor,” she said. “The boys aren’t going to eat much. There’s a table back there, kids, where you can eat and have some milk, too.”

Pepper laughed. “Growing twins eat plenty. You’ll be sorry you introduced them to your refrigerator.”

The door swung open again, this time bringing Luke. Pepper’s insides went tight, and she hoped Toby and Josh would stay in the kitchen, out of sight. She wasn’t ready for her secret to be out, not just yet, not while she was still getting her footing in Tulips. No one had asked her who the boys’ father was, and she appreciated people respecting her privacy.

Luke looked over the group and then at her, his face tired. “I came by for a refresher sugar binge.”