the inn.
“I think she just did,” Bay said.
“WELL, this place certainly looks better than the last time I was here,” Aunt Tillie announced as she walked into the dining room.
Dad, Teddy and Jack jerked their heads toward the door, incredulous grimaces moving across their faces as their worst enemy let herself into their domain.
“Tillie,” Dad said, getting to his feet. “To what do we owe the honor?”
“Well, I was out for a walk,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m trying to work out my hip so I don’t have to have it replaced. I just happened to run into the girls outside, and they kindly invited me in for dinner so I could rest up before going home.”
Dad shot an accusatory look in my direction. All I could do was shrug and shake my head apologetically.
“Actually, Aunt Tillie invited herself,” Landon said, sidling into the room with Bay’s hand clutched in his. “She’s going to sit next to me.”
“I don’t want to sit next to you,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Well, you’re going to,” Landon said, crossing the room. “We’re over here.”
“Oh, is this the great-aunt you were telling us so much about?” Clara asked excitedly.
“Unfortunately,” Thistle mumbled. Marcus ran his hand over her back when she sat back down, obviously trying to calm her.
“What were they saying about me?” Aunt Tillie asked, slapping Landon’s hand away as he tried to force her into the open chair next to him.
“Sit down,” he ordered.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Don’t make me arrest you,” Landon threatened.
“For what?”
“For … assaulting law enforcement,” Landon said. “Everyone here just saw you smack me.”
“Are you really going to arrest a little old lady?” Jim asked, his face flushed from the wine he was mainlining. “She looks harmless.”
“Who are you calling old?” Aunt Tillie charged.
“Sit down,” Landon ordered again.
“I will sit down,” Aunt Tillie said. “I just don’t want you to think I’m doing it because of you. I’m doing it because my hip hurts.”
“Great,” Landon said, settling between Aunt Tillie and Bay.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Aunt Tillie asked brightly.
“Brined pork loin,” Teddy said, swallowing nervously.
“It sounds gross,” Aunt Tillie said. “They’re serving stuffed cabbage out at The Overlook. That’s a real dinner.”
Bay groaned. That was one of her favorite meals. I could take it or leave it.
“Maybe you should go back out to The Overlook,” Dad suggested.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Landon said.
“Why not?”
“Because she … might have a mess here to clean up later tonight,” Landon said. “I think it’s best to keep her close right now.”
Dad visibly blanched. “What kind of mess?”
“We’re all just waiting to find out,” Thistle said.
“He just likes spending time with me,” Aunt Tillie said. “He keeps flirting with me when Bay isn’t looking. It’s despicable.”
Jack made a face. “Maybe you should take him off Bay’s hands? Or, I don’t know, just keep his hands off Bay? That sounds like a great job for you.”
Aunt Tillie’s gaze bounced between Jack and Landon. “What did you do to upset him?”
Landon shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“I think it was because he was feeling up the blonde on the hammock earlier,” Jim said.
Aunt Tillie pursed her lips, conflicted. As much as she liked needling Landon, there was no way she was going to take Jack’s side. “As long as her bra was still on, I don’t see the problem. A little over-the-clothes action never hurt anyone. It can be kind of fun. Your Uncle Calvin and I used to do it all the time.”
Landon choked as he sipped from his wine glass.
“Eat your dinner,” Bay ordered.
“There’s nothing on my plate,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Someone put something on her plate,” Thistle said.
“So, Tillie, you were just out here walking?” Teddy asked.
“What? Is there
“I think she just did,” Bay said.
“WELL, this place certainly looks better than the last time I was here,” Aunt Tillie announced as she walked into the dining room.
Dad, Teddy and Jack jerked their heads toward the door, incredulous grimaces moving across their faces as their worst enemy let herself into their domain.
“Tillie,” Dad said, getting to his feet. “To what do we owe the honor?”
“Well, I was out for a walk,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m trying to work out my hip so I don’t have to have it replaced. I just happened to run into the girls outside, and they kindly invited me in for dinner so I could rest up before going home.”
Dad shot an accusatory look in my direction. All I could do was shrug and shake my head apologetically.
“Actually, Aunt Tillie invited herself,” Landon said, sidling into the room with Bay’s hand clutched in his. “She’s going to sit next to me.”
“I don’t want to sit next to you,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Well, you’re going to,” Landon said, crossing the room. “We’re over here.”
“Oh, is this the great-aunt you were telling us so much about?” Clara asked excitedly.
“Unfortunately,” Thistle mumbled. Marcus ran his hand over her back when she sat back down, obviously trying to calm her.
“What were they saying about me?” Aunt Tillie asked, slapping Landon’s hand away as he tried to force her into the open chair next to him.
“Sit down,” he ordered.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Don’t make me arrest you,” Landon threatened.
“For what?”
“For … assaulting law enforcement,” Landon said. “Everyone here just saw you smack me.”
“Are you really going to arrest a little old lady?” Jim asked, his face flushed from the wine he was mainlining. “She looks harmless.”
“Who are you calling old?” Aunt Tillie charged.
“Sit down,” Landon ordered again.
“I will sit down,” Aunt Tillie said. “I just don’t want you to think I’m doing it because of you. I’m doing it because my hip hurts.”
“Great,” Landon said, settling between Aunt Tillie and Bay.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Aunt Tillie asked brightly.
“Brined pork loin,” Teddy said, swallowing nervously.
“It sounds gross,” Aunt Tillie said. “They’re serving stuffed cabbage out at The Overlook. That’s a real dinner.”
Bay groaned. That was one of her favorite meals. I could take it or leave it.
“Maybe you should go back out to The Overlook,” Dad suggested.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Landon said.
“Why not?”
“Because she … might have a mess here to clean up later tonight,” Landon said. “I think it’s best to keep her close right now.”
Dad visibly blanched. “What kind of mess?”
“We’re all just waiting to find out,” Thistle said.
“He just likes spending time with me,” Aunt Tillie said. “He keeps flirting with me when Bay isn’t looking. It’s despicable.”
Jack made a face. “Maybe you should take him off Bay’s hands? Or, I don’t know, just keep his hands off Bay? That sounds like a great job for you.”
Aunt Tillie’s gaze bounced between Jack and Landon. “What did you do to upset him?”
Landon shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“I think it was because he was feeling up the blonde on the hammock earlier,” Jim said.
Aunt Tillie pursed her lips, conflicted. As much as she liked needling Landon, there was no way she was going to take Jack’s side. “As long as her bra was still on, I don’t see the problem. A little over-the-clothes action never hurt anyone. It can be kind of fun. Your Uncle Calvin and I used to do it all the time.”
Landon choked as he sipped from his wine glass.
“Eat your dinner,” Bay ordered.
“There’s nothing on my plate,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Someone put something on her plate,” Thistle said.
“So, Tillie, you were just out here walking?” Teddy asked.
“What? Is there
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