do—go for a walk last night and get lost?”
“Yeah, without any clothes on.”
“You’re kidding. Although I’ve heard people who get hypothermia often pull all their clothes off.”
“No, I guess he was trying out his new sauna and decided to go for a roll in the snow.”
“He sure picked the wrong night. But I don’t get why Claire’s involved.”
“I heard they suspect that his wife might have locked him out.
“Yikes, that’s rather serious. I have to admit I didn’t care for the guy myself, but there might be better ways to settle their differences.”
“Sara Hegstrom told me she thinks they’re getting divorced. She cleans house for them. She says they’ve been at each other.”
“Boy, you are gossip central today.”
“Gotta do something to keep your mind off the weather.” Stuart looked down at the last donut on Rich’s plate. “How’re the donuts today?”
“Slightly above average, which is pretty darn good in my book.”
Stuart was starting to walk away when Rich stopped him. “Hey, I have news.”
“What’s that?”
Rich had to tell someone. “Claire popped the question last night.”
“What question? What’s the meaning of life?”
“No, the other question. She asked me to marry her.”
Stuart snorted. “Marriage? Aren’t you guys past that?”
“Not me. Her pension might come in handy down the road.” Rich smiled. “You up to baking a cake?”
4:45 pm
Amy had forgotten how attractive John Gordon was. Not in a dark, tall, conventional way. He was short and stocky with sandy red hair, light blue eyes, ruddy skin—but he was so healthy looking, so strong, so full of life. She also had forgotten how brusque he could be.
When she had knocked on his mother’s front door, he had pulled it open with a, “What do you want?”
“Can I come in?”
He had simply stepped back and gotten out of her way.
Amy entered through the back door, which was the door everyone used to enter the farmhouse and led right into the kitchen. A large round oak table was in the middle of the floor with chairs around it and a lazy susan in the middle, holding salt and pepper and condiments. There was a glow to the room: the sun streaming in the window over the sink, the old cookstove putting out heat, and the companionship of the two people in it.
Edna turned from the stove and said, “Well, if it isn’t little Amy. Haven’t seen you in an age.”
“Hey, Mrs. Gordon,” Amy said, watching the older woman get a coffee cup down from the shelf. She hadn’t seen Edna Gordon in several years, and she knew Edna must be getting close to eighty, although she looked quite good and seemed to movearound easily. Her short, blunt-cut hair still had a smattering of brown in it and her blue eyes seemed as clear as day.
Without even asking Amy if she wanted a cup of coffee, Edna poured her one and set it down on the table. “Have a chair. Talk to John while I go get another chair. I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t know if you have heard what’s happened to your neighbor, Daniel Walker?” As Amy said this she watched John pretty carefully to see how he would react to her question.
He blew up. “Don’t even say that asshole’s name in this house. He is the biggest slime bag I know. Makes like he’s your friend and then stabs you in the back. What happened? Did his Mercedes get stuck in a snowbank?”
“No, he got locked out of his house last night and almost froze to death. He’s in the hospital in intensive care.”
John deflated. He sank down into his chair opposite her and stared at her. “How’d he manage that?”
“Well, it appears he was taking a sauna, went outside to cool off, and didn’t get back into the house.”
“Wow. Did he lock himself out?”
Amy wasn’t sure how much she should tell them. Better to say less. “We’re not sure.”
“Is he going to make it?” John’s voice sounded like he wasn’t sure what answer he wanted.
“It’s looking like
“Yeah, without any clothes on.”
“You’re kidding. Although I’ve heard people who get hypothermia often pull all their clothes off.”
“No, I guess he was trying out his new sauna and decided to go for a roll in the snow.”
“He sure picked the wrong night. But I don’t get why Claire’s involved.”
“I heard they suspect that his wife might have locked him out.
“Yikes, that’s rather serious. I have to admit I didn’t care for the guy myself, but there might be better ways to settle their differences.”
“Sara Hegstrom told me she thinks they’re getting divorced. She cleans house for them. She says they’ve been at each other.”
“Boy, you are gossip central today.”
“Gotta do something to keep your mind off the weather.” Stuart looked down at the last donut on Rich’s plate. “How’re the donuts today?”
“Slightly above average, which is pretty darn good in my book.”
Stuart was starting to walk away when Rich stopped him. “Hey, I have news.”
“What’s that?”
Rich had to tell someone. “Claire popped the question last night.”
“What question? What’s the meaning of life?”
“No, the other question. She asked me to marry her.”
Stuart snorted. “Marriage? Aren’t you guys past that?”
“Not me. Her pension might come in handy down the road.” Rich smiled. “You up to baking a cake?”
4:45 pm
Amy had forgotten how attractive John Gordon was. Not in a dark, tall, conventional way. He was short and stocky with sandy red hair, light blue eyes, ruddy skin—but he was so healthy looking, so strong, so full of life. She also had forgotten how brusque he could be.
When she had knocked on his mother’s front door, he had pulled it open with a, “What do you want?”
“Can I come in?”
He had simply stepped back and gotten out of her way.
Amy entered through the back door, which was the door everyone used to enter the farmhouse and led right into the kitchen. A large round oak table was in the middle of the floor with chairs around it and a lazy susan in the middle, holding salt and pepper and condiments. There was a glow to the room: the sun streaming in the window over the sink, the old cookstove putting out heat, and the companionship of the two people in it.
Edna turned from the stove and said, “Well, if it isn’t little Amy. Haven’t seen you in an age.”
“Hey, Mrs. Gordon,” Amy said, watching the older woman get a coffee cup down from the shelf. She hadn’t seen Edna Gordon in several years, and she knew Edna must be getting close to eighty, although she looked quite good and seemed to movearound easily. Her short, blunt-cut hair still had a smattering of brown in it and her blue eyes seemed as clear as day.
Without even asking Amy if she wanted a cup of coffee, Edna poured her one and set it down on the table. “Have a chair. Talk to John while I go get another chair. I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t know if you have heard what’s happened to your neighbor, Daniel Walker?” As Amy said this she watched John pretty carefully to see how he would react to her question.
He blew up. “Don’t even say that asshole’s name in this house. He is the biggest slime bag I know. Makes like he’s your friend and then stabs you in the back. What happened? Did his Mercedes get stuck in a snowbank?”
“No, he got locked out of his house last night and almost froze to death. He’s in the hospital in intensive care.”
John deflated. He sank down into his chair opposite her and stared at her. “How’d he manage that?”
“Well, it appears he was taking a sauna, went outside to cool off, and didn’t get back into the house.”
“Wow. Did he lock himself out?”
Amy wasn’t sure how much she should tell them. Better to say less. “We’re not sure.”
“Is he going to make it?” John’s voice sounded like he wasn’t sure what answer he wanted.
“It’s looking like
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