Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe

dangerous.”
    â€œâ€¦with good people. Stanley is still friends with childhood buddies, all fine men. One said Stanley had inspired him to give up drinking in high school. That he owed him his life. Remember that, Megan?”
    â€œYou told me, yes.” Megan brought Jeffrey’s breakfast over. Elizabeth was looking at her curiously. The story of Stanley’slife became more impressive and more mangled every time his mother got hold of it, and Megan had probably been looking skeptical. She rearranged her face into a more wifely expression and was relieved when Elizabeth turned back to Vera.
    â€œYou must be so proud of your son.”
    â€œOh, yes, I am. Of course what mother isn’t proud of her child? But Stanley is special. He went to the University of North Carolina, and could have graduated, probably with honors, but he missed Megan and wanted to settle.” She shook her head as if Megan were responsible for bringing Stanley down from a sure shot at the White House. Stanley had actually failed out of UNC all by himself. “He’s a fine salesman, but he could have been a CEO if he’d set his sights that high. A Bill Gates or a Steve Jobs or a Jimmy Buffett.”
    â€œWarren Buffet, Vera. Jimmy is a singer.” Megan put the plate she’d fixed for Elizabeth on the table for her son. “Jeffrey, put away the truck and eat.”
    â€œYes, Mom, I will, Mom.”
    â€œStanley is a fine singer too. You should hear him in church, Elizabeth.”
    Of course he was. A fine singer and brilliant scholar, exemplary friend—but a lousy swimmer because his feet stayed on top of the water and he had to walk it.
    â€œG’morning.” Lolly filed in sleepily, sexy in a worn, black Johnny Cash T-shirt of her father’s, hair in a sloppy ponytail. At fifteen, girls could look sexy covered in garbage.
    â€œHi Lolly. Nice to see you.” Elizabeth smiled at Megan’s daughter, who nodded, giving Elizabeth’s cute dress a covetous up-and-down.
    â€œDeena up?” Megan opened the cookie tin where she stored her biscuits, and got down two more plates.
    â€œShe’s reading.” Lolly made it clear she thought this a completely lame way to spend time. “Some dumb science-fiction thing about shapeshifters from another galaxy.”
    â€œTell her it’s breakfast time.”
    â€œKnock knock!” Ella’s voice, through the front door screen.
    Megan sighed and pulled open the can of coffee to make more. “Door’s open, Ella.”
    â€œDeena, get your lard-y butt down to breakfast!”
    â€œLolly, there are nicer ways to invite your sister.”
    â€œYou keep your door unlocked ?” Miss New Yorker was aghast.
    â€œAt night?”
    â€œWho’s going to steal anything?” Vera started a chuckle and ended up coughing, thumping herself on the chest. “When Stanley was a boy, he and his friends returned a wallet with over three hundred dollars in it, which Mr. Clements had left in the—”
    â€œHi everyone.” Ella’s tall elegance made the kitchen seem smaller and shabbier. “Sally and I came to say hi to your new boarder.”
    â€œCome in, come in.” Megan put on a big welcoming smile.
    â€œLolly get your own juice. I’m making more coffee. Ella, Sally, this is Elizabeth Detlaff. Ella and Sally both grew up in Comfort. Sally is engaged to be married next month. Ella just moved back home in April.”
    â€œIt’s nice to meet you both. Sally, congratulations.”
    â€œThank you.” Sally beamed. “Nice to meet you, too.”
    â€œVery nice.” Ella’s eyes followed Lolly’s path up and down Elizabeth. “So what brings someone like you to a place like Comfort?”
    â€œâ€˜Someone like me’? What do you mean?” Elizabeth looked like a scrappy cat ready to pounce. Two beautiful, vivid women—some jostling for position was bound