back to enter through the kitchen.
"Something smells great," she said with a smile.
"You look great," he said.
"Thanks. What's for dinner?"
"Blackened scallops. We'll have some veggies with them."
"Sounds good to me. I'm hungry. Again." She
laughed. "I don't remember ever getting hungry as often as I have in the
past week.
"Probably because you need it. Are you okay? You look a
little bit tired?"
She sank down into a chair at the kitchen table.
"Actually, I am pretty tired. I guess the mall was too much for me. I get
these waves of tiredness. They kind of freak me out."
"That doesn't sound good at all."
"I think I'm getting better. I'm just not one hundred
percent yet."
"Do you want a drink? Some wine maybe?"
"What have you got?"
"A white zinfandel."
"Bring it on," she said with a smile. "And is
there some bread I can munch on until dinner is ready?"
"Here," he handed her a basket of rolls. "Go
for it."
He talked idly of his day at the store after leaving the
gardens. She complained about the music they played at the mall. He swore he
might kill Hank and Joe if tourist season didn't arrive quickly. She told him
her mother had called.
"What--when did she call?"
"Before I went to the gardens. Demanded I return and
take up the reins of my department."
"But your doctor said--"
"Yes, I know. She only hears what she wants to hear.
Get this--when I told her I might never come back, she suddenly starts talking
about my finishing my 'vacation' and then returning. It's like she doesn't hear
anything I say."
"What will you do?"
"Keep thinking things through, and decide if I want to
go back or not. At this point, I think not. But I want to be certain of my
decision. Because if I quit the business, I'll have a fight on my hands, and
she doesn't play fair."
"Do you have any idea of what you would do if you left
advertising?"
"Honestly, no. That's another thing I'll be thinking
about."
Frank walked in from the front of the house. "Julia, I
didn't hear you come in."
She smiled at him.
"Is it about ready, son?"
"Yes. Go on in, and sit down you two. I'll bring this
platter in."
Cody served their plates and everyone began to eat.
"Delicious!" Julia declared.
"Good job," Frank said.
"Everyone save room for dessert. We have pecan
pie."
"Where'd you get another pie?" Frank asked.
"Kayla somehow heard that we were having Julia over
tonight, and she made it."
"Ah, hmm." Frank said, "I may have mentioned
it on my coffee break this afternoon."
Cody and Julia laughed.
Frank said he'd heard three different rumors today about
Julia. All wrong.
"There is one person who knows the truth, and that's
Violet."
"The yarn lady?" Cody asked.
"Yes. I was in her shop and she starting talking about
my drinking problem--"
"I heard that one today," Frank interjected.
"Well she got me all riled up, and I told her the
truth. I'm sure we'll hear some altered version of it now."
"It might explain the rumor about you having a panic
attack in a meeting, and being carried out by the men in white coats. And that
your 'rest' here is actually a mental rest."
"In some ways, that's right, I guess. Although they
weren't men in white coats. And I was passed out not panicked. But I do think
I'm here, in part, for a mental rest."
They were all quiet for a minute.
"So, pie?" Cody suggested.
"Yes, let's see that pie," Frank said with relish.
"Just how many pies do you think can be gotten out of
the ladies of Sully Point, Frank?" Julia asked him with a grin.
"Evidently, as long as you keep eating here, I'll be
having me some pie."
She laughed.
They all agreed Kayla had done an outstanding job on the
pecan pie. Julia was yawning as she took her last bite. "Wow. I am wiped
out. Could you make some coffee before I get on the road?"
Frank frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea,
Julia. If you're tired enough to need coffee, it might be better to have Cody
drive you home."
"I hate to bother--"
Cody said, "It's really fine. Are you ready
"Something smells great," she said with a smile.
"You look great," he said.
"Thanks. What's for dinner?"
"Blackened scallops. We'll have some veggies with them."
"Sounds good to me. I'm hungry. Again." She
laughed. "I don't remember ever getting hungry as often as I have in the
past week.
"Probably because you need it. Are you okay? You look a
little bit tired?"
She sank down into a chair at the kitchen table.
"Actually, I am pretty tired. I guess the mall was too much for me. I get
these waves of tiredness. They kind of freak me out."
"That doesn't sound good at all."
"I think I'm getting better. I'm just not one hundred
percent yet."
"Do you want a drink? Some wine maybe?"
"What have you got?"
"A white zinfandel."
"Bring it on," she said with a smile. "And is
there some bread I can munch on until dinner is ready?"
"Here," he handed her a basket of rolls. "Go
for it."
He talked idly of his day at the store after leaving the
gardens. She complained about the music they played at the mall. He swore he
might kill Hank and Joe if tourist season didn't arrive quickly. She told him
her mother had called.
"What--when did she call?"
"Before I went to the gardens. Demanded I return and
take up the reins of my department."
"But your doctor said--"
"Yes, I know. She only hears what she wants to hear.
Get this--when I told her I might never come back, she suddenly starts talking
about my finishing my 'vacation' and then returning. It's like she doesn't hear
anything I say."
"What will you do?"
"Keep thinking things through, and decide if I want to
go back or not. At this point, I think not. But I want to be certain of my
decision. Because if I quit the business, I'll have a fight on my hands, and
she doesn't play fair."
"Do you have any idea of what you would do if you left
advertising?"
"Honestly, no. That's another thing I'll be thinking
about."
Frank walked in from the front of the house. "Julia, I
didn't hear you come in."
She smiled at him.
"Is it about ready, son?"
"Yes. Go on in, and sit down you two. I'll bring this
platter in."
Cody served their plates and everyone began to eat.
"Delicious!" Julia declared.
"Good job," Frank said.
"Everyone save room for dessert. We have pecan
pie."
"Where'd you get another pie?" Frank asked.
"Kayla somehow heard that we were having Julia over
tonight, and she made it."
"Ah, hmm." Frank said, "I may have mentioned
it on my coffee break this afternoon."
Cody and Julia laughed.
Frank said he'd heard three different rumors today about
Julia. All wrong.
"There is one person who knows the truth, and that's
Violet."
"The yarn lady?" Cody asked.
"Yes. I was in her shop and she starting talking about
my drinking problem--"
"I heard that one today," Frank interjected.
"Well she got me all riled up, and I told her the
truth. I'm sure we'll hear some altered version of it now."
"It might explain the rumor about you having a panic
attack in a meeting, and being carried out by the men in white coats. And that
your 'rest' here is actually a mental rest."
"In some ways, that's right, I guess. Although they
weren't men in white coats. And I was passed out not panicked. But I do think
I'm here, in part, for a mental rest."
They were all quiet for a minute.
"So, pie?" Cody suggested.
"Yes, let's see that pie," Frank said with relish.
"Just how many pies do you think can be gotten out of
the ladies of Sully Point, Frank?" Julia asked him with a grin.
"Evidently, as long as you keep eating here, I'll be
having me some pie."
She laughed.
They all agreed Kayla had done an outstanding job on the
pecan pie. Julia was yawning as she took her last bite. "Wow. I am wiped
out. Could you make some coffee before I get on the road?"
Frank frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea,
Julia. If you're tired enough to need coffee, it might be better to have Cody
drive you home."
"I hate to bother--"
Cody said, "It's really fine. Are you ready
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