they usually ask me to please read faster. They tend to borrow my books. So how about you, Annabelle? You still read science fiction and romance?”
“I do. Though I manage to work in a little Dean Koontz myself, on occasion.”
Gregory raised his eyebrows. “
You
reading horror? You couldn’t even watch late-night horror movies without hiding your eyes.”
“Like I said before, that was long, long ago.”
“In a galaxy far, far away. I know. You always did have a thing for
Star Wars
.”
“Maybe it was Harrison Ford I had a thing for. Did you ever think of that?”
“Personally, I always thought it was Darth Vader. Tall, dark, and electronic.”
Annabelle’s expression softened with memories. “I remember when you dressed up like Darth Vader for that Kappa Delta frat party.”
“And you dressed like Princess Leia and spentthe afternoon trying to pin your hair in those big twists over each ear, until Marty suggested you try oversized earmuffs instead.”
“And remember when the policeman stopped us because your taillight was out? When he walked up to the car window, he didn’t even bat an eye.”
Gregory chuckled. “All he said was ‘The Empire can’t expect to take over the galaxy if it can’t keep one measly little car in working order.’ ”
They both smiled at the shared memory, then Gregory said, “I’m glad you came back tonight. I’ve been wanting to thank you for taking the time to work on the play with the kids. It would have been too much for Clara Walling and Elsie Wilson to handle, particularly with Buddy getting married soon. Elsie is so distracted with the wedding, and that leaves most of the burden on poor Clara. Besides, I think it’s good for the kids to work with a young adult for a change.”
“Has that been a problem here? Getting young adults to stay in White Creek, instead of moving to a big city?”
“When I first took over the church here, there seemed to be a mass exodus of anyone between the ages of eighteen and forty, but things are getting better. We’ve got Danni and Sebastian, Buddy Wilson has decided to stay on and help his father with the Food Mart, Magda’s daughter, Caterina, has opened up a children’s clothing shop, Lem Petrie’s youngest son and his wife have just moved back, and there are others too.”
“I’d guess that a lot of people, once they get married and begin thinking about raising a family, move back to small towns, where drug and gang problems are just about nonexistent, and if your kid tries to sneak a cigarette, everyone in town knows.”
Gregory studied her. “Have you thought about living in White Creek while you’re teaching in Norfolk? It’s only forty minutes driving time.”
“An hour if the traffic’s bad.”
“At least the only traffic you’d ever have to worry about is in Norfolk. The last time we had a traffic jam around here was when Joel Harrison’s tractor stalled in front of the hardware store and the few cars caught behind him simply drove up on the sidewalk to get around.”
Annabelle smiled slightly. “I’ve thought about staying here. I mean, I know Danni’s going to appreciate all the help she can get once she has the twins, particularly since she intends to keep up her part of the veterinary practice. And Gran’s not getting any younger, though you’d never know it by her ridiculous shenanigans on Lute’s motorcycle.”
“Maybe that’s the best reason for staying. Your grandmother needs a stable influence in her life. God only knows what she’ll get into next. Maybe a tattoo to go with her leather jacket.”
“Nothing would surprise me where she’s concerned.” Annabelle rolled her eyes. “Whatever happened to sweet little old silver-haired grandmas who baked cookies and sang in the church choir?Danni and I have got to be the only two people in the world to have a biker granny.” She sounded irritated, but the twinkle in her eyes said she was more proud than ashamed of her
“I do. Though I manage to work in a little Dean Koontz myself, on occasion.”
Gregory raised his eyebrows. “
You
reading horror? You couldn’t even watch late-night horror movies without hiding your eyes.”
“Like I said before, that was long, long ago.”
“In a galaxy far, far away. I know. You always did have a thing for
Star Wars
.”
“Maybe it was Harrison Ford I had a thing for. Did you ever think of that?”
“Personally, I always thought it was Darth Vader. Tall, dark, and electronic.”
Annabelle’s expression softened with memories. “I remember when you dressed up like Darth Vader for that Kappa Delta frat party.”
“And you dressed like Princess Leia and spentthe afternoon trying to pin your hair in those big twists over each ear, until Marty suggested you try oversized earmuffs instead.”
“And remember when the policeman stopped us because your taillight was out? When he walked up to the car window, he didn’t even bat an eye.”
Gregory chuckled. “All he said was ‘The Empire can’t expect to take over the galaxy if it can’t keep one measly little car in working order.’ ”
They both smiled at the shared memory, then Gregory said, “I’m glad you came back tonight. I’ve been wanting to thank you for taking the time to work on the play with the kids. It would have been too much for Clara Walling and Elsie Wilson to handle, particularly with Buddy getting married soon. Elsie is so distracted with the wedding, and that leaves most of the burden on poor Clara. Besides, I think it’s good for the kids to work with a young adult for a change.”
“Has that been a problem here? Getting young adults to stay in White Creek, instead of moving to a big city?”
“When I first took over the church here, there seemed to be a mass exodus of anyone between the ages of eighteen and forty, but things are getting better. We’ve got Danni and Sebastian, Buddy Wilson has decided to stay on and help his father with the Food Mart, Magda’s daughter, Caterina, has opened up a children’s clothing shop, Lem Petrie’s youngest son and his wife have just moved back, and there are others too.”
“I’d guess that a lot of people, once they get married and begin thinking about raising a family, move back to small towns, where drug and gang problems are just about nonexistent, and if your kid tries to sneak a cigarette, everyone in town knows.”
Gregory studied her. “Have you thought about living in White Creek while you’re teaching in Norfolk? It’s only forty minutes driving time.”
“An hour if the traffic’s bad.”
“At least the only traffic you’d ever have to worry about is in Norfolk. The last time we had a traffic jam around here was when Joel Harrison’s tractor stalled in front of the hardware store and the few cars caught behind him simply drove up on the sidewalk to get around.”
Annabelle smiled slightly. “I’ve thought about staying here. I mean, I know Danni’s going to appreciate all the help she can get once she has the twins, particularly since she intends to keep up her part of the veterinary practice. And Gran’s not getting any younger, though you’d never know it by her ridiculous shenanigans on Lute’s motorcycle.”
“Maybe that’s the best reason for staying. Your grandmother needs a stable influence in her life. God only knows what she’ll get into next. Maybe a tattoo to go with her leather jacket.”
“Nothing would surprise me where she’s concerned.” Annabelle rolled her eyes. “Whatever happened to sweet little old silver-haired grandmas who baked cookies and sang in the church choir?Danni and I have got to be the only two people in the world to have a biker granny.” She sounded irritated, but the twinkle in her eyes said she was more proud than ashamed of her
Similar Books
