into the roomfully dressed and ready for the day. “I thought maybe we’d been overrun by the media.” She kissed Mattie on the cheek and poured her own coffee.
Mattie liked the comfortable way everyone just sort of gathered in the kitchen. She reached into the cupboard and brought out more plates for the coffee cake just as Brook joined the festivities.
“What’s that about the media?” Brook asked, then added, “Morning, Grammy.”
“Morning,” Mattie said, returning to the table with the plates. “Erica was just commenting on the noise of our breakfast gathering. Thought we’d been overrun by those media folks.”
“I haven’t seen that much commotion in Council Grove since the year Ashley and Brook graduated,” Deirdre teased.
“You mean that ruckus the Grover boys started?” Harry questioned, raising his eyebrows.
“The boys were only half the problem. The Grover girls were just as rowdy,” Brook said with a grin.
“They took after their mother,” Mattie added, enjoying the memory every bit as much as her granddaughters.
“I always thought she was their sister,” Harry admitted.
“Orneriness just seemed to run naturally in that family,” Mattie said. “They were good folk. Good as they come, but my, oh my, they could think up more rowdiness.”
“I never knew you could get that many steers inside a jail cell,” Deirdre said, her laughter becoming contagious. “Who would have guessed it would bring television crews from Topeka?”
Erica giggled, then laughed out loud. “I remember how they took that one steer’s picture and their cousin made a Wanted poster out of it.”
“We had . . . those things . . . all over town,” Mattie said, laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. “They turned up in… the strangest places.” She had tears in her eyes now. “For weeks afterward.”
“A talented group, those Grovers.”
By now all of them were laughing so hard that no one noticed Ashley watching from the doorway.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
Mattie dried her eyes and smiled. “Life,” she replied. Though she had buried her daughter the day before, Mattie was thankful she could enjoy these moments of laughter with her granddaughters.
Ashley eyed the group suspiciously, as if they were holding out on her, then nodded. “I suppose that should be our family motto—life is funny.”
Mattie nodded, smiling. “Far better than the alternative.”
Chapter 7
Against the backdrop of the setting sun, the lake looked like shimmering glass. Overhead, a flock of ducks broke the silence as they squawked noisily. The sound faded, however, as they made their way to the far side of the one-hundred-acre lake. There, the undisturbed marshlands made the perfect place for their habitats.
The day had really been very pleasant, at least physically. The humidity was low and the skies were a powdery blue with wispy white lace for clouds. Emotionally, Ashley thought the day to be most trying, but she tried not to let it ruin the time she had left on the farm. Denver awaited her, and by the weekend she would return to meticulously ordered schedules and demanding social obligations. But for now, Grammy’s farm offered her a much needed respite.
“This is so refreshing,” Brook said, leaning back on her hands. Her long, slender legs were positioned in front of her.
“You look awfully thin, Brook. Are you sure you’re eating okay?”
Brook looked at Ashley with a frown. “Are you afraid I have some eating disorder?”
“I just know what a focus weight can be in your career. I don’t want to see you getting into one of those bingeing and purging situations.”
“Well, sometimes I do throw up,” Brook admitted. “But not on purpose. If I get all stressed out, my body reacts that way. But I swear to you that I’m not doing anything on purpose. I think my high level of energy and activity keep the calories from going to fat.”
“I’m probably just as busy as you
Mattie liked the comfortable way everyone just sort of gathered in the kitchen. She reached into the cupboard and brought out more plates for the coffee cake just as Brook joined the festivities.
“What’s that about the media?” Brook asked, then added, “Morning, Grammy.”
“Morning,” Mattie said, returning to the table with the plates. “Erica was just commenting on the noise of our breakfast gathering. Thought we’d been overrun by those media folks.”
“I haven’t seen that much commotion in Council Grove since the year Ashley and Brook graduated,” Deirdre teased.
“You mean that ruckus the Grover boys started?” Harry questioned, raising his eyebrows.
“The boys were only half the problem. The Grover girls were just as rowdy,” Brook said with a grin.
“They took after their mother,” Mattie added, enjoying the memory every bit as much as her granddaughters.
“I always thought she was their sister,” Harry admitted.
“Orneriness just seemed to run naturally in that family,” Mattie said. “They were good folk. Good as they come, but my, oh my, they could think up more rowdiness.”
“I never knew you could get that many steers inside a jail cell,” Deirdre said, her laughter becoming contagious. “Who would have guessed it would bring television crews from Topeka?”
Erica giggled, then laughed out loud. “I remember how they took that one steer’s picture and their cousin made a Wanted poster out of it.”
“We had . . . those things . . . all over town,” Mattie said, laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. “They turned up in… the strangest places.” She had tears in her eyes now. “For weeks afterward.”
“A talented group, those Grovers.”
By now all of them were laughing so hard that no one noticed Ashley watching from the doorway.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
Mattie dried her eyes and smiled. “Life,” she replied. Though she had buried her daughter the day before, Mattie was thankful she could enjoy these moments of laughter with her granddaughters.
Ashley eyed the group suspiciously, as if they were holding out on her, then nodded. “I suppose that should be our family motto—life is funny.”
Mattie nodded, smiling. “Far better than the alternative.”
Chapter 7
Against the backdrop of the setting sun, the lake looked like shimmering glass. Overhead, a flock of ducks broke the silence as they squawked noisily. The sound faded, however, as they made their way to the far side of the one-hundred-acre lake. There, the undisturbed marshlands made the perfect place for their habitats.
The day had really been very pleasant, at least physically. The humidity was low and the skies were a powdery blue with wispy white lace for clouds. Emotionally, Ashley thought the day to be most trying, but she tried not to let it ruin the time she had left on the farm. Denver awaited her, and by the weekend she would return to meticulously ordered schedules and demanding social obligations. But for now, Grammy’s farm offered her a much needed respite.
“This is so refreshing,” Brook said, leaning back on her hands. Her long, slender legs were positioned in front of her.
“You look awfully thin, Brook. Are you sure you’re eating okay?”
Brook looked at Ashley with a frown. “Are you afraid I have some eating disorder?”
“I just know what a focus weight can be in your career. I don’t want to see you getting into one of those bingeing and purging situations.”
“Well, sometimes I do throw up,” Brook admitted. “But not on purpose. If I get all stressed out, my body reacts that way. But I swear to you that I’m not doing anything on purpose. I think my high level of energy and activity keep the calories from going to fat.”
“I’m probably just as busy as you
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