Home > A Cup of Silver Linings (Dove Pond # 2)(4)

A Cup of Silver Linings (Dove Pond # 2)(4)
Author: Karen Hawkins

Aunt Jo shot a hard look at Kristen. “You didn’t tell your grandma about your wolf pack.”

Kristen grinned. “It slipped my mind.”

“What wolf pack?” Ellen asked, trying not to let her irritation show.

“Kristen’s doggos,” Missy explained. “They’ve been staying at my house for the past two weeks since Ms. Julie was so sick.”

“How’s Chuffy’s hair?” Kristen asked.

“Still falling out even though we’ve been bathing him in that smelly stuff you sent over.”

“Forget Chuffy,” Aunt Jo said. “It’s that black-and-white one that’s a menace. He’s so full of gas that it’s a wonder he doesn’t propel himself out a window.”

Missy giggled. “Mom says if we could bottle it, we could sell it as bug spray at the Spring Fling.”

“Can you bring them back tonight?” Kristen asked. “I miss them. I’m sure Grandma will be tickled to have company while I’m at school, too.” She sent a sly, challenging look Ellen’s way. “Won’t you, Grandma?”

Fortunately for Ellen, the years she’d spent working for the largest architectural firm in Raleigh, which was filled with demanding clients and bossy men, had taught her not to rise to obvious bait. “I can’t wait to meet them. I’d pick them up myself, but I’d hate to get dog hair in my new Lexus.”

Clearly disappointed in Ellen’s calm reaction, Kristen said in a less excited tone, “Missy has a truck. She can bring them home.” Kristen turned back to her friend and they were soon lost in conversation.

“I’d best get to going,” Aunt Jo announced. “I have a roast in my Crock-Pot. It was good to see you again, Ellen.” The older lady retrieved her cane from Ava and then called to her dog. “Ready, Moon Pie?” Yawning, the dog followed her as she headed toward the parking lot.

Ava turned to Ellen. “Listen, if you need anything, Sarah and I are just a few houses down. Julie was—” The words caught in her throat, and she had to swallow hard to continue. “Julie was special.”

The bruised expression on Ava’s face was familiar to Ellen. She saw it every time she looked in a mirror. Julie had friends here. Real friends. Ava’s obvious emotion eased Ellen’s irritation. Perhaps, with a little work, she could turn Ava into an ally of sorts. I could use more of those. “Kristen says she’s been working for you after school, getting your tearoom ready. It’s helped her to stay busy.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without her. I was hoping to open in February, but now—” Ava grimaced. “I’m behind schedule. It’ll be mid-March at the earliest.”

“Most of my work involves rehabbing older buildings, so I know the trials and tribulations. I’d like to stop by sometime and see what you’re doing. How about Monday?”

“That would be nice.” Ava’s smile was steadier now. “I’ll fix you a cup of tea.”

Ellen kindly returned the smile. “I’d love that.” Feeling a little less alone, Ellen gave the dragon flag–draped coffin one final look and then turned to collect Kristen.

Item One was officially completed. On to Item Two. If everything went as planned, she and Kristen would soon be done with Dove Pond.

 

 

 CHAPTER 2  Ava

 


On Monday morning, Ava Dove stood in her unfinished tearoom and stifled a yawn. For over four long, interminable months, she hadn’t slept for more than three hours a night. It wasn’t because she was worried about opening her tearoom, even though she was way behind schedule. Nor was it because of the death of her friend Julie Foster, although Ava missed her more every day. The reason Ava couldn’t sleep was because she had a secret.

It wasn’t a small, unassuming secret either, one that affected her and no one else. Her secret, a horrible mistake she’d made long ago, threatened the happiness of those she loved the most. And so, desperate to keep it hidden, she’d long ago trapped the ornery thing in a shoebox, duct-taped it closed, and then shoved it under her bed. She’d told herself that when the time came, she’d confess, set the secret free, and make things right.

But somehow that time never came. For months and months, she’d researched dusty tomes and ancient manuscripts and had spent hours upon hours performing experiment after experiment, but her efforts had all failed. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t undo her mistake. Worse, as the years progressed, the secret had gotten stronger and was now fighting to break out of its prison. Long after dark, night after night, it banged against the bottom of her old wrought-iron bed until the idea of sleep was nothing more than a hollow hope.

The tape holding the shoebox closed was beginning to fray, the box itself starting to tear. She’d tried re-taping it, but each morning, the new tape would be on the floor, wadded in an angry knot, the old tape stretched and exhausted. She knew deep in her heart that one day soon the secret would rip through the duct tape, and her world would fall apart.

Ava rubbed her tired eyes, trying to wipe away her anguished thoughts. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered to herself, ignoring the panic that fluttered in her stomach. She knew from long experience that obsessing over her problems wouldn’t help. She inhaled a deep breath, taking in the smell of freshly cut wood and new varnish, and then eyed the stacks of boxes and paint supplies that sat against the opposite wall. A neat pile of unassembled wrought-iron tables and chairs was dwarfed by boxes of supplies waiting for shelves that hadn’t yet been installed. There was more painting to be done, a floor that needed to be repaired and refinished, windows that needed to be reglazed, and more. So much to do, so little time.

Stifling an exhausted yawn, she located the watering can she’d stashed behind the long mahogany bar that had just been installed, filled the can with water, and carried it to the row of plants she’d brought from her greenhouses. A healthy line of bamboo palms and dragon trees sat along the front window, basking in the late-morning sun. On a cart sat small decorative pots of mother-in-law’s tongue, which were destined to be centerpieces for the tables. Ava loved green things and they loved her. She never felt more at peace than when she was surrounded by her plants. And right now, she greedily gulped their peacefulness the way a parched man would gulp a glass of sweet tea.

The door swung open, and her sister Sarah came in, staggering under a load of boxes. “Help!”

“Oh no!” Ava set the watering can down and hurried to take some of the boxes off the stack. She carried them to the bar and slid them onto the shiny surface.

Sarah placed her boxes next to Ava’s. “That’s the last time I go to the post office for you.” Sarah rubbed her arms. “What’s in there? Rocks?”

Ava peered at the boxes. “The four smaller ones are the wooden stir sticks, but those larger ones are wrought-iron trivets for the teapots.”

Still rubbing her arms, Sarah walked to the center of the room, her bright yellow coat flaring as she turned, her gaze moving around the room. “Oh, Ava, it’s going to be beautiful.”

Ava agreed. She’d bought the narrow late-nineteenth-century redbrick building on a whim. The bottom level used to hold a florist’s shop, while the upstairs had been divided into small offices and one too-tiny apartment. The businesses had folded long ago during an economic downturn, and the vacant building put on the market, the price dropping as the years passed. Last year, Ava had recognized the building for the bargain it had become and had snapped it up.

Hot Books
» House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
» A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
» From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1)
» A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
» Deviant King (Royal Elite #1)
» Den of Vipers
» House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)
» The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #
» Sweet Temptation
» The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1)
» Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #6)
» Wreck & Ruin
» Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2)
» Twisted Hate (Twisted #3)
» The Play (Briar U Book 3)