The Healing Quilt Read Online Free PDF Page B

the same puppeteer, they stopped at the Calypso rosebush near the garden gate and leaned to sniff its spicy fragrance. Kit brushed an aphid off the stem. “If you're leaving these for the birds, those Bushtits better get busy.”
    “I know. I hate to use the systemic, but I might have to.” Teza pulled the clippers out of her back pocket and snipped two stems, the floribunda habit of many blossoms on a stalk giving a full bouquet with one or two stalks. “I'll put these in water, and you can take them home too. I can't keep ahead of this one, need to pick from it every day it seems.”
    “Are you bragging or complaining?” Kit teased. She started to sniff the flowers and pulled back to let a honeybee escape. “One of these days I'm going to take a cutting from this one. Looks like a sunset gone berserk.” She set the berries in her car keeping cool under the shade of a maple tree and followed Teza up the steps to the back door of the two-story farmhouse. A pillared porch skirted the house on three sides, with hanging baskets of rioting fuchsias already dropping blossoms on the wide board topping the railing.
    While all the Aarsgards inherited greens thumbs, Teza had ten of them.
    Kit sniffed as strawberry scent intensified by cooking wafted out the open door. “You have preserves cooking?” She followed Teza into the sunny kitchen.
    “Yep, in that new copper kettle you gave me for Christmas. Makes the best jam I've ever tasted.” Teza filled a glass pitcher with water and stuck the rose stems in it up to the blossoms. “Sold the first batch almost before I got it bottled. Folks drove up for berries and smelled that aroma… Why, some of them waited until I poured it in the jars. All I do is put whole berries and sugar in the kettle and remember to stir it once in a while.” While she talked, she set the red enamel tea kettle to heating and reached for the tea boxes above the stove. “You want licorice or Red Zinger?”
    Kit knew there was no chance of leaving before sharing a cup of tea, so she retrieved the bone China cups from the glass-fronted cupboard. “Zinger, I guess.”
    “There are ginger cookies in the cookie jar. Made ‘em fresh just this morning.” Teza took the lid off the copper kettle and stirred the contents with a long-handled wooden spoon. “Recipe book says this makes great apple butter too. I can't wait to try the blueberries.”
    “How about I pour while you get your calendar?” Kit took a matching China plate over to the apple cookie jar on the blue-and-white-tiled counter. “In case you haven't figured it out, there is no way you are getting out ofthat mammogram. I lost mother and Amber to cancer, and I won't lose you, too.”
    “Yes, ma'am.” Teza had the grace to look sheepish. “But I know you would have taken Vinnie in too.”
    Kit sighed and shook her head. So, let Teza have the last word. Kit would reschedule the appointment and hogtie her aunt to get her there if need be. ‘Bout time you did your own, too , reminded her inner critic, only not the same day as Tezas.

FIVE

Following church on Sunday, which she'd attended alone again, Elaine idly flipped through the Sunday paper without much hope of discovering something of interest. Doodlebug lay curled in her lap, but every time he yawned, his pink tongue curling out and in, he slipped around on the silk of her lounging outfit. She'd changed from her white silk suit into something more comfortable as soon as she walked in the door.
    After reading the society column, where she wasn't mentioned for a change, she read the Parade section. The health columnist made another diatribe against unnecessary surgeries, face-lifts at the top of his list of horrors. But then, men could age gracefully while women had to fight tooth and toenail to stay young enough to hold their place. Just think of all the lovely young beauties coming up, each seeking a wealthy husband, who would be future trophy wives for those who could afford