The Quilt Before the Storm Read Online Free PDF Page B

I were going to swing by the church and see how Mavis and your aunt are doing. If we have time after that, maybe,” Robin said and looked at Connie for agreement.
    “We’ll see after we check in at the church,” Connie said.
    “As much as I’d love to ruin your date with Tom, I’ve got to go see if anything’s up with my client,” Lauren said with a wicked smile.
    Harriet could feel her face redden.
    “Ciao,” Lauren said and headed for her car before Harriet could think of an appropriate comeback.
    Inside her car, Harriet looked at the clock then drove out of Fogg Park. She could go home and start sewing another rag quilt, but she drove past her turn and headed into downtown instead.

Chapter 3
    There were no customers in Pins and Needles, Foggy Point's best—and only—quilt store when Harriet came through the door.
    “How’s it going?” she called as she spotted Marjory replacing a bolt of green holly print fabric to a shelf in the middle of the store. A wire stretched the length of the store with placemats, table runners, Christmas tree skirts and other small quilting projects in Christmas colors attached to it with clothespins.
    “It’s rough,” Marjory said. “Customers aren’t coming in because of the storm. Meanwhile, the same storm is not stopping my family from paying me an unplanned and, I might add, uninvited visit.”
    “Why are they coming?” Harriet asked. “I can’t believe anyone would go out in this storm unless there was no choice.”
    “I tried to tell them. I told my sister Pat they could get stuck here if we have a slide or if a tree goes down in the wrong place. They’re supposed to get here tomorrow.”
    “That’s hard to believe.”
    “Not if you know my sister and her money-grubbing husband. Can you stay for a cup of tea?”
    “Sure,” Harriet said.
    Clearly there was more to this story, and she wouldn’t miss it for anything.
    Marjory led her to the store kitchen adjacent to the classrooms at the back of the building. She filled the electric teakettle and plugged it in. Harriet pulled two mugs from a shelf and put tea bags in them.
    “Remember how my mom died a couple of months ago?” Marjory asked.
    “Of course.” Harriet knew Marjory had been close to her mother.
    “Well, my sister and her family were nowhere to be found while my mom was sick. There was always some excuse why she and her husband and daughter couldn’t come. Meanwhile, my bunch came every week and did chores, read to her, listened to her stories and held her hand to the end.”
    “And now?” Harriet prompted.
    “Mom made me executor of her estate. She didn’t want to leave Pat anything. Years ago, Mom paid the down payment on a house they couldn’t have afforded otherwise, and they didn’t even say a simple thank-you.
    “I convinced Mom that if she left them nothing, it would be miserable for me, so she agreed to leave them a little. My parents weren’t rich or anything, but they both had worked all their lives. They owned their house and a couple of rentals. Their cars were paid off. They had some retirement money saved.”
    “I’m guessing your sister wasn’t happy with what your mom decided.”
    “You could say that,” Marjorie said. “They figured they should get the whole estate, because they need it and I don’t.”
    “Your sister said that to your face?”
    “Yes, she did. She said I was doing fine with my shop, as near as she could tell, so why did I need more money? She said they had debts and had to have the money.”
    “You didn’t tell her you’d give it to her, did you?”
    “Of course not. I told her I was sorry she had money troubles, but I was going to follow our mother’s instructions.”
    “So, why is she coming here?”
    “I’m not really sure. I guess she’s hoping if she comes in person, she can convince me to change my mind.”
    “Sounds like Aiden’s sister. She’s back in town working him over.”
    “It’s hard to imagine how Avanell could