Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (113 page)

Aggie says:
You there?

Tina says:
Yeah. Been waiting, hoping you’d have time to get on.

Aggie says:
I want to scream.

Tina says:
Why?

Aggie says:
Luke wants us to get more involved with the church here.

Tina says:
That sounds right up your alley. Why scream-worthy?

Aggie says:
Because I can’t take it right now. Really? More on my plate? Hospitality? Chatting before and after church? Going to things?

Tina says:
Did you tell him?

Aggie says:
Yep. He seems to think with him there all will be well.

Tina says:
Well, until it isn’t, maybe you should assume he knows what he’s talking about.

Aggie says:
I want to assume he’s an idiot and feed him whatever drugs you feed lunatics.

Tina says:
I think that was horribly politically incorrect. I think it’s probably mentally disturbed or cognitively twisted or something.

Aggie says:
I think we’re both going to get citations from the PC police.

Tina says:
Speaking of police…

Aggie says:
He came didn’t he?

Tina says:
How’d you know? He said he didn’t tell anyone.

Aggie says:
Yeah, but I told him to go. He misses you.

Tina says:
I couldn’t believe it when I got a call. He said, “I’m at the Shell station on the corner of Brighton and Lincoln. Where do I go from here?”

Aggie says:
He might as well have declared himself like someone from a—historical novel. I can’t think of an author or title or anything. I’m so excited he came!

Tina says:
You’re excited—I thought I was until he met Dad.

Aggie says:
Does your dad like him?

Tina says:
He offered to give me full control over my trust fund if I’d just marry William.

Aggie says:
What did William say to that?

Tina says:
I didn’t tell him. I didn’t even tell him I bought a house.

Aggie says:
You did what?

Tina says:
I bought a house. You’ve seen it.

Aggie says:
I’ve seen a house that you bought. You’re kidding me, right? Why would you buy a house?

Tina says:
Because you’re going to be married by the time I get back there—or close enough to it—and I’m not living there with you guys, but I want to be around. So, I bought a house.

Aggie says:
You! You’re the offer on Cygnet, aren’t you? How come Luke didn’t tell me?

Tina says:
He doesn’t know yet. I’m doing it through the landholdings department so that he doesn’t know. I want him to give me a good price that he’s comfortable with, not just break even to be nice to me.

Aggie says:
You could have given him a full-price cash offer.

Tina says:
And lose Dad’s respect forever? I don’t think so.

Aggie says:
You’ll be in walking distance!

Tina says:
Yep, and Dad is talking about maybe putting an office in Brunswick for me to oversee—practice for my future as CEO I suppose. I don’t think I’ll ever get through to him that I have zero intention of stepping into his shoes.

Aggie says:
I guess you can’t blame him. He’s proud of you and his business. Why shouldn’t he want a merger.

Tina says:
Enough about me. We’ve got wedding plans to make. Are you adding any of Luke’s sisters to the line up?

Aggie says:
You know I can’t. We’re having so few guests that two a piece is probably overkill. I’ll just have you and Vannie as planned.

Tina says:
And it’s just Chad and William for Luke? He doesn’t want to add Laird or something?

Aggie says:
He almost went with Zeke and Chad, but Zeke can apparently marry us. Since he can do that, we’ll stay with William. Laird is much relieved.

Tina says:
How is Laird these days?

Aggie says:
Back to his normal old self. I can’t tell you how great that is.

Tina says:
Oh, good. William said he thought he saw something in

Laird the last time they talked.

Aggie says:
Yeah, that’s been a couple of weeks—back when I was ready to have him haul them off as truants. We’re good now. Things really seem to have settled down again.

Tina says:
That’s good. He’s good with kids. I guess it comes from being a pseudo-father when he was little.

Aggie says:
Oh, man. Is it animal cruelty if I spray dogs with a hose in the middle of a winter night?

Tina says:
I think it likely, why?

Aggie says:
Then I’m spraying William or Megan.

Tina says:
Why?

Aggie says:
Dogs are howling thanks to a speeding siren flying past.

Tina says:
Aren’t you glad cats don’t howl.

Aggie says:
I’m glad that cats hate people and like to be left alone. That kitten was cute, but cute grows up.

Tina says:
She’s a good kitty. She likes me.

Aggie says:
And leaves hair all over your bed.

Tina says:
Which I clean off quite regularly.

Aggie says:
Then you come visit and clean up the cat’s mess. Oh, and she likes to torment the dogs. She walks the perimeter, jumps to the post, swishes her tail…

Tina says:
Keeps ‘em in their place.

Aggie says:
And tries to do the same with us.

Tina says:
Hey, she doesn’t chew shoes or run away!

Aggie says:
Well, the latter would be a blessing, but I’ll give you the shoes. Then again, she did shred the comforter on your bed and dogs don’t need litter boxes.

Tina says:
Cats are not demanding

Aggie says
: Or comforting. Laird has taken to going out to the dogs to chat out his grief. I think they are better than a therapist for that.

Tina says:
Ellie does that with Marmalade. She goes in my room when she thinks I’m busy elsewhere and tells that cat everything she wants to tell her mother. It’s kind of heartbreaking and

charming all wrapped up in one Ellie ball. I think she does it with the dogs too. I’ve wondered if maybe she uses them to talk to Doug.

Aggie says:
Do you think that’s healthy?

Tina says:
It’s what kids do, right? Remember how we used to write  stories  about  dogs  who  could  understand  and  give  kids  advice?

Aggie says:
Yeah. That’s true.

Aggie says:
Hey, Tina. I’m beat. I need to talk about several things,

but I keep nodding off over here. I’ll have to talk to you about stuff

tomorrow.

Tina says:
Sounds good to me.

Aggie says:
Nighters!

Tina says:
*poofs*

Where, Oh Where?

Monday,
January
19
^th

Ellie
dug
through
her
backpack,
searching
for
her
library
card
,
but
found
nothing.
With
a
line
growing
behind
her,
she
slid
her
books
aside
and
whispered,
“I’ll
be
back
in
a
minute.
I
forgot.
I
put
it
i
n
the
pouch
on
my
bike
.
”

“You’ll
have
to
go
back
to
the
end
of
the
line.”

She
smiled.
“Thank
you.
May
I
leave
my
books
here?”

The
cantankerous-looking
librarian
softened.
“Sure.
I’ll
just
put
them
under
the
counter
so
no
one
starts
putting
them
away.”