“I helped yesterday with setup for the big event at the new open-air market,” she said. “But today, there’s a crew of volunteers doing decorations. So I was thinking of going over to my brother’s place with a batch of cookies.”
“Lucky brother,” Reggie declared. “Now is it true that he’s seeing someone?—”
“Easy, Reggie,” Joe said, cutting his friend off. “Let her get settled in before you start whispering to her about her family. He means well, Willow, I promise.”
“Of course he does,” Willow said, smiling at the other gentleman and tucking away his interesting gossip to think about later.
“Your brother lives right down the lane from Ron and Judy Webb, doesn’t he?” Mrs. Lennox asked.
“He sure does,” Willow replied, trying not to blush at the mention of Jensen’s parents.
What has gotten into me?
“I see,” Mrs. Lennox said, looking a little shy for a moment. “I was wanting to visit with Judy tonight, but I feel so bad whenever she has to come all this way to pick me up.”
“Why don’t I drop you off on my way?” Willow offered immediately.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be any burden,” Mrs. Lennox said.
“It’s no bother,” Willow told her. “It really is on my way.”
“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Lennox said, lighting up.
“It will be nice to go on a little road trip together,” Willow said with a smile.
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Lennox said, her face brightening up. “A girls trip.”
It wasn’t even a fifteen-minute drive, but compared to Mrs. Lennox’s usual walking commute across the apartment parking lot and through the little alley to the kitchen door of Carla’s Place, Willow realized it certainly might feel like an occasion.
“Shall we head over at four?” she offered.
“Perfect,” Mrs. Lennox said. “I’ll meet you out front.”
And sure enough, when Willow came back down at four on the dot, Mrs. Lennox was waiting for her with a big smile on her face.
“Can I hold that for you?” she asked, indicating the plate of cookies Willow was carrying.
“Yes, thanks so much,” Willow said.
Mrs. Lennox took the cookies, and the two of them hopped into the station wagon.
“Isn’t this lovely?” Mrs. Lennox said as Willow started the engine. “You don’t see a nice big front seat like this anymore.”
“I guess not,” Willow agreed, seeing her mom’s old car through someone else’s eyes for a moment. “I always loved this thing. We took a lot of road trips in here. You’d be amazed at how much stuff you can fit in it.”
As they pulled out, Mrs. Lennox told her all about her late husband’s old van and how they used to volunteer for the Co-op, driving out to pick up grain and other supplies back when the place really operated cooperatively. Willow remembered her grandfather telling hersomething similar about driving to Philadelphia to pick up spices and other items. They chatted happily all the way out to farm country, and down the lane to the Webbs’ driveway.
“Goodness, I could talk to you all day,” Mrs. Lennox said, placing a hand on Willow’s arm when they had arrived.
A knock on the driver’s side window made Willow jump. She looked over and saw that it was only Judy Webb, Jensen’s mom.
“Hi,” Willow said, rolling down the window.
“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Judy said with a big smile. “I was just so glad to see you. It’s been forever. How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m glad to be home,” Willow told her. “It’s so nice to see you, too.”
“Listen, I know you’re just dropping off my friend,” Judy said. “But Jensen is here, and I know he’d love to see you as well. So would Ron, and of course little Henry. We’ve got a big roast in the oven. Why don’t you come on in for a bit?”
