Last Chance Knit & Stitch Read online

  “I know she bit you, but she didn’t mean it.”

  “Oh, yes she did. She hates me.”

  “She does not. She’s just scared of you, is all. Maybe if you were sweeter to her.”

  “Maybe if you didn’t treat her like a toy instead of a dog.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that she’s a dog, not your baby. She needs discipline.”

  “She needs kindness. And if you can’t see that, then maybe you should just leave.” Ricki’s voice started shaking, sort of like the way Muffin’s whole body was trembling.

  And that’s when Muffin jumped down from the couch and started growling at Les again.

  “I give up. It’s me or the dog.” He turned on his heel and headed out the front door, slamming it behind him.

  Muffin barked at him. And then she pranced back toward Ricki with a definite look of superiority on her face.

  Ricki’s throat thickened as she stared down at the triumphant dog. She didn’t want to think that Les was some kind of mean person, but maybe she’d misjudged him. She was looking for a good, solid, kind man. Sort of like Clay Rhodes.

  And Muffin liked Clay just fine.

  So why didn’t she like Les? There had to be a reason. Or maybe this was just a sign that Les was the same kind of no-account loser that Randy had been.

  Animals were often smarter than humans when it came to judging character.

  CHAPTER

  23

  On Tuesday afternoon, six days after her return, Momma stood in the Knit & Stitch cutting slices from the big sheet cake she’d baked with the words “Bon Voyage Charlotte” scrawled across the top in blue icing.

  She handed a slice of cake to Jane Rhodes, who was one of several Knit & Stitch customers who’d shown up for this week’s Purly Girl meeting, even though they weren’t officially members of the knitting club.

  Everyone was dying to get the straight skinny on the state of Momma’s marriage. Not to mention the fact that the knitters of Last Chance had all volunteered to knit Chemo Caps. And everyone wanted to say good-bye to Miz Charlotte.

  Molly was really glad Jane had come. She’d brought little Pete with her, and the baby was getting fat and adorable. He wasn’t nearly so wobbly as he’d been the first time Molly held him. And this time, instead of immediately going to sleep, he’d given her a couple of big smiles. His eyes were changing color from dark blue to brown. And he was starting to look a lot like Jane. Molly had given up her knitting to hold him. And Jane didn’t seem to mind one bit.

  “I have never been to California,” Momma said as she sliced another piece of cake. “I hear it’s very scenic, especially the northern part.”

  Charlotte didn’t look up at Momma. She was completely focused on her knitting. “I don’t want to visit California,” she said. “I want to stay home.”

  “You do?” Momma said. “But there’s a whole world out there just waiting for you. You’ll see new things. I always wanted to get me one of those Airstream trailers and drive across the country and see the sights.”

  “I don’t want to see any sights.” Charlotte dropped her knitting and folded her arms across her chest. She looked more than sad; she looked a little scared.

  “That Simon should be shot,” Lola May whispered in Molly’s ear. “The poor thing is being torn away from everything she knows and loves.”

  Molly wanted to come to Simon’s defense, but it would have done nothing to help Simon’s reputation. Everyone, except maybe Momma and Coach, was angry at him for taking Charlotte away from her friends and family. Momma and Coach were both kind of happy that he was leaving. Which was a depressing thought.

  How could they both dislike him so much when he’d been the one to help bring her family back together? It made no sense.

  Molly was solidly with the camp who thought he should stay. But that was a childish wish. Simon had been utterly honest with everyone. Even her. He had never intended to stay.

  “Miriam, I have a question,” Ricki said into the sudden lull in the conversation.

  Miriam looked up from the knitting magazine she was perusing. Her big black eyes twinkled behind her upturned glasses. “Sure, honey, what is it?”

  “Do you think dogs can match people up the way you do?”

  “Well, sugar, I never thought about it, to tell you the truth. I mean when God has a plan, it usually works out in the end. And I figure dogs are close to God.”

  The look on Ricki’s face was heartbreaking. “Oh.”

  “Honey,” Miriam continued in a soothing tone, “the thing is, people are the ones who mess up when it comes to the Lord’s plan. Not usually dogs.”

  The look on Ricki’s face grew positively grim, and she gave Molly a little worried glance.

  “Ricki,” Molly said. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not interested in Les. I’ve told you this a dozen times.”

  Ricki’s eyes grew round. “But everyone is saying that Miz Miriam—”

  “You have to stop listening to everyone. You have to decide for yourself.”

  “But Muffin …”

  “Ricki, get a grip,” Miriam said. “I didn’t ever say anything about Molly and Les. I’ve been quite plain about that to everyone. But do people listen? No, they don’t. They get a notion in their heads and they run off like silly chickens.”

  “You didn’t?” Molly was surprised. “But I was told you thought I was going to marry someone I’ve known forever.”

  “I never said any such thing. Savannah may have said it. And I know it’s confusing, but that’s mostly Savannah’s fault. I reckon she’s kind of new at the whole match-finding thing.”

  “Wait, wait,” Momma said. “Savannah is doing matchmaking now?”

  “Well,” Miriam sniffed, “she’s got the sight, you know. And I’m teaching her. But the whole thing with Molly and Les was her doing.”

  “Thank you Miz Miriam,” Molly said with a grin. She turned to Ricki. “See, there is no prior claim on Les. You can have him. And as for me, well, I. Am. Not. Getting. Married.”

  “Oh but you will … eventually. You may have to wait awhile,” Miriam said with a smile. “And you’re going to make a terrific mother.”

  Simon and Angel had packed up the canvases and stowed them in a U-Haul. They’d filled dozens of boxes. They’d taken a ton of crap to the Salvation Army. Everything was ready for their departure early tomorrow morning.

  It was time to tell Molly good-bye.

  Simon had been ruminating about this moment for several days. A part of him wanted to skulk out of town, like he’d done all those years ago. He’d been wounded then. And he still carried those scars. But they didn’t hurt so much anymore.

  And Miriam Randall was right. The biggest regrets in his life were the things he had chosen not to do or say, because he was scared to do them or say them. He would never regret the courage he’d found to give up med school and choose the life of his dreams. If he’d been afraid of speaking his mind, he would have ended up living his life half asleep. He’d made a choice. It had cost him dearly. But he would do it again.

  And right now he wanted to see Molly one last time. He knew it would hurt. And he wasn’t all that brave. But he also knew that if he didn’t say good-bye he would regret it for years. They had been lovers for a single night, but before that they had been friends. She had unlocked something inside of him. And he was a better man for it.

  So he strolled into the Knit & Stitch, ostensibly to collect his mother and Angel, but he’d come for one last glimpse of the little girl who’d given him the perfect season.

  She was sitting on the couch at the front of the store, holding Jane Rhodes’s baby in her arms. The child was fast asleep, and Molly looked so natural holding him. He knew down deep that Molly should have children of her own. She’d be a wonderful mother. She’d raise them to be courageous. She’d let them find their own way.

  Molly looked up at him, and her mouth opened a little bit, and her cheeks pink
ed up. She looked down almost immediately in a vain attempt to hide the blush. It was hard to do, now that her hair was so short.

  Was she embarrassed or attracted?

  He didn’t know.

  It didn’t matter.

  Seeing her there with that baby in her arms reminded him of what he needed to do. It reminded him of the things that were not for him and never would be. He had avoided commitments like that for forty years. He would be an idiot to go longing after them now. He had no earthly idea if he could ever be a husband or a father. It was best not to even try. And certainly not to try with such a young person as Molly Canaday.

  And besides, if he got down on his knee and spoke the things that had captured his heart these last few days, he’d only come between her and her parents and her brothers. He wasn’t going to do that.

  Coach didn’t want him around. And who could blame the man. Molly deserved someone better and younger. Someone who wasn’t so scared of that soft look in her eyes as she gazed down at that child.

  “Simon,” Miriam Randall said. “So, you’re off to the West, then?”

  “Tomorrow morning. I thought I’d stop by, collect Charlotte and Angel, and say good-bye to everyone. We’ll be leaving early.” He addressed this to the Purly Girls and the other women who had obviously come to give his mother a proper Last Chance send-off, complete with sheet cake and sweet iced tea.

  Jane Rhodes hopped up from her place at the table. “I haven’t really had a chance to thank you for what you did for me and Pete.” She came at him, and before he knew it, he was getting a big, old southern hug.

  “I didn’t do anything. You did all the work.” He gave her a little pat on the back.

  “You need to give the baby a hug before you go,” she said. And the next thing he knew Jane had taken her son from Molly’s arms and was putting the baby right into his.

  Pete was a lot heavier than the day he’d been born, and he seemed a great deal sturdier. It was incredible how quickly children grew.

  The child gazed up at him. Innocent and new.

  “Well I declare,” Miriam said, “look at Simon smiling. Charlotte, he’s a good-looking man when he smiles like that.”

  Mother said nothing, of course. And a little part of Simon’s heart broke.

  “It’s a shame you’re leaving,” Jane said. “Clay and I were thinking that you would make the perfect godfather for Pete. But we want someone who lives close by.”

  “Probably a wise choice,” he said as he handed the baby back to his mother.

  Jane turned toward Molly, who was looking down at her hands. “But, Molly, we did decide that we wanted you to be Pete’s godmother.”

  Molly looked up with a combination of surprise and astonishment on her face.

  “Good choice, Jane,” Simon said, amused by Molly’s discomfort.

  “Uh, really? Me?” Molly said.

  “Yes, you. Pete has really taken a shine to you. Every time I put him in your arms he relaxes and goes right to sleep. I think you may have some talents you don’t even know about.”

  That was Jane Rhodes, the perpetual optimist. Except for that one moment when she had been in labor—when he’d seen the fear in her eyes. He was glad, suddenly, that he’d been there that day to catch the baby when he arrived. That he’d been able to reassure her that Pete was going to be okay.

  “I see babysitting in your future, Molly,” one of the Purly Girls said. “That should make you happy, Pat.”

  Pat grinned and nodded. “It does. It’s about time Molly took an interest in babies.”

  Suddenly the estrogen level was more than Simon could manage. Plus the shop was crowded and the things he wanted to say to Molly couldn’t be said here.

  But he sure as hell couldn’t ask her out onto the sidewalk. They had only shared a fling. A one-nighter. A little fun between the sheets. He needed to wrap his head and his heart around that fact and move on.

  So he turned his back on Molly and spoke to Angel. “We need to get going.”

  Angel let go of a long, dramatic sigh. “Ladies, I am sorry but the time has come for leaving. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed being a member of the Purly Girls for the last few weeks. I will send postcards back from our drive across the country. And I will keep in touch on Ravelry.com.” Angel gathered up his knitting and proceeded to hand out kisses and hugs with an abandon that Simon envied.

  Simon turned back toward Molly, who was still sitting on the couch looking down at her hands.

  “Good-bye, Molly,” he said quietly.

  She looked up, managing a smile that reminded him of the little girl she once had been. “Good-bye, Simon. Good luck with the Harrison commission.”

  He nodded. “Good luck with the Shelby.”

  And then it was time to go.

  “Where’s Muffin?” Ricki asked, her heart suddenly twisting in her chest.

  “Well, shoot, I don’t know,” Pat said as she continued wrapping up the leftover cake. “I haven’t seen her in a little bit.”

  It was almost six o’clock, and Shevon had picked up the Purly Girls shortly after Simon had come to collect Charlotte and Angel. Molly had left to do some work on the Shelby. Now only Ricki, Miriam, and Pat remained at the Knit & Stitch.

  Ricki searched the shop from front to back, the panic setting in. “What am I going to do? She’s gone.” She reached for her cell phone. “Maybe I should call Chief Easley and put in a missing persons report.”

  She started to dial, but Miriam stood up and plucked the phone from her hands. “No need for that.”

  “But—”

  “Darlin’, you need to sit down.”

  “Don’t you care about Muffin?”

  “She’s fine. She escaped in Angel’s knitting bag while Angel was giving out farewell kisses. Honestly, I hope that alpaca he bought for his cross-country knitting project isn’t another sweater for that Rodrigo character. I think he’d be much better making Muffin a sweater.”

  “What?” Pat and Ricki said in unison.

  “You heard what I said.” Miriam managed one of her beatific smiles.

  “That no-good, dog-stealing—”

  “Now, Ricki, do not say something that you will ultimately regret. Muffin belongs with Angel. If he were staying a little longer, I might have been able to finesse this, but with him leaving so suddenly, I had to take matters into my own hands. I’m afraid I encouraged the dog to take a nap in that big, beautiful bag of his.”

  “What are you talking about?” Pat said.

  “Sit, both of you. And quit looking at me like I’m one of the senile Purly Girls. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  Pat and Ricki sat down. “I’m sure Angel is going to discover Muffin soon and bring her back. And when he does, Ricki, you’re going to give Muffin away.”

  “But I can’t do that.” Her voice sounded shrill even to her own ears.

  “Of course you can.”

  “I’m not throwing her away. She’s already been thrown away once. Do you have any idea how heartbreaking it is to be thrown away? How worthless it makes you feel? How lonely it is?” Her voice fractured along with her composure. She could no longer control her lower lip or her breathing. No matter how hard she swallowed, the big knot in her throat was growing bigger by the minute.

  “Oh, honey,” Pat said as she pulled her chair closer and gave Ricki a hug. Pat’s hug was maternal. And warm. And safe. In the last couple of days, Ricki had come to realize that Pat was not going to fire her or let her go. It looked like Ricki had a permanent job at the Knit & Stitch.

  Miriam moved her chair to Ricki’s other side and took one of her hands. “Sugar, this is an intervention.”

  “An intervention?” She sniffled back her tears. She was not going to bawl like a baby.

  “Yes, it is. And I’m telling you right now that giving Muffin to Angel is not the same as throwing her away. It’s really more like Muffin is dumping you for someone else.”

  “What? But I
’ve been—”

  “I know you have. You took her to the vet, and you gave her a home, and you treated her well, but she fell for Angel. Almost the first time she ever saw him.”

  “But she’s a dog, not a person.”

  “I know. But see, he needs her.”

  “He does?”

  “Yes, ma’am. He needs her because, when he gets back to California, Muffin is going to make him brave enough to dump Rodrigo.”

  “She is?”

  “Yes, ma’am. And he needs to dump Rodrigo so he can find his soulmate. And I’m pretty sure the Lord is going to send him a vet.”

  “Really?”

  “I think so. So you see, letting Muffin go isn’t like throwing her away.”

  “And besides,” Pat said, “if you let her go with Angel, she’ll get to ride in his Jeep all the way across the country. Can you think of a better adventure for a little dog?”

  Ricki had to admit it sounded kind of fun.

  “And here’s the best part,” Miriam said, leaning in. “You get to stay here and marry Les Hayes.”

  “Les?”

  “That’s right. I think the two of you are perfect together.”

  “But he was mean to Muffin. And he’s too young for me. I mean, Randy dumped me for someone really young and—”

  “Whoa, wait just one moment,” Miriam said. “You are not too old for Les. Age has nothing to do with real love. And you and Les love each other, don’t you? I think both of you have even said it out loud, haven’t you?”

  Ricki nodded.

  “And as for Les being mean to Muffin, I’m thinking maybe Muffin was mean to him.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Well, someone who knows animals really well stopped by the house a week ago all concerned about how mean Muffin was being to Les. Not the other way around.”

  “Who?”

  “I’m sworn to secrecy, but let’s just say that he’s a real animal lover, and he could see plain as day that Muffin was unhappy and taking it out on Les.”

  “Oh.”

  “He told me he’d be on the lookout for another dog for y’all. One that likes both of you. You know dogs are like people. They can be mighty particular.”