Page 36 of Always Another Sunset

Finally, JC looked into her eyes. “The hike was beautiful, and I loved every bit of it,” she said before pausing again. Bella watched the woman search her face as if deliberating on what to say next. She held her breath. After a beat, JC sighed. “I guess I want to apologize. I didn’t mean to make things awkward there at the end.” Before Bella could respond, she gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and the old JC was back in place. “This was fun.” Although she loved even the sweetest of touches from JC’s mouth, Bella wasn’t convinced the woman said what was truly on her mind. Still, she was afraid to dig deeper and let it go.

She touched JC on the cheek. “We are fine,” she said. “I promise I know we have things to talk about but right now, I want us to have a great time at the barbeque tonight.”

“And we will,” JC said with a smile. “I’ll be on my very best behavior.”

Bella laughed as she opened the hatchback of the car. “You are the last person I am worried about,” she said. “My grandmother now…”

JC chuckled as she unslung the daypack from her shoulders. “From what you’ve described, I am looking forward to meeting her,” she said. “Lots of personality.”

“That is a good way to put it,” Bella agreed, keeping her smile in place but more than a tiny bit worried that if anyone tried to pin them down on a long-term plan, it would be her ninety-three-year-old grandmother. “Gramma lives by the motto that at her age, she can pretty much say and do whatever she wants, so be ready.”

36

Sitting beside Bella at the picnic table in the shaded backyard of her parents’ house, JC enjoyed the pleasant evening. So far, things had been going well. Bella’s parents were as warm and friendly as she remembered. If they had any questions about her intentions, they were polite enough not to press her on the subject.But the sister and the grandmother haven’t arrived yet,JC reminded herself, taking the final sip of the bottle of excellent local Oregon beer in her hand.There’s plenty of time for things to get interesting.She would have to wait and see.

“Did you like it?” Bella asked, motioning to the beer, and JC nodded.

“Excellent like the others I’ve tried here,” she answered. “These hazy pale ales are growing on me.” She had found another wonderful thing about visiting Bella was the huge variety of locally brewed beer available in Portland. When Bella bragged that Portland, Oregon was the microbrew capital of the world, JC had laughed, only to learn the woman was serious. A quick internet search confirmed her claim. There were no less than seventy craft breweries in the area. Tomorrow they would be going on a tour of a handful of the many ones available, and she looked forward to trying different flavorings.

“Would you like another one?” Bella asked. “I am going to run into the house and make sure Mom doesn’t need a hand with anything.”

JC nodded. “I do, but I’ll come help with you,” she said, and Bella shook her head as she stood from the table, putting a hand lightly on JC’s shoulder.

“No, you stay right here,” she said with a smile. “You’re the guest, and I want you to relax. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Not used to being waited on, JC considered arguing but then smiled in return. “I’ll do my best,” she said and watched as the dark-haired woman she had grown so much closer to over the last week disappeared through the house’s backdoor. The screen door had barely closed when it opened again, and a miniature black poodle came running out, followed closely by two boys. Dressed in Seahawk jerseys and boardshorts, the taller of the two carried a football, and he darted to the open grassy area of the yard. “Go out for a pass, Kyle,” he yelled to whom JC guessed from their similarities was his younger brother.

Complying, Kyle ran toward the other corner, all the while the small, black, curly-haired dog barked and nipped playfully at his heels. “Stop it, Mitzie, and get over here,” JC heard from the backdoor. “You’re liable to get stepped on.” Turning, she saw an older woman had also come out into the yard. She used a cane to walk slowly toward the picnic table.This must be the grandmother,JC thought, starting to get up and lend a hand. She had hardly moved before the woman pinned her with a look. “You don’t need to get up unless you intend to carry me over.”

JC blinked, not sure what to do. Considering how small and frail the white-haired woman looked, she knew picking her up would be easy enough. “I can if—” she started to say only to see a twinkle fill the elderly woman’s brown eyes.

“I’m not serious,” she said with a little laugh as she finished her trip to the table and lowered herself carefully to the end of a bench. “You must be Bella’s friend JC.”

Watching as the little poodle hopped onto the bench beside the woman, JC nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Running a wrinkled hand over the head of the animal beside her, the woman smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too,” she said. “Especially since I think you would be nice enough to let me ride piggyback.”

“Oh, absolutely,” JC answered, with a little chuckle. “You look a lot lighter than a kayak.”

The woman started to laugh at the same time Bella, followed by her mother and who JC guessed from their resemblance was her sister, came out the backdoor with plates of food. “Gramma, what’s so funny?” Bella asked, meeting JC’s eye with a quizzical look.

“Oh, nothing, dear,” Gramma answered, giving JC a quick wink. “I’m just getting to know your friend.”

As she helpedher sister carry the dinner dishes into the kitchen, Bella was beyond pleased with the state of things. So far, everything went better than she had ever hoped. “I think you’ve found a keeper,” Hanna said as she put her load of dishes in the sink. “JC is pretty wonderful. Gramma likes her too. I can tell.”

Dropping off her armload as well, Bella blushed with pleasure at the comment. “She is special,” she agreed. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Hanna smiled. “Don’t sell yourself short,” she said. “You deserve someone wonderful in your life.”

Pausing, Bella absorbed what her sister said. “Thank you,” she said, and Hanna pecked her on the cheek.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Now, help me with the dessert.”

The sisters carried out the dish of cobbler and French vanilla ice cream to go with it. “Oh good,” Bella heard her gramma say. “A treat you probably don’t often find in the islands.”

JC raised her eyebrows. “Well, now you have certainly made me curious,” JC said.

“Blackberry cobbler,” Gramma said. “Fresh this morning. Kyle and Kevin helped me pick them.”

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