Page 151 of Huckleberry Hill
“Nice to meet you too, Dr. Swanson.”
“Please. Call me Jane.”
We stared at each other for a moment.
Muddy jumped in, “You know Abby, right?”
“Of course I do.” Jane smiled at the young woman. “Every morning she makes me a latte with a leaf pattern drawn in the foam.”
I looked at Abby. “You have to teach me that.”
“Sure thing.” Abby beamed. “Would you like a latte now?”
“Sounds great,” Jane said. “And whatever pastry is left over.”
“There are a few.” Abby got up. “How about I make up a box for you?”
Chelsea finally returned with the individual meat pies on several plates. “Sorry, I decided to heat them up in the toaster oven. They’ll be better that way.”
She set the plates down along with a stack of napkins.
Wade introduced Chelsea to Jane and the rest of us dug into the food.
“How much do I owe you?” Jane asked.
“On the house,” Gracie said through a mouthful of meat pie. “Damn, who made this batch?”
“I think it was Muddy,” Abby said, handing off the coffee to Jane, along with the bakery box.
“These are better than the ones I make,” Gracie said.
“Secret ingredient,” Muddy said with a wink. She tapped her temple. “All up here, too.”
“You really do need to write those recipes down,” I said.
“Make a cookbook,” Chelsea suggested. “Because these pies are insane.”
“A cookbook,” Muddy murmured. “Hmm. That’s an interesting idea.”
Jane took a sip of her latte. “Guess I better get going. Nice meeting you, Hadley. Chelsea.”
“Bye.” I waved at her.
Jane left and Abby locked the door after her.
The moment she was gone, I looked at Muddy. “How old is she?”
“I don’t know,” Muddy remarked. “I didn’t ask.”
“Why does it matter how old she is?” Gracie asked.
I didn’t want to air my family’s business, so I lied and said, “She’s a vet. Vets are in school a long time. I’m just wondering if she skipped a grade or something.”
Abby reached for her meat pie. “She’s thirty and divorced.”
Gracie looked at her. “How do you know that?”
Abby rolled her eyes. “I make her coffee every morning. We talk.”
