"Yes, she did," Ginny said. "Welcome to Chiwaukum. She said you were staying at the Dobson place."
"For the summer, at least."
Their eyes met again and Kara was surprised at the gentle tug of attraction she felt for this woman. Her warm, green eyes seemed almost to beckon and Kara laughed to herself. The young woman was most likely straight. Her blonde hair was neatly styled, just barely brushing the tops of her shoulders in the back but shorter around her face and Kara was very conscious of her own hair, cut short over her ears and barely reaching her neck. With two fingers, she brushed it away from her forehead, finally pulling her eyes away and turning to Louise.
"Your offer of coffee drew me," she said, sipping from her cup again. "I’ve missed Seattle’s coffee, too."
"You and Ginny. That’s all she complained about. Not a decent cup of coffee for miles, she kept saying."
Kara looked again at Ginny. "The espresso machine was a good idea."
Ginny grinned. "Absolutely. During the summer months, most of our customers are from Seattle. They need some place to go to get a cup of real coffee. "
"Well, thank you," Kara said, raising her cup in salute. "What do I owe you?" She pulled a couple of bills from her front jeans pocket and handed them to Ginny.
"Why don’t you come for dinner tonight? " Louise asked unexpectedly.
Kara looked down, embarrassed. "I’m afraid I’d be more trouble than it’s worth," she said. "I’m a vegetarian. Most people find it difficult to invite me to dinner."
"Nonsense. I’ve got a wonderful vegetable soup that I could whip up. You wouldn’t mind, would you, Ginny?"
Ginny stared at Nana for only a second, then shook her head. "No, of course not. Please join us."
Kara looked from Ginny to Louise and back again. "Okay then, I guess."
"Great," Louise said and gave Kara directions to their house.
Kara left, slowly shaking her head. Why? She wasn’t good with people, strangers. Why had she agreed to dinner? Then she grinned. Because you’re a sucker for blondes, she told herself.
"Well, what do you think?" Louise asked Ginny after Kara had left.
"About what?"
"About the artist, of course," Louise said.
"She seemed nice enough, although I don’t know why you insisted on inviting her to dinner," Ginny said. Something about the woman’s eyes made her uncomfortable. Ice blue. For a second, she wondered if they were real. With her jet-black hair, she would have expected dark eyes, not the vibrant blue that stared back at her. But it was not the dead, lifeless eyes that colored contacts produced. No, these eyes were very much alive.
"I thought you might like her company."
"I’m sure I will. She was just…"Ginny shrugged. "A little intimidating."
"Yes. At first, I thought it was her height," Nana said. "But I think it’s her eyes. They seem to just look right into you."
Ginny nodded, her mind drifting back to the dark-haired stranger who had just left.
"Well, anyway, she seems near your age. Maybe you can make a new friend."
"Thank you, Nana, for looking out for me," she said dryly.
"Oh, Ginny. I just wish you had some friends here, is all," she said.
Ginny let her shoulders sag and she forced a smile. "I know, but I’m fine, really."
"Are you? I know Phil has been calling, but you never tell me about it. When are you going to see him again?" she asked.
"Actually, he wants to come visit." Ginny knew it was a mistake the minute the words were out of her mouth. Nana’s eyes lit up and Ginny turned away from them.
"That’s wonderful, dear. Maybe you two can work out your differences after all," she said. "Do you think he’ll come soon?"
Ginny ignored the question. "So what kind of vegetable soup do you have that you can just whip up?” she asked, changing the subject. It was always Phil with Nana.
"Well, there’s that soup I make with chicken. I can just leave out the chicken," she said with raised eyebrows. "Don’t you think that would be okay?"
Louise left the store early to start dinner and by the time that Ginny had arrived, the soup was simmering and Nana was tidying the kitchen.
"I’m going to take a quick shower," she called.
"Fine, dear," Louise called back.
Ginny undressed in her room and slipped a robe over her naked body, grabbing underclothes on her way out. She was running late and their guest was expected in fifteen minutes. She hurried down the hall to the spare bathroom, hearing Nana singing in the kitchen and she smiled. It seemed Nana was looking forward to their dinner guest much more than Ginny was. It wasn’t that she had taken an instant dislike to Kara Morgan or anything. In fact, she seemed quite charming. She just hated the idea of Nana finding friends for her.
She was dismayed to find that the tall woman was already seated on the sofa when she walked out of the shower. She gave an embarrassed smile and hurried past the door in her robe. Apparently Kara Morgan was timely, something Ginny had never been accused of!
Kara watched her run past, her eyes locked on the tan legs exposed beneath her robe. She smiled and turned back to Nana, catching the end of her monologue.
When Ginny finally joined them, Nana was serving wine like an expert hostess and Ginny nearly laughed out loud, knowing Nana had never served wine a day in her life!
"Hello. Sorry I’m running late," she said to Kara.
"No problem."
Ginny was again conscious of blue eyes following her across the room and she felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine.
"Kara’s from Seattle, too," Louise said to Ginny as she accepted the glass of wine from her as if she had done it numerous times before.
"Really? I’m afraid I don’t know anything about your work," Ginny admitted.
"There’s not much to know. I’m just an artist, not quite as struggling as I used to be," she admitted.
Ginny sipped her wine, thankful Nana had chosen one of their better bottles for the occasion. "Are you familiar with our area?" she asked.
"No, not at all," Kara said. "I came here for the first time in May and fell in love." Kara let her eyes rest on Ginny’s for a second. "How long have you been here?
"Since last October, although I’ve spent summers here since I was a child." Ginny glanced at Nana and knew that they were both remembering happier times from long ago.
Kara nodded and an uncomfortable silence filled the room as she wondered why she had accepted this dinner invitation. She normally liked being alone while she worked, hardly ever making friends along the way. She glanced at Ginny as she sipped from her wine and she wondered what this young woman was doing out here, alone and so far from Seattle.
"Ginny surprised me when she said she intended to buy the store and come live with me," Louise said, as if reading her thoughts. "Here I thought she was all ready to get married."
Ginny glanced at Kara and rolled her eyes. "I found out Nana didn’t really need taking care of," she said.
"No, but I would love great-grandchildren someday," she said.
Ginny hoped Nana wouldn’t start with that, but it was too late. The seed had been planted.
"Phil is a wonderful man, Kara. Why she left him behind in Seattle, I’ll never know," she said.
"Nana!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Are you married?” Nana asked Kara, dismissing Ginny with a wave of her hand.
"No. Never," Kara said.
"Never? What are you? Early thirties?"
"Thirty-four," Kara said. It had been a long time since she had to explain about her lack of a husband to anyone.
"Well, I hope Ginny doesn’t wait that long. She’s already twenty-eight. Her clock is ticking, if you know what I mean," she said.
"Nana, please," Ginny said quietly.