Into their lives arrives a new neighbor, Sabrina Gates. Sabrina bought the house next door. She has had a phenomenal success as a new author but moes from her past and present threaten her peace and ability to write. There is the blogger who posts snide and not so nice posts about other authors. Sabrina’s former agent wants a share of the huge amount of money Sabrina has received for a trilogy. And there is her ex-husband, a needy greedy coward who wants money.
Above all there is Robespierre who makes his presence known.
I had taken a basket from the pantry and placed it on the counter. “Making a welcome basket for our new neighbor.”
“Can I come, too?”
“Yes.” I pulled a frozen loaf of banana bread from the freezer and filled a tin with an assortment of cookies. A half dozen small jars featuring a variety of mint teas finished filling the area. Each of the jars had a ribbon with an attached card telling about the tea.
I joined Megan for lunch. Mine was slices of tomato and the rest of the crab salad. After delivering the basket, Megan and I would drive to a local farm to replenish my stock of fresh vegetables.
The moment we finished lunch, Megan wiped away her chocolate moustache. She ran to the door. “We go now.”
“Not so fast.” I checked to see if she had spilled anything on her clothes. I looked for the cats and found the pair shared Robespierre’s bed.
“Rose Prairie com?”
“Not today. We don’t know our new neighbor. Cats might make her cough and sneeze.”
“Oh.”
I lifted the basket. Megan opened the door and walked beside me to the gate in the privet hedge between the yards. We reached the porch of the Dutch Colonial and I rang the bell.
My new neighbor opened the door. She was beautiful. Instead of blue eyes, hers were green. “Hello. I’m Katherine Claybourne from next door. This is Megan. We would like to welcome you to the neighborhood.”
“Thank you. I’m Sabrina Gates. What a wonderful thing to do. Reminds me of home. Would you like to come in? I’m ready for a break.”
Megan followed us inside. “Grandma Kate make some really good cookies and tea with mint.’
Sabrina clasped the child’s hand. “Would you like some of those really good cookies?”
Megan looked at me and I nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’m four going on five. How old are you? Do you have any children?”
“I don’t but I do like children.”
“My daddy like them, tool”
I hid a grin. Was the child match-making?
Sabrina led us to the kitchen and placed the basket on the table. “Would you like some milk to go with your cookie?’
Megan shook her head. “Tea.”
Sabrina’s Southern accent enchanted me. I’m a sucker for accents.
We entered the kitchen where Sabrina set the basket on a table and unpacked the contents. She read each label on the jars of dried tea. “Let me brew a pot of this one.” She selected the pekoe and wintergreen. “I just made sugar syrup for sweet tea.”
“Sweet tea?” I asked.
My Places
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Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
4 comments:
I am a northerner, but daughter now lives in NC. I know what Sweet Tea is.
And - the welcome basket - awesome. I need a friend like that.
I was never a soda drinker so I don't miss it much, but sweet tea and juice are two things that my stupid zombie pancreas took away from me in this lifetime.
The new neighbor seems nice!
What a homey, pleasant scene!
What a thoughtful gift for the new neigbor. Now I'm wondering what's next.
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