Shear Trouble Read Online Free Page B

Savannah thinks they’re really untidy. I guess they are. And I know Savannah is already making a lot of concessions for me—it was her house, originally, before she let me stay with her after my divorce.” She shrugged.
    “But Savannah has always been delighted to have you stay with her,” said Meadow stoutly. “You can tell how much she loves having you there. You’re her sister!”
    “I know. I feel the same way. But I’m very different from Savannah and she’s had to make a lot of adjustments to the way she wants to live. She likes everything perfectly straight and organized. And I’m more . . . loosey-goosey.” Georgia gazed ruefully at the pile ofquilting materials she’d brought in. Loosey-goosey was an understatement.
    Beatrice said, “It’s probably only natural that y’all would have disagreements like that. After all, you spend so much time together. Maybe you need a little bit of a break from each other.”
    Beatrice expected that Georgia, always so loyal to her sister, would immediately pooh-pooh that suggestion. To her surprise, she seemed to be seriously considering it. “Maybe. Maybe I should, just for a little while. It might be really good for Savannah, too. Actually, it’s funny but I have a good friend who asked me to pet-sit while she’s visiting her mother in Alabama. I was planning on checking in over there a few times a day . . . but she’d love it if I house-sat and stayed there.” She smiled and said, “She has the cutest little pets in the world—Snuffy and Mr. Shadow. I especially love Mr. Shadow—he’s this fluffy gray butterball of a cat.”
    Meadow said, “See? It’s perfect . . . something like that has got to be fate. A break will do you good—maybe it will do Savannah good, too.” She cleared her throat. “And maybe it will give you both the opportunity to finish those quilts of yours in time for the show.”
    Beatrice murmured, “Savannah is on her way over.”
    They stopped talking and Meadow said breezily, “Hi there, Savannah!”
    Savannah gave them a gruff greeting. She was wearing her customary long floral dress and had her hairpulled into a tight bun. But Beatrice noticed she seemed less put-together than she usually did. Savannah spotted Georgia’s pile of fabric and notions on a table and carefully took her place at a table across the room from it. Georgia sighed and gave Meadow and Beatrice a meaningful look.
    A small woman with a round face and a constantly startled expression peered through the door to the back room. Meadow clapped her hands when she saw her. “June Bug! And you’ve brought cakes for us to eat. Perfect!”
    Posy hurried over to relieve June Bug of the desserts. “Since we all know that June Bug makes the best cakes in town, I thought I should ask her to make some for our retreat. But I do wish you’d stay for the quilting, June Bug,” she said to the little woman.
    June Bug flushed at the praise but shook her head swiftly. “I’m not in the quilt show.” She gave a hurried glance at her large watch. “I’d better run,” she said. And she was gone just as quickly as she’d arrived.
    “That June Bug!” said Meadow. “I can’t believe I can’t convince her to enter one of her gorgeous quilts into the show.”
    Beatrice said, “
I
can’t believe you managed to persuade her to join the Village Quilters.” June Bug was extremely doubtful about the quality of her quilts or her craftsmanship. And, from what Beatrice had heard, she had no idea that she was as gifted as she was.
    Meadow said gloomily, “Not that she ever goes to any of the guild meetings.”
    Posy said, “Slow and steady wins the race, remember? We just have to build up her confidence, that’s all.” Then a frown suddenly creased Posy’s gentle features. She anxiously fingered the beagle broach she’d pinned on her fluffy pink cardigan. “Oh dear. It looks as if Martha Helmsley and Phyllis Stitt might have tables next to each other. I hope