Denim and Diamonds by Debbie Macomber Read Free Book Online

raced into the kitchen. “Your friend’s here.”
    “Oh.” Letty quickly removed the oven mitt and glanced at her watch. Mary was a good ten minutes early and Letty needed every second of that time. The table wasn’t set, and the roast was still in the oven.
    “Mary, it’s good to see you.” Letty greeted her with a smile as she rushed into the living room.
    Mary walked into the Ellison home, her eyes curious as she examined the living room furniture. “It’s good to be here. I brought some fresh-baked rolls for Lonny.”
    “How thoughtful.” Letty moved into the center of the room. “I’m running a little behind, so if you’ll excuse me for a minute?”
    “Of course.”
    “Make yourself comfortable,” Letty called over her shoulder as she hurried back to the kitchen. She looked around, wondering which task to finish first. After she’d returned from Rock Springs that afternoon and done the shopping, she’d taken a nap with Cricket. Now she regretted having wasted that time. The whole meal felt so disorganized, and with Lonny’s attitude, well—
    “This is a lovely watercolor in here,” Mary called in to her. “Who painted it?”
    “My mother. She was an artist,” Letty answered, taking the salad out of the refrigerator. She grabbed silverware and napkins on her way into the dining room. “Cricket, would you set the table for me?”
    “Okay,” the youngster agreed willingly.
    Mary stood in the room, hands behind her back as she studied the painting of a lush field of wildflowers. “Your mother certainly had an eye for color, didn’t she?”
    “Mom was very talented,” Letty replied wistfully.
    “Did she paint any of the others?” Mary asked, gesturing around the living room.
    “No,…actually, this is the only painting we have of hers.”
    “She gave the others away?”
    “Not exactly,” Letty admitted, feeling a flash of resentment. With all her mother’s obligations on the ranch, plus helping Dad when she could during the last few years of his life, there hadn’t been time for her to work on what she’d loved most, which was her art. Letty’s mother had lived a hard life. The land had drained her energy. Letty had been a silent witness to what happened to her mother and swore it wouldn’t be repeated in her own life. Yet here she was, back in Wyoming. Back on the Bar E, and grateful she had a home.
    “How come we’re eating in the dining room?” Lonny muttered irritably as he came downstairs. He buried his hands in his pockets and made an obvious effort to ignore Mary, who stood no more than five feet away.
    “You know Mary, don’t you?” Letty asked pointedly.
    Lonny nodded in the other woman’s direction, but managed to do so without actually looking at her.
    “Hello, Lonny,” Mary cooed. “It’s a real pleasure to see you again. I brought you some rolls—hot from the oven.”
    “Mary brought over some homemade dinner rolls,” Letty reiterated, resisting the urge to kick her brother in the shin.
    “Looks like those rolls came from the Red Springs Bakery to me,” he muttered, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
    Letty half expected him to grab his knife and fork, pound the table with them and chant,
Dinner, dinner, dinner!
If he couldn’t discourage Mary by being rude, he’d probably try the more advanced “caveman” approach.
    “Well, yes, I did pick up the rolls there,” Mary said, clearly flustered. “I didn’t have time after work to bake.”
    “Naturally, you wouldn’t have,” Letty responded mildly, shooting her brother a heated glare.
    Cricket scooted past the two women and handed her uncle a plate. “Anything else, Mommy?”
    Letty quickly checked the table to see what was needed. “Glasses,” she mumbled, rushing back into the kitchen. While she was there, she took the peas off the burner. The vegetable had been an expensive addition to the meal, but Letty had bought them at the market in town, remembering how much Lonny loved fresh peas.