Finding Pride (Pride Series) by Jill Sanders Read Free Book Online Page B

trapped there listening to the woman with no real polite way out. She could just imagine her double chocolate macadamia nut ice cream melting by the second. She even thought about dropping the groceries and just running. There really wasn’t a lot of food in her bags, since her and cooking didn’t really mix.
     
    But, she really did want some of that ice cream. But, the way it was going, she was thinking she’d have to drink it instead of savoring it slowly like she’d dreamed.
     
    “So that’s how Robert became Sheriff, quite the young gun he was back then…” Megan had actually phased out during most of that conversation. “That’s Betty; poor dear, lost her Henry last year.” She said nodding out the window to a small older woman walking towards the store. Megan recognized her as one of the ladies who’d stopped by the day after her brother’s funeral.
     
    “Hi Betty,” Patty said, as the woman walked in the double doors. “How are you feeling today?”
     
    “Oh, my arthritis is acting up again, but I’m doing fine. Hello Megan, we really weren’t introduced the other day. I’m Betty Thomas. I help out at all church events, kind of the coordinator, if you will.”
     
    “Betty bakes some of the finest cakes in all of Oregon.” Patty said, “She brought her angel food cake with the chocolate frosting to your place last week.”
     
    “Yes, it was very nice. I think I had two pieces.” Megan said.
     
    “We’re so glad you’ll be staying on. You know, we have weekly prayer meetings at my house. I do hope to see you there.” Betty said.
     
    “Well, the thing is, I’m not catholic.” Megan said with a weak smile. She didn’t want to get into the fact that she hadn’t yet made up her mind to stay.
     
    “Oh,” They both said in unison, sounding rather put down. “Well,” Betty said recovering. “That’s alright, you could come anyway. It must be hard moving in with that hurt arm, how did you say you broke it?” There was an unusually silence that filled the room and both women leaned ever so slightly forward.
     
    Megan looked around the large store and saw four other women standing behind her in line. Their buggies stacked with forgotten melting items, and no one seemed to mind. Everyone was all ears; she could imagine them holding their breaths waiting for the scoop.
     
    “We had a bad ice storm in Boston a few weeks back, I fell outside my apartment. The Jordan’s helped me move in. They’ve been very helpful the last few days.” The statement flew from her lips faster than she had wanted. She was sure that the false news of how she broke her arm would spread around town before night fall.
     
    “Well now, Matt said that you were married. Is your husband still in Boston?” She was getting the feeling that Betty was not only the best baker in town, but the best gossip as well.
     
    She looked from woman to woman not wanting to take this conversation any further; feeling trapped and started to feel light headed from hunger. She’d gone to the store in the first place because her house was empty of food.
     
    Just when she felt like she would pass out from hunger, she looked outside the large windows and saw Lacey walking towards the building. Her small form traveling remarkable fast.
     
    “There you are!” Lacey said after swinging the door wide, “I’ve been looking all over for you.” She looked at the two women, and the other women in line. All of whom quickly looked away and went about their business. “We better get going or you’re going to be late.”
     
    She was saved! She could have kissed Lacey for rescuing her. Lacey started to push her full cart out the door without even so much as a “Hello” to the other women.
     
    “I really need to learn how to do that,” she said starting to load her bags into the car.
     
    Lacey chuckled and grabbed the bags from her, then began putting them in the car herself and said, “It’s easy. You’ll get used to