"Well, you just might get your wish. I was thinking about driving up over the weekend and bringing your rent check. Adam moved in on Monday, and I asked for two months in advance plus a month's security."
"Wow. That's terrific! Thank you." Georgia quickly calculated three times the agreed upon rent and realized that her own rent plus food money was covered well into the future, the condo in Baltimore having demanded a loftier price than the nominal sum Laura had asked for the farmhouse.
"You're quite welcome. Adam is thrilled with the
location, and loves the apartment. He told me to tell you that if you ever decide to sell it, he'll be first in line with an open check book."
"That's good to know, though I haven't thought that far ahead. I am just enjoying each day here as it comes. Oh, and Lee! I have a pet!"
"Oh?" He asked.
"You'll never guess," she giggled. "I have a pig."
"Sorry,
cara,
there must be something wrong with the connection. For a minute, it sounded like you said you have a pig."
"I did. I do. I found her just today. Her name is Spam and she's a Vietnamese potbellied pig. We think she was abandoned."
"Ah, and you took her in. Well, I've heard they're wonderful pets. You know, years ago, I had friends in Connecticut who had several miniature potbellied pigs. They were litter trained, like cats, and were kept in the house."
"I cannot bring myself to have a pig wandering through the house. But I'm thinking I might let her sleep on the back porch at night. It's enclosed, though not heated. Maybe I can find some old blankets someplace for her to lay on."
"Well, I can't wait to see her. And you. I haven't had a day off in months, and I thought that Saturday I'd try to steal a few hours and drive out to spend them with you. That is, of course, if you're free
"Of course, I'm free! What time would you like to come?"
"Would sometime in the afternoon be convenient?"
"Yes. Oh, I'm giving ballet lessons to my niece and
a few of her friends at eleven. You can come early and watch, if you like."
"Ballet lessons?
Cara,
have you opened your own studio al
ready?" Lee chuckled. "Ah, I kn
ew you couldn't stay away from it."
"I wouldn't exactly call it a
studio.
And I've only just started. But it's such fun, Lee. Ally and her little friends are so enthusiastic, so happy to learn every new little step. And I'm dancing every day now, for several hours. Just for the sheer fun of it. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be."
"I'm delighted for you, Georgey. You haven't had near enough fun these past few years. It would appear that walking away when you did may have been the best thing for you."
"What are they saying about me?" She asked. "I mean, people in the troupe."
"Nothing of any relevance, I'm sure." He said offhandedly. "N
ow, I will need directions…
"
Georgia gave Lee instructions for finding the farm, and hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She hummed as she went back outside to give Spam some chunks of apple. Next she would change into her leotard and dance for a while. Maybe today she'd dance something mode
rn
, something bold and interpretive.
She searched the stack of CDs she'd left on the coffee table in the living room, hoping to find a song with a tempo to match her mood. Ah, this one. Tori Amos. "These Precious Things." Perfect.
Humming the tune, she took the steps two at a time, anxious to get on with her day.
* * *
L
aura was a half-hour late on Saturday, Georgia having just decided to call the inn when the dark blue van arrived. Out poured Ally and not two, but four friends, all giggling and toting small canvas bags.
"I'm sorry, Georgia," Laura told her, "but this thing just seems to keep snowballing. It seems that our Ally had mentioned at lunch yesterday that she was having ballet lessons and the more the merrier— you really do have to watch what you say around children, Georgia, they take you literally—and the next thing I knew, Missy and Lydy were getting dropped off at the house at nine this morning, all ready to dance. Their moms all said to send them the bill for their lessons. Do you mind terribly?"
"I don't mind at all," Georgia laughed. "Besides, there are only five of them. That's no more of a problem than three were last week."
"Well, I think if you are going to continue to do this, you should decide how much you are going to charge their mothers for the lessons."
"I never thought of doing that." Georgia frowned. "I really was doing this for Ally."
"And Ally now has half the girls in her kindergarten class ready to sign up. And since it seems that you're a girl who can't say no, you're likely to end up with a dozen or more girls here some weekend soon. I think you need to decide what exactly you want to do here."
Laura unlocked the back of the van and started unloading folding chairs. "I know you don't have enough of these, so I brought a few extras for the girls to use. Ally," Laura called to her daughter, who was pointing out all of the farm's points of interest to her
friends, "I want you girls to take these chairs to the ba
rn
and set them up. Two girls to a chair, please."
The girls divided up the
chairs and headed off to the barn
, still giggling and chattering.
"Georgia, I need to ask a favor." Laura's eyebrows knit close in concern. "Would you mind terribly if the girls stayed for a few hours after their lesson? One of the nurses from Riverview called just as I was ready to leave the inn. She said my mother is having a bad morning. She keeps asking for my father, and is becoming somewhat argumentative. I'm so sorry, I hate to impose on you,
but
…
"
"For heaven
'
s sake, Laura, it's no imposition, and there's no need to apologize. Just go."
"I was hoping you'd say that. I brought some stuff to make lunch for the girls. I thought they could have a picnic." Laura pulled a large brown paper bag from the back of the van and balanced it on her hip. "There's bread and peanut butter—I didn't bring jelly, but I know you have tons of that—apples, some cookies
…"
"Sure. It's not a problem. Give me the bag, and get on your way. The girls will be fine."
"I didn't say anything to Ally," Laura said as she walked to the driver's side. "I just told her I might go visit Grandma while she's dancing. I left a message on Matt's answering machine, so I expect he'll meet me out there." She climbed into the van and closed the door, saying, "I just hate what this disease is doing to my mother. I just hate it."
"I'm sorry, sweetie." Georgia reached through the window to give Laura's arm an encouraging squeeze. "Don't worry about the girls. They can stay all day, if
necessary. That is, if the other mothers aren't going to worry."
"I told them I wouldn't be back till later this afternoon. No one objected," she said with a wry smile. "I have a vision of all the other moms heading for the nearest mall to do a little unencumbered shopping and meeting their friends for lunch."
"My friend Lee is driving down from Baltimore today, so we'll have a picnic and we'll do some exploring. We'll be fine."
"Thanks, Georgia." Laura started to drive away, then stopped for a moment and looked back. "The girls won't be in your way, will they? I mean, did you want to be alone with your friend?"
"No, no." Georgia laughed. "He's not that kind of friend. We'll be fine. Go. Take care of your mother. We'll be here when you get back."
Hoisting the bag upon her hip, Georgia carried it to the house and was just about to take it inside when Lee's spiffy little sports car buzzed into the drive and stopped on a dime. She set the bag down on the back steps and went to meet him.
"
Cara!
You're a sight for sore eyes!" He hopped out and hugged her warmly.
"Oh, I missed you, too." Georgia hugged him back.
"Your color is terrific," he told her, "and that pinched look is gone from around your eyes. I'd say country life suits you very well."
"It does. I feel very good."
"Aunt Georg
ia—" Ally poked out from the barn
door and stopped when she saw that her aunt had a visitor.
"I'm coming, sweetie. I'll be right there. Are the chairs all set up?"
Ally nodded.
"I'm on my way." Georgia turned to Lee and said, "You're just in time. My niece and her friends are ready for their dance lesson. Come watch." She tugged on his hand.
"I wouldn't miss it," Lee grinned. "Who knows, there might be a b
udding Pavlova or Fontayne…
"
"Or at the very least, five little kindergartners who love to dance."
Georgia's dance class was a rousing success, and all five girls begged to be permitted to come back the following week.
"You will be back," Ally told them. "It's my birthday party, remember? And we're all going to dance!"
"Then the time after that," one of the girls said, tugging on Georgia's sleeve. "Can I come the time after the party?"
Georgia paused, thinking about what Laura had said. Maybe she should give some consideration to setting up a more organized program, and charging for it. There did appear to be a demand, and she had certainly enjoyed the time she spent with the girls.
"Why don't I speak with your mother and see what we can work out?" Georgia said.
"Will you talk to my mother too, please?" Samantha asked.
"And mine!"
"And mine, too!"
"All right," laughed Georgia. "I'll speak with all your mothers. Now, I think we'll leave the chairs here
for next week. But take your bags and we'll go back to the house so that you can change. We're going to take Lee on a tour of the farm. Oh, and I have a surprise to show you!"
She remembered Spam, who was at that moment lounging in the ga
rden, probably sleeping content
edly in the warm spring sun.
The girls raced down the steps as Georgia gathered up her music.
"So, what did you think?" she asked Lee.
"I think you are a natural teacher. I think you have a gift,
cara."
He told her. "I think your greatest contribution to dance may well be your ability to share it with others. You were wonderful with the children, and your face just glowed the entire time."
"I was having fun."
"And it was obvious. I would definitely give some thought to teaching, if I were you. And you know," he looked around the big open space, "this could be a wonderful studio. Why, a few skylights, a few mirrors
…"
"
…
a few less splinters in the floor," Georgia laughed. "But I don't really know how long I'll be here. It wouldn't be worth it to make such an investment."
"So you skip the skylights. How much can a few mirrors, a barre and a floor sander cost?"
Georgia shrugged.
"I think it's worth looking into," Lee said.
"You may be right. Maybe I should talk to Laura and see what she thinks."
"Well, while you debate your employment options, why not give me that tour I was promised? And
where's this little piggy you told me about?" Lee took her arm.
"Oh! Spam! I left her in the garden. And it looks as if the girls have found her." Georgia took off across the yard ahead of her guest. "Ally, don't scare her, okay? She's a little on the timid side."
"Where'd you get her? Is she yours? Can we keep her? What's her name?" Ally jumped up and down excitedly.
"Her name is Spam…
"
"Spam!" Five giggly girls repeated in unison.
"Here, Spam, it's okay," Georgia crooned. The little pig crept to her, a wary eye on the others. "See, she's very sweet, but she's a little overwhelmed. There are so many of you, and only one of her."
"Can we touch her, Aunt Georgia?"
"Why not take turns just letting her sniff your hand until she gets used to the commotion?"
One by one, the little girls poked little fingers gingerly through the fence.
"Oh! Her skin is rough!"
"Ugh! She licked my finger!"
"Does she sleep in the barn
?"
"No," Georgia stood up, watching Lee, who had walked to his car and opened the trunk. "She sleeps on the back porch."
"Does she have a bed?"
"No, but I do need to find something. I think pigs sleep in straw, but I don't want to litter the back porch with that."
"How about this?" Lee was on his way back to the garden, a large basket held high over his head.
"Oh!" Ally cried. "It's a big dog bed! With a plaid cushion like the one Aunt Zoey got for Diva!"
"Oh, Lee, for heaven's sake
…
" Georgia laughed out loud.
"Think she'll like it?" Lee asked.
"I think she'll love it. Here, bring it in and let's see if she can figure out what to do." Georgia opened the gate.
"Here you go, Spam," Lee said softly as he lowered the wicker bed to the ground and patted the cushion. "What do you think of this?"
The pig hesitated for a moment, then investigated the basket with her snout. In the blink of an eye she had climbed in and rolled onto her back, much to the delight of the children.
"She loves it, Lee," Georgia hugged him. "What a clever gift."
"I'm glad she likes it. I wanted to get you a house warming, and couldn't think of anything that you didn't already have."
"It's perfect. Thank you. Spam thanks you. Now, girls, run inside and change into play clothes. And wash your hands really well, because we're going to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pack a lunch for a picnic down by the pond."
Five pairs of small feet headed to the house.
"They must be hungry," Georgia mused. "I only had to tell them once."
"Georgia, are you expecting someone?" Lee asked.
"No, why?"
"Because you keep watching the drive as if you're waiting for someone."
"
Do I? I didn't realize." She shrugged. "No. I'm not waiting for anyone."
But later, as they strolled back from their picnic, the girls running ahead with Spam, Lee noticed the black pi
ckup truck parked near the barn
right about the same time Georgia did. He saw the look on her face, and the color rise to her cheeks as her eyes scanned the yard from side to side.
"Whose truck is that?" Lee asked casually.
"Truck?" she reddened. "Oh, that truck. That belongs to Laura's brother."
"Now, would that be your half brother?"
"Oh, no. We're not related." She answered much too quickly, Lee thought. "Laura was adopted by a family named Bishop. Years after they adopted her, they adopted a little boy."
"I see. And how old is this little boy now?"
"He's about my age. Maybe a little older. I'm not sure." She shrugged as if to show that the age of Laura's brother—that Laura's brother himself—was of no consequence.
Lee smiled to himself. To one who knew her well, she was as transparent as glass.
"What's he like?"
"What's who like?"
"Laura's brother. What does he do?"
"He's a veterinarian. In Shawsburg." She poked him in the ribs. "And he's not your type."
Lee laughed. "But I would venture a guess that he might be your type."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because you are blushing to the very tips of your
fingers, a phenomenon I have only witnessed once in all the years I've known you."
"Matt is
…
he's
…
"
She tried to come up with words that would describe how she felt about him, but wasn't doing a very good job of it.
"…
quite a handsome young man." Lee nodded in the direction of the ba
rn
, where Matt was coming down the side steps behind his dog.
Matt whistled to get Ally's attention, and she skipped across the yard to throw herself into his arms, while Artie sped across the grass.
"Lee, Matt has not been quite as welcoming as Laura."
"Really?"
"Really. As a matter of fact, he doesn't want me here at all. If he had his way, I would just disappear and take my whole family with me."