Page 71 of Power
“I’m going to whack you with my cane if you don’t sit down.”
“We’d better sit down, Mom,” Emily says as she looks up to me with pleading eyes.
“Do you want to try the curry?” I ask. Emily eagerly nods. “We won’t be disturbing you?” I double-check with May.
“No, you won’t be disturbing me.” She pointedly looks at the chairs. “Sit, and enjoy the curries. That one there I made.” She points to a rich looking curry. “All the vegetables came from my garden.”
“You have a vegetable garden?” Emily asks. “Is it big?”
“It’s decent-sized, and I have chickens. They roam around everywhere. They give me eggs too.”
“That would be so cool.”
“When do you leave?” May asks me.
“Tomorrow at some point. We were thinking about leaving this morning and moving to another town, but Emily really wants to go to the beach.”
“Hope River is close, down that way.” May points over her shoulder. “It’s lined with grass and trees and it’s really pretty. Tabitha does a nice picnic basket if you’re interested.”
“She’s the chef at the B&B?” I say.
“And my niece.”
“Oh, wow.” I crinkle my brows trying to piece together the relationships.
“Yes, I know. Hope River is quite intimate, but once people come here, they don’t want to leave.”
“Who doesn’t want to leave?” another woman boldly asks as she walks over and gives May a kiss on the cheek. She looks at us and smiles. “Hey. I’m Hope.” She holds her hand out to shake mine, then Emily’s before plonking into a seat beside May.
“Hope? As in the woman who owns the B&B?” I ask.
“The one and only.”
“I know you,” Emily says. “I’ve seen you on TV. You have a show, Restoring Hope, right?”
“Oh wow, that’s you,” I say as I instantly recall the few episodes I’ve watched.
“That’s me. Please.” She holds her hand up. “No cameras, I’m super shy.” May rolls her eyes while Hope is smiling. “What?” Hope asks May when she catches the eye roll.
“Can your ego get any bigger?” May teases with mirth in her voice.
“Do you wanna see?”
“Hey, Hope,” a guy says as he walks past. “Gran.” Hope and May both wave and smile.
“Oh, sorry, do you want us to move for your grandson.” I point to the guy who’s already walked by.
“Grandson?” May looks at Hope with confusion.
“Yeah. He called you ‘Gran.’” I point to the guy.
Hope chuckles and flicks her hand dismissively. “May becomes Gran once she trusts you. Everyone in Hope River calls her that.”
“Not everyone,” May says with pursed lips. “Some people are assholes, and I refuse to let them call me Gran. Some have tried, but I ignore them until they call me May.”
“It’s true,” Hope says. She spots the curry Emily is eating. “Oh my God, is that your sweet potato curry?” She turns to May and waits for her affirmation. “Did you make extra for me?”
“You know where I live. You can come over and get the extra I’ve made.”
