Page 34 of Barry

Kathy poured herself a cup of coffee and then fixed it with sugar and cream before returning to the booth.

“So … I don’t want to be intrusive, but what were you and Corrie talking about?”

Kathy smiled. Of course, Edna didn’t want to be intrusive, but she sure as heck wanted to know the scoop. “I’ll tell you, but we’re supposed to keep it under wraps.” She took a sip of her coffee and watched as Edna leaned in.

“What?”

“Yesterday, Barry found two rattlesnakes in his bunkroom at the Hollisters’. The thought is someone put them there, but he was with me, not in the bunkhouse.” Barry had cautioned her not to talk about his thoughts about Fish, and she assumed the information about his brother fell under the same umbrella of secrecy.

With a gasp, Edna placed her hand over her chest. “Do they think it’s someone out at the ranch?”

“No, ma’am. I think they’re still connecting it to whatever is happening around the area.” Kathy put her cup down when Corrie came out of the kitchen with her biscuit. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve got to get back to the kitchen and get ready for the next wave of customers. Are you two set here?”

“Kate will be here shortly. Could you bring her a caramel roll when she comes in? And I’m paying for it this week. No arguments.”

“Ah, she already paid for this week, last week.” Corrie shrugged. “Sorry.”

“That girl.” Edna shook her head, but the smile was huge. “I’m never going to win with her, am I?”

“I think between Kate and Melody, you could eat free here for the rest of your life.”

“Oh, Melody is such a sweetheart. I adore her boys, and I love popping over to give her a break every now and then.”

“You go over three times a week, twice during the week, and you babysit on Monday nights so she and Declan can have some time alone. You’re a saint in their eyes; mine, too.” Corrie winked at the woman and headed back into the kitchen.

“You do that for Mel?” Kathy cut her biscuit in half as she spoke.

“It started out as helping her when the boys were young. But I love those little guys so much that I do it now to get my fix in.” Edna chuckled. “Mel has a special place in my heart.”

Kathy took a bite and watched as Edna cut off a chunk of her humongous cinnamon roll. When shefinished chewing, she asked, “So, how do you know Kate?”

Edna’s eyes widened. “What?”

“How do you know Kate? I met her when she was here for the summers and when she was dating Tegan before she entered the military. How do you know her?”

“Oh, through her father when he was alive. He was such a pleasant man.” Edna looked down at her food. “They don’t make many like him.”

Kathy lifted an eyebrow. What an odd statement to make. Edna looked up and out the window. “Oh, there’s Kate now.”

Kathy took another sip of her coffee as Kate parked her truck. “How are the ladies? Belinda and Doris? It was really nice of Belinda to speak for Barry like she did. Unusual, too.”

Edna shook her head. “Not really. Belinda got bullied a lot when we were kids. When you grow up dirt poor and live off hand-me-downs and the kindness of strangers, life tends to beat you down, and people being mean brings you down even more. Belinda’s mom had, well, let’s call it a reputation, and Belinda was born out of wedlock. Now, that don’t mean much at all. But back then, well, Belinda had a lot to live down. She’s always been horribly shy unless you get her protectiveness aggravated. She has boys, and let me tell you, no one, not a single person, dared tread on those boys. She made sure they were respected. I suspect she sees some of herself in Barry. The anger withno place to go, I mean. I think she had a lot of that with no way to get or ask for help.”

“I had no idea.” Kathy put her coffee cup down. “Wow.”

“Not many do anymore. Just us old-timers.” Edna smiled as Kate came in and stopped at the coffee cart. She picked up a mug and yelled into the back, “I’m here, Ciera!”

“Ciera’s off today. It’s me, and I’ll be there in a second,” Corrie called back.

Kate walked over and slid in beside Edna. “Sorry, I’m late. Doodle spilled his feed in the laundry room, and Tegan had already left for the stockyard. So, I spent fifteen minutes cleaning under the washer and dryer while fending off the little dickens. He listens to Tegan. To me? Not so much.”

“The laundry room?” Kathy cocked her head. “Why is his feed in the laundry room?” She’d seen Doodle before when Tegan first rescued him from somewhere west of there.

“He’s kind of a house horse,” Edna said, chuckling before sipping her coffee. “And where did you get off paying for my roll already?”

“Ha! I knew you’d try to pay before I got here; that’s why. I’m glad Ciera told Corrie.” Kate laughed when Edna shrugged. “So, I may have ordered some of those Edison lights for the community center. I love them, and there was a sale.” Kate leaned forward. “I figured I’d donate them to the center; if I ever need them, I could borrow them back. Do you think they’d be okay with that?”

---