Page 63 of Spilling the Tea

“That’s crazy.”

“I agree.”

“When will you be returning to the States?” Zoey asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Not for another month. However, my niece is house-sitting for us. I will tell her where the items are and have her ship them to you. How much longer will you be in Texas?”

“I plan to be here the entire summer.”

“I will text you my niece’s phone number. Her name is Kourtney. Call her to let her know where you want the items sent. I plan to fly to Texas to see you as soon as I return to the States. Dr. Kemmic says you look just like Micky. That means you are an attractive young woman, and I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Thanks, Sharon, and I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.” Before ending the call, she thought of a question she needed to ask. “My baby brother…what was his name?”

“Holton Pritchard Jr.”

“Thanks.”

After Zoey ended the call, she eased between the covers and clutched her necklace while crying. Not only had she lost her parents that fateful day, but she’d also lost a baby brother, and she couldn’t remember any of them.

***

After parking his truck, Chance strolled up the walkway and knocked on the door. His granduncle Nolan answered with a grin. “I’d heard you’d been summoned. What have you gotten yourself into, son?”

“Heck, if I know, Uncle Nolan,” he said after giving his uncle a huge bear hug. “I got a call before seven from Mama Laverne, who ordered me to be here by ten. Is Aunt Bessie at church?”

“Yes. You know she still likes getting there by nine for Sunday school. I volunteered to stay with Mama since Reverend Hill’s sermons put me to sleep anyway. She’s sitting on the patio.”

He reached the patio and saw his great-grandmother sitting there with her glasses perched on her nose while knitting something yellow. Mama Laverne looked pretty, but then she always did. She was wearing a light pink dress with her signature pearls. Her beloved Milton had given her the pearls on one of their wedding anniversaries.

“Good morning, Mama Laverne.”

“Chancellor.”

“You want to talk to me?”

“Yes. Please have a seat,” she said, putting her knitting aside. “I understand you enjoyed yourself last night.”

“I did,” he said, not surprised that she heard about it.

“Glad to hear it. I’m sure you heard that Zoey Pritchard and I had a nice meeting on Friday. She’s a nice young woman. You didn’t tell me about her memory loss.”

He shrugged. “I figured that was something she should tell you herself.”

“I see. Her story of being in that car accident that killed her parents and not remembering them touched my heart.”

“Yes, that was sad.”

“I will do all I can to help her by providing as much information about her family as possible. Hopefully, doing so will trigger her memory. Both my beloved Milton and Waylon would want me to do that.”

“Waylon?” he asked, stretching his legs out and leaning back in his chair.

“Yes, Waylon Satterfield, Zoey’s great-grandfather. He was Milton’s best friend.”

“He was Arabella Martin’s father?”

“Yes. Now that I’ve met Zoey, I feel protective of her since she has no one. More than anything, she needs her full concentration to get her memory back. That’s one of the reasons I’ve arranged for her to spend the summer in Trevor’s cabin.”

Chance sat up straight in his chair. “Trevor’s cabin?”

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