Page 31 of Home Changes
Allison thought of a few ranchers she knew with sharp tempers, but none who’d ever laid a hand on family, or at least not that anyone had ever dared say aloud.
“No. It really doesn’t,” she said. “And if itdid, it wouldn’t stay hidden long.” She blinked as she thought of the Koehlers. Yeah, they were the exception to the rule. Gregg was the only one still around; all he did was work. That had been a messed-upfamily, for sure. But they’d escaped their terror of a father.
Kayla nodded slowly, her expression serious now. “Well, if she’s here, she’s hiding for a reason. And we don’t turn our backs on people around here. You let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“I will,” Allison said quietly.
Outside, the early morning sun finally began to lift over the eastern fields, casting light across the tiny town of Hollister. Shops were just starting to wake, their windows glowing with life, and in this quiet, connected community, secrets never stayed secrets for long.
“You know how people talk around here,” Allison said.
Kayla nodded. “Boy, do I ever.”
“Has Edna seen this girl?” Allison asked.
“I didn’t ask,” she admitted. “But if shehadseen her, you and I both know she’d have been the first one here with the details.”
Allison chuckled. “That’s true.”
Kayla’s eyes lit with sudden excitement. “Oh! Do you know what I got?”
Allison narrowed her gaze, playful suspicion written all over her face. “Do Iwantto know what you got?”
Kayla grinned. “I got a book on Bigfoot sightings.”
Allison blinked. “What?”
“Yup! All about where he’s most likely to be seen in the continental United States. I picked it up while I was in Chadron. There’s this eclectic little store just off Main Street. I wandered in, saw it, and couldn’t resist. Anyway, I’m going to have Alex leave it on Edna’s table one morning when she meets with Kate and the girls. I think it will befun.”
Allison rolled her eyes as she finished wiping down the counter. “You know, I used to enjoy winding her up, but now? Sometimes it’s just sad. How could she actuallybelievethere’s a Bigfoot?”
Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know. That last photo she showed us? It really did look like something. Maybe not Bigfoot, but not quite human either and definitely not just an animal.”
“It was a smudge on the lens,” Allison said dryly.
Kayla raised a triumphant finger. “It was a digital camera,Lucy. Explain that.”
Allison shook her head with a half-laugh. “I don’t have the time or the inclination to get into Edna’s Bigfoot conspiracy theories.”
“I do,” Kayla said cheerfully. “I think the womanhas a great hobby, and honestly? We should support it.”
Allison grinned, relenting. “Speaking of support, how’d the quilting exhibition go?”
Kayla leaned back in her chair, hands wrapped around her coffee mug like it was gold, stars practically shining in her eyes.
Allison laughed at the sight. “Oh, no. I know that look.”
“Girl,” Kayla sighed, “there wereso manynew machines. Dozens of them. All doing the most fantastic things I’veeverseen. I have to have one. Except … I need like five thousand dollars.”
“That’s all?” Allison teased.
Kayla huffed, but her eyes danced. “Not the point. But maybe I’ll find a used one online in a year or two. Oh my goodness, it would change everything. You should’ve seen what this one model could do. It stitches the top and the bottom layers perfectly, has auto-threading, a bobbin sensor, and an overhead light that doesn’t castanyshadows. None. Zero.” She paused, eyes misty. “One day. One day, I’ll get one of those fancy machines.”
Allison lifted an eyebrow, her mind already turning. Alex had talked to her before about how Kayla rarely spent money on herself, and how she savedevery spare penny, always pouring it back into the shop or her customers.
“What’s the name of it?” Allison asked casually.
Kayla launched into a detailed explanation about brand, features, model number, and stitch patterns, all of which made Allison’s eyes nearly cross. But her friend was in heaven, so she listened. Twice.
