A Spicy Secret by D. Savannah George Page B

reflected, was the constant bundling and unbundling that had to be done when going from one place to another. She’d wrapped herself up snugly for the short walk back from The Cup & Saucer and had still shivered the entire way from the freezing temperatures. Now she thought she’d pass out from the heat.
    Mary Beth and Annie chatted while Alice ate.
    Alice balled up the waxed paper from her sandwich, dropped it into the paper bag, and opened the bag of chips.
    “That was quick,” Kate said.
    “Told you. Hungry enough to eat yarn!” Alice said around a mouthful of chips. “So, Annie, how exactly did your errands go?”
    Annie felt her ears start to turn red.
    “They went fine,” she said. She hesitated a moment, then added, “Guess what? I ran into Ian at The Cup & Saucer when I got your sandwich, and he’s agreed to take crochet lessons from me and participate in our project. He’s also going to put the flyers up at Town Hall for us.”
    “That’s awesome!” Kate joined the conversation, having checked out the customer. “I never even thought that any of Stony Point’s men might want to help.”
    “I hope it’s OK, but I told him he could be a temporary member of the Hook and Needle Club. Peggy thought it was a great idea too. She said if he participated, it would make lots of other people want to be involved.”
    “She’s right about that,” Mary Beth said. She shook out her blanket—it was growing bigger by the second—and eyed it critically, then began knitting once more. “Everybody in town likes Ian, and for good reason. Of course he’s welcome to attend meetings. I’m sure that he’s too busy to become an official member of the club, but we’ll need all the help we can get to make our goal.”
    “I’m hoping we can get some publicity for the project,” Annie added. “I know Mike will put something in The Point , and I plan to contact newspapers in other cities and the TV stations too.”
    “That would be so great,” Kate said. “Thanks for thinking of it.”
    By now, Alice had finished her chips and eaten her brownie. She stood up, walked over to the trash can, and deposited her garbage.
    “Annie, are you ready to go?” she asked. “I’m about pooped.”
    “No problem,” Annie said, and she began the re-bundling process.
    Once they were both in Annie’s car and on their way home, Alice turned pointedly to Annie and asked, “So, how was lunch with Ian?”
    “Fine,” Annie said. Knowing where this was going, she tried to change the direction of the conversation. “Did everything go OK while I was gone?”
    “Nothing exciting,” Alice said, “though I did make some progress on my blanket.”
    “Well, that’s a good thing.”
    “Uh-huh. Unlike some people who go gallivanting at lunchtime instead of working. That reminds me—did you ask Ian about his cat, Banana?”
    “Oh, phooey! I completely forgot!”
    “Annie! I give you one job, and you mess it up.”
    “Don’t I know it! But don’t worry—we’re getting together one night this weekend so we can start his crochet lessons.”
    “Just lessons, huh?” Alice cocked an eyebrow at her. “Nothing else?”
    “Oh, OK, yes, there’s more,” Annie said, starting to blush again. “He asked me to go to Sweet Nell’s with him.”
    Her friend laughed. “I knew it! You’ve got a date with Ian. You’ve got a date with Ian,” she sing-songed as Annie pulled into her driveway.
    “That’s it. Get out,” Annie teased. “And take all your junk with you.”
    “Fine. I’m going, I’m going,” Alice said. She got out, opened the back door and gathered her belongings. “I just want you to remember that everyone loved the cookies—the very ones you said I shouldn’t bring. I wonder which of the recipes I’ll make for next week’s meeting?”
    Before Annie could reply, Alice slammed the door, waved and then hobbled up the front porch and went inside.
    Annie just shook her head and drove home.

7
    Wednesday,