Free A Match Made in Texas by Arlene James Page A

“which is so well-known for its beautiful flowers.”
    “Oh, right,” he managed, “especially tulips.”
    “Well, daffodils aren’t tulips,” Odelia said with a laugh, holding out her filmy white skirt, “as Magnolia pointed out to me at breakfast. And she would know.” Leaning closer, the daffodil-clad Odelia confided to their guest, “She’s a self-trained horticulturist, my sister is, almost a botanist, really. Loves her garden and greenhouse.” Odelia smiled and turned to show off her finery. “But they’re almost tulips, aren’t they? Very like. And it’s not as if there’s a tulip dress in every closet, is it?”
    Stephen opened his mouth but apparently found nothing to say in reply to that and so wound up simply shaking his head.
    “Can we help you with something, Aunt Odelia?” Kaylie asked quickly.
    “Oh, no, dear, not at all. Just checking on our Mr. Gallow. How is the dear boy?”
    Biting her lip, Kaylie telegraphed an apologetic look to him then indulgently said to her aunt, “As well as can be expected. How kind of you to see about him.”
    “Kind,” Stephen echoed, but he didn’t fool Kaylie. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Kind of weird. Kind of ridiculous. Maybe even kind of loony.
    “I’m going to be out later this afternoon,” Kaylie said to Odelia, telling Stephen with her eyes that this was payback. “Maybe you could check in on him then.”
    Even while Stephen glared daggers at Kaylie, Odelia clapped her hands, hanky fluttering. “I have a lovely idea! Perhaps we’ll take tea here with Mr. Gallow this afternoon.”
    Jerking, he looked for a moment as if he would spring off the bed and flee. Kaylie indulged in a smirk. As if he could outrun Odelia, even in her flip-flop daffodil shoes. Kaylie did have some pity for him, though. She knew how much he hatedtea, and he was recovering from serious wounds, so she let him off the hook.
    “I think the tea will have to wait until he’s stronger.”
    “Oh, of course. Of course. Poor thing.”
    He did look terribly weary.
    “I think we ought to let him rest now,” she told her aunt.
    “Well, I’ll leave you then,” Odelia said, turning away. “Just sing out if you need anything, Mr. Gallow.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Thanks. But it’s Stephen, please. Or Steve, if you prefer.”
    Looking back at him over her shoulder, Odelia batted her eyelashes at him. “Stephen. Such an elegant name.”
    Elegantly named Stephen appeared to have a touch of dyspepsia. Odelia frilled her hanky at him in a coquettish wave and clacked away in her daffodil shoes.
    Stephen and Kaylie looked at each other in silence until the clattering faded, at which point Stephen drolly observed, “There’s a word for her in Dutch. It’s ‘kooky.’”
    Kaylie flattened her lips in a flat, scolding line to keep from laughing. “That’s not very nice.”
    “How about zonderling, then?”
    She narrowed her eyes at him. “Meaning?”
    “Eccentric.”
    Zonderling. Kaylie had to bite her lip to hold back a smile. “Why do you think we call her Auntie Od?” she said softly.
    Stephen grinned. “Well, if the name fits…”
    “She’s also a complete sweetheart who cares about everyone and everything,” Kaylie hastily defended, “and the reason you’re here, by the way.”
    “She’s the reason? How’s that? I thought Dr. Leland arranged this.”
    “Brooks asked Aunt Odelia to open Chatam House to you,and she did, but of course he knew she would. That’s why he asked her in particular, I’m sure.”
    “And I suppose it had nothing to do with the very generous sum of money we offered,” Stephen retorted.
    “Which went to charity,” Kaylie reminded him, leaning a shoulder against the footpost of the bed.
    “Right,” he said. “I support a lot of charities.”
    Kaylie smiled, strangely delighted to hear it. “Really? Which ones?”
    “Whichever ones the team tells me to. It’s in my contract. Pain in the, ah, you-know-what