Free Tapestry of Trust by Mary Annslee Urban

out.
    She shrugged. “Nothing yet.”
    He figured as much. “Maybe you better show us the rest.”
    Betsy took off walking again. Finally at the far corner of the store she halted again. Stepping up to a display at the end of an aisle, she ran her hand along the edge of a box. “OK. This is the last item on the list. A waterfall relaxation fountain. Once the spray is turned on, you’ll be transported into a state of tranquility.” She knotted her hands under her chin as her eyes, too big for her face, twinkled. “Do you own one?”
    Charlie cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t even know why I’d need one.”
    Her dark brows went together in what he took as a frown.
    “I’m sure they’re nice though,” he quickly amended.
    Too late. Betsy mashed her lips, handed him back the list and crossed her arms. “Any questions?”
    “Yes.” Erica piped up.
    Now Charlie did cringe. He never knew what to expect.
    “That relaxation fountain, does it really work?”
    Betsy eagerly nodded. “Absolutely. Perfect for a romantic evening at home.” She waggled her eyebrows at Charlie.
    Charlie shot up a hand. “Hey, just looking for a shower gift. I’m not in the market for one myse—”
    “I’ll take one.” Erica grabbed a box off the shelf. “The bride and groom would probably like one too.” She smiled that wicked smile at him.
    He looked away.
    If he understood nothing else, he knew this would be his last wedding shower. He tugged at his collar, and reminded himself he didn’t have to attend. Something he’d considered until visions of Isabelle arose in his mind. He studied the list closer. “So that fountain thing, everybody likes it?”
    That brought a smile to Betsy face. “Yes. One of our best sellers.”
    Charlie rubbed his jaw, trying to decide. He never imagined shower shopping to be so mind-boggling. Glancing at his watch, he sighed. “Do you by any chance have a gift card?”
    Outside Erica stood in the middle of the parking lot hugging the box. “Charlie, since we don’t know exactly where we’re going, we should drive together.”
    Was she kidding? “You have a GPS. That’s what I’ll be using.” Charlie continued to his truck, holding a Kitchen Comforts and Cozy Bath wrapped box with a gift card inside.
     
    ****
     
    Hearing the stove timer buzz, Isabelle grabbed hot pads and pulled the last baking sheet from the oven. She blew back a wisp of hair, thinking she’d never cooked so much in her life. Guests better show up hungry. She arranged another batch of hors d’oeuvres on a silver platter.
    “The food is finally finished.”
    Busy at the sink, Mrs. Johnson looked up. “Excellent, dear. I’ll get the ingredients out for the punch.”
    “Sounds good.” Isabelle grabbed the trays. She carried them to the dining room and placed them on the corner of the table, savoring the heavenly scents. She wiped her hands on her apron and stepped back to survey the spread. Perfect.
    She spun around and headed back into the kitchen. “Everything looks wonder—” The words died on her tongue as Mrs. Johnson poured fruit-juice and ginger-ale into the punchbowl.
    “Uh, didn’t you want the punch on the dining room table with the food?” Can’t leave the woman alone for a moment.
    Mrs. Johnson plopped citrus pieces into the sparkling punch. “Don’t these look nice floating on top?” Several heartbeats and a handful of lemon slices later, her gray head snapped up, and her hand flew to her throat. “Oh my, you’re right. We should have filled the punch bowl on the dining room table. I’m sorry dear. Please do be careful not to spill any on the floor. The housekeeper just mopped.”
    “No problem.” Isabelle chuckled and picked up the heavy bowl. For the last two hours she and Mrs. Johnson scurried around the house, decorating, moving furniture, and finishing up the cooking. Now, everything was ready. No small feat, considering Kate’s other bridesmaids weren’t able to arrive early enough