Free Crazy as a Quilt (A Harriet Turman/Loose Threads Mystery Book 8) by Arlene Sachitano Page A

could speak again. “No one who hasn’t sewn before just sits down and starts making perfect quilt blocks. Don’t pressure yourself. You can practice while you’re here. We spent most of this lesson on cutting. It will be better when you can just sew for an hour or two at a time.”
    Sharon raised her eyebrows. “If you say so.” She looked at Harriet and blew air out of pursed lips. “Since my modeling career ended, I’ve been mostly a bust at everything I’ve tried. I designed our kitchen and the refrigerator spot was too small for a normal-sized unit. I got that corrected and took up gourmet cooking. That lasted until I blew up the pressure cooker in the kitchen.
    “Rick banned me from the golf course when I over-swung and hit him in the eye with my club.” She smiled. “I was hoping this would be a success. Your quilts were always so beautiful. I knew I couldn’t do anything like that, but I’d hoped I could create something.”
    “I don’t know about all that other stuff, but I do know you can do this. You told me before you learn quickly, and I believe it. Your work shows promise. You’ve a good eye for color, and crazy quilting allows for a lot of irregularity. Lainie is learning the basics, but much of that doesn’t apply to crazy quilts.”
    “Are you going to be working with Lainie again tomorrow?”
    “I’ll have to check with Michelle. We’re only scheduled to meet weekly, but I was hoping to have her over after class tomorrow before our group dinner.”
    “I’d like to try my corner technique again tomorrow, if that’s okay.” Sharon tilted her head and looked past Harriet’s shoulder. “I think your friend is waiting outside for you.”
    Harriet turned around and looked out the front window of her studio. Aiden was leaning against his Bronco in her driveway.
    “I better go out.”
    Sharon smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    Harriet waited until Sharon was out of the studio and the connecting door was shut. She opened the outside door.
    “Are you coming in, or do I have to come outside and freeze with you?” It was springtime in Foggy Point, but evenings were still cold.
    “I didn’t want to interrupt you and your roommate. I figured you’d take Scooter out eventually.”
    She stepped aside and held the door open.
    “Sharon is upstairs for the night. How long have you been waiting out here?”
    “I just got here. I had nothing better to do, since I can’t go to my real home, so I volunteered to do the evening hours at the clinic tonight.”
    “I’m guessing you didn’t have to ask twice.”
    “Yeah, Ron was glad to go see his kid’s soccer game.”
    She looked at his face. He wasn’t smiling.
    “What’s wrong?”
    He was silent for a moment.
    “I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression about me and Marine.”
    Harriet shut the door behind him and sat in one of the two wingback chairs in her client reception area. She pointed to the other one, and he sat down.
    “I didn’t have any impression, right, wrong or indifferent.”
    “Even when Michelle said Marine was the ‘love of my life’?”
    “I would have been more surprised if a guy as good-looking as you still are didn’t break a few hearts in his youth. Besides, I’ve learned not to believe most of what your sister says, even this reborn version. Having said that, she does seem to be trying. I get the impression she didn’t really want to invite Marine to stay at your house.”
    Aiden leaned his head back against his chair.
    “So, I’ve been worrying for nothing?”
    “I wouldn’t go that far, but you don’t have to worry what I think. Even the kids can see Marine’s a troubled soul.”
    He let out a big breath.
    “She always has been. Contrary to my sister’s romantic notions, Marine wasn’t the love of my life. I’d always brought home stray kittens and puppies. She was my first stray human. I realized later what was wrong with her would take more than a