and homey over the phone, like any grandmother might. She sounded like a woman who baked cookies and made casseroles. But she wasnât that woman, had never been that woman.
She randomly jumped from one fad diet to the next. The latest was the âonly fruits and vegetables that had dropped from the plantâ diet. In Oregonâs opinion, it seemed extreme. Not that she had anything against vegans or vegetarians, she just didnât like her motherâs extravagances. Including her newest get-rich-quick scheme, some antiaging product she was selling out of her trunk as she traveled across the country. Eugenia knew how to reinvent herself.
âLilly is fine. Sheâs in less pain and getting used to the crutches,â Oregon answered as she continued to peer out the window.
âIâm so glad. I thought Iâd stop in next week and see the two of you.â
âOh.â What else could she say? It would be rude to tell her not to visit. But it was tempting. After all, her last visit to town had included attempting to halt an Easter concert in the park. Oregon wasnât sure if her mother really opposed a Christian concert or if she just got a kick from causing problems.
âYou donât want me to visit? I thought you were all about forgiveness. The concert debacle was a year ago.â
âI know it was, Mom. And I do forgive.â It was the lifetime of instability that she had a hard time letting go of. It was the half-dozen stepfathers, all of whom she was required to call Daddy. It was the blank her mother had left on her birth certificate and Eugeniaâs refusal to reveal her fatherâs identity.
âOf course you do. And I know Lilly will love what Iâm bringing her.â
âMom, what are you bringing?â
âOh, donât get all upset. Itâs small and wonât cause you any trouble.â
âDonât.â
âIâm your mother. I get to decide what I will and wonât do.â
Right, of course. Thatâs the way Oregon had lived her lifeâat her motherâs whim. The moves, the new husbands, the new religions and diets, it had all been up to her mother. Oregon had been dragged along like a puppy on a leash.
âIâll be there in a few days,â Eugenia said. âGotta go, sweetie. Iâve got an appointment.â
âSure. Have a wonderful Sunday, Mom.â
âYou know I will. I have vitamins to deliver.â
Oregon groaned as she ended the call. The last thing she wanted or needed was her mother invading. The back door opened. Duke ducked his head as he stepped inside. He gave her a cautious look.
âI thought I should see if the cereal is still crunchy and the coffee still hot. And Lilly said, from the bits of conversation that we heard, that it must be her grandmother calling to brighten your day.â
âYes, Eugenia Barker will be here sometime next week.â
âWell, good. Martinâs Crossing has gotten a little boring.â He grinned as he said it, picking up the thermos and two cups.
âI like boring,â she said. âBoring is calm. It doesnât take a person by surprise. Boring doesnât include my mother, which makes it more attractive.â
âBoring isnât a challenge,â he teased. âYou bring the cereal bowls.â
âIâm going to pour them out and start over.â
âStarting over isnât always such a bad idea,â Duke said as he walked away.
Oregon closed her eyes and stood for a long moment, thinking about what heâd said. She could attach so many meanings to his one sentence. Starting over with him. Starting over on her relationship with her mother.
Starting over in Martinâs Crossing.
* * *
Duke had avoided church for a long time. Heâd avoided God and the thoughts of God that plagued him at night. Heâd avoided prayer. Not because he didnât believe, but because he couldnât get