Savannah answered. “I asked the service that’s been cleaning the house to stock the kitchen with some staples, but I doubt that there’s anything suitable for—”
“Nonsense, Savannah. Every self-respecting Southern woman stocks something for her man to satisfy his sweet tooth.” The older woman sprang to her feet with the energy of someone forty years younger. As Zach watched in amusement and Savannah in apparent dismay, she opened the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and then, not satisfied, began to open the cabinets. When she turned around, triumph on her plump, round face, she held a bag of Oreo cookies.
Zach jumped to his feet. “I’ll get the milk.”
Savannah slumped in her chair, realizing that she’d been speechless more in the last two hours than she had in the last ten years. Her kitchen had been taken over by lunatics. She glanced at Zach’s almost-full plate and decided one mystery was solved. Poor guy couldn’t take any more of the hideous casserole. Cookies and milk for dinner probably sounded like a reprieve from hell. She had managed only one small bite herself.
Aunt Gibby was one of the kindest, most loving people in the world, but she was also the worst cook. Had this been a fresh casserole, Savannah figured it would have been edible if not very good. From the taste of this one, it had been in the freezer for at least a couple of years, maybe more. Gibby was a self-proclaimed freezer queen, claiming that the appliance was the greatest invention since the automobile.
Hoping to save both herself and Zach from having to explain why they hadn’t eaten their meal, Savannah went to her feet and grabbed their plates. “I’ll just make room.” She dashed to the sink and started rinsing the dishes, dumping the contents of both plates into the garbage disposal. When all evidence had disappeared, she turned to find Aunt Gibby and Zach sitting at the kitchen table with giant glasses of milk, both of them scraping the insides of their cookies with their teeth and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
An astonishing feeling of contentment swept over her—something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Blaming her giddiness on exhaustion, Savannah nevertheless got into the spirit. “That’s not right. Let me show you the proper way to eat an Oreo.” She plopped down into her chair, grabbed the glass of milk Zach had poured for her and a cookie from the package, and then dunked. She quickly put the soggy cookie in her mouth and closed her eyes as the chocolate and cream melted on her tongue. “Delicious.” She opened her eyes to find Zach staring at her, an odd expression on his face, almost one of pain.
Mentally shaking her head at the odd thought, Savannah devoured four cookies and her glass of milk.
Aunt Gibby finished her milk and stood. “Well, I’d better get home or Oscar and Samson will think I’ve abandoned them.”
“Oscar and Samson?” Savannah asked.
“That’s right, you haven’t met my new additions.” Her eyes watered briefly. “When I lost Niblet two years ago this past spring, I figured it’d take two cats to replace him. Oscar and Samson are brothers from the same litter and are both rapscallions. You’ll have to come over and introduce yourself.”
Savannah stood and started clearing the table. “I’ll try to do that soon, but I have my work cut out for me here for a while.” Placing the lid on the casserole dish, she held it out for Gibby to take.
“No, darling. You keep the casserole so you can have something for lunch tomorrow. Just bring the dish back when you come for your visit.”
The instant the older woman was out the door, the casserole would go down the drain. “Thank you, Aunt Gibby. You’re always so thoughtful.”
“That’s what family’s for. Your granddaddy knew that better than anyone.”
As the three of them walked toward the front door, Savannah was glad to see that Zach had his keys in his hand. The shock of seeing him again was wearing off, leaving her feeling weak and drained.
“I’ll walk you to your car, Miss Gibby,” Zach said.
She patted his arm. “Thank you, dear boy.” Her arms reached up and pulled Savannah toward her for a long, hard hug and a whisper of advice in her ear: “Don’t let him get away from you this time. He’s a keeper.”
Before Savannah could even consider responding, Gibby went through the door, with Zach holding her arm. She turned before she got to the steps and said,