of the Quilt had somehow been revived and—even more surprising—they were speechless.
“How? Why?” Hope sputtered.
But they were all gawking at her.
She glared at her transport, then spoke to the room. “Donovan was just helping me into the house. I sprained my ankle.” Then to Donovan she whispered, “Put me down!” and pinched him to let him know she meant business.
“Ouch,” he said, but he didn’t budge.
Miss Lisa moved a sewing bag off the couch and onto the floor. “Donovan, be a dear and set Hope here on the sofa.”
Aberdeen grabbed a pillow for Hope’s foot as Donovan gently eased her to the cushion.
Paige Holiday picked up Boomer and set him in Hope’s lap. “Some extra love to help heal your foot.”
“Do you need anything else?” he asked Hope.
Yeah. Erase everyone’s memory of the last minute.
But she only mustered up, “I’m fine.” She’d been saying that a lot lately, although it wasn’t remotely true.
“I’m going to help unload the SUV,” he said. Several women followed him out, apparently to help, too.
“What is everyone doing here?” Hope asked Aberdeen, who was still fussing with her pillow.
“We’re here to sew quilts for the lodge.” Aberdeen was beaming as if Christmas had come early. “I took off work so I wouldn’t miss anything. I loved coming here with my mom when I was a girl.”
“Yeah, me, too,” Hope said. Everyone seemed to be feeling the same . . . nostalgic.
Donovan walked back in with an ice pack in one hand and the bag of Barbara Lavallee fabric in the other. He laid the ice pack over her elevated ankle and said, “I made sure your new pattern is in the bag with your fabric.”
The Sisterhood gave a collective sigh. Hope was mortified at all his attention. “Thanks,” she finally mustered.
“Donovan,” Piney said, “tell Hope how it was your idea to bring us all together.”
His gaze traveled to the Sisterhood of the Quilt wall hanging. “I thought it would be a nice way to honor Nan, having you all here again.” He paused as if he’d run out of things to say. “I’ll get the rest of the bags.”
Hope couldn’t stop herself from being affected by Donovan’s act of kindness. To bring the Sisterhood together was beyond thoughtful. How was Hope supposed to keep her emotional distance if he kept doing nice things?
Well, she just had to. She didn’t have willpower when she was a teenager, but she was a grown woman now. A woman who had learned how to survive. She didn’t need a man, which meant she didn’t need him.
As soon as Donovan left the room, Miss Lisa struck. “Does this mean that you two are back together?”
“Heavens, no!” Hope exclaimed, then tried to change the subject. “I can’t wait to show you the Barbara Lavallee fabric we got in Anchorage.”
“He’s being awfully sweet, though,” Aberdeen chimed in, as if ringing the gossip bell for all of Sweet Home.
“Not sweet,” Hope argued. “He needs the lodge’s housekeeper to be in tiptop shape, is all.” What if Donovan had to give her job away to someone with two functional legs? What would she and Ella do then?
Piney appeared, followed by Bill, who was carrying both his and Piney’s sewing machines. Piney pointed to her old spot by the window. “Set them over there. And, Lisa, everyone, back up and give Hope some room to breathe.”
Miss Lisa smiled at Hope as if she couldn’t wait to get on the phone to share the big news.
Piney held up a sheaf of papers. “Bill’s spent all day figuring out how we’re going to get all the quilts done by the Christmas Festival. He’s broken it down into steps and we’ve decided who’s going to do what.” She glanced around the room. “Get those worried looks off your faces. Aberdeen, you won’t get stuck pressing all the fabric, just some of it. Lolly, you’ll only have to cut some fabric. I’ve also taken your work schedules into account so there are no worries there.” Piney started passing the papers around the room. But she didn’t hand one to Hope.
“Where’s my assignment?”
“You’ll be busy with decorating the lodge.”
What Piney didn’t know was that Hope was going to make the Barbara Lavallee quilt and the new Sisterhood of the Quilt wall hanging.
Donovan returned with bags loading down his arms.
“Just set them on the cutting table,” Piney said. “We’ll get them sorted.”
Donovan nodded and did as he was told. He turned to Hope. “Need anything?”
Not to fuss over me so much