A Chance of a Lifetime Read Free

a woo-hoo of the sort she didn’t need. Jeans, wool socks, leather running shoes, a T-shirt or sweater, and the gorgeous wool coat that reached almost to her ankles— those were shopping clothes.
    “ Brr! At least I know my ice cream didn’t melt on the way home.” Mama Maudene Pickering was waiting in the kitchen, ready to unpack the bags while Bennie went after the rest. The old lady wore black sweatpants that puddled over her shearling-lined house shoes, along with an orange, black, and purple Halloween sweater that was scarier than anything else Bennie had seen throughout the day.
    “I don’t remember ice cream being on the shopping list,” Bennie teased.
    Mama shook a finger at her. “You don’t want to give an old woman palpitations. But if you do, be sure to ask for the good-looking firemen when you call 911.”
    “And you do the same for me if I ever need it.” Ducking her head, Bennie rushed out into the cold again. She had another six or eight bags, along with four cases of bottled water that she had to haul in or risk finding her trunk covered in icicles the next day.
    By the time she made her last dash, she was finally warm, sweating inside her clothes. She took off the cardigan that was a cute match to the dress, tossed it on the back of a chair, and began helping her grandmother.
    “See anyone interesting at the grocery store?”
    “Just people hoping to get home before they froze.”
    “You young kids. In my day, we didn’t have all the nice clothes and gloves and central heat and a grocery store just down the street.”
    “No, you had a sandy warm beach just down the street.” Mama had grown up on the barrier islands of South Carolina, soaking in lazy breezes and running barefoot in the sand and living—at least, to hear her tell it—an idyllic life. Bennie knew it hadn’t been all sunshine and roses, especially after her marriage ended. Still, it had been sweet.
    “It got cold there, too, missy. I remember one time it snowed twice in one month. Almost covered the ground both times.” Mama burst into laughter. “I have to admit, if I’d known more about Oklahoma weather, I might have kept on traveling a little farther west. But when I got here, the sun was shining, the air was crisp and clean, and the leaves were the most wonderful shades of yellow, orange, and red. I knew this was where I wanted to be.” Her brow furrowed in thought. “That was in October, too.”
    “And this is its evil twin, Octobrrr.” Bennie emptied the last of the canvas bags, rolled each one, and stuck them inside the largest bag to return to her car in the morning. “But warm weather will be back again soon.”
    “Most likely. I’ve worn shorts in January and a sweater in June.” Mama shuffled to the refrigerator, arms filled with milk and yogurt. On her way to the small pantry, Bennie opened the door for her. Grocery shopping was a regular Saturday activity for her, and October was always her overstocking time. She’d been forced to trudge to the grocery store once years ago when snow and ice had kept their neighborhood impassable for days. She had learned her lesson. If the streets froze now, they had enough food to feed themselves and the neighbors. If the pipes froze, there was plenty of bottled water, and if the power went off, they had a huge supply of candles and batteries for flashlights, and firewood stretched the length of the house two ricks deep.
    Bennie was prepared for anything.
    “—reheat the leftover pot roast,” Mama was saying when Bennie stepped back into the kitchen. “Chop everything up, mix it all up with gravy, and serve it with some thick slices of fresh white bread. Hm- hmm , that sounds good.”
    “It certainly does.” Bennie put away the last of the groceries, then gave her grandmother a hug. “You know, your good cooking is the reason you and I are both on the round side.”
    Mama snorted. “I’ve been a size twelve my whole grown-up life. I should know, since I’m