The Friendship Star Quilt Read Free Page B

was no telling when he might have realized what he’d done. Probably in the next county. Looking for a place to turn around, he spotted a family smorgasbord-style restaurant where they sometimes ate. He signaled and turned into the lot.
    â€œPrincess, I changed my mind. If I start cooking when we get home, it’s going to be late by the time we have dinner. Would it be okay with you if we eat here tonight?”
    Jennie’s eyes lit up. “Okay, Daddy. I like their chicken. And they have corn with butter on it. And mashed potatoes and applesauce…”
    The rest of Jennie’s list faded away as Brad opened his door and got out. He went to the back seat to help her unbuckle her seatbelt, smiling to himself as she continued to name off her “favorites.”
    â€œâ€¦And can I have chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert, Daddy?”
    He nodded. “Anything you want.”
    He’d be a good dad and make a home cooked dinner for his daughter some other night. For the moment, he just needed to get them both fed. One of these days he’d get caught up, then he’d think about proper nutrition and eating on a schedule. In the meantime, they’d let someone else do the cooking.
    ****
    The lively conversation, sprinkled with laughter, continued as Anne sat to one side quietly working on her own project. Some of the women, like Sylvia and Ellen, had been friends for years, while others only knew each other through the group, but all the women had families and enjoyed sharing tidbits about them every week. Anne loved listening to their stories, especially the ones about their children and grandchildren.
    Anne loved children. At one time, she’d wanted to become a teacher, but there had been no money for college. She’d been raised since childhood by her elderly grandparents in a rural part of Southeastern Michigan. They lived simply, unable to afford many extras. After her grandfather’s death, she and her grandmother had stayed on at the farm, but Grams leased the land to a neighbor for just enough to make ends meet. Money got tighter after Grams was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s while Anne was still in high school. Medicare paid for Grams’ doctors and someone to stay with her during the day, but Anne had gotten a part-time job at the Quik Stop near the Interstate to help pay household bills. It became a full-time job after she graduated, and she’d met Jeffrey Harper there one sunny Saturday, when he’d pulled in for fuel on his way home from the university. They’d hit it off, started dating, and gotten engaged just before Grams’ condition suddenly worsened. Due to the circumstances, Jeffrey’s wealthy family had grudgingly conceded to a small wedding, but had insisted on throwing a huge reception for them later.
    Jeffrey had promised Anne could go to college as soon as he finished his accounting degree. But almost before the ink had dried on their marriage license, he’d begun to change. Gone was the handsome, carefree frat boy who’d loved everything about her. Now, Jeffrey harped at her about everything. Her clothes were inappropriate. Her haircut was frumpy. Her make-up looked as if a child had applied it. She needed to wear the right clothes, couldn’t leave the house until her hair and makeup were done perfectly. He controlled what she could or couldn’t eat in order to keep her weight down and her complexion clear. Nothing about her was right. He even mocked the way she spoke, calling her “a stupid hillbilly” or worse. Jeffrey had an image in his mind of how the wife of a successful businessman should appear and behave, and he was determined to force her into the mold.
    At first, his desire to improve her had made Anne feel somewhat like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady . She’d been flattered by his determination and had tried hard to please him. She’d studied fashion magazines and observed the