“I won’t be long. This’ll give you a chance to catch up with Mark.” Both Ben and Mark had long careers in the music business, and a never-ending desire to talk about it.
“Hey-o,” she shouted when she walked in the back door. “Anybody home?”
“Oh my goodness, is that a sound for sore ears! Is that my Livvie?” Dottie came out of the kitchen and wrapped Liv in a big hug.
“Hi, Dottie.” Liv teared up being in the kitchen where she’d spent so much time. “I miss you,” she looked around, “and this place.”
“I missed you too, and while I sure am happy to see you, I gotta ask—what brings you to my kitchen today?”
Whenever Liv had any kind of problem, Dottie was the first person she talked to about it.
“It’s about Renie.”
Dottie sighed. “I could’ve guessed. She was here yesterday. She asked whether we’d keep Pooh here in our barn for a couple of days. Said she wants to move her to a stable in Fort Collins. Closer to her.”
“It has something to do with Billy.”
Dottie laughed. “That’s obvious, darlin’.” Dottie patted Liv’s hand and stood. “Get you something to drink?”
“What time is it?” Liv asked, looking at her watch and saw it was three in the afternoon. “I’d love a glass of wine.”
Dottie went into the pantry and pulled out a bottle of Zinfandel, Liv’s favorite.
“I didn’t see this coming, at all,” Liv told Dottie about her conversation with Renie.
Liv waited for Dottie to comment, and when she didn’t, Liv didn’t know what to think. “Dottie?”
“I’ve been watchin’ this for a while. Both of them. He doesn’t do a thing in his life without talkin’ to Renie about it. God knows she’s had a mad love on him since she was a wee little thing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, honey. How could you have not noticed?”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Renie’s real good at makin’ sure everything stays on an even keel. She isn’t ever gonna be the one to rock the boat. She’s used to hiding her feelings, Liv. You know that.”
“But Billy? I didn’t see it.”
“For a long time, there wasn’t anything to see. She was a girl, and he was a man. In the last couple of years, that’s changed. Renie is a woman now, and Billy’s noticed.”
“She’s upset with him right now.”
“She’s hurt, but he is too. It’s what they both need. He needs it, so he realizes what she means to him. She needs it, so she realizes she can’t keep hiding her feelings.”
“So, Mama Patterson, what do we do about our kids?”
Dottie laughed and poured Liv another glass of wine. “Not a thing, darlin’ girl. We let ’em figure it out for themselves.”
“I said this to Ben earlier—what would my life be like without you, Dottie?”
“I feel the same about you, Livvie. Who knows—we might be family one day soon.”
Liv felt her face flush, which made Dottie laugh. She laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach.
“It’s gonna happen someday, you know. Why not with Billy?” Dottie asked once her giggles had subsided.
Renie, please. I’m sorry, he texted the next morning. I brought Pooh home, he added. Maybe that’d get her to respond.