For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (15 page)

From behind, a chorus of
“
Happy Birthday,
”
startled her, nearly causing her to drop her fork in her lap. She peeked over her shoulder and found her parents, Tina, Libby, and all the children crowding around the table singing lustily. Each child held a gift; some were wrapped beautifully, obviously Vannie’s handiwork, while others were a little more unique in their presentation.

Their waiter, aided by a waitress, scooted tables together, placed chairs, and took drink orders, while another waitress cleared room in front of Aggie for the cake Libby carried. She stood to hug her parents, and held onto her mother a little longer than she ever had.
“
Thank you for coming, Mom. You don’t know how much it means to me
--
or do you?
”

“
Well, even a delicate little thing like me won’t let anything get in the way of eating cake with my daughter!
”

“
I forgot all about it being my birthday.
”
She slid her eyes sideways and frowned at Luke.
“
How did you know?
”

“
Tina.
”

Remembering, Aggie nudged Tina’s shoulder before returning to her seat.
“
How did you get here? I thought you had a dinner party with Lance!
”

“
I called Dad and asked him to call me home so I could be honest. I want you to know, that little deception is costing me a real dinner with the dude.
”

“
Happy Birthday to me. It’s a wonderful gift.
”
To the table, she made a grand sweeping gesture.
“
You all can see how loved I am for her to sacrifice herself in order to surprise me. She wouldn’t do that for just anyone.
”

“
If you keep this up, I’ll bring him to
your
house for the dinner and spend the entire evening convincing him why you’d be the perfect little wife.
”

Aggie laughed.
“
That threat won’t work on me anymore.
”

“
Why not?
”
Tina’s mock affronted attitude did hold a twinge of curiosity.

“
Because. Now that I’m the mother of eight, no one is going to take your matchmaking schemes seriously, and we both know it. I’m safe now.
”

“
Safe?
”
Luke frowned.
“
Safe from what?
”

“
Tina regularly threatens to sic the men her father finds her on me as a means of blackmail. Well, I was just saying that it won’t work anymore.
”
Sticking her tongue out at Tina, Aggie continued.
“
See, I’ve always thought that with Tina in the offing, no one would take a second glance at me, but she likes to swear that I have the ‘girl next door’ appeal, and that men always choose that over petite, gorgeous, and obscenely wealthy.
”
Aggie snickered.

“
And your point?
”
There was a hint of an edge to Luke’s tone that she brushed off as dry mouth when he immediately grabbed his drink.

“
Well, even if every up and coming junior executive in Mr. Warden’s company was on the prowl for a simple girl with eclectic tastes, they’d go running now, wouldn’t they?
”

Under his breath, Luke growled,
“
Mibs, stop it!
”

“
Wha
--”

“
I think it’s time for presents,
”
Martha Milliken announced.
“
How about we go alphabetically this time? Let’s see, I think that puts Cari first.
”

The children each gave her gifts that they’d made, some with Tina’s help. Both Cari and Lorna gave her a refrigerator magnet made from clay. Ellie’s gift was the picture of Ian that she’d drawn at the children’s museum. Tina had taken it to be professionally framed, and Aggie knew exactly where she’d put it. Her little bookworm, Tavish, gave her a handmade bookmark, and Laird had found a small shelf in the attic that he’d sanded and spray painted for her bathroom. To her astonishment, the skirt Vannie had cut out, presumably for herself, was wrapped in Vannie’s distinctive style. Another bookmark from Kenzie completed the children’s pile.

“
Well, I am overwhelmed. Everything is so special, particularly since you each made it for me. Thank you so much.
”

“
Don’t forget mine,
”
Tina pushed a small gift bag across the table.

“
Let me guess, perfume?
”

“
Would it be anything else?
”

“
It better not be,
”
Aggie teased.
“
I am almost to the point that it isn’t a waste to try to wear it.
”

Curious, Luke took the bottle from the table and sniffed the lid. A hint of fragrance, one he obviously recognized made him smile.
“
That’s Aggie all right. I’d recognize that scent anywhere.
”

“
Here’s ours…
”
Martha passed a boxy-looking package to her.
“
I hope I got them right.
”

Vannie squealed when she saw the collection of Gene Kelly movies, and Aggie nodded happily at the sight of her favorite author’s name on the cover of two books.
“
Perfect. If I just find time to read them
--”

“
We’ll make sure of that,
”
Libby assured her.
“
Here, my turn.
”

As Aggie pulled tissue paper away from the contents of the box, she expected to find another garment, but instead, cheerful geranium valances peeked out at her.
“
Oh! You made me the curtains! How did I never see you measure for them or anything?
”

“
I didn’t have to. Luke had all the measurements in his notebook.
”

“
That would explain it.
”
She opened gifts from Mrs. Dyke, Murphy, and William, and added them to the enormous pile on the table.
“
I want to thank
--”

“
Wait, Aggie. You’re missing one.
”
Libby fumbled with the wrapping paper piles, searching for something.
“
Luke, where is your gift? You worked so hard on it!
”

“
I couldn’t very well bring it in when we came in, could I? Laird, would you go get the thing wrapped in newspaper behind my seat in the truck?
”
He tossed the keys at Laird and grinned.

When they returned with the gift, Aggie wasn’t surprised to see it wrapped in newspaper; after all, Luke had said it was. However, the blue painter’s tape strategically placed as ribbon and the blue tape folded bow was an interesting touch.
“
How did you do that?
”

“
You can do anything with a little tape and a staple or two. I thought you would have realized that after your gift last night.
”

Carefully, so as not to ruin it, Aggie peeled the perfect little bow from the package and set it aside. Ian reached for it, but Aggie moved out of his reach. Amused, Tina snagged a strip of tape from the wrappings that Aggie discarded, and used it to tape the bow to Aggie’s purse.
“
There, now it’s protected, and you won’t forget it.
”

Tina’s words never registered. Aggie was transfixed as she pulled the last layer of tissue paper away and gasped,
“
Oh! Oh, Luke!
”

Everyone crowded around her and watched as she traced the hand carved letters in the wood.
“
What does it say, Aunt Aggie?
”
Lorna’s little voice interrupted the collective appreciative silence.

“
It says, ‘
Welcome.
He settles the barren woman in her home and makes her the joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 113:9.’ Then it says Milliken-Stuart.
”

“
What is a milkin’ Stuart? We’re just regular ones. We don’t have cows.
”

“
Aunt Aggie’s last name isn’t Stuart, though, Lorna. Her last name is Milliken.
”

“
I think it should be Stuart. She’s our Auntie Mom now, so we should
all
be Stuarts.
”

Laird tried again.
“
Aunt Aggie can’t change her last name until she gets married. Then her last name will be the same as her husband’s last name.
”

“
I think it should be ours.
”
A stubbornness, unfamiliar in Lorna, crept over the child’s features.

“
I think,
”
Aggie began cautiously,
“
this is something we should discuss some other time. Right now, I want to admire all of my lovely gifts at home. Besides, we need Luke to hang this, and he can’t do that here.
”

“
I’m riding next to Aunt Aggie!
”

Kenzie’s claim almost gained Aggie’s acquiescence, but a brief flash of disappointment in Luke’s eyes prompted Aggie to change her mind.
“
I would, sweetie, I would, but I can’t. You see, Luke brought me here and bought me lunch. It’s rude to go somewhere with a friend and leave with someone else. I’ll see you at home, and we can sit together on the settee and watch as Luke hangs the sign for me.
”

They were pulling out of the parking lot, before Luke seemed to realize what she’d said.
“
Are you going to hang the sign outside?
”

“
Yep. Right next to the front door over the doorbell. I want it to be a reminder to everyone who comes in just how blessed I am. Maybe that way, I won’t get so many pitying looks.
”