For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (6 page)

“
You’ve done a good job with this house, Aggie,
”
he said at last.
“
I mean, I know it’s not done, but from here, it looks better than I’ve ever seen it. That kitchen is amazing! Well, I’d want something that matched better
--
cherry wood and dark granite or something, but
--”

“
Hey, no knocking my cool cabinets. They’re exactly what I’ve always dreamed of.
”
Her eyes roamed over the outline of her new kitchen. The lights were off, but she could still see the island, the upper cabinets, and the corner of her favorite piece, the hoosier.
“
I still can’t believe that Luke spent all that time making each cabinet so unique! You’d never know they were all one piece and made at the same time.
”

Changing the subject, she held up two patterns and asked,
“
Button holes or zipper? Which is easier? Do you know?
”

“
Well, you should ask someone who has actual experience with a machine, but look at the picture. The zipper has two long rows of straight stitches. Just up and down. The buttonhole one has about five. That’s like five mini zippers, and you have to be sure they’re equally spaced. Zippers look easier to me.
”
He studied the pattern jackets closely again.
“
Yeah, I’d go for the zippers. There’s less mending with them too. You don’t have buttons to lose and replace.
”

“
It sounds like someone has problems keeping his buttons on his shirts.
”

“
It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it,
”
he admitted with a smirk.

Aggie flipped through the pile of patterns on her lap, while occasionally pulling one out and stacking it in a new pile next to her. One dress with a row of tiny buttons down the front caught her eye. She stared wistfully at it for a few seconds, and then dropped it in the reject pile.
“
Well, I guess this one is definitely out.
”

William grabbed a small box of patterns near him and flipped through them. From time to time, he pulled one out and piled it next to him, before continuing his perusal. Curious, she reached over him and snagged his pile. Almost every single one was one of the vintage patterns that Aggie had been warned to avoid. Vannie insisted that the sizing was
“
off
”
and she didn’t know how to fix it.

“
Oh, you have excellent taste! I think they’re just beautiful. All those full skirts and fitted bodices. They remind me of the party dresses that are in that
Madeline
movie.
”

“
After that one dress, I had you pegged as a prairie muffin type.
”
William’s statement was nearly a question.

“
I don’t think I have a type. I’m no Alexa Hartfield, but I love pretty, feminine clothes that accent a person rather than overpowering them. I’d look like a freak in most of what she wears, but I love how beautiful they are!
”
The pensive tone in her voice wasn’t lost on him.

As he listened, it occurred to William that Aggie hadn’t had many opportunities to dress up in her
nicer
clothes
. She practically lived in denim and t-shirts, and most of what she wore was stained, holey, and almost threadbare in spots.
“
Actually, that’s almost what I came here about. I thought you might like a change of clothing for a while.
”

Her brow furrowed.
“
My clothes aren’t feminine enough for you or they’re too feminine? And,
”
she added with a frown,
“
since when is it any of your business what I wear?
”

“
I didn’t say your clothes weren’t perfect for what you’re doing around here, but then I’m no expert on women’s clothing.
”
He winked before he continued.
“
I just thought
--”
He shrugged.
“
Well, we’d talked about getting to know each other. You know, see if there was any chance for a relationship. I thought maybe Friday…
”

Something in William’s tone made Aggie wonder if he was more attracted to the idea of a relationship, a relationship with her specifically, or if it had more to do with some fascination with her family or her home. Whatever it was, she was nearly as determined as he to discover what it was.
“
I think I’d like that.
”

“
Good.
”

“
Since clothes brought up the subject, what do I wear? Casual? Dressy? White House Formal style dressy?
”
She grinned.
“
Pick your fashion poison.
”

As he stood, William passed her the stack of patterns he’d been holding.
“
Wear something special. I promise it won’t be another dinner of despair.
”

“
I’ll be ready. It’ll be nice to eat without having to refill plates, cups, wipe up spills, and replace dropped forks every one point nine seconds.
”

She listened to the screen door shut with a whoosh, the sound of his footsteps on the porch, and the gentle whack of his car door as he prepared to drive home. How had she missed his arrival? The sounds of night seemed to press around her as she listened to see what else she might have missed.

As time passed, the realization that she was going on yet another date with William washed over her. Tina would be excited that she was going out at all. For a moment, she grew nervous as memories of the last fiasco, otherwise known as her first date, flooded her mind. She shook herself. Surely, nothing could be as truly horrifying as their last attempt.

Luke says:
You’re up late, Aggie.

Aggie says:
Well, I was hoping to get your mom. I made a list of girls, patterns for each, and stuff to buy, but I was curious about buttonholes vs. zippers.

Luke says:
What about them?

Aggie says:
Well, which one is easier? A buttonhole or a zipper. William says zippers. What are your thoughts? If your mom was online, I’d ask, but…

Luke says:
Well, I can only tell you what I think I remember, but I’m pretty sure that my sister hates zippers with an unparalleled passion.

Aggie says:
Oh, great! I remade my lists only to include zippers. That was a waste of time.

Luke says:
Don’t worry about it. Mom will tell you which is easier and then show you how to cut whatever you want out for either thing.

Aggie says:
She can DO THAT?

Luke says:
*chuckles* Aggie, Mom doesn’t use patterns half the time. She knows what she’s doing, and, fortunately for Vannie, she’s fast.

Aggie says:
WOW! Ok, well do you think she can help me find affordable fabric? I spent a while on Google looking, but so much of it is over eight dollars a yard!

Luke says:
I think she has favorite sites bookmarked.

Aggie says:
Oh good! These patterns seem to take two to three yards of fabric. That’s eighteen to twenty-seven dollars just in fabric for one outfit. Who knows what buttons and zippers and thread and…

Aggie says:
*looks at pattern jacket* elastic and bias tape
--
what is bias tape?

Luke says:
Strips of fabric, cut on the diagonal, and then sewn together and pressed. I don’t remember what it’s FOR, but I’ve bought enough of that stuff and ironed enough of it when my
“
fingers needed employment
”
to keep me out of trouble, that I’ll never forget WHAT it is.

Aggie says:
Well good. You’ll be the official bias man. Hey, does that make you biased?

Luke says:
Probably.

Aggie says:
Anyway, I have to find fabric. The stuff Vannie has… it seems so juvenile for a girl going into the eighth grade.

Luke says:
Um, Mom probably has that covered. She loaded my truck with two totes of fabric, her button box, zipper basket, thread and bobbin boxes, notions basket, both sewing machines, and her serger. Interfacing blew off the notions basket, so she’s digging more of that out now. It was across the road and in a gutter before we could save it.

Aggie says:
Hmm…

Luke says?
What?

Aggie says:
Does what you just said make sense to you?

Luke says:
LOL Yep!

Aggie says:
Well, I got sewing machine, thread, buttons, zippers, and fabric, but the rest… scary.

Luke says:
Scary how?

Aggie says:
Did you ever take Home Ec
.
in school?

Luke says:
In school, no.

Aggie says:
That’s how scary. I did. Those things should mean something to me, I assume. They don’t. I know what lath is now,

thanks to yesterday’s project, but I have no idea what…

Aggie says:
Sorry, had to scroll up to find the right word. Interfacing is and why you’d want a face on your inters in the first place.

Luke says:
LOL. Well, it doesn’t have anything to do with faces…

Aggie says:
Luke?

Luke says:
Yes, Mibs?

Luke says:
Oh, sorry.

Aggie says:
For what?

Luke says:
You don’t like that nickname.

Aggie says:
I don’t?

Luke says:
You told me to stop calling you that.

Aggie says:
I did?

Luke says:
*chuckles* Just before Tavish derailed your room’s paint job.

Aggie says:
Oh, during my emotional collapse. Ignore me.