An Inheritance

Chapter 20

Returning to where Abby was still stretched out, she sat and began to sketch the crypts and where they were in relation to each other.  She knew it wasn’t exact, but expected to come back at some point to actually measure them and put them down to scale. But for now, it was quiet and peaceful under the trees and plotting where her relatives were interred gave Lauren a feeling of connection and accomplishment. 

Time passed quickly and Lauren realized she had spent more time in the cemetery than she originally had thought she would.  Reluctantly gathering her papers together, she and Abby headed back toward the cottage. 

Although she had managed to push the anxiety of her date to the back of her mind for a while, Lauren started worrying again as soon as she began getting ready.  Standing in front of the full length bathroom mirror, Lauren had taken stock of herself.  The green denim Capris fit nicely, tight, but not too tight, and the multi-colored peasant blouse she had chosen to wear accented her long neck.  She wished she had gotten her hair trimmed before driving down to Slidell.  The humidity was doing a number on her shoulder-length hair.  To pull it up in a pony tail or not?  Would pulling it up look as though she didn’t care much?  Or would that be the exact message she should be sending out?   In disgust at her inability to make up her mind, Lauren pulled both sides up and used a clasp to hold the ends at the back of her head.  Half-way up and half-way down; exactly middle of the road and boring.

Now Lauren watched as Abigail jumped to the sofa and placed her paws on the back cushion.  She stretched herself to her full length and watched intently through the window.  After a few minutes, she jumped down and waited by the door, quietly licking her paws and cleaning her face as though primping for her own date. 

Lauren listened and heard Sam’s truck coming around the curve of the driveway.  “Okay, Abby, this is it.  Should I open the door and go down to meet him?  Wait until he comes up the stairs?  Wait until he knocks on the door?  What an idiot I am!” 

Lauren didn’t have a chance to decide, by the time she grabbed her purse and turned around, she heard the truck door slam, and then Sam bounding up the stairs.  A few seconds later he was knocking on the door.

Inhaling deeply, Lauren opened the door and was greeted by Sam’s wide open smile.  He looked at her from head to toe and let out a low whistle.  “Perfect.  You look great.”

Lauren laughed and the nervousness she had previously experienced disappeared.  It was as though this was the hundredth ‘date’, not the first.

“Oh, hey, you look dynamite, too.”  Sam acknowledged Abby by bending down and stroking her ears and neck.  Her purring reverberated through the room.  “But I can only handle one lady at a time.”  Sam winked up at Lauren from the crouched position he was in, then straightened up.

“Let’s get going, we need to get a good spot; close enough to the dancing, but not directly in line with the amps.  The music can get quite loud.”

Dancing?  Oh, crap!  But Lauren kept that to herself, she hadn’t danced in years and was never good at it to begin with.  She smiled gamely at Sam.  “Okay, I’m ready.”  She closed the door and they headed for the truck.

As soon as she was seated, Lauren was engulfed in several wonderful aromas.  Glancing back to the narrow back seat, she spotted a picnic basket and knew that was where these delicious scents were coming from.  In response to these tangy smells, Lauren’s stomach started growling.

Sam smiled.  “I can appreciate a lady who has an appetite, and I have more than enough for the both of us.  And maybe even a few scraps left over for Abby.”

Sam talked about different restaurants in the area and they found they had many of the same tastes in food.  In no time, they were turning into the parking lot of Heritage Park and Lauren could see that this was a very popular event for the town.