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  Mavis thought it was just as well she was being forced to start right away. If Honor had told her to come back later she might not have had the courage. She plopped down untidily on the thin mat beside Honor and studied the screen. She was determined to stop after the promised ten minutes. That way she could not do too much damage to herself.

  The voice of the instructor was gentle and reassuring. It was almost possible to ignore the fact that she was slim and gorgeous. On closer inspection, Mavis discovered the woman was not as young as she had first thought. Somehow, that was making it easier to follow her directions.

  Three minutes passed and nothing drastic had happened. It was a matter of holding a pose for as long as possible.

  Of course, Honor could reach further and bend more, but then Honor was younger and had worked at this for some time now. Mavis was quite pleased with her progress on the mat.

  Next, the instructor asked them to stand, stretch again and try the downward dog.

  This sounded more complicated but Mavis tried it. She let her body weight help as she bent forward.

  Then she realized she was stuck. She was in the right position, but she could not reverse.

  Honor was impressed with Mavis’s ability to hold the downward dog pose for so long but she thought it wise to stop at this point. She uncurled her own back, vertebra by vertebra as she had been taught, and still Mavis was holding position.

  Very impressive!

  A tiny voice intruded on the program instructor’s. It took a moment for Honor to realize it belonged to Mavis.

  She moved over and turned off the computer.

  “Mavis? Are you all right?”

  “No. I’m stuck here. You will have to help me.”

  They ended up laughing together like two schoolgirls, and Honor was glad to see no serious damage was done to Mavis.

  “I think I’ll stick to walking for a while but I will do the stretches and try yoga again when I am more fit.”

  Honor did not want to lose this new rapport with Mavis. She respected both she and Hilary so very much.

  “Look, I’m just about to walk down to the bus stop to fetch Faith from the bus. She often has groceries as well as a very heavy backpack and the snow is feet deep now. Please come with me, Mavis.

  I’ll meet you on the front porch after you get your winter wear on.”

  It was a surprising request, but one that suited Mavis’s purposes. She had not seen much of Faith since school began after the holidays and she wanted to check in on the girl in a non-intrusive way.

  * * *

  The bus was running late. By the time Faith descended into the snow with her burdens strung around her, Honor and Mavis had the chance for a long chat during which Honor assured her Faith was coping well at school.

  “She seems to have settled down. I give credit to the Jeffries’ family in Kingston. They have grounded Faith in some mysterious way and the talks she gives to groups of teens brings more confidence every time she does them. I believe she will tend toward social work of some kind or another and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

  Faith was surprised to see the welcoming committee at the bus top. She happily relinquished a bag of groceries to her aunt and gave Mavis a glowing account of her latest speech to an auditorium of high school students at Westminster Secondary.

  Mavis could not help noticing the contrast with the angry young teen she first met. They said it took a village to raise a child these days but it had taken the combined talents of the women in Harmony House to bring this confident and happy young woman into being in a remarkably short time.

  They were trudging along through the snow on the side of the road when a blaring horn stopped them in their tracks as Andy pulled up in his truck.

  “Hey! You three! Climb up here. You’ll never get home with all that stuff. I’m heading to Harmony House myself and I’ll clear off the crescent on the way.”

  As Mavis was helped up into the rear seat of the driver’s cab she made a mental note to tell Hilary about the adventures of her interesting day. Not least among the tales would be a definite account of the way in which Andy Patterson looked and sounded like a completely different person all of a sudden.

  She knew Hilary would also be curious to know what was going on with him and Vilma.

  Hilary had struggled through two visits to her ‘oldies’ but returned home before the traffic became impossible. The radio was advising the public to stay off the roads until the city workers could completely clear the main streets and side streets of accumulated snow.

  She could see how the winters were a particular problem for her elderly people. There would be days on end when it was not safe for them to go outside because of the weather. This meant they must have a supply of food and fuel set aside for emergencies. Her latest driving trips had involved grocery visits and assistance with phone calls to plumbers and electricians. It was becoming clear to her that vulnerable older people needed to plan ahead for these emergency situations and not be caught with dripping taps and broken fixtures precisely when these were most needed.

  For several of her elderly folks she recommended grocery stores that did deliveries as well as a company of retired workers called ‘Handyman’ who were friendly and gave senior discounts for their services.

  She had co-opted Andy into snow removal and lawn maintenance for her clients but she knew his talents were soon to be diverted in other directions.

  Really, she pondered, there should be a co-ordinated program to help these people who wish to remain in their homes as long as possible. They can’t call on relatives to fill in the gaps. So many families are separated by long distances these days and social services are overburdened.

  She had talked to Jannice about her feelings on these matters and found her in complete agreement.

  “The men and women I am employed to assist could do with far more in the way of daily support than I am allowed to provide. Sure now, and am I not always saying how I need to clone myself a dozen times to meet the needs? It’s a crying shame to see the lonely state of some of them and know their terror at having to leave their home and go into care on a permanent basis. Do you know, Hilary, there are six hundred long-term care homes in Ontario alone. You must be aware of how poorly some of them are run. You just have to read the newspapers. Is it any wonder the poor souls are scared out of their wits?

  Believe me, that does not help their health issues one little bit.”

  * * *

  As she made her slow progress out of town, Hilary was evermore grateful for the benefits of shared housing. At Harmony House there was always someone with a car ready to set out for the dentist or doctor. There were supplies of food to last all of them through any emergency situation, and a person willing to cook nutritional meals. Best of all, there were compatible friends on hand for talk and sharing whenever problems of another kind arose.

  She thought of Mavis with great affection, especially her ability to step up and quietly take charge without causing alarm. In cases like Faith’s dire homeless state, Eve’s depression and Louise’s debilitating illness, Mavis had worked out the best way to solve their difficulties before Hilary was even aware of the problem. Throughout their long friendship, Hilary had learned to trust Mavis’s instincts in these matters. It was a great comfort to her to know that Mavis Montgomery was more than capable of keeping their home on a stable footing no matter what difficulties might arise.

  * * *

  It was in this frame of mind that Hilary was not surprised to find Mavis waiting for her arrival, with a pot of piping hot tea and an invitation to have a chat in her tower room. She pulled up a footstool to the couch and draped a cozy throw over her knees as Hilary began to thaw out.

  “Well, Mavis, I did not want to run the car’s heating at full force in case I didn’t have enough gas to get home. The roads downtown were clogged with cars in lineups everywhere.”

  “Yes. Andy said the same when he picked up Honor and I at Faith’s bus stop on
the way home today.”

  “Wasn’t that so good of him! You know, there are times when a man around the house is a definite asset. What bothers me is that when he eventually leaves Harmony House and takes Vilma with him, there will be a huge gap to fill.”

  “I do know what you mean, my dear. But for now, just cuddle up with your tea and scones while I tell you some news.”

  Hilary could not imagine anything more comforting. She gave Mavis a genuine smile of appreciation and her full attention.

  “Do tell!”

  “This news is from Andy, as it happens. You know how it’s not a very long drive from Faith’s bus stop to here? Well, Andy was in such a happy state that he managed to describe a whole range of topics in that short distance.”

  “What? Are you talking about Andy Patterson, the tall silent one who rarely offers an opinion never mind actually gossip?”

  “Oh, this is not gossip, Hilary. This is the real thing. It turns out Andy was on a call when he discovered a break-in and when the police arrived it was someone he knew from the London station and the Canine Unit police with whom he worked before his accident, are anxious to get in touch with him again.

  I tell you, he is over the moon about this. I have never seen him so animated.”

  Hilary was still trying to process all the information Mavis managed to cram into one long run-on sentence when she took off again.

  “That’s not all! He was full of his plans for the dog training facility and he means to start building the attached part that leads from the barn as soon as possible.”

  “Do you think he feels his former co-workers will help him out with all that?”

  “He didn’t say anything specific on that topic but I feel it’s a definite possibility and just what he needs at the moment.”

  “Well, this is news, Mavis. That poor boy deserves some good luck for a change.

  But, wait a minute! This is not going to be good news for Vilma.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, if what he said is true, the house building project is being postponed until the business part of the plan is completed. Vilma might not be happy to hear that.”

  “Oh, now I see what you mean. But, look at it from our perspective. We get to keep Vilma here for however long it takes to raise the money for the kind of house Vilma would be happy to live in. That could take a while, I am thinking.”

  They raised their teacups and clinked them together in an informal toast to this welcome news.

  Neither woman had been keen on losing Vilma Smith on a permanent basis. They would never admit this to Vilma, but between them they could take great joy in the way things were working out.

  It was one of the best things about living so close together.

  Secrets could be shared in private.

  Vilma heard the sounds of several people arriving together and she went out of her room and looked over the balcony railing to see what was going on.

  She spotted Andy at once and heard the excited chatter of three female voices.

  Something unusual must have occurred to bring them all together like this. From the sounds of it, however, it was nothing disastrous.

  Vilma was surprised to see Andy arriving back. He had planned to spend the night at the barn but she was glad he would be safe and warm in her arms and out of the nasty weather that was not ceasing after a whole day of snowfall.

  She knew Andy would look up as soon as his snow gear was removed. When he did so, she was astonished at his expression. Normally, he was quiet and subdued in the house, not wishing to disturb the feminine vibe in any way. At this moment his face was alight in a way she found both exciting and unexpected.

  He lost no time in bidding farewell to the women around him and climbed the stairs, two-at-once, so fast that when he swept her up into his arms she could still smell the cold outdoor air that surrounded him. This behaviour was highly unusual especially since it was in clear view of Honor and Mavis and Faith down below.

  She hustled him into her room before things got more heated and she did not have to wait long because he began to talk at once in such an animated way that the dogs woke from their slumber and crossed the room to sit attentively in front of him as he sat on the bed with Vilma by his side.

  It was some time before she could understand what he was saying but when she grasped his news she was overjoyed.

  “I just couldn’t wait to tell you, Vilma! I know these guys. They are the best team anyone could ever want. They have done charity work before and I am pretty sure I can count on them for help and advice, not to mention recommendations. Justin always said I was the best dog handler they ever had. They will spread the word for us.

  Do you see what this means, Vilma?

  This is exactly the good news we needed to get the project underway.”

  Vilma, who was rapidly adjusting to this new and improved version of Andy Patterson, could only nod her head in support. Words escaped her for some minutes until she realized he was now referring to something different, related to their building ideas.

  “Hold on a minute, Andy! Are you saying you want to delay the house building in favour of a structure attached to the barn? I thought our house took priority?”

  Andy came down to earth with a crash. He had not intended to let that little bit of information slip out in quite this way. He began to backtrack.

  “Well, it’s something I’ve been considering but I didn’t have the chance to discuss it with you, sweetheart. It will bring our finances into line faster if the dog boarding is available sooner. It was your idea.”

  Vilma Smith was not deceived by his quick footwork. This was definitely a change of plan.

  In her past life she might have exploded at this disappointing news, but time and experience had taught her a thing or two about handling men and she swallowed her first impulse and quickly grasped the opportunity this presented.

  “I see what you mean, Andy.” She paused.

  “There are one or two things that come to mind, however.

  The first is personal. I could not be more pleased about this contact with your work buddies. I can see this is very important to you. It’s a real sign of healing the past trauma the accident caused you.”

  He laid his head on her shoulder as the words sunk in. She was right. This was the beginning of a new start for him and he had Vilma by his side. Perfect! More perfect than he could ever have imagined a few short months ago.

  The dogs sensed the drama had passed and moved off to their feeding dishes in the washroom to see if it was time for a snack.

  Vilma was not finished yet. She had to take advantage of his vulnerability but in the nicest possible way, of course.

  “The other thing is the matter of sharing my room here at Harmony.

  No! Nobody has complained. They understand our situation, Andy, but it will be a longer time until we have a house we can share and I don’t want you getting sick trying to work and live on a construction site in the winter. We are just at the start of our shared lives and these are not the best of conditions for that, you must admit.

  I am not being negative. You need to continue to rest here and be fed properly here with me, but I do have an idea for a lovely break away from winter for both of us.”

  She swallowed. It was essential to capitalize on his present good humour.

  “At the end of February we can go to Jamaica for one week. Think of it as a honeymoon of sorts. It will be a breathing space for the Harmony residents and, trust me, Andy, it won’t cost us a thing. I have an idea to cover the costs completely.

  Now, please think of it like this; a whole week together in the sunshine to plan our future. When we come back to Canada the worst of winter may be over and we can move ahead with renewed energy.

  What do you think, my darling?”

  When she looked up at him with that little-girl expression, he was lost, but he knew his practical brain had to take precedence over his emotional responses.

&nb
sp; The holiday week was not a new idea. She had made references to it in the past months and, with the pace of events since the dog show in November, it was true that they both needed a break.

  He would try to do as much as possible at the barn site, weather permitting. Jamaica was something to work toward; a reward for them for hard work and effort.

  In the back of his mind, he knew they had managed very little time together; a couple of nights here and there. It was not enough to base a lifetime on. A week in each other’s company, hour by hour, would set the seal on their compatibility or else demonstrate that their differences were so enormous their plan for the future was an illusion.

  It was a huge risk to take. Possibly, this risk was better taken now, before gigantic amounts of money were committed for a brand new house.

  He recognized this was a mercenary approach. Not something he would ever willingly confess to Vilma.

  There were huge discrepancies in their finances. That was the truth. His business had to be the priority or else he would be a lame dog in this relationship, dependent on handouts from her superior finances. That was an impossible situation for him. One he would resist at all costs.

  These competing thoughts swirled through his mind.

  Each one was relevant.

  What was the consensus?

  * * *

  Vilma was waiting for an answer. Her gaze on his face was unwavering and she could see a multitude of thoughts coming and going through those deep green eyes. The Jamaican holiday was not truly essential, when all was considered. He might well think of it as a lingering symptom of her prior life in which such extravagant fripperies were a regular thing.

  If he refused, it was not a death knell, far from it, but it was part of her plan to make their lives easier. Unrelieved constant work and worry was not a good foundation for a lasting relationship and that lasting relationship was her aim in all this.

  What was his decision?