The Bodyguards Sweetheart

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

     COCO KNOCKED ON the screen door leading into the kitchen and a plump woman with a shock of wavy white hair appeared at the door. “You must be Rian’s friend, come in, come in,” Adeline said, ushering CoCo into the kitchen. Immediately, CoCo was assaulted by the most heavenly smell and her mouth actually watered.

“Smells incredible in here,” she said, glancing around looking for the source. “Rian said you enjoyed baking. If whatever you’re making is as good as those scones, you’ve made a friend for life.” She held her hand out with a smile. “I’m CoCo Abelli. So nice to meet you.”

The older woman wiped her hands on her faded Thomas Kinkade printed apron and a bright smile wreathed her face. “What a beautiful name. CoCo Abelli, it really rolls off the tongue like an exotic dessert. I’m Adeline Verley, pleased to meet you, sugar. And to answer your question, I’m making fresh applesauce. I don’t care for that store-bought stuff. You never know what they’re putting in there and with all the reports about everything giving you cancer, you can’t be too careful. The truth is, my dear friend Cora, God rest her soul, died from cancer and if I can do something to make a difference in someone’s life, which means whipping up a batch of homemade applesauce for Warren because he loves it so much, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.” She winked. “And it makes the kitchen smell so yummy, doesn’t it?”

“Very,” she agreed. “So you and Mr. Bradford...”

Adeline waved away CoCo’s unsure question, saying, “Oh, honey, if Rian thinks enough of you to bring you here, then I insist that we not stand on ceremony. Warren wouldn’t hear of it. And yes, Warren and I are going steady, if you can call it that anymore.” She bent to whisper conspiratorially, “Actually, we’re plain living in sin but at our age, I figure we better take what we can get while the getting is good, right?”

CoCo laughed at the older woman’s delightful candor and realized she already liked Adeline immensely. In fact, she reminded her of Miss Plix, her most beloved nanny, always ready with a smile to lend a hand to whoever needed it. Sadly, Miss Plix had died when CoCo was twelve from an undiagnosed heart condition. The one saving grace was that Miss Plix had died in her sleep. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re grabbing on to happiness wherever you can. Life moves pretty quickly, right?”

gate for Warren. Rian said it’d be a good idea to bring along lunch. Is that okay?”

“Oh, honey, that’s fine by me. Better than fine, actually. I worry when Warren takes it on himself to go to the far edges of the property. He hates cell phones and refuses to carry one so I never know if he’s going to be all right. At our age, we can’t be too careful but the old coot acts as if he’s still sixteen.”

Even though she was chastising his stubborn nature, the words were said with such warmth and open adoration that CoCo smiled. How lucky for Warren that he’d found a woman who seemed equally as wonderful as the first love of his life. “We’re happy to help. Is there anything else that needs to be done?” she asked. “I can wash dishes if you need.”

“No worries, sugar. I like doing dishes. Helps me think. You’re helping me plenty by going with Rian to check on that south gate. Warren worries about everything and refuses to hire out for a darn thing. Until Kane and Laci built their house here on the property, Warren was doing everything himself and it was plumb wearing him out.”

CoCo knew her father was equally stubborn about his business. He allowed very few people to have a hand in the design of the new lines, preferring to oversee every detail, almost obsessively, until they went into mass production. Even then, he insisted on touring the factories to ensure that a quality product was being churned out.

“So you and Cora Bradford were friends before she died?”

“Thick as thieves,” Adeline answered with a firm nod. “She was the finest woman alive. Heart bigger than most and with a talent in the kitchen that could rival any fancy chef. She was just good at making anything she tried her hand at if it were something you put in your mouth. She always won the pie contests.” She sighed with the memory. “The world lost a good one, for sure. I miss her something fierce but it’s nothing compared to how Warren misses her.”