Chapter 3

Laverne Huntsman, Jo's fifty something-ish resident, was a one of a kind. Which may have been an understatement. Actually, Laverne was a wildcard with an equally mixed bag of characteristics. Thoughtful. Bossy. Opinionated. Judgmental. Caring. In other words, you never knew what you were going to get from one minute to the next.

Despite her erratic and sometimes irritating behavior, she was working hard on self-improvement, to become the person Jo believed was hidden deep within. Some days were better than others. And at least she got along with the other residents, despite some of her less-than-desirable traits.

"What is she doing?" Raylene asked. "Or, more importantly, what is she wearing?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Jo hopped out of her SUV and began making her way across the yard. "Hey."

Laverne, who was sprawled out in the grass, bolted upright. A pair of thick goggles covered her eyes. "Hey, Jo."

"What are you doing?"

"Searching."

"For what?"

"Angel clouds. I noticed them earlier."

Jo motioned to the goggles. "What's up with the goggles?"

"They have a special filter to block out the bright light." Laverne slid the goggles off, revealing two indentations on her cheeks and forehead.

"Your goggles are too tight," Jo said. "They left marks around your eyes."

Laverne gingerly touched her face. "No wonder I'm getting a headache. I guess it's time to take a break. I figured if I see the clouds, I might find the feathers."

"What feathers?" Raylene asked.

"Angel feathers. I've been doing some online research. Someone in our area claims to have found feathers belonging to angels."

Jo wrinkled her nose and turned an eye toward the sky. "What do they look like?"

"They didn't post a picture, but based on their description, the feathers are a pure white or shimmering in gold dust." Laverne waved the goggles. "Not only do these babies filter out the bright light, they're also super-magnifiers. I made them myself."

On closer inspection, Jo could see a thick layer of electrical tape lining both frames. "It's very creative."

"I don't think angels—real angels—have feathers," Raylene said. "I envision them more of giant warriors. Protectors. Defenders."

"Guardians," Jo added. "I've glimpsed the angels and never noticed feathers. Someone could be pulling your leg."

"Even if they don't shed feathers, the angelic beings are around here," Laverne insisted. "Remember when I fell into the old well?"

Ever since Laverne had been rescued after falling into an old well near the back of the property, she'd become obsessed with angels, convinced they were keeping watch over her.

Which wasn't a stretch by any means. Jo and the other residents firmly believed angels guarded their property and had helped many times.

"I'm working on becoming an angelologist," Laverne said. "Once I become an expert, I was thinking I could help Raylene write her book. I even came up with some titles."

Jo couldn't resist. "What are they?"

"Angel Rescue. Angelic Encounter. All About Angels."

Jo lifted a hand. "Don't you think this might be jumping the gun?"

"No way. People love hearing about angelic encounters. It gives humans hope we're not down here fighting it out alone."

"I'm not even close to putting pen to paper," Raylene said.

"When you are, you'll have all the information you'll need," Laverne said. "And I won't charge you an arm and a leg. I understand about struggling artists, how writers make little money. Unless, of course, the book takes off. Then we might have to re-negotiate."

"Tell you what…we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Laverne held out the goggles. "Do me a favor and try them out. I want to know if I'm missing something. I mean, maybe I'm having other vision issues which are preventing me from seeing."

Jo reluctantly took them from her. "What am I looking for?"

"Feathers."

"I don't..."

Laverne cut her off. "I know. You don't think angels have feathers. Humor me."

"You'll have to show me how they work."

"Turn around."

Jo turned around, patiently waiting while Laverne strapped the goggles to her head. She tightened the strap, stretching the skin taut on Jo's face. "They're too tight."

Instead of loosening the strap, Laverne tightened it even more. Jo could feel her eyes bulge. "Laverne, they're way too tight. My eyes are bulging."

"Are you sure?" The woman darted around to the front. "You're right. Whoops. Standby."

She loosened the strap. The goggles sagged.

"Maybe a little tighter," Jo said. "The goggles are drooping."

"See, this is the problem I'm running into," Laverne said. "Too tight and they cut off your circulation. Too loose and it's hard to see."

"They seem a little heavy." Jo wiggled them up and down. "You might need to use a lighter material."

"I guess it's back to the drawing board." Laverne finished her adjustments. "How does this feel?"

Jo took a cautious look around and started to feel lightheaded. "Whoa."

"It's making you dizzy."

"There appears to be a depth perception issue," Jo said. "No wonder you weren't able to see anything."

"Close your eyes and look straight down."

Jo did as Laverne instructed. She squeezed her eyes shut, lowered her head, and then opened them. "Wow."

"Cool, huh?"

"I can see the blades of grass. It's like wearing a microscope." Jo studied a dandelion, in awe of how crystal clear and sharp it appeared. "These are like binoculars on steroids."

"All I need to do is figure out how to make them lighter."

Jo carefully slid them off. She swayed slightly, taken off balance by the sudden change in her vision. "Yikes."

"It definitely needs some tweaking." Laverne took them from her. "Thanks for the second opinion."

"You're welcome. The concept is spot on."

"The execution, not so much."

Jo consulted her watch. "And on that note, Charlotte Malton should be here any time to make the final dress alterations."

The co-owner of Divine's Tool Time Hardware store was also an accomplished seamstress who had offered to help Jo with her final fittings after discovering she'd lost some weight and the dress was no longer a "perfect fit."

Tires crunched on gravel. The Malton's truck pulled in behind Jo's SUV. Charlotte hopped out. "Sorry if I'm late."

"You're right on time." Jo met her in the driveway and gave her a warm hug. "Thanks again for offering your expertise."

"I'm happy to help." Charlotte wiggled her fingers. "I haven't done any alterations in a while. I might be a little rusty."

"The fact you came all the way out here has saved me an extra trip. Make sure you add your travel time to the bill."

Raylene caught up with them. "Do we get to see the dress?"

"If you want," Jo said. "We can make it the unofficial reveal."

"I'll go grab the others." Laverne ran off to round up the rest of the residents while Jo, Charlotte, and Raylene headed inside.

They found Delta in the kitchen bustling back and forth. "I was wondering what happened to you. Hello, Charlotte."

"Hey, Delta." Charlotte sniffed appreciatively. "Something smells divine."

"My homemade peach cobbler." Delta grabbed a pair of potholders and eased a bubbling dish onto the stovetop. "I figured we could have a sweet treat while you're tinkering with Jo's dress."

"The women are heading over for the unofficial reveal." Jo, with Raylene by her side, started to trail behind Delta and Charlotte when her cell phone chimed.

She cast it a quick glance and did a double take. "Carrie sent a text." She clicked on the message and noticed a photo was also attached. "She's wondering if I lost something when you and I were over there earlier."

"What is it?" Raylene asked.

Jo tapped on the photo and enlarged it. "I have no idea."

"Let me look." Raylene took the phone from Jo and sucked in a breath. "Uh-oh."