Years ago, two of my elderly great-aunts (I had five) were visiting my
parents’
house when one of my friends, who happened to be a boy, stopped by to borrow
a
textbook. My great-aunts eyed him up and down, liked what they saw, and
proceeded
to grill him. They found out he wanted to be a dentist, and that was that.
They
were in love. For the next five years, every single time I saw them, they’d
tell
me what a great catch that cute, but not too-good-looking future dentist
was, and
they’d scold me about not doing anything to pursue the chemistry that had
“crackled” between us. For the record, I was not attracted to my friend AT
ALL,
and he had a long-term girlfriend to boot.
A few years before this, my sister had been dating a guy my great-aunts
could not
stand. I can’t repeat any of their arguments against him here, but let’s
just say
some were hilarious, most were totally inappropriate… and quite a few ended
up
being right on the mark!
Almost everyone I know has meddlers in their lives, and even though I moved
far
away from my hometown, I managed to acquire some new ones.
In the fictional town of Spinning Hills, Ruby, Rosa, and Sherry share,
expand on,
and relish this role. They are the three elderly owners of the Gypsy
Fortune
Café and Bakery, and matchmaking, grand-smothering, and meddling are
among
the only things the three women have in common. All three of them believe
they
can tell exactly what a person needs in their life by analyzing the dessert
the
person is craving… and they are almost always right. Ruby, a descendent of
the
Miami Valley Gypsies (who really did exist!) is the one who comes up with
the
“purpose” of each dessert, and she believes her so-called powers lead her to
be
right, while Rosa pegs it all on biology, and Sherry just loves to throw
people
off balance with her assessment and advice. Here’s an example of their
crave-
analyzing prowess:
“So, what dessert and purpose will it be for you two ladies
today?”
Sherry asked.
“Purpose?” Jessica repeated.
“Close your eyes and think of the dessert that your innermost hunger
craves,”
Ruby instructed.
“I guess I’ll have some blueberry pie, if you have some.”
Everyone turned to Ruby. Jessica furrowed her brow, but Rosa squeezed her
hand
and said, “Don’t feel like we’re putting you on the spot. It’s all just a
good
marketing ploy I came up with years ago.”
Ruby glowered at Rosa before turning back to Jessica. “The purpose of
blueberry
pie is to juice up and give a distinct flavor to those areas of your life
that
feel vague to you. Do you know if this juicy flavor you’re craving is
permanent
or temporary?”
“Um. Well, I—uh, I…” Jessica stammered.
Ruby smiled wider. “Don’t worry. I know how we can figure it out. Nobody
move.”
Ruby rushed to the kitchen. Moments later, she came out holding two pieces
of
latticed blueberry pie, one in each hand. Rosa and Sherry wore knowing
smiles.
Unsure but brave, Jessica took a bite of each. “Which one do you prefer?”
Sherry
asked, eagerly.
Jessica chewed, and then swallowed. “The one on the left, I guess.”
“Is that the one with cinnamon?” Rosa asked.
“No,” Ruby answered, eyes twinkling. “And that means you’re looking for a
quick
fix. Something juicy, but fleeting.”
“Why? What does cinnamon have to do with anything?” Johnny laughed.
“Cinnamon is an ancient preservative. She doesn’t crave it; therefore, she
doesn’t crave anything permanent.”
Rosa seized Jessica’s left hand and held it up. “No ring,” she declared.
“She’s widowed,” Cassie was quick to say, lest they get any ideas of fixing
her
up.
“We’re widows, too, dear,” Sherry was saying to an amused Jessica as she led
her
to a table. “Now, eat your pie, and tell us all about
yourself.”
Just like the ladies of the Gypsy Fortune Café and Bakery, my great-
aunts
believed they were all-knowing and all-wise, and although they believed they
had
great powers of deduction, I’m grateful none of them thought they had actual
magical powers. But I happen to love all of my meddlers, fictional and real.
Do you have any in your life? I would love to hear any funny stories you
have
about them! What do you think they’d do if they believed they had magical
fortunetelling powers?
Inés Saint was born in Zaragoza, Spain. She's bilingual and
bicultural and
has spent the last decade raising her fun, inspiring boys and sharing her
life
with the man of her dreams, who also happens to be her best friend and
biggest
cheerleader. Her greatest joys are spending quality time with family and
close
friends.
She'd love to hear from you! Please email her at [email protected]
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In Spinning Hills, Ohio, “quirky” is a good thing—especially the
charming
houses that line the streets. One by one, the Amador brothers are restoring
them,
committed to a new beginning for the old-fashioned town. But they’re
learning
that every house needs a heart to be a home…
Real estate agent Cassidy Morgan specializes in historic homes, but her own
history is something she likes to avoid. Back in Spinning Hills for the
first
time in ten years, she has a chance to put her small agency on the map as
the
premier realtor of restored houses. But it means a partnership with the one
man
she’s never forgotten—and can’t quite resist…
Sam Amador doesn’t quit—and he doesn’t run away from his problems, like a
certain
stubborn, extremely attractive real estate agent did all those years ago.
Working
with Cassie is a risk, but Sam knows his heart is more likely to suffer than
his
renovation business. How can he convince her that this time, Spinning Hills
is
where she belongs—and that his love has always been hers?
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