Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
All the women gasped, including me.
“He’s an educated man. Why would he let her have scissors?” Rose asked.
Tammy threw up her hands and let them fall into her lap. “They were the kind for her class! I didn’t think they could even cut paper properly, let alone hair!”
“When did this happen?” I asked.
“This morning, before church. I was taking some time to do devotionals, because you know, Patty is forcing us to do that—”
“I am not forcing you!” Patty insisted as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Mumbling was heard around the room as we all looked at her and agreed with Tammy.
Patty huffed. “Well, forgive me for trying to grow you closer to God.”
Cara rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure God is okay if we do devotionals on a Tuesday. Say, around eight at night when nothing good is on TV. Not Sunday morning at the ass-crack of dawn.”
“It puts us in the mood for church!” Patty declared.
“The mood for church?” Shannon asked. “It’s worship day…shouldn’t we already be in the mood?”
I pressed my lips together and tried not to laugh. On second thought, I was really glad Tammy made me come this morning.
Patty faced me. “Did you worship, Emma?”
“Me?” I asked, pointing to myself.
They all looked back and nodded.
“Yes. You,” Patty said.
“Well, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t get much sleep last night. So I sort of slept in till I had to get up and get ready.”
Shannon sighed. “Since we’re confessing, I haven’t done devotionals in two weeks. It’s just too crazy with the girls. This morning, they decided to pour laundry detergent on the floor to make it look pretty and green.”
“I’m pretty sure you have a bit of the devil in those two girls of yours,” Landy stated, and Shannon nodded in agreement.
“Fine. Since we’re confessing,” Cara echoed. “I haven’t done devotionals in three weeks. I’ve been getting up early and doing body pump class at the community center.”
“I knew you looked even more toned!” Tammy stated.
Patty tossed her hands in the air and looked around the circle. “Did anyone do them this morning?”
Not one of them raised their hands. Even Patty.
“Wait, you didn’t raise your hand. Have you not been doing them, either?” Cara asked.
Patty chewed her lip. “Emma, you sure you don’t want to take the mat yet?”
The door to the room opened suddenly, and we all turned to see a man standing there. My heart jumped to my throat when I saw him. Standing, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“May I help you?” Tammy asked.
His eyes met mine. “I need to speak with Emma. It’s important.”
Everyone turned and looked at me. Rose came to my side and took my hand in hers. “Is that him?” she whispered. I knew she meant Ben.
I shook my head. “No. It’s his brother. I’ll be fine.”
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward Bill and then passed him. He excused himself to the ladies and I heard his footsteps behind me.
The second we were outside, I spun around and glared at him. “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t hard, Emma. It’s what I do for a living.”
My entire body shook as I glanced around. “What do you want, Bill?”
“My mother died two weeks ago.”
Jerking my gaze back to him, I stared with my mouth gaping. “What?” I whispered.
“She had cancer but didn’t tell any of us.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “She didn’t tell anyone? Not even Ben Senior?”
He shook his head.
“I’m so sorry, Bill. Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. We’re all doing as well as can be expected. Still pretty shocked.”
“I can imagine. But you didn’t have to come all the way up here to tell me.” A thought hit me, and I took a step back. “Did you tell him where I was?”
“No. He hasn’t asked me to locate you. Yet. I think he might be dating someone new, I’m not sure. We don’t really talk anymore, Emma. Even if he did ask me, I wouldn’t help him.”
My stomach turned, not because he was dating someone, more because I knew what a monster he was, and the poor girl he was dating didn’t.
I had a feeling Bill had always suspected something was wrong, but Ben was his older brother. His hero and the man he looked up to. He turned a blind eye—just like the rest of the family. Including my own mother. It wasn’t until the divorce that the truth came out.
“I hope she finds out his true colors quicker than I did.”
Bill looked away for a moment, then back to me. He cleared his throat and said, “I came because I found this in Mom’s things. It was a letter written to you. Ben didn’t see it; I was the one who found it. I wanted you to have it.”