Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“Don’t leave me,” she breathed jaggedly, the serrated words dragging along his soul.
“I’m not going anywhere, honey,” he whispered.
“I mean…” She sniffed, released her hold, hesitated, and asked, “Can someone look after your pups?”
He knew what she was asking.
“Got Rus on it already,” he assured her.
Her face started to crumble, so he cupped her head and tucked it back into his neck.
It happened about ten minutes later, the thing that happened when you were loved and had good friends.
George showed first.
He took in what was happening on the couch and quickly tutted and wagged a finger when Lillian tried to move to get up and go to him.
He instead came to them, leaned in, kissed the side of her head and muttered, “Don’t move a muscle. Stay right where you are. We got you, darlin’.”
More tears came from Lillian, George’s desolate, concerned gaze slid through Harry’s as he straightened away, then he went to his wife.
Lillian’s friend Jenna showed next. Molly came after. Janie and Kay came together.
Lillian had it under control by then, and Harry had pulled them out of the couch and put her on her feet.
After she allowed her friends to give her love, Ronetta claimed her and took her to the bathroom. Then they moved to another room, and Lillian came out with the mascara smears cleared away, her face shiny with moisturizer, and she’d changed out of her sweater and jeans into some loose drawstring pants, a tight cami and bulky cardigan with slippers on her feet.
George left for a few minutes and came back with a bottle of Macallan. He showed it to Harry across the room and Harry nodded. George poured him two fingers just as he liked it. Neat.
Ronetta got on making some macaroni and cheese. Molly got on to opening bottles of wine and pouring. The other women put Lillian’s groceries away. Mark, Kay’s husband, showed. Then Trey, Jenna’s husband, showed.
And surprisingly, Rus showed.
When George opened the door to him, Harry moved in that direction and George moved out of the way.
Rus was carrying Harry’s duffle.
“Got a clean uniform in my truck. Want me to put it in your office?” Rus asked.
Jesus, but he had good friends too.
He already had an extra uniform in his office, but he didn’t get to answer, Ronetta was there.
“Bring it on up, son,” she ordered.
Rus didn’t wait for Harry to say anything. He handed Harry the duffle then hoofed it down to his SUV where Harry could see all three of his dogs in the back. He wanted to go down and give them pets, but he didn’t want to confuse them, and more, leave Lillian, even just to walk down to the street for five minutes.
Rus returned with one of Harry’s uniforms in dry-cleaner plastic, but again, Harry didn’t take it. Ronetta did.
“Leave you to it,” Rus said.
“Thanks, brother,” Harry replied.
Rus dipped his chin, turned and walked away.
Harry shut the door and Ronetta was still there.
“Follow me,” she said.
He did and she took him to the room beyond the bathroom, which would be the smaller of the two bedrooms in the house.
When they entered, Harry saw lots of soft colors, dried flowers, an ivory iron bed, and he knew this was Lillian’s room, which meant in all of these years, she hadn’t taken over her parents’ room.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest at learning this.
“You can change in here,” Ronetta said after hanging his uniform in Lillian’s closet.
He looked down at her but didn’t get a chance to exchange a glance. She was walking out.
And he was apparently spending the night.
He had zero problems with that.
Ronetta was right about something else. Lillian didn’t need him hanging around in his sheriff’s uniform.
He opened his duffle, pawed through it and saw Rus’s experience with packing a go bag for his work in the FBI hadn’t been lost in the few years he’d been out of that game.
Harry quickly changed into faded jeans, a sweater, and he put on the warm socks Rus added to the bag.
Then he headed back out.
Lillian came right to him when he showed, wrapping her arms around his middle and pressing her front to his side. Her hold was tight.
This told Harry he’d been correct in not going out to have some time with his dogs, she didn’t like she’d lost sight of him. He took careful note of that.
And Harry didn’t know her enough to know if all this company was a balm, or if she felt some ingrained need to play hostess when she needed to focus on other things.
Like she had all night, Ronetta took charge of this too.
Once the mac and cheese was in the oven, and a salad was in the fridge, with an ease and grace that even in the circumstances Harry found fascinating, she made her point.