“My goodness, someone’s in a good mood,” she said with a twinkling laugh.
Colt’s jubilant grin broadened.
“Either the play was exceptionally good this year or it was the company,” Beverly mused.
“Let’s just say, I don’t remember much about the play,” he chuckled. Truthfully, he’d kept stealing glances at Penny, preferring to watch her reactions than the actual performance.
“Oh, to be young and in love again,” she murmured wistfully.
Noting the faint sadness in her voice, Colt asked, “How’s Frank doing tonight?”
“It’s tough to say,” she admitted, her delicate features strained. “Physically, I’d say there’s slight improvement. But…” She trailed off, as though hesitant to explain further.
“But?” he pressed gently.
“I… I can sense him pulling away. And I don’t know why.” Her voice cracked, and Colt placed a hand on her slender shoulder.
“Hey, I’m sure it’s nothing. Men get grumpy when they aren’t feeling well. It’s scientifically proven that women handle physical ailments much better than we do.” Okay, so he wasn’t sure if that was entirely true, but it seemed to make her feel better.
“Hedoesget awfully cranky when he has a cold. One little sniffle and you’d think he contracted the black plague.”
“See, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
She smiled softly. “I’m sure you’re right.” Making her way toward the steps, she paused, one hand on the railing. “Oh, I almost forgot… I found Timothy Heart’s obituary.”
Colt’s pulse spiked. “You did?”
“Yes, and it’s the strangest thing.” Her frown lines deepened. “It said he died in a hang glider accident. But apparently, they never found his body or the glider.”
His heartbeat stuttered to a stop.What?He must’ve misheard. “Are you sure that’s what it said?”
“Yes. Although, even as a head reporter turned editor-in-chief, Percy Flannigan never does his research. Once, he printed an entire article on killer butterflies that evolved to live off human flesh. It ruined the Butterfly Festival that year. And it all started when he overheard Bill and Mac discussing a B-rated horror film they saw at the drive-in.” She shook her head in bemusement before adding, “When it comes to obituaries, I wouldn’t be surprised if he simply asked the next of kin what happened.”
As Colt mulled over her conjecture, his mind wandered to his conversation with Penny the day they went zip-lining, recalling the similarities to the childhood story told by her father. Could it simply be a strange coincidence? It seemed unlikely.
“Is something wrong?” Beverly asked. She must have noticed his uneasy expression.
“No,” he said quickly. Until he knew more, he didn’t want to raise any alarms. “Thanks for looking into that for me.”
“Of course, dear.” Her features softened. “That girl is like a daughter to me, you know. I was married once, but we never had any children of our own.”
Colt blinked in surprise. He’d known Beverly his entire life, but didn’t remember her ever being married.
As if reading his mind, she told him, “Harold passed away before you were born. One of the many brave men who never came home from the war.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.” He studied her in the dim porch light, imagining what she must have looked like all those years ago. Her hair, though long and coiled on top of her head, shone a delicate silver now. But her eyes—a pale, periwinkle blue—still sparkled with a youthful glow. No doubt, she was a beautiful woman at any age. A wonder she never remarried in all that time.
“Harold and I were only married six months before he deployed. But in those six months, I loved deeply enough for two lifetimes. I… I never thought that would happen again.” Her admission escaped on a breath so faint, Colt had to lean forward to catch it all.
“I can’t imagine losing the love of your life after such a short amount of time.” His chest constricted as his thoughts flew to Penny.
“It’s an agony I wouldn’t wish on anyone. And yet…” An unexpected smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “Every laugh we shared, every tender kiss, every moment that turned into a cherished memory, they’re worth so much more than the tears I cried.”
Moved by her declaration, Colt smiled past the tightness in his throat.
With a long, delicate finger, Beverly wiped an errant tear from her cheek. “Love is a gift in this life, not a guarantee. And if you’re blessed to find it, you do whatever it takes to keep it. Even when it’s hard.”
Something about the way she looked at him led Colt to believe her words of wisdom were for his benefit. “Yes, ma’am,” he said wholeheartedly.
