Sure.
My head cocked to the side. “Yeah, well, so did I.”
Forsythe nodded softly. “Yeah, well…at least I came back.” He grinned. “Only one of us can say that.”
I grit my teeth, fighting back a snarl. “Since you’re here, do me a favor and stay away from me.”
He removed his hat again and jokingly bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ma’am?!
He placed his hat back on his head and continued down the road. “I’ll bring that mutt down in the morning. And I’ll fix thescreen too, city girl. Try to get some rest. You got bags under your eyes…makes you look old.” My whole body tensed as I watched him walk away.
“Mother—” I stomped my foot and charged into the house, slamming the door behind me.
What the hell is he doing back here?
Chapter Two
Lucille
The soundof nearby barking startled me awake. “What…what time is it?” My eyes strained to open, hit by the sunlight that burst through my windows. “Ahh.” I rolled to the side of the bed and grabbed my phone, checking the time. “It’s not even eight,” I whined. I dropped my head and groaned into my pillow. “Why am I even awake?” The barking outside continued. “And whose dog is making so much damn noise?”
Wait. Is it Wimberly? Crap!
I lunged from the bed in a panic, remembering where I was. “Shit.” I dragged myself to the closed bedroom door and opened it. The smell of bacon damn near smacked me in the face as I opened the door and tried not to fall over. “Who the hell is making bacon?” The question was more of a shout.
“Lucille? Baby, is that you?” my mother’s voice called from the direction of the kitchen.
I stepped into the hall with wide eyes. “Mom?” My feet followed the heavy scent of bacon that wafted down the hall and to the kitchen, only to find my mom making breakfast. She was dressed for the day, wearing her old apron and smiling as faint music played from an old radio. The small, humble kitchen table was fully set, adorned with a stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs,and even freshly picked wildflowers. “Wow,” I breathed. “This is a bit much,” I joked. It was hard not to smile at such a welcoming and nostalgic sight.
My mother spun around and nearly ruptured from happiness. “Morning, baby!” Her face beamed as the morning sunlight filled the kitchen, making her eyes sparkle. “You hungry? I made a little bit of everything for you!” She turned back towards the stove and gathered a plate full of bacon, adding it to the already overfilled table. “I was wondering when you were going to get up, but you always were a late riser.” A kitchen timer dinged as she scuttled to the oven and retrieved a tray of biscuits. “Perfect! Now—” She turned back to face me. “How was the drive down here? I still can’t believe you drove almost two days straight! Oh, how’d you sleep?” Before I could answer, a dog barked outside again. “Oh that darn dog.” My mother rushed over to a kitchen window and swung it open. “Wimberly! Quiet down, you old hairball! And leave that darn squirrel alone!” She shook her head and tried not to laugh.
So it was Wimberly I heard barking earlier. Which meant Forsythe had already come by.
I frowned at the very thought of him.
“You okay?” I forced a smile. “Sorry about all that barking. I bet you don’t have to worry about it much in the city, now do you?”
Not this early in the morning.
“You remember Wimberly, don’t you? Your brother’s dog? She was just a puppy when you—” She stopped. “Well, she isn’t a young pup anymore, no sir. But you wouldn’t know by the sound of it!” She joined me at the table, taking a seat. “Here, let me make your plate.”
I watched her closely, noticing the fine wrinkles that branched from around her eyes and along her smile lines. It was weird seeing her this way, but I guess it was normal for someoneto age after almost a decade. Even still, with her long dark hair and brown eyes, she was beautiful as always. “Mom? What time did you get here?”
Her eyes wandered playfully. “Oh, around five? I wanted to be here in time to make all of this! Oh, I ran into Forsythe on my way in.” My smile fell again. “He told me he ran into you last night, and that you asked him to bring the dog up. You didn’t have to do that, you know.”
I scoffed, picking a tall glass of juice up from the table. “Yeah I did. Wimberly is Boone’s dog. As his sister, I should be the one watching her. Nothim.” I took a sip.
My mother tried to ignore my tone. “Well, anyhoo, he also mentioned something funny about a critter messing up the front screen?” I nearly spat the juice from my mouth. She stopped and looked at me. “I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about that now, would you?”
I shook my head, cleaning up the mess I made. “Nope.”
My mother made a face. “Well, he fixed it, so I guess it doesn’t matter. What does matter isyou!” She paused. “How you doin’, baby? Did you sleep well?” She tilted her head and smiled.
My eyes fell to the overstuffed plate of food. “I slept fine.” Truthfully, I didn’t even remember falling asleep. I picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. “When were you going to tell mehewas here?” I took a second bite and waited for her response. “I don’t like it. Never did.” I took another bite. “I know Dad always favored him, but he has no reason to be here.” I finished the bacon and noticed a distant look in my mother’s eyes. “Mom?”
“You don’t remember, do you?” I blinked, and her usually overly cheery demeanor instantly returned. “Oh baby, Forsythe is just as much a part of this life as you or I. And your daddy welcomed him the same as you and your brother. He’s practically family.” She giggled softly, but the statement made me sick. “And whether you like it or not, he’s been the backboneof this place for over ten years. Just like your daddy always wanted him to be.”
