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)
Now that park had a border of low hedges, lawns of thick grass, graveled pathways to a center feature of a fountain surrounded by flowers and urns, this ringed by benches that had been donated by local businesses and prominent families.
Misted Pines’s infamous coven unsurprisingly maintained it, clipping the hedges, de-weeding and fertilizing the lawns, and planting the flowers. Come March, hyacinths and daffodils poked through the retreating snow. Tulips came next. Through the summer months, there were riots of flowers in the beds and hanging from the lampposts.
MP citizens picnicked there. They fed the birds there. They walked their dogs there.
But now, the foliage had been cleared and Harry knew they were preparing to decorate it for Halloween.
Also now, Ronetta sat alone on a bench by the fountain.
Harry debated whether to get out of his cruiser, but remembering what Shane said, he did.
He walked up to her and was standing beside her before she started and peered up at him.
Tears were tracking down her face.
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said quietly.
She dabbed at her cheeks with a hankie, and that almost made Harry smile, because Ronetta was the only woman he knew who carried a hankie.
“Lost in thought,” she replied.
“I can leave you to it, if you like,” he offered. “I can also stay.”
It took her a moment to decide before she patted the bench beside her.
Harry sat down.
The fountain was still gurgling. They’d turn it off soon and drain it, so the freeze wouldn’t ruin the pipes. It’d eventually be filled with pumpkins and corn stalks or some Halloween/Thanksgiving/autumn design scheme, those being replaced by Christmas decorations.
But right then, even with the traffic going by on Main Street, the sound of the water made the space tranquil.
Harry kept his eyes on it.
Ronetta did too.
“I have a very good marriage,” Ronetta shared. “God smiled down on me when He pushed George in my path. But a marriage is always a marriage.”
He knew what she was saying.
Harry’s marriage had lasted only a year before Winnie broke her neck in that fall from her horse.
In the intervening time, he’d enshrined what they had, so in his memories, every second of it was light and laughter and love.
The truth of it was, Winnie had a foul temper. She sometimes wasn’t good at communicating and was terrible with confrontation, until she was ready to explode, and then she let loose.
On his side of things, Harry got pissed she let it go so far rather than just being honest with him about shit that bothered her. So his response wasn’t remotely healthy either.
They’d been young. They’d find their way eventually. Harry knew it down to his bones.
It didn’t make their marriage any less strong or loving.
It just wasn’t perfect.
“I’m the middle, have an older brother, and a younger one,” Ronetta told him. “No sisters. Until Avery.”
Damn.
He knew it, but there it was.
He took her hand.
Her fingers curled tight.
“She loved George completely,” she went on. “So anything I could say when I complained about the little, stupid stuff, it didn’t bother her a bit. It didn’t turn her mind on George. She just listened. She was a safe place for me to let stuff go. She was a safe place for George that I could do it. I gave that same back with her and Sonny.”
Harry said nothing.
“When my momma used to work my nerves, because she could be bossy,” Ronetta continued. “When Shane and Sherise would get up to mischief. She was my sounding board. She was my touchstone. And I had the honor of giving that back to her.”
Harry remained silent.
“It wasn’t just having someone to complain to. I cannot tell you how much she used to make me laugh. We shared recipes. She helped me in my garden. I showed her how to bake bread. We had a tradition at Christmastime. She and Sonny and Lillian would come over and we’d eat and trim the tree, then George, Shane, Sherise and I would go over, and we’d have dessert and trim their tree. They’ve been gone so long, but Christmas has never been the same. Nothing has been the same. And now, even though I always knew in my heart they’d never go without keeping in contact with Lillian, George, me, so I knew something was terribly wrong, and it had to be something like this, I know nothing ever will be.”
Harry kept hold of her hand and remained silent.
“Lord, I miss her,” Ronetta whispered.
Harry let her hand go and wrapped an arm around her.
She melted into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.
They sat that way for long minutes before Ronetta spoke again.
“I’ll tell you what, George and I were beside ourselves when Lillian got mixed up with that Zowkower boy. George especially. He thought he’d failed Sonny. Shane was livid. Sherise was worried. It was torture, living next door to Lillian making that big of a mistake. Will say, that boy had stars in his eyes every time he looked at her.”