herself.
Of course, she hadn’t proven that. She’d proven the opposite. But that wasn’t what was so awful about the whole thing.
The worst part was that she’d lost her best friend. That she had deserved to lose her best friend. Her escapades had been wild. Mindless. She hadn’t given a thought to how they’d hurt anyone else. She hadn’t wanted Luis. And she certainly hadn’t wanted to hurt Mallory. She’d simply wanted a few brief distractions from the real issue, which was the pain of losing her brother. A pain she’d done a lot to distract herself from.
It was only now hitting her just how pointless and destructive she’d become.
The barrage of thoughts ran through her head as she lugged the last of the groceries to the car, all the while hoping that her aunt and grandma could manage what she, her father, and her sister had not.
Please , she prayed. Somehow let them get through to Mom.
Everything would be better if her mom would just act like herself again. Things would fall back into order, and her dad might even stop working so much. He was gone more often than he was home. The pharmacy wasn’t even open for as many hours as he was working at it, so surely that couldn’t last forever.
She opened the trunk and dropped the bags with the fruits and vegetables she’d picked up at the small farmer’s market on the square into the car, and then stood there, realizing she didn’t want to go home.
The only problem was that she didn’t have anywhere else to go.
How sad was that?
She slammed the trunk and started walking aimlessly, only realizing where she’d headed when she nearly bumped into Anna Mae Prager right smack in front of the Storm Oak.
“Excuse me.” Lacey stepped back, holding up both hands.
“Not at all. It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” The older woman smiled. Something she saw in Lacey’s expression seemed to give her pause. “Are you all right?”
“No. Not really,” she said, staring up at the old tree. “Jacob loved this spot.”
“Oh, Lacey. I’m so sorry. Jacob was such a nice boy. We all miss him. You more than most, I suspect.” She sighed. “Maybe we should find you somewhere to sit down?”
Frowning, Lacey looked around. The closest bench was across the square. “There ought to be a seat under this tree. Someplace to sit beneath the branches in the shade.”
“I never thought about it, but you’re right.” Anna Mae nodded to her sister, Rita Mae, as she came up to stand beside them. Lacey had always liked the two sisters. Rita Mae was older by a little bit and definitely more straight-laced than her sister. But they were both good people.
“What have the two of you been talking about?” Rita asked, her gaze full of concern as she studied Lacey.
Anna Mae looked over at the tree and then back at her sister. “We’ve been remembering Jacob. And we were talking about benches. Lacey was wondering why there isn’t one beneath the tree.” She pointed at the thick trunk. “Right there.”
Put that way it seemed like a brilliant idea. An idea began forming in Lacey’s mind. “Do you think the mayor would allow a bench here?” she asked.
Anna Mae smiled gently. “Won’t know until you ask.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. It was your idea, after all. You can organize a campaign to make it happen. Raise the money and get permission. Place a bench for Jacob, right here. Everyone will want to help.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Lacey said, but she could feel excitement building inside her.
“A memorial bench in Jacob Salt’s honor,” Rita Mae exclaimed. “What a sweet thing for you to do for your brother’s memory. It’s perfect.”
“Come back to the B&B with us,” Anna Mae added. “I know I have just the contacts to call for that bench.”
Swept up in their enthusiasm, Lacey followed the sisters to their place. While she waited for Anna Mae to dig through her contacts, Rita Mae offered a
Of course, she hadn’t proven that. She’d proven the opposite. But that wasn’t what was so awful about the whole thing.
The worst part was that she’d lost her best friend. That she had deserved to lose her best friend. Her escapades had been wild. Mindless. She hadn’t given a thought to how they’d hurt anyone else. She hadn’t wanted Luis. And she certainly hadn’t wanted to hurt Mallory. She’d simply wanted a few brief distractions from the real issue, which was the pain of losing her brother. A pain she’d done a lot to distract herself from.
It was only now hitting her just how pointless and destructive she’d become.
The barrage of thoughts ran through her head as she lugged the last of the groceries to the car, all the while hoping that her aunt and grandma could manage what she, her father, and her sister had not.
Please , she prayed. Somehow let them get through to Mom.
Everything would be better if her mom would just act like herself again. Things would fall back into order, and her dad might even stop working so much. He was gone more often than he was home. The pharmacy wasn’t even open for as many hours as he was working at it, so surely that couldn’t last forever.
She opened the trunk and dropped the bags with the fruits and vegetables she’d picked up at the small farmer’s market on the square into the car, and then stood there, realizing she didn’t want to go home.
The only problem was that she didn’t have anywhere else to go.
How sad was that?
She slammed the trunk and started walking aimlessly, only realizing where she’d headed when she nearly bumped into Anna Mae Prager right smack in front of the Storm Oak.
“Excuse me.” Lacey stepped back, holding up both hands.
“Not at all. It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” The older woman smiled. Something she saw in Lacey’s expression seemed to give her pause. “Are you all right?”
“No. Not really,” she said, staring up at the old tree. “Jacob loved this spot.”
“Oh, Lacey. I’m so sorry. Jacob was such a nice boy. We all miss him. You more than most, I suspect.” She sighed. “Maybe we should find you somewhere to sit down?”
Frowning, Lacey looked around. The closest bench was across the square. “There ought to be a seat under this tree. Someplace to sit beneath the branches in the shade.”
“I never thought about it, but you’re right.” Anna Mae nodded to her sister, Rita Mae, as she came up to stand beside them. Lacey had always liked the two sisters. Rita Mae was older by a little bit and definitely more straight-laced than her sister. But they were both good people.
“What have the two of you been talking about?” Rita asked, her gaze full of concern as she studied Lacey.
Anna Mae looked over at the tree and then back at her sister. “We’ve been remembering Jacob. And we were talking about benches. Lacey was wondering why there isn’t one beneath the tree.” She pointed at the thick trunk. “Right there.”
Put that way it seemed like a brilliant idea. An idea began forming in Lacey’s mind. “Do you think the mayor would allow a bench here?” she asked.
Anna Mae smiled gently. “Won’t know until you ask.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. It was your idea, after all. You can organize a campaign to make it happen. Raise the money and get permission. Place a bench for Jacob, right here. Everyone will want to help.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Lacey said, but she could feel excitement building inside her.
“A memorial bench in Jacob Salt’s honor,” Rita Mae exclaimed. “What a sweet thing for you to do for your brother’s memory. It’s perfect.”
“Come back to the B&B with us,” Anna Mae added. “I know I have just the contacts to call for that bench.”
Swept up in their enthusiasm, Lacey followed the sisters to their place. While she waited for Anna Mae to dig through her contacts, Rita Mae offered a
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