Remember Love Read Free Page B

straightening the books on
the shelf beside the window.
    "You
remember his cologne?"
    "He’s going
to hate me."
    Sharon placed her
hand on Katrina’s shoulder and squeezed. "What happened to Joey was never
your fault. It's surprising that he's coming to the reunion but never showed
for the funeral."
    Katrina gently
pulled away, once again reminded of the depths of her guilt and the extent of
her lies. There was no way to escape the consequences of what she'd done.
    Your sins will
find you out . Wasn't that what God promised? Crackling filled the air and
she looked down. She'd crumpled the receipt.
    Blinking back
tears, she pressed the paper flat against her leg, smoothing and pulling at it.
    "Thanks for
running to the bank." She offered Sharon a small smile. "You can go
home now, if you want."
    "You sure? I
can help straighten—"
    "Is Steve
home?"
    "He has
night shift tonight."
    "That's good."
At least Sharon would get a break from her husband’s constant bad mood. "Are
you coming tomorrow to the reunion dinner?"
    "I'm
planning on it." Uncertainty crept over Sharon's features.
    "Rachel and
I will save you a seat."
    Sharon said
good-bye and once she was gone Katrina closed up the store and headed home. The
house greeted her with silent darkness. She flipped on the kitchen light and
slouched against the wall. Drained. She wanted to sink into the yellowed
linoleum and never rise again.
    Deep inside, she
wished God had taken her too. Snatched her as easily as he had her only son.
Yet here she remained, her stomach demanding to be fed, her heart pumping, her
lungs filling steady as the sunrise. She moved away from the wall and dropped
her purse on the cracked counter. Today had been a hard day, harder than most,
and coming home was a bitter tonic.
    She still
expected Joey’s smiling face to greet her, the sound of his little footsteps to
trail behind her.
    She rummaged
through a cupboard until she found a packet of Earl Grey. Then a coffee cup,
which she filled with water. While it heated, she massaged her temples. The
microwave beeped and she took out the cup and dunked the tea in to steep. When
it was done she picked up the mug, studying the happy smiles of Simba and
Mufasa.
    Mom, Joey and she
had bought the cup on their one and only trip to Disney World. She traced the
logo at the bottom of the cup with the edge of her thumb. The day had been warm
for November, more humid than usual, and their shirts had been sweat-soaked by
noon. It hadn’t mattered. Pure happiness was all she remembered when she
thought of then, and she was thankful God had given them that one, special day
to have for always.
    She brought her
tea to the simple plaid couch in the living room and sank into the soft
cushions. As she tried to relax, her eyes caught on Joey’s first grade picture
hanging on the wall, and anxiety stiffened the muscles in her neck. Joey's
brown hair flopped in wild waves over his forehead, exactly like Alec's.
    She folded her
knees against her chest, pressing them against herself as if the position could
calm the panic hurtling through her. What was she going to do? Time had seemed
to channel Alec's wild streak into something stronger, more dangerous. She
wasn’t sure what to expect from the man in her store today. Her childhood
sweetheart had been replaced by someone smoother, more controlled.
    Which made his
invitation for dinner all the more perplexing. Why would he, a stranger now,
want dinner with the woman who'd left him at the altar?
    It made no sense,
none at all. She’d wanted to say yes to discover his motives. They were there,
hiding in his eyes. And what about the way he’d made her feel? Terrified, yes,
but also alive again. Transported to a happier time. The buzz of adrenaline
still hummed through her as memories assaulted her senses. He’d grown more
handsome, suave, even. The temptation to call him and accept the dinner offer shocked
her.
    Sipping her tea,
she forced herself to think rationally. Teenage