Simple Gifts Read Free Page B

I liked it or not. Standing here right now, I didn’t like it.
    â€œYou’re sure you’ll be all right? “His strong arm reinforced me.
    â€œI’ll be fine. I phoned ahead to have the utilities turned on, the water heater lit. All the comforts of home, if a pipe doesn’t leak or the ceiling doesn’t cave in.”
    His gaze roamed the cracked plaster. “It’s a mess.”
    It was. Nearly as bad as my life. I wanted to see the house through his eyes, without the chill of childhood memories. Realistically it was falling down. A large brown spot on the dining room ceiling meant a new roof was in order. I sniffed. Mice. Place was probably overrun with the furry little creatures.
    Vic’s brows lifted.
    â€œI’ll be all right. Nothing will bother me here.” Not an easy job, sounding convincing with cobwebs hanging from the light fixtures and dangling in obscure places. Mice I could handle. Spiders? The thought of coming across a furry, eight-legged creature strung my nerves tighter than banjo strings.
    And then there were the rocks. Aunt Beth had been an avid collector of many things. Of course she didn’t collect anything valuable, just other people’s junk, throwaways, and rocks. Lots of rocks. Which she kept in the house.
    I’d always expected the living room floor to fall into the basement some day, taking half a ton of boulders with it.
    I took a deep, sustaining breath. “Don’t worry, I’m feeling much stronger. I’ll have a cup of tea and go to bed.”
    â€œThere’s an extra bedroom at Pop’s house. You’re welcome to stay there.”
    I still had enough common sense to know that was a bad idea. I was here to get rid of the past, not to promote it. “A good night’s sleep will do wonders. Thanks for all you’ve done.”
    And may he never know how unnecessary it’d been. I couldn’t believe I’d perpetrated something so foolish.
    Believe it Marlene. You made an impression on the entire community . I’d envisioned returning home with a tad more dignity.
    But dignity never was yours. Not ever.
    â€œAll right then. I’ll see you tomorrow. Come by when you’re up and around.” He reached as if to brush a lock of hair off my forehead, then withdrew his hand. I thought he might kiss me—a bird peck on the cheek, nothing unusual for friends—but he stepped back and turned an eye to the night sky. “Looks like the storm is over.”
    â€œYeah.” Standing beside him, aware of his special scent—-male, and some killer cologne—I had the unsettled feeling the storm was just about to break.
    He descended the steps and strode to the driveway. I stood in the shadows of the porch, watching him back the truck across the street to his dad’s house.
    Finally I went inside and switched on every light in the place as I walked through the rooms, remembering the hours I’d spent here. Aunt Beth had always been strange—bizarre, actually—but if not for her kindness, I would have gone to an orphanage. Clean sheets bearing a faint scent of lavender awaited me in the linen chest. The lid fit tight so the mice hadn’t been able to get to them. I made the bed in the front bedroom, the one with the large window, and went back downstairs.
    I ran a sink full of sudsy water and washed enough dishes for breakfast. Someone—Joe most likely—had left a box of tea and a fresh loaf of bread on the table. Ingrid would have told him I was coming…
    I frowned. Odd that he didn’t tell Vic—
    Eww! Well, I was right. The kitchen was overrun with mice. No, they weren’t in sight, but their droppings were scattered all around the room.
    I filled the teakettle, and when it whistled, I poured hot water over the tea bag and added a shot of honey. On a whim I carried my cup out to the side porch. The porch swing seemed sturdy enough, so I sat, swaying to and