The Mill River Redemption Read Free Page A

meeting?”
    “Rose and her family will be driving back to New York this afternoon, and Emily has an evening flight back to California, so I suspect they’ll be itching to leave here as soon as they can. I thought I’d pull the girls aside once the crowd thins out.”
    Father O’Brien nodded. “Just let me know when.”
    Once most of the visitors had left Josie’s house, he saw Ivy go first to Rose, then to Emily. The women looked perplexed, but they excused themselves from their conversations and made their way toward Josie’s office, off the living room. Ivy looked up and caught Father O’Brien’s eye from across the room. It was time.
    He signaled his understanding with a small nod. As curious as he was about the reason for Ivy’s meeting, he doubted very much that it would be a warm family chat. In fact, something in his gut told him that he was being sucked into a very uncomfortable situation.

CHAPTER 2
    1983
    L ATE IN THE MORNING AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL AT T HE B OOKSTOP , Josie was awakened by a giggle and a little hand squeezing her nose. She opened her eyes to see Emily’s smiling face two inches from her own.
    “Morning, baby girl,” she said, returning the smile. She reached over to tuck a strand of red hair behind Emily’s ear. For a moment after she opened her eyes and looked into Emily’s sweet face, all was well. There were no nightmares, no waves of sadness or nausea, no horrible memories. It took only an instant, though, for the serenity to be snuffed out and reality to settle in. Josie steeled herself for another day inside her emotional fortress.
    On the other side of Emily, Rose stretched and yawned. “Mommy?”
    “Yes, Rosie?”
    “This is the best bed I’ve ever been in. It’s huge!” Rose sat up and then flopped back down, flailing her arms and legs.
    “It is, isn’t it? Did you girls get a good sleep? Are you hungry?” The good smells of coffee and bacon wafted up into the bedroom. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Once she and the girls were dressed, Josie led them downstairs to the kitchen. Plates of bacon and buttered toast and a pitcher of orange juice were laid out on a small breakfast table, and Ivy stood at the stove cracking eggs into a bowl.
    It was the first time in years that Josie had gotten a good look at her aunt in the daylight. Ivy was six years older and quite a bit heavier than Josie’s mother had been. She was wearing faded flared jeans and a tie-dyed shirt with a matching headband. Her dark hair was shoulder-length and streaked with gray. When Ivy turned to greet them, Josie had a strange feeling of déjà vu. Although her aunt’s facial features were different from her mother’s, the smile was very much the same.
    “Good morrow to you, fair ladies,” Ivy said. “I’ve got paper plates in the cupboard there,” she said, gesturing with her chin as she whisked the eggs, “and there’s silverware and cups already set out on the counter. Come make yourselves at home.”
    “What’s a morrow?” Rose asked. She stared up at Ivy with large round eyes.
    “It’s an old-fashioned word that means ‘morning,’ ” her aunt replied. “It can also mean a new day or time ahead.” Ivy paused to meet Josie’s gaze and give a reassuring wink. “Did you all sleep okay? The insulation up there’s not the best. It can get nippy in the winter.”
    “Yes, it was very warm and comfortable. Thank you.” She felt awkward, standing in a strange kitchen with her children, having breakfast cooked for her by someone she barely knew. It was a relief that Ivy was so welcoming and easygoing.
    “Thank you for the big bed,” Rose said, while Josie smiled and Ivy chuckled with delight.
    “You’re welcome,” Ivy said. She poured the eggs into the hot frying pan, and the butter sizzled. “You girls and your mom will probably be here with me a while, so I’m glad you like it up there. It’s a nice big space, not like this little one-butt kitchen.”
    Josie raised her