Waiting for Daybreak Read Free

“I don’t see it anywhere. Guess I’ll have to go ask the step-monster.”
    He followed her back down the hallway. “So . . . you never answered my question.”
    “What question?”
    “How are things going with the pharmacy?”
    She shrugged. “About like you’d expect, I suppose.”
    “You know, Dad only wants the best for you.”
    “I know, but I wish he’d told me what he thought was ‘best’ before I declined that residency at Johns Hopkins. I stayed because I wanted to open a Parrish Apothecary franchise, in Nashville , in the exact building where Grandma used to work. I know that probably sounds ungrateful, but don’t you think he could have let me know his plans sometime before graduation day?”
    When they neared the sun porch, Becky’s nasal voice echoed down the hallway. “I’m telling you, he’s giving it all away. There won’t be anything left of an inheritance if he doesn’t stop it. Maybe we should look into his mental state. Has he been seeing a shrink? A doctor? Anything?”
    “Good idea. We should look into that.”
    A low growling noise came from Tony’s throat as they turned the corner. “Dad’s as sane as anyone and you know it. He earned his money, he has the right to do with it as he sees fit.”
    Clarissa understood the meeting now. It was all about trying to keep Granddad’s money in the family and out of the ledgers of charities nationwide. Since Grandma’s death three years ago, his way of dealing with the pain had been through philanthropy— something that caused her father increasing alarm. Something that had also sentenced Clarissa to a pharmacy in a podunk town, with parole only possible after a year of good behavior. Or more correctly, after a year of meeting nearly unattainable goals.
    As much as she felt bad about abandoning Tony to face all this alone, she knew better than to stay. She needed to get her stuff and get out. “Becky, I didn’t find the box in the garage. Is there somewhere else it would be?”
    Becky gasped. “I hope you didn’t mean that old set of Wedgwood that was in the back corner.”
    “Of course that’s what I meant.”
    Becky contorted her face into the fakest look of shock Clarissa had ever seen. “I got rid of it.”
    “You what?”
    “I sold it to that used china shop several weeks ago. I’m sure those place settings are scattered all across Tennessee by now. I never realized you wanted it.”
    “It said ‘Save for Clarissa’ all over the box in big red letters.”
    “Did it? You know how it is, after a few hours all those boxes start looking alike. I must have missed it somehow.”
    “That china belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to me. It was mine. ”
    “Then maybe you should have stored it yourself, rather than leaving it to clutter things around here.” Becky took a long swallow of the drink in her hand and looked evenly at Clarissa. She’d taken Grandma’s china, just to prove she could. “I really am sorry. Just an honest mistake.”
    There was no honest or mistake about it. Clarissa looked at Becky’s throat and pictured her hands wrapped around it, squeezing with every ounce of her strength.
    “You know what, Sweet Pea, downtown sounds like a good idea, after all. Come on, I’ll walk you out to the car, and we’ll figure out where to meet up.” Tony took her arm and gently pulled her away from the room.
    He waited until she climbed into her car to say anything more. “I’ll call you on my cell when we’re done here. Believe me, it won’t be long. I can’t deal with this, even if he is my brother.”
    “Tell me about it.” She turned the key in the ignition. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for your call. No backing out this time, promise?”
    “Promise.”
    As she pulled from the driveway, she could still see him in her rearview mirror, standing on the porch of her father’s home. It suddenly occurred to her that of all the people she’d ever loved or who had ever loved her, her uncle Tony was all