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“You are in the Lord’s House,” Loretta says.
“Well, technically it’s a parking lot,” I say distractedly and turn her so our backs are to the walking explosive device. Why don’t we go inside?” I try to hustle her back towards the doors.
She digs her heels in. “What in the world for?”
“It’s hot.”
“I thought we were going to have lunch and talk about your Daddy.”
“Carter, wait!” Elisabeth’s voice rings out across the parking lot, and I groan.
Loretta peeks around my body her eyes go as wide as saucers. “Is that Wolfe’s girl?”
I grimace and nod. “Yeah.”
“Wow, she looks just like her Mama.”
It takes all my strength not to turn around and look. The week since our encounter in the library has been sheer hell.
After she left, I stood in the same spot for so long the lights went off. “You have no idea what you broke.” The anguish on her face as she told me what she’d been through hollowed me out. Not only had I disappointed her, hurt her, made her feel less than the remarkable person she is—I left her to face a terrible tragedy all by herself.
Even though her body said otherwise, her eyes didn’t. She was not just deeply hurt, she was angry. And the force of all of that pent up emotion laid me flat.
I called Porsha that night, and she talked me through the craving I had for a drink.
Even if I could make it better, she didn’t want me to try, and I’ve been telling myself it’s for the best.
It doesn’t help that I’ve seen her almost every day.
Whether it’s at the grocery store, the pharmacy, the bakery, or bank, if it even looks like we might cross paths, I’ve practiced what I call polite but unmistakable avoidance and made sure they didn’t.
If I saw her car, I rushed back inside before she could get out. I’m still bruised from our battle in the library; I figured she would be, too. But for reasons that can’t be good, Elisabeth Wolfe is approaching me like a target locked missile. And there’s no avoiding the hell or high water she’s certainly brought with her.
I man up, plaster a surprised, but not concerned smile on my face and turn around. “Hey, Beth. What’s up?” I’m impressed I manage to speak when my lungs are seizing and my heart is thundering.
“I’m sorry to ambush you like this, but I’d really like to speak with you.”
Her contrition is just the right shade of sincere. Her manners impeccable. This is the version of Beth the rest of world knows. She’s dressed in ladies who lunch best, even her shoes shine like the dirt on the ground she walks on is afraid to offend them. Her hair is always pulled back so severely from her face it makes my head hurt.
Loretta clears her throat and nudges me in the side, and I realize I’m staring. Heat creeps up my neck, and I clear my throat. “Uh, sorry. Elisabeth, this is Loretta…”
“Croft,” she finishes for me.
“I’m Beth Wolfe,” An embarrassed flush wash over her cheeks.
“You look so much like your sister, it’s remarkable,” Loretta’s voice hushed with wonder, her eyes wide.
Beth shoulders stiffen just a little, but her cool smile, fake as it is, doesn’t falter. “Yes, we did. And I’m sorry to interrupt. If this is a bad time—” She turns to me, her eyebrows raised in question. I can’t read what’s in her eyes, but I can only handle one storm at a time, and today is the only day Loretta had free.
“We were—”
Loretta waves her hand. “Not at all. I’ll just wait inside for ya’ Carter.” She turns and walks back into the cool sanctuary, leaving me to my fat
e.
“How can I help you? I take it you’re not here for the service, “ I say with deliberate formality and not like my heart is thundering like a wild horse fleeing a cage.
She smiles like I just wished her a good day. “I saw you walk inside—”
