AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When they stepped out into night and headed for his car, his words were still running through her thoughts. He’d said she was beautiful? She knew it wasn’t true.
Yet in this moment, she could imagine the stars and moon shone just for her, and that his gentle touch would be with her all the rest of her days.
But soon, she’d only have him in her dreams.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The week after Thanksgiving, Sara headed out to Leon’s place with a box of surprises and the hope that he would be in a good mood.
A month had passed since his gunshot wound, and his resistance to visits from his social worker, a public-health nurse, and the housekeeper had remained as firm as ever.
He had, however, discovered the benefit of accepting his noon meals-on-wheels deliveries because he really loved the desserts. And he’d begun accepting Sara’s visits because she’d discovered the one overwhelming love of his life—Twinkies.
Sharing a quart carton of milk and a twelve-pack of the sweet little cakes with the cream filling on a daily basis hadn’t done much for her waistline, but now she knew the key to his heart.
And today she planned to put that key to the test.
He met her at the gate with a big, toothless grin, but his attention was riveted on the box she held.
“I’ve got something special for you, Leon. Do you know what day this is?”
His brow furrowed.
“It’s a special day. The ladies who come out to help you will be here in a few minutes, and we’re going to have some fun.”
His grin faded. “Twinkies?”
“You bet. But I’ve got something more here. Let’s go inside to your kitchen table and see what we’ve got in this box, okay?”
Once inside, she glanced around. The interior of the little house was plain, the furnishings clearly items that had been discarded by other families. Though Leon didn’t dust or clean the windows, the dishes were always washed and he kept the floor swept.
He moved to a chair at the table and sat down. “Twinkies?”
“In a minute.” Through the window, she saw the three middle-aged women approach the house, their expressions cautious.
Leon saw them and shot to his feet. Sara reached into the box and gave him a small package of Twinkies. “Don’t go, Leon. Please.”
