A Good Vintage by Kane Ashlyn

Author:Kane, Ashlyn [Kane, Ashlyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2013-12-05T08:00:00+00:00

~Interlude~

WHEN THE doctors said there was nothing more they could do, Mal thought Tori would want to go home. It wasn’t the first time she surprised him.

“Don’t be stupid.” She was wearing one of her wigs—a bright-pink number Jo had picked out—and despite the late stage of her illness, she said this with more conviction than she’d said anything in the past four months.

Just looking at her made Mal exhausted. “You don’t want to go home?” That had never occurred to him, and grief overshadowed his surprise.

“Baby.” Tori sat up and reached for his hand. Mal took it; her skin had turned to paper, brittle and dry. Her hand was freezing. “You know I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Mal swallowed and broke eye contact to stare down at their linked hands. He didn’t know if he could have this conversation.

“But we both know this is the end for me. I’m tired.” He heard her take a shaky breath, but when she spoke again, her voice was strong. “Mal, look at me.”

He blinked a couple times and looked up.

Tori squeezed his hand. “I’m ready. I don’t want to leave you, but that choice has been taken out of my hands. This is one choice I can still make. Don’t ask me to spoil your home, okay? I know how much you love it. I need you to take care of it for me. I need you to take care of it for you.”

What could he say to that? The only thing he could do was nod and press his face into her hair. Or try. The wig didn’t smell right, but strong as she was, Tori was self-conscious about her baldness. He wouldn’t ask her to take it off.

She pulled back a little and tried to meet his eyes. “I want you to promise me something else.”

The tone in her voice turned his blood to ice in his veins, and he shook his head minutely. No. He couldn’t.

“Mal.”

God damn it. If Tori could find the strength to say it, he could find the strength to listen. He tightened his grip and took a deep breath before nodding.

“You do whatever you have to do to live a good life, okay? Don’t go around feeling guilty and sad. If you find someone who makes you happy, hang on to them. And if you don’t, don’t be bitter.” She had such passion in her voice, in her eyes. It was hard to believe it would all be gone soon.

Mal licked his lips and shook his head again. “I don’t know if I can promise that.”

Tori gave him a sad smile. “Promise you’ll try.”

Not trusting his voice, he blinked rapidly, then nodded.

“Good.” Tori took another deep breath, pulled her hand back, and adjusted the wig. “Now, do you think you can sneak me in some real food? I hear that new barbecue place has great ribs.”

As it turned out, the Smoke Shack did have really good ribs—even better than Gabriela’s. It was the last meal Tori ate.

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