Finding Home by J. C. Valentine

Author:J. C. Valentine [Valentine, J. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

The rooster may have woken her up, but the murmured conversation was what captured her attention the following morning and had Vivian making her way downstairs. She recognized Nash’s deep timber immediately, mixed with Gretta’s softer motherly voice.

Intuition told her they were discussing something serious, and she should stay out of it, but the curious woman in her told her to stay quiet and listen closer, find out what she could.

She knew it was wrong as she crept down to the last stair and stayed put, straining to hear every syllable spoken between them. Judging by their low tones, she had a feeling it had something to do with her, with last night.

“…didn’t mean to,” she heard him say.

Was Nash regretting kissing her?

“I understand, but you can’t go beatin’ yourself up like this,” Gretta comforted.

Vivian’s thoughts strayed to his wife. Did he feel like he’d betrayed her with Vivian? She was gone from the world, but no doubt she wasn’t yet gone from his heart. It was selfish of her, but Vivian wondered how in the world she could compete with a dead woman…assuming there was any competition at all.

Their kiss could merely have been a mistake. Nash had put away a few beers. Maybe he was just a little drunk and didn’t mean to. Maybe he didn’t really like her like that. Maybe Vivian’s needy personality and loneliness, her own desire to be wanted, was creating connections that didn’t really exist.

Was she just fooling herself?

Disheartened, she decided she should return to her room and think about moving on, letting these people get back to their lives without her interference. It would probably be best for everyone if she did leave. Here she was forcing herself to fit in somewhere she never belonged and likely never would.

Like Nash had said, she was a kept woman. She was used to the finer things in life, in people taking care of her. Here, everyone was the total opposite. They worked hard every day for what they had. They were warm and caring, loving even to strangers. It just felt so good to be surrounded by all of that. She’d thought maybe she could touch some of that, maybe find herself here, but maybe none of it was meant for her.

She couldn’t go home. She couldn’t stay here. But she could take with her a few memories.

Silently climbing the stairs back to her room, Vivian packed everything of hers back into their suitcases and, when she was done, carried the first and heaviest of them downstairs, careful not to make any noise, so she didn’t arouse notice.

The last thing she wanted to do was have it out with Gretta over her leaving. The woman would no doubt insist she stay, but it would be easier to fight with her after the car was packed and she was ready to leave.

Vivian didn’t get that far.

The moment she set foot on the front porch, Vivian’s arms grew heavy and fell to her sides, the suitcase crashing to the deck at her feet with a resounding thump.

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