Her Troubled Mind by Kelly Utt

Author:Kelly Utt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Standards of Starlight
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

4

Mim tapped her fingertips on the edge of the hospital bed as she considered her options. Luke was right. She knew more than she was saying about the fire. And there had been a good reason that she’d seemed out of it as flames had taken over. She stared out the open window, willing her mind to think.

She really needed to talk to Doug. He’d know what to do.

In what could only be described as good timing, the door opened and Doug rushed in. He cupped his wife’s face in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips, tears streaming down his cheeks. Their love was true.

“Oh, Mim,” he said. “Damnit, you had me scared to death.”

“I’m okay,” she replied. “No problem. I’ll be back at it again just as soon as they let me out of here. I imagine there’s a lot of cleanup work to do at the store.”

Doug sat on the edge of her bed, clasping one of her hands. “Mim, hon, there’s no store left. It’s caput. Gone. Finished.”

“Really?” she asked. “I can hardly fathom that. Harmon’s Grocery has been a landmark in Rosemary Run since long before I was born. I can’t imagine that it’s completely gone.”

“Well, imagine it. It’s done.”

“Wow.”

“The town is in shock right along with you. People have been sharing memories and pictures on the store’s social media pages. Some have even brought flowers and gifts to a makeshift shrine in the front parking lot.”

“Are you serious?”

“Serious as a heart attack,” Doug answered. “Although maybe I shouldn’t joke about heart attacks here.”

Mim chuckled. She could count on Doug to lighten the mood, no matter how heavy things got. It was one of the qualities she loved most about him.

“I didn’t know people would be so upset. At the end of the day, it’s just a store.”

“Hon, to this town, it’s much more. You know that. If you didn’t, we’d be living in San Francisco right now.”

Mim nodded, smiling.

“Tell me something,” Doug continued. “Why in the world did you call me instead of 9-1-1? You have to realize how insane that was, right?”

“Now you sound like the detectives who just questioned me. I don’t know why I did that. I was in shock.”

“I know you too well, remember. Tell me the whole story. In shock about what?”

Mim shook her head. “I’d like to tell you. In fact, I was just sitting here thinking I wanted to tell you when you came in. But I’m not sure I should.”

Doug raised a hand to his temple and closed his eyes. “I knew there was more. Come on, Mim. Spill it.”

“It isn’t that simple.”

“No?”

“It’s not.”

Doug looked frustrated. “Mim, our kids need you to tell the truth so we can get back to some semblance of normal life as soon as possible. We’re not young and single anymore. We have them to think about. You have to act mature.”

“You think I don’t act mature? Really? I’m the very definition of mature… giving up my own desires to do the right thing for my family.

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