In High Cotton by Kelsey Browning & Kelsey Browning

Author:Kelsey Browning & Kelsey Browning [Naigle, Nancy & Browning, Kelsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crossroads Publishing House

Chapter 15

As they exited the interstate and made their way closer to Summer Shoals, Lil’s hands trembled. She twitched in the seat, causing the belt securing her half-zipped skirt to roll up her tummy to darned near under her bra. A swoosh of cool air tickled at the exposed skin of her lower back. She tugged on the jacket to hide the gap, feeling self-conscious about her weight gain in front of Maggie. She folded her arms across her chest to camouflage the gaping buttons and half listened to Maggie as she continued to rattle on about Abby Ruth and Sera. Lil had about enough of those stories, and she wasn’t even home yet.

The carved wooden sign that read WELCOME TO SUMMER SHOALS, GEORGIA brought tears to her eyes. She was home. Just moments away from Summer Haven.

With each revolution of the tires, Lil’s body seemed to twist another rotation, like a rubber band on one of those little balsa wood propeller airplanes kids used to play with. She felt as if when the truck door opened she might zoom out like one, crashing and breaking into a million pieces.

As her beloved Summer Haven came into view, she had the unexpected urge to crouch in the floorboard. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt swollen to the point of choking off her breath.

A long horse trailer was parked alongside the carriage house. Lil cringed at the thought of how the grass must have yellowed and died under that eyesore, and what was with the tree on the left side of the house in front of the garage? From here it looked like someone had run a guillotine down one whole side of it. Teague had warned her a few of the huge oaks around Summer Haven needed attention.

“We’re home!” Maggie leapt out of the truck.

Lil pushed her door open and slid out. She tugged the belt back down over the waist of her skirt and pulled on the zipper again. One sharp pull and her jacket hid the rigging. She opened the truck’s tailgate and picked up the box containing her belongings. It almost felt silly to be bringing those things home now, but when she’d packed them it had been heart wrenching to think of leaving them behind.

She started toward the porch, but each step felt like an uphill climb, and she was having trouble catching her breath. She prayed it was just the excitement of being home. Lord, wouldn’t that be a kicker, if after all her playacting in prison she keeled over and died from a heart attack today?

When she noticed the rockers on the porch, her mouth twisted. Normally, the chairs were placed symmetrically, three on one side of the door and three on the other. Someone had rearranged four of them in a half circle on the left. The other two lay scattered on the right at odd angles.

She grabbed the handrail to steady herself. There was no flag in the flagpole. She’d always made sure the seasonal flags were changed, and everyone around town knew it.

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