Kitchen Boss by Ashlee Price

Author:Ashlee Price [Price, Ashlee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Cathy

I trace the letters on top of the marble tombstone, cold against my touch. I can tell it used to be ivory, but it's now greyish brown from dirt and age. Moss grows in the cracks along the sides.

Trisha Holloway. 1992-2008.

I wasn't able to attend her funeral because I was still in the hospital. When I got out, I didn't have the heart to visit her grave. And then we moved and I never returned.

Until now.

I place the bouquet of white lilies in my hand on top of Trisha's grave.

"I'm sorry, Trish," I say. "I should have come here sooner."

"Who's Trish?" Maisie asks behind me.

"Like I said earlier, Trish or Trisha is your aunt," Jackson explains to her as he places his arm around her shoulder.

"She was my best friend," I add as I get up on my feet. I brush the dirt off my knees. "Remember the friend I told you about?"

"The one you tried lipstick with?" Maisie asks.

I smile. "That's right."

"Lipstick?" Jackson's eyebrows crease. "I didn't know about that. But I do know that Trisha and Cathy got into a lot of trouble together."

"Trouble?" I snort. "You must be thinking of someone else. Trisha and I were well behaved."

Jackson ignores me and turns to Maisie. "Do you know that one time they went into my room without permission and stole my science experiment?"

"We borrowed it," I correct him. I remember returning it afterwards.

"And more than once, they ate my ice cream," Jackson adds.

"Not my idea," I say in my defense.

"Hear that, Trisha?" Jackson talks in a louder voice. "Cathy says it was all you."

I frown.

"What's that?" He holds his hand against his ear as if listening to someone, then he turns to me with a grin. "She says it's okay. She knows it was always her who had the crazy ideas, but she's grateful you went along just the same. That's why you were her best friend."

My eyes grow wide. I know there's no way Trisha just spoke to Jackson. I mean, she's gone. And yet, I can't help but think those words really sound like her.

I glance around. Is she here?

"She's a little annoyed that I've brought you here," Jackson goes on.

My eyebrows arch. Trisha doesn't want me here?

"Because she told me to stay away from you."

Oh. That.

"But I'm sorry, Trisha." Jackson steps closer to the tombstone. "I couldn't stay away. I can't. I can promise you this, though. I'm not going to hurt her. I'm going to be her new best friend."

I smile at that. I hold my hand over my heart as my chest swells with warmth.

"But I'm her new best friend," Maisie argues.

I chuckle.

Jackson kneels in front of her. "You're right, sweetheart. You're her new best friend. I think your Aunt Trisha would like that, too."

Again, he cups his ear with his hand.

"What's that?" He places his hands on Maisie's shoulders. "See, she says she would. She says you and Cathy should have lots of fun together."

Maisie looks up. "We will, Aunt Trisha."

I wrap my hand around the quivering lump in my throat as I look at her.

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