These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf Unabridged CD Audiobook by Gudenkauf Heather

Author:Gudenkauf, Heather [Gudenkauf, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, thriller, Suspense, Young Adult, Contemporary, Adult, Crime
ISBN: 9781449847876
Amazon: 1449847870
Goodreads: 33846650
Publisher: Recorded Books
Published: 2011-01-18T08:00:00+00:00

Charm

Charm stops at the grocery store and picks up an apple pie from the bakery case and a carton of vanilla ice cream. She considers buying the cheapest generic brand of ice cream she can find, seeing as she’ll probably end up leaving Reanne’s before dessert. But her mother will be all light and air and will wonder sweetly out loud if Gus and Charm are having financial difficulties and what a shame that would be, since Gus got the house in their divorce. Charm knows she couldn’t splurge for the expensive ice cream, either; her mother would think she was putting on airs. No Häagen-Dazs tonight. Charm settles on a midpriced half gallon of French vanilla.

Reanne greets Charm at the door with a big hug. Binks takes the pie and ice cream from her hands and pats her awkwardly on the shoulder.

“It’s so good to see you, Charm,” Reanne says. She has put on weight. Her curves have turned to chub and her hair, rather than sun-streaked, looks brittle and overprocessed. Fine lines have settled beneath her eyes and her makeup has bled into the crevices. Charm resists the urge to wet her finger and wipe it away.

Her mother has gone to a lot of trouble. The small kitchen table is covered with a floral cloth and candles are lit.

“Wow,” Charm says, taking it all in. “What’s the occasion?”

“Just you come in and sit down. Dinner is ready. Let’s eat it while it’s hot,” she says, nudging her toward the table.

“Okay, okay.” Charm laughs guardedly as she takes a seat. “It smells really good,” she offers charitably.

“You’ll have to thank Binks for the chicken. He made that. But I made the potatoes. Mashed, just the way you like them!”

Charm feels a sudden pang of regret. Gus is at home with only the hospice volunteer to look after him. “Those are Gus’s favorite, too.”

Reanne quickly glances at Binks to see if he caught the comment, but he’s busy forking the chicken onto plates. She waits until he sits down and the dishes of food have been passed around. Charm takes a few bites. The chicken is dry and she struggles to swallow. Binks smiles and nods at Reanne and she wiggles in her seat as if bursting to speak.

“What?” Charm asks, fearful of the response.

“Binks and I are getting married!” Reanne screeches with happiness, and Charm finds a smile frozen to her face. She tries to make her lips move but nothing happens. Binks and Reanne look at her expectantly.

“Wow,” Charm says softly. Suddenly the need to get out of this tiny apartment with its greasy, cigarette-infused air and kitschy knickknacks is overwhelming.

“And…?” Her mother leans toward Charm, waiting for more. Binks is looking down at his plate. Mashed potatoes are stuck to his mustache.

“And…I’m happy for you,” Charm says, the quivering ripple in her voice betraying her. All she can think of was how badly Gus wanted to marry her mother. This amazingly kind, responsible, handsome man loved her mother, but she had walked away.

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