Where The Old Roses Grow: Eureka Springs Second Chance Romance Book 1 by Gracie Gable

Author:Gracie Gable [Gable, Gracie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pink Rosebud Press
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

8

JAHI

The moment Rose opens the door, I know Jolene nailed it. Rose looks at me with bloodshot, puffy eyes. She sniffles and wipes her nose on her pajama sleeve. I don’t see any wine on the table. She probably doesn’t indulge in day drinking, or maybe any drinking at all.

“Hi,” she says and lets me in. “Why are you here?” She doesn’t sit, so I just follow her lead in case she wants me to leave.

“Jolene called and told me to pick up Lily myself because you’re having some kind of personal crisis. I was worried about you.”

“And where’s Lily?” she asks.

“Still with Jolene.”

“That little girl must be bored to death,” she says and sits down. I take that as my invitation.

“Are you okay?” I ask. I give her a look and then want to punch myself. “Sorry, stupid question. Of course you’re not.”

“I’m not.”

“Can I help?”

“Drink with me,” she says.

I nod. “Absolutely.”

She goes to her kitchen and returns with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine.

“Here. It’s a cheap grocery wine. I love what James Thurber said about wine like this, ‘It’s a naïve, domestic Burgundy without any breeding, but I think you’ll be amused by its presumption.’”

“The best kind,” I assure her, and laugh. She unscrews the bottle and unceremoniously splashes a yeoman’s share into each glass. She’s brainy and funny even when she’s devastated.

She smiles, but her eyes are sad. “Thanks for this. I hope it’s not inconvenient for you.”

“What? No way. I wanted to check up on you.”

“You’re sure Jolene didn’t tell you to come here? You know, giving you a little nudge?” She makes air quotes.

I laugh. Jolene can be pushy at times. “I wish to give her credit, but sadly, she didn’t.”

Rose hands me a glass of wine.

“Cheers,” she says flatly. She downs the wine in two reckless gulps and pours another while I watch. She finishes and pours a third glass.

“Why are you not drinking?”

I watch her. “You need it more.”

She nods. “You’re right, Jahi. I need it. I need surging high tides of wine, great sloshing oceans of wine to fix this. I need all the wine in the world, so my ex won’t have any at his wedding. What is a wedding without wine? I hope it flops. I wish them everything bad,” Rose spits out the words. She finishes another glass.

“That’s why you’re sad? Your ex-husband is getting remarried?” I ask.

“Yes. That man told me marriage wasn’t for him. Something must be wrong with me. Men always leave me. I’m too broken, and I can’t see it. My ex-husband saw it and thought the best thing was to leave me alone with it.” Rose cries, and my chest tightens.

“How could I have let him deceive me? I let him treat me so badly and degrade me at every turn. My mom and sister thought he was terrible. They despised him. They believed he was ill, but I repeatedly made excuses for this idiot. I hate myself for being so stupid.

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