Hometown Series Box Set by Kirsten Fullmer

Author:Kirsten Fullmer [Fullmer, Kirsten]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Augustine Press
Published: 2018-12-03T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Julia draped her arm around Lizzie as she hunched in misery on the sofa. “It will be okay…”

“Right,” Tara added. “We’ll help you figure this out. You’re not alone in Boston anymore.”

Lizzie’s head came up, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Thanks, but I don’t know what you can do.”

Tara patted her knee. “Oh, we can do plenty, you just hold on to your hat.”

“Like what?” Lizzie asked, her lip quivering. “No one can change my mother or control her. Believe me, people have tried.”

Julia frowned, hunching her shoulders as if to shield herself. “I believe you.”

Tara scowled at Julia and continued. “We can’t change anybody, but we can run interference.”

Julia’s eyes got big.

Interested, Lizzie dabbed at one eye with her knuckle, mindful of her makeup. “Like what?”

Tara bit her lip, thinking. “We need to get you out of town…”

“But my animals and the spa—”

Raising her hand to shush Lizzie’s protests, Tara continued. “Just a day trip, to give you time to regroup.”

Lizzie sniffed. “A trip where?”

“I’m thinking…” Tara replied as she stood to pace.

“I don’t mind going up to feed the animals in the evening if you need me to,” Julia offered.

Lizzie smiled sadly. “You’re sweet.”

“I’ve got it!” Tara exclaimed, causing Lizzie and Julia to jump in surprise. “I’ve been wanting to take you up to Pittsburgh to visit the flea markets.” Tara perched back on the edge of the sofa, her face bright with excitement. “The spa is closed tomorrow, so it would be the perfect day to disappear!”

Justin, Chad, Harold, and Elliot wandered into the living room. Elliot cupped a mug of steaming coffee in his hands, and Lizzie’s father sported a fuzzy expression.

The older man grinned at the women. “I believe I’ll call it a night,” he mumbled, thumping Elliot on the back, causing coffee to slosh over the rim of his mug. Elliot scrambled to catch the dripping coffee, then sighed, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling, and headed to the kitchen for a paper towel.

Harold raised his hand as a goodnight gesture and headed up the stairs to his room.

The remaining group watched in silence until they heard his footsteps clomping overhead.

“Disappear? Who’s going to disappear?” Justin finally asked.

Tara stood and scowled at her husband, her hands on her hips. “I should disappear you!”

Justin raised his hands in the air. “What did I do?”

“Besides sloshing Beatrice?”

Chad snorted at Tara’s comment and Elliot returned, bending to sop up coffee from the hardwood floor with one hand, the other balancing his mug.

Shoving his hands in the pockets, Justin glanced toward Chad for help, but his friend shrugged. Justin resigned himself. “Yeah…well, I take full responsibility for that, but I was trying to help. Harold told me she liked vodka…”

Tara wasn’t impressed.

Lizzie stood to smile weakly at Justin. “I know you were trying to help me, it’s okay.” She leaned to one side, watching Elliot’s progress, then peered past the men. “Are they still outside? I’m worried about Winnie and Becky.”

Justin snorted. “You should be worried about your mother—”

Tara glared, taking a step toward her husband.

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