Rewriting Monday by Jodi Thomas

Author:Jodi Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

The bakery

2:45 A.M.

Heath moved the dog to a pallet on the floor. He sat next to the mutt and patted him gently, not knowing if he was sleeping off the drugs the old nurse had given him or dying.

Lack of sleep settled over Heath. Leaning his head against the side of the washer, he fell sound asleep to the sound of Lorie cleaning up in the next room. In his dreams he was back in a world that seemed a million years ago. A time when they were still married. A time before he’d shattered their life all to hell.

He couldn’t remember back before they were married. He’d walked in on a friend’s birthday party one afternoon a dozen years ago. She’d brought the cake and had stayed to serve it. When he’d taken a slice, she’d looked up at him and he swore he felt married from that moment on. She had eyes that could look at him with just a smile or a twinkle in them and change his day. He lived for the sight of her, and he’d died when he’d seen sorrow he couldn’t take away.

He didn’t know how long he slept, but he awoke to the gentle touch of her fingers on his cheek.

“Heath,” she whispered. “Wake up.”

For a moment he didn’t open his eyes because he knew when he did, she’d have moved away. He wanted one long breath of the smell of her near.

“Heath, it’s nearly three. If you’re going to drive back to Dallas, you’d better get started.”

He looked up at her, letting the shock of her so close wash over him. “I’m not going home. I need to talk to the sheriff first thing tomorrow morning.” Besides, he almost added, no place is home without you.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“In my car.” He yawned. “Or here. I was already doing a great job of practicing.”

“You can’t sleep in my laundry room.”

He patted the dog one last time and stood. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

She frowned at him. “You’re a mess. Blood and mud all over you. Why don’t you go up to my place and clean up? I don’t suppose you have a change of clothes?”

“Nope.”

“Well, strip here and I’ll put them in to wash. This time of night no one will see a naked man climb up my stairs. You can sleep on my couch. I’ll put your clothes in the dryer when I come down to start the doughnuts. By the time you wake up they’ll be dry and waiting for you.”

He grinned. “You always invite naked men to sleep over?” he asked as he pulled off his shirt.

“No, but this seems to be my night for taking in strays.”

He pulled off his boots and pants. While she loaded the washer, he stood in his underwear and washed off his boots at the laundry room sink.

When he turned around, she was staring at him.

“You’ve got a few more scars than you had five years ago.”

He wished he could tell her about the ones inside.

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