Resurrecting Harry by Constance Phillips Page A

tight around her, and her head found his shoulder. His comforting voice caressed her ear. So right, yet...She braced her hands against him and firmly pushed back, leaving a dark, empty hole where her heart had just fluttered. “I only had a couple of sips.”
    “It’s hard to tell with anything homemade. It could be stronger than what you’re used to, or tainted—”
    She shielded her face with her hand, abruptly stopping him. “I trust Martin. He wouldn’t give me anything that wasn’t safe.” As another wave of nausea hit her, she reconsidered. “But you could be right. Possibly, it is stronger than I’m used to.”
    “Go rest in the living room while I finish making these sandwiches.”
    She smacked her hand against the table in defiance. “Erich! I promised you I’d provide the meals.”
    “And you are. Everything is ready. I just have to put it together. Please. Take a moment to collect yourself.”
    The weight of the world settled in, and she couldn’t argue, didn’t even want to. A few moments on the couch might be just what she needed to unburden her heart. Once again, she conceded and allowed Erich to save the day, wondering if a pattern was developing.
    ***
    The hours at work passed at a glacial pace. Bess didn’t visit, and without the distraction Erich could only count the minutes until quitting time. Now that he had a place in her house, he didn’t need the job. It had served its purpose and brought them closer together. Resigning seemed like an obvious decision, but he knew it would set him back. He’d look lazy, a trait both Bess and Harry had frowned upon.
    Erich explained to Will that he needed to pick up a few things at the hardware store for Bess, and was granted an advance on his first week’s pay. It wasn’t a lie. Not really. He did have to fix the lock. Will didn’t need to know she’d left plenty of money for Erich to buy what he needed for the chore. Nor was it any of Will’s business how badly Erich needed antiseptic and bandages to tend to his wound. He also kept to himself just how the incision had grown from a tender annoyance to downright painful, swollen and oozy.
    After the deli closed, he rushed through the hardware and drug stores, purchasing the needed items before making a beeline for home. Anxious to see Bess again, he didn’t care if her greeting was warm or cool. As long as he could be with her, it didn’t matter.
    Instead, he found a note on the kitchen table telling him she was napping and prescribing a list of chores. The living room smelled of stale cigarettes. No doubt she’d spent the day chain smoking and reading the book on spiritualism that was now abandoned on the end table. All in the name of honoring Harry. Yet again, he was seeing with his own eyes how accurately Jaden had painted the picture of what her life had become. A truth he’d denied and a reality Harry had caused. A wave of nausea bubbled up from his gut as guilt settled in the void.
    In the guest room, he found a stack of shirts, pants and undergarments — all from Harry’s closet and dresser. Thankful for the gift, despite the fact they were his belongings in the first place, he put them in the chest, dressed his wound and began shortening the list of chores she’d given him.
    He fixed the lock and then began pushing the hand-powered mover to and fro through the overgrown lawn. Up and down over the uneven terrain, he often had to stop and move the large rocks that littered the lawn to the edge of the flowerbeds that surrounded the house. He also noted the patches of weeds that had taken up residence in his absence. If the herbicide usually stored in the shed was gone, he’d have to pick some up in town.
    He’d hoped Bess would venture outside to keep him company, or at the very least bark some orders at him. Time in the evening air would do her a world of good, but he didn’t have a clue how to invite her without angering her. He wondered if she’d been drinking that brandy