Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) by Denise Grover Swank Page B
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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now?” His voice was sweet, but I didn’t trust him for a second.
I shook my head slowly. “No, sir.”
“She’s been in here with me for a good ten to fifteen minutes,” Roberta said, pulling out a mixing bowl. “Why you askin’?”
He looked over his shoulder, suddenly unsure. “Never mind.” Then he walked out of the room, leaving us behind.
Roberta carried on with the cookies for a few minutes before she looked down at me, terror in her eyes. “I don’t know what you saw in that man’s office, but you can never tell a soul any of it, you hear?”
I nodded, tears filling my eyes again.
She licked her lips, then leaned down until our faces were only inches apart. “Evil goes on in that office, baby girl, so you best stay far, far away.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and snugged me into a side hug. “That’s my good girl.”
Chapter Ten
Hilary
I heeded Roberta’s advice and stayed far away from J.R.’s office after that day. I also never told anyone about what I’d seen. In the beginning I felt guilty that I hadn’t done anything to help that poor woman. But as I grew older, I realized two things: one, it would have been pointless because no one, even the police, crossed J.R. Simmons, and two, J.R. would have made my life utterly miserable. And I told myself that Della’s husband must have done something terribly wrong for J.R. to hurt her like that as payment. She had to have known that going to him would be painful.
And as the years went by, Joe and I began to date on and off. He would often leave me for breaks with other girls—a behavior that displeased my parents, but made Joe’s parents even more unhappy.
When I was seventeen, Joe had broken up with me for the fourth time and was dating some white trailer trash girl who was known for her epic drinking and whoring. I was at home eating dinner with my parents one Friday night. In the middle of the meal, my father let me know how disappointed he and my mother were with my failure to keep Joe in line.
“I’m doing my best,” I said in a huff, once again wondering how I’d gotten stuck in this mess. I loved Joe, I truly did, but why would I want to be with a man who always seemed to want someone else? Yet when I mentioned that fact to my parents, my mother leaned over the corner of the dining room table and slapped my face.
I clutched my stinging cheek, fighting back tears as she pointed her finger at me. “You have no idea what’s at stake, Hilary. Your father’s future is riding on this.”
“No one asked me if I wanted to marry Joe Simmons!” But despite my protests, I would have done anything for him to say he loved me. I would have sold my soul to get him to propose.
“J.R. wants to see you,” my father said in a brusque voice.
My body froze in panic. “Why?” I forced out.
“He and Betsy want to talk to you about Joe.”
At least Betsy would be there too. Some of the tension left my body. “When?”
“Eight o’clock.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 7:30.
My mother put her napkin on the table. “Why don’t you go upstairs and freshen up and put on a pretty dress before you leave? You can wear the peach one I bought you last week.”
My hands began to shake. “Why? I’ve never dressed up just to talk to Betsy and J.R.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe that’s the problem, Hilary. You’re not putting enough effort into your appearance. If you were….”
The unspoken implication was clearly understood by everyone. If I had put in more effort, period, none of us would be in this situation.
I stood, clenching my fists at my side. “I don’t want to go. Someone else can marry Joe Simmons.” It ripped my heart out to say it, but I couldn’t handle the pressure all four of them were putting on me. It had only gotten worse now that we were in the second semester of our junior year.
My father’s fist banged on
I shook my head slowly. “No, sir.”
“She’s been in here with me for a good ten to fifteen minutes,” Roberta said, pulling out a mixing bowl. “Why you askin’?”
He looked over his shoulder, suddenly unsure. “Never mind.” Then he walked out of the room, leaving us behind.
Roberta carried on with the cookies for a few minutes before she looked down at me, terror in her eyes. “I don’t know what you saw in that man’s office, but you can never tell a soul any of it, you hear?”
I nodded, tears filling my eyes again.
She licked her lips, then leaned down until our faces were only inches apart. “Evil goes on in that office, baby girl, so you best stay far, far away.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and snugged me into a side hug. “That’s my good girl.”
Chapter Ten
Hilary
I heeded Roberta’s advice and stayed far away from J.R.’s office after that day. I also never told anyone about what I’d seen. In the beginning I felt guilty that I hadn’t done anything to help that poor woman. But as I grew older, I realized two things: one, it would have been pointless because no one, even the police, crossed J.R. Simmons, and two, J.R. would have made my life utterly miserable. And I told myself that Della’s husband must have done something terribly wrong for J.R. to hurt her like that as payment. She had to have known that going to him would be painful.
And as the years went by, Joe and I began to date on and off. He would often leave me for breaks with other girls—a behavior that displeased my parents, but made Joe’s parents even more unhappy.
When I was seventeen, Joe had broken up with me for the fourth time and was dating some white trailer trash girl who was known for her epic drinking and whoring. I was at home eating dinner with my parents one Friday night. In the middle of the meal, my father let me know how disappointed he and my mother were with my failure to keep Joe in line.
“I’m doing my best,” I said in a huff, once again wondering how I’d gotten stuck in this mess. I loved Joe, I truly did, but why would I want to be with a man who always seemed to want someone else? Yet when I mentioned that fact to my parents, my mother leaned over the corner of the dining room table and slapped my face.
I clutched my stinging cheek, fighting back tears as she pointed her finger at me. “You have no idea what’s at stake, Hilary. Your father’s future is riding on this.”
“No one asked me if I wanted to marry Joe Simmons!” But despite my protests, I would have done anything for him to say he loved me. I would have sold my soul to get him to propose.
“J.R. wants to see you,” my father said in a brusque voice.
My body froze in panic. “Why?” I forced out.
“He and Betsy want to talk to you about Joe.”
At least Betsy would be there too. Some of the tension left my body. “When?”
“Eight o’clock.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 7:30.
My mother put her napkin on the table. “Why don’t you go upstairs and freshen up and put on a pretty dress before you leave? You can wear the peach one I bought you last week.”
My hands began to shake. “Why? I’ve never dressed up just to talk to Betsy and J.R.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe that’s the problem, Hilary. You’re not putting enough effort into your appearance. If you were….”
The unspoken implication was clearly understood by everyone. If I had put in more effort, period, none of us would be in this situation.
I stood, clenching my fists at my side. “I don’t want to go. Someone else can marry Joe Simmons.” It ripped my heart out to say it, but I couldn’t handle the pressure all four of them were putting on me. It had only gotten worse now that we were in the second semester of our junior year.
My father’s fist banged on
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