He hadn’t seen her body when he’d taken her against
the wall in this house. The next time, he wanted her completely naked so he
could lick every part of her.
There isn’t going to be a next time, so
get that thought out of your head right now.
“I’ve met a lot of people at the post
office, grocery store, places like that.” Alaina tore her roll in half.
“They’re all very curious about me and the house.”
“Word gets around quick in a small town.”
“Most of them have been very nice and
friendly. Some of the older ones have pointed out what happened here so long
ago with your great-grandfather.”
Rye forked up his last bite of beef, his
gaze focused on his plate. “You know about that?”
“I lived here until I was thirteen, Rye. I
was young, but I heard all about the murder. How could I not have known about
the only murder in Lanville for over two hundred and fifty years?”
Setting aside his plate, he looked at
Alaina again. “My great-grandfather didn’t kill that woman.”
“He was convicted and hanged for it.”
“I don’t care. I’ll never believe he did
it. My grandfather was only two months old when Laura Cummins was murdered. Why
would my great-grandfather risk his marriage and the future of his new son by
stabbing her? That never made sense.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t make sense.”
Rye set his empty plate on the blanket. “My
great-grandmother had nowhere to go, no family to help her. She moved in with
my great-great-grandparents because she had no choice. She couldn’t go anywhere
in town without people whispering behind her back about her husband being a
murderer.”
“I imagine that was very hard for her.”
“ She had nothing to do with the
murder, yet people still blamed her for it.”
“I could never blame anyone for something a
member of their family did.”
“Neither could I.”
“Really?” She tilted her head and looked
him in the eyes. “Isn’t that what you’re doing with me?”
Chapter Nine
April 18, 1937
It was such a beautiful day, Laura and I
walked home from church instead of riding with our parents. One of the nice
things about living in a small town is that everything is close. We live only
half a mile from the church. It’s nice to stretch our legs after Brother Winston’s
sermon.
He pulled
up beside us in his fancy car and offered us a ride home. Laura smiled and
blushed. I know she would’ve accepted his invitation if I hadn’t quickly
declined it. The black look he gave me chilled me to my soul. Why can’t my
sister see what an evil man he is?
* * * * *
Bull’s-eye. Alaina had gotten Rye with that
question…one he obviously didn’t know how to answer. He stared at her, his last
bite of roll halfway to his mouth as if he’d forgotten he held it.
“You’re nice to me when other people are
around. But if I get too close to you or accidentally touch you, you skitter
away like you’ve been shocked by a live wire. I promise I’m not poison.”
He laid the roll on his empty plate, his
eyes downcast. “I know that.”
“Whether you believe me or not, I don’t
make a habit of having sex with a man the first time I meet him. I know
technically I knew you years ago, but you didn’t remember me and I’ve changed a
lot in sixteen years.”
“We both have.”
“We were scorching together, Rye. And to be
honest with you, I wouldn’t mind it happening again.”
His gaze met hers, but she couldn’t tell
his thoughts by his blank expression. “Is that why you brought the picnic, to
put me in the mood?”
It hurt that he thought she would try to
trick him. Alesia must have trampled his heart into little bits. “No. I brought
the picnic to thank you for all your hard work. I know you’ve put in longer
hours than anyone else. I wanted to do something nice for you. I obviously made
a mistake.”
Alaina began to gather up their items to
put in the basket. She hoped she could get out of here before she burst
the wall in this house. The next time, he wanted her completely naked so he
could lick every part of her.
There isn’t going to be a next time, so
get that thought out of your head right now.
“I’ve met a lot of people at the post
office, grocery store, places like that.” Alaina tore her roll in half.
“They’re all very curious about me and the house.”
“Word gets around quick in a small town.”
“Most of them have been very nice and
friendly. Some of the older ones have pointed out what happened here so long
ago with your great-grandfather.”
Rye forked up his last bite of beef, his
gaze focused on his plate. “You know about that?”
“I lived here until I was thirteen, Rye. I
was young, but I heard all about the murder. How could I not have known about
the only murder in Lanville for over two hundred and fifty years?”
Setting aside his plate, he looked at
Alaina again. “My great-grandfather didn’t kill that woman.”
“He was convicted and hanged for it.”
“I don’t care. I’ll never believe he did
it. My grandfather was only two months old when Laura Cummins was murdered. Why
would my great-grandfather risk his marriage and the future of his new son by
stabbing her? That never made sense.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t make sense.”
Rye set his empty plate on the blanket. “My
great-grandmother had nowhere to go, no family to help her. She moved in with
my great-great-grandparents because she had no choice. She couldn’t go anywhere
in town without people whispering behind her back about her husband being a
murderer.”
“I imagine that was very hard for her.”
“ She had nothing to do with the
murder, yet people still blamed her for it.”
“I could never blame anyone for something a
member of their family did.”
“Neither could I.”
“Really?” She tilted her head and looked
him in the eyes. “Isn’t that what you’re doing with me?”
Chapter Nine
April 18, 1937
It was such a beautiful day, Laura and I
walked home from church instead of riding with our parents. One of the nice
things about living in a small town is that everything is close. We live only
half a mile from the church. It’s nice to stretch our legs after Brother Winston’s
sermon.
He pulled
up beside us in his fancy car and offered us a ride home. Laura smiled and
blushed. I know she would’ve accepted his invitation if I hadn’t quickly
declined it. The black look he gave me chilled me to my soul. Why can’t my
sister see what an evil man he is?
* * * * *
Bull’s-eye. Alaina had gotten Rye with that
question…one he obviously didn’t know how to answer. He stared at her, his last
bite of roll halfway to his mouth as if he’d forgotten he held it.
“You’re nice to me when other people are
around. But if I get too close to you or accidentally touch you, you skitter
away like you’ve been shocked by a live wire. I promise I’m not poison.”
He laid the roll on his empty plate, his
eyes downcast. “I know that.”
“Whether you believe me or not, I don’t
make a habit of having sex with a man the first time I meet him. I know
technically I knew you years ago, but you didn’t remember me and I’ve changed a
lot in sixteen years.”
“We both have.”
“We were scorching together, Rye. And to be
honest with you, I wouldn’t mind it happening again.”
His gaze met hers, but she couldn’t tell
his thoughts by his blank expression. “Is that why you brought the picnic, to
put me in the mood?”
It hurt that he thought she would try to
trick him. Alesia must have trampled his heart into little bits. “No. I brought
the picnic to thank you for all your hard work. I know you’ve put in longer
hours than anyone else. I wanted to do something nice for you. I obviously made
a mistake.”
Alaina began to gather up their items to
put in the basket. She hoped she could get out of here before she burst
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