until the ambulance arrives. He passed alone. I think I’ll wait until they take his body away.”
Lonnie sighed, then saw the ambulance, patted Lily’s knee, and got up.
“They’re pulling up now. Be right back.”
Lily glanced at the old man’s face. He looked so peaceful—like he’d just fallen asleep. She looked down the pathway toward the plot where his wife was buried.
At least he wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter 7
Mike and his dad were in the front yard visiting with Thomas Thane, their neighbor from across the street, when they began hearing sirens. Blessings was a small enough place that the sound of an emergency somewhere usually touched them all.
“I wonder what happened,” Don said.
“I have a scanner in the house. I could go check,” Thomas said.
“Never mind,” Don said. “If it’s bad, we’ll all find out soon enough.”
“I’m going to the porch to sit down,” Mike said, and walked away, leaving them in the yard.
He was tired of the chitchat and hated that he was already feeling shaky, although, thanks to LilyAnn, his ear infection was cured. When he’d begun getting dizzy, he’d completely forgotten about his childhood propensity for getting inner ear infections and had only himself to blame for the accident.
As he sat, he could still hear the sirens and wondered again what was going on. He glanced toward LilyAnn’s house. It was still dark. He frowned. Her car was in the driveway, but she’d walked to work again this morning. She should have been home by now.
A neighbor from down the block came outside, saw the men standing out in the yard, and came running.
“Did you hear? They found someone dead at All Saints Cemetery! Didn’t give a name but—”
Mike stood up. The image of LilyAnn walking with her head down and her shoulders slumped, as if she bore the weight of the world, flashed through his mind. He began replaying their last conversation and the confusion he’d seen on her face. He’d been so lost in his own disappointment that he hadn’t given any thought to what his reaction would do to her. All those years of grieving for Randy Joe and never moving on—he’d never thought about her being despondent enough to take her own life.
His gut knotted. If she had gone to that place in her head, the cemetery would be a logical place for her to do it. Right beside Randy Joe’s grave.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. She wouldn’t! Please God, not LilyAnn!
The sirens stopped.
He walked off the porch, past his dad and neighbor, and stopped on the sidewalk. The streetlights came on as the sun finally set. He could hear the traffic from Main Street, which was only four blocks due north. Several cars went speeding past the street where he was standing, most likely thrill-seekers going to gawk at the cemetery so they could claim firsthand experience tomorrow at the coffee shops.
And still no sign of LilyAnn.
His heart was pounding and he wanted to cry. He’d never been this scared—ever.
Please God, please.
And then he looked up the street, and the relief was so great that his eyes filled with tears.
His dad walked up behind him. “Hey, isn’t that LilyAnn?”
Mike nodded.
“Her steps are dragging. I’m gonna walk up to meet her.”
“Dad, no,” Mike said.
Don stopped, then frowned. “Look. Whatever’s going on between you two has nothing to do with the fact that I helped raise her. If you don’t like it, go in the house.”
Mike blinked. He hadn’t heard that tone of voice from his dad since he turned twenty-one. His shoulders slumped, but he stayed put, watching. He saw his dad stop—saw LilyAnn say something and then cover her face with her hands. When his dad put his arms around LilyAnn, Mike swallowed a sob, turned on his heel, and went into the house.
“Hi, honey, where’s your dad?” his mother asked, as he strode through the living room.
“Still outside. I’m going to lie down.”
Carol frowned. Something was going on. She walked out onto
Lonnie sighed, then saw the ambulance, patted Lily’s knee, and got up.
“They’re pulling up now. Be right back.”
Lily glanced at the old man’s face. He looked so peaceful—like he’d just fallen asleep. She looked down the pathway toward the plot where his wife was buried.
At least he wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter 7
Mike and his dad were in the front yard visiting with Thomas Thane, their neighbor from across the street, when they began hearing sirens. Blessings was a small enough place that the sound of an emergency somewhere usually touched them all.
“I wonder what happened,” Don said.
“I have a scanner in the house. I could go check,” Thomas said.
“Never mind,” Don said. “If it’s bad, we’ll all find out soon enough.”
“I’m going to the porch to sit down,” Mike said, and walked away, leaving them in the yard.
He was tired of the chitchat and hated that he was already feeling shaky, although, thanks to LilyAnn, his ear infection was cured. When he’d begun getting dizzy, he’d completely forgotten about his childhood propensity for getting inner ear infections and had only himself to blame for the accident.
As he sat, he could still hear the sirens and wondered again what was going on. He glanced toward LilyAnn’s house. It was still dark. He frowned. Her car was in the driveway, but she’d walked to work again this morning. She should have been home by now.
A neighbor from down the block came outside, saw the men standing out in the yard, and came running.
“Did you hear? They found someone dead at All Saints Cemetery! Didn’t give a name but—”
Mike stood up. The image of LilyAnn walking with her head down and her shoulders slumped, as if she bore the weight of the world, flashed through his mind. He began replaying their last conversation and the confusion he’d seen on her face. He’d been so lost in his own disappointment that he hadn’t given any thought to what his reaction would do to her. All those years of grieving for Randy Joe and never moving on—he’d never thought about her being despondent enough to take her own life.
His gut knotted. If she had gone to that place in her head, the cemetery would be a logical place for her to do it. Right beside Randy Joe’s grave.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. She wouldn’t! Please God, not LilyAnn!
The sirens stopped.
He walked off the porch, past his dad and neighbor, and stopped on the sidewalk. The streetlights came on as the sun finally set. He could hear the traffic from Main Street, which was only four blocks due north. Several cars went speeding past the street where he was standing, most likely thrill-seekers going to gawk at the cemetery so they could claim firsthand experience tomorrow at the coffee shops.
And still no sign of LilyAnn.
His heart was pounding and he wanted to cry. He’d never been this scared—ever.
Please God, please.
And then he looked up the street, and the relief was so great that his eyes filled with tears.
His dad walked up behind him. “Hey, isn’t that LilyAnn?”
Mike nodded.
“Her steps are dragging. I’m gonna walk up to meet her.”
“Dad, no,” Mike said.
Don stopped, then frowned. “Look. Whatever’s going on between you two has nothing to do with the fact that I helped raise her. If you don’t like it, go in the house.”
Mike blinked. He hadn’t heard that tone of voice from his dad since he turned twenty-one. His shoulders slumped, but he stayed put, watching. He saw his dad stop—saw LilyAnn say something and then cover her face with her hands. When his dad put his arms around LilyAnn, Mike swallowed a sob, turned on his heel, and went into the house.
“Hi, honey, where’s your dad?” his mother asked, as he strode through the living room.
“Still outside. I’m going to lie down.”
Carol frowned. Something was going on. She walked out onto
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