Read Online A Gift of Time (The Nine Minutes Trilogy Book 3) by Beth Flynn - Free Book Online Page B

work,” he barely answered.
    He was
right. He’d missed a lot of work during our separation, and even though he
didn’t have to, I knew he wanted to make up for it. He was feeling somewhat
guilty for putting the extra work on Alec when Alec had been going through
personal problems of his own.
    “I’m not
tired. I think a hot bath will help,” I said as I softly kissed his cheek. I wasn’t
sure if he heard me or not. I could hear his quiet snores as I got myself out
of bed and headed for our bathroom.
    I loved to
take long hot soaks in my bathtub. I started the water and tossed some vanilla
bean bath salts in. I lit some candles, dimmed the lights. No need to take my
clothes off. I was already naked. I grabbed a hair band and put my long brown
hair into a high ponytail.
    I started to
climb into the tub when my eyes rested on my blue jeans that, after I’d
carefully removed and stowed the diamond earrings, I’d hastily discarded on the
closet floor after returning from Carter's earlier that day. I glanced at the
bathroom door and noticed I’d locked it behind me—a habit from years of
being barged in on by the kids.
    I walked to
the closet and picked my jeans up. I started to toss them in the hamper but
found myself reaching into the back pocket instead.
    I pulled it
out.
    The blue
bandana.
    I don’t know
how long I stared at it. I don’t remember walking to the tub or climbing in. I
don’t remember pulling my knees to my chest as I gently rested my face against
them and quietly sobbed. The flood of water filling the huge tub drowned out
any sounds I was making.
    And for the
first time, I understood why both Grizz and Tommy had lied to me for so many
years about so many things. There were just some secrets we had to keep hidden
in our hearts to shield those we loved. I didn’t agree with everything they’d
kept from me, but I could now relate. They’d justified it because they thought
they were protecting me. Isn’t that what I’d done just before making love to my
husband?
    I could
never tell Tommy that Grizz was alive because it would destroy him.
    I looked up
from my bowed position and caught my reflection in the mirror on the back of
the bathroom door. Silent tears streamed down my puffy red face.
    I stared at
the blue bandana that I’d hypnotically, unconsciously, wrapped around my
ponytail. And I realized that a part of me still loved Grizz. Somewhere, buried
deep within my heart, the memory of that love tried to claw its way to the
surface.
    But I knew
to maintain my sanity, I would have to keep it locked away—or make a
conscious effort to throw it away. For good.
    With my arms
still wrapped tightly around my legs, I laid my forehead back against my knees
and whispered to myself, “Of course I need you. I’ll always need you. But I
need Tommy too. And I’ll never sacrifice his heart to get back a piece of my
own.”

 
    Chapter Eleven
    Grizz
    1988,
Prison, North Florida

 
    It had been more than a week since Grizz’s last meeting with
Bill in the library. The last time they’d met, Bill had informed him he’d been
doing his best but couldn’t tell where the State of Florida was going with the
death penalty.
    “It seems
like it’s been put before the State Legislature a few times already, and it
keeps getting voted down. There are a lot of people who want to see lethal
injection passed since it’s a more humane death than the electric chair. It’s
fucking weird. A lot more people are for lethal injection than against it.
Seems like it would be a no-brainer, but it keeps getting squashed. Somebody
doesn’t want it passed. Sorry, man. I can’t tell you any more than that.”
    Bill looked
at Grizz with concern. He almost felt sorry for him. This guy was facing the
electric chair, and rightfully so. He deserved it. He’d read what Grizz had
done. But Bill could also understand why Grizz didn’t want to die that way. It
was barbaric.
    Grizz nodded
his head in understanding and told him