Read Online Color Me Bad: A Novella by Sharon Sala - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sharon Sala
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body. She hadn’t given her life this much thought since the day after Randy Joe’s funeral.
“I’m leaving now,” she said.
“Have a good evening, LilyAnn,” Mitchell said, and waved good-bye.
Lily waved. “You, too, Mitchell.”
The air was even colder now than it had been at noon. She pulled the collar of her jacket up around her neck, ducked her head into the wind, and started home. Even though it was only ten blocks from here, she was wishing she’d driven.
She was almost at the corner when someone honked, then shouted out her name.
“Hey, LilyAnn!”
She paused. It was Mike, her next-door neighbor, who’d braked out on the street.
“Want a ride, honey?”
She nodded and ran out into the street, circled the back end of his car, and got in.
“Thanks. It sure got cold today, didn’t it?”
Mike Dalton nodded, but he was eyeing her new hairstyle.
“I like your hair pulled back like that.”
She blinked. “Oh, thanks. I’d forgotten all about it. It was Sister Dye’s idea.”
“Well, it was a good one,” Mike said. “Were you busy today?”
“Yes, were you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, when it gets closer to the holidays, people always come in more often. I guess they want to lose a little extra because of the holiday food and parties.”
“Right,” Lily muttered, and pulled her jacket a little closer around her stomach.
Mike sighed as he accelerated. He wanted to grab LilyAnn and shake her. She talked to him, but she never looked at him. How could one woman be so oblivious? He’d loved her since the tenth grade and every day of his life since, but she’d never seen him like that.
When Randy Joe Bentonfield finally got to first base with her in high school, every boy knew it just from the smirk he wore the next day. And when Randy Joe finally hit a home run, Mike seriously considered beating the hell out of him just to wipe that smile off his face. As it turned out, he didn’t have to. An IED in a foreign land wiped Randy Joe straight off the earth. Back then, Mike was sorry as he could be that Randy Joe was dead, but he wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t sorry she was free again.
Only it had done him no good. He’d spent the last eleven years living next door to the woman of his heart, hoping one day she would really look at him and knowing if she did, he wouldn’t have to say a thing. It would be impossible for her to miss the love on his face.
He stopped for a red light.
“Are you doing anything special tonight?”
She glanced at Mike. “No, are you?”
“It’s all-you-can-eat shrimp night at Granny’s Country Kitchen. I don’t have any leftovers. Wanna go eat with me?”
She shrugged. “I guess. But I need to shower and change clothes first.”
“Me, too,” Mike said. He would have loved a little more enthusiasm, but he’d take what he could get. “Wear something warm, for sure.”
“Yeah, for sure,” she muttered, and then saw Willa Dean waving at them as she locked up the travel agency for the night. She smiled and waved back.
“Ever want to travel?” Mike asked.
“Hmm? What? Oh, I don’t know. Once I thought I would like to see Jamaica, but I never thought much about it since.”
“Your mom is in Florida. Why don’t you ever go see her?”
LilyAnn shrugged. “I don’t much like her husband, and he doesn’t much like me.”
Mike frowned. “How do you know he doesn’t like you?”
“Last time they came to visit, he made the comment that I was nothing like my mother. It felt like a dig.”
Mike’s face flushed a dark, angry red. “You never said anything before.”
“So? What could you do about it?”
“I could have punched his damn face,” Mike muttered.
Lily gasped. “Well, of course you could not. That’s Mama’s husband.”
“Yes, and you’re her daughter, and he owes you some respect.”
She sighed. “I know, but don’t ever say anything to her, okay? She’s happy. I don’t want to spoil that.”
The light
“I’m leaving now,” she said.
“Have a good evening, LilyAnn,” Mitchell said, and waved good-bye.
Lily waved. “You, too, Mitchell.”
The air was even colder now than it had been at noon. She pulled the collar of her jacket up around her neck, ducked her head into the wind, and started home. Even though it was only ten blocks from here, she was wishing she’d driven.
She was almost at the corner when someone honked, then shouted out her name.
“Hey, LilyAnn!”
She paused. It was Mike, her next-door neighbor, who’d braked out on the street.
“Want a ride, honey?”
She nodded and ran out into the street, circled the back end of his car, and got in.
“Thanks. It sure got cold today, didn’t it?”
Mike Dalton nodded, but he was eyeing her new hairstyle.
“I like your hair pulled back like that.”
She blinked. “Oh, thanks. I’d forgotten all about it. It was Sister Dye’s idea.”
“Well, it was a good one,” Mike said. “Were you busy today?”
“Yes, were you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, when it gets closer to the holidays, people always come in more often. I guess they want to lose a little extra because of the holiday food and parties.”
“Right,” Lily muttered, and pulled her jacket a little closer around her stomach.
Mike sighed as he accelerated. He wanted to grab LilyAnn and shake her. She talked to him, but she never looked at him. How could one woman be so oblivious? He’d loved her since the tenth grade and every day of his life since, but she’d never seen him like that.
When Randy Joe Bentonfield finally got to first base with her in high school, every boy knew it just from the smirk he wore the next day. And when Randy Joe finally hit a home run, Mike seriously considered beating the hell out of him just to wipe that smile off his face. As it turned out, he didn’t have to. An IED in a foreign land wiped Randy Joe straight off the earth. Back then, Mike was sorry as he could be that Randy Joe was dead, but he wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t sorry she was free again.
Only it had done him no good. He’d spent the last eleven years living next door to the woman of his heart, hoping one day she would really look at him and knowing if she did, he wouldn’t have to say a thing. It would be impossible for her to miss the love on his face.
He stopped for a red light.
“Are you doing anything special tonight?”
She glanced at Mike. “No, are you?”
“It’s all-you-can-eat shrimp night at Granny’s Country Kitchen. I don’t have any leftovers. Wanna go eat with me?”
She shrugged. “I guess. But I need to shower and change clothes first.”
“Me, too,” Mike said. He would have loved a little more enthusiasm, but he’d take what he could get. “Wear something warm, for sure.”
“Yeah, for sure,” she muttered, and then saw Willa Dean waving at them as she locked up the travel agency for the night. She smiled and waved back.
“Ever want to travel?” Mike asked.
“Hmm? What? Oh, I don’t know. Once I thought I would like to see Jamaica, but I never thought much about it since.”
“Your mom is in Florida. Why don’t you ever go see her?”
LilyAnn shrugged. “I don’t much like her husband, and he doesn’t much like me.”
Mike frowned. “How do you know he doesn’t like you?”
“Last time they came to visit, he made the comment that I was nothing like my mother. It felt like a dig.”
Mike’s face flushed a dark, angry red. “You never said anything before.”
“So? What could you do about it?”
“I could have punched his damn face,” Mike muttered.
Lily gasped. “Well, of course you could not. That’s Mama’s husband.”
“Yes, and you’re her daughter, and he owes you some respect.”
She sighed. “I know, but don’t ever say anything to her, okay? She’s happy. I don’t want to spoil that.”
The light
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