Read Online Graveminder by Melissa Marr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa Marr
Tags: Fiction, General, Death, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Love Stories, supernatural, Occult & Supernatural, Family secrets, Grandmothers, Dead, Granddaughters, Grandmothers - Death, Homecoming
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was a sure way to turn her into a criminal. Claysville took care of its own. Whether she had been born here or not, she was here now, so she’d need looking after. Which I should’ve thought of earlier. Right now, he suspected that the worst she was guilty of was theft of milk from Maylene’s porch. If she had nowhere to go, no food, and no family, there would be more serious problems in time.
Chapter 11
O NLY A FEW HOURS LATER, R EBEKKAH WOKE AFTER A FITFUL SLEEP IN her old room. It was technically a guest room now, had been since she’d stopped spending summers there, but it was still hers. She showered, dressed, and went downstairs to find Byron rubbing his eyes.
He didn’t say anything about the half-assed invitation he’d refused last night, and she didn’t tell him it didn’t freak her out to walk downstairs and find him waiting for her today. Instead, for a moment, neither spoke, and then he said, “I hate that you don’t have time to get your feet under you, but the final viewing will have started, and if we want—”
“Let’s go.” She motioned to her black dress and shoes. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. What do you need to do?”
He held up the key to her rental car. “Walk out the door.”
Byron drove her to Montgomery and Sons. They pulled around back and went in the kitchen door. He must’ve phoned ahead because William was waiting. Over his somber suit, the older man wore a frilled apron covered in pictures of bright yellow ducks. He held a wooden spoon in one hand.
“Go on.” With the spoon, he motioned at Byron and then at the stairs. “I’ll look after her.”
William turned to Rebekkah and gestured to the table.
She sat, and he poured her a cup of coffee. Momentarily she could hear the shower upstairs. It felt comforting to be there, like being in a real home—as long as she didn’t think about the other part of the house where mourners were gathering around Maylene’s body.
William set down a plate he’d just filled with scrambled eggs and bacon. “If you want to see her, you can. I know you and Maylene had your traditions, though, so we can wait till the rest of them are gone.”
Rebekkah nodded. “Thank you. I’m not going to hide all day, but the ...” She felt the tears build up again. “I’ll be fine at the service. I’ll handle the funeral breakfast. I can do this.”
“I know you can,” William said. “Can I tell the ladies that they can get the meal set up at your house?”
Rebekkah paused. My house. It was still Maylene’s house. Calling it “hers” felt wrong, but arguing semantics wouldn’t help.
William looked at her expectantly.
“Sure,” she whispered. “That’s the right place to have it. I just ... They took care of everything already, didn’t they?”
“Everything but bringing it into the house. They are efficient,” William said. “They have to be with the short time between death and burial.”
His words weren’t cruel, nor was his tone, but it still made her chest tighten. “I just heard yesterday and then the flight and coming home and ...”
She heard herself, listened to the excuses pouring from her lips. The truth was that she didn’t want to see Maylene in her casket, still and lifeless, and she surely didn’t want to do it around other people.
“And there’s the jet lag,” William added. “No one will fault you for not being out there. Not many folks even know you’re home yet.”
“Thank you. For everything. You and Byron are both being so ... I’d be even more lost without you.” She offered him a smile, a watery one, but a smile nonetheless.
William smiled gently at her. “Montgomerys will always look after Barrows, Rebekkah. I would’ve done anything for Maylene, just as Byron would do anything for you.”
Rebekkah didn’t know what to say to that. She wondered if William thought she and Byron had stayed in touch. Really not what I want to ponder. She pushed that topic away and looked at
Chapter 11
O NLY A FEW HOURS LATER, R EBEKKAH WOKE AFTER A FITFUL SLEEP IN her old room. It was technically a guest room now, had been since she’d stopped spending summers there, but it was still hers. She showered, dressed, and went downstairs to find Byron rubbing his eyes.
He didn’t say anything about the half-assed invitation he’d refused last night, and she didn’t tell him it didn’t freak her out to walk downstairs and find him waiting for her today. Instead, for a moment, neither spoke, and then he said, “I hate that you don’t have time to get your feet under you, but the final viewing will have started, and if we want—”
“Let’s go.” She motioned to her black dress and shoes. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. What do you need to do?”
He held up the key to her rental car. “Walk out the door.”
Byron drove her to Montgomery and Sons. They pulled around back and went in the kitchen door. He must’ve phoned ahead because William was waiting. Over his somber suit, the older man wore a frilled apron covered in pictures of bright yellow ducks. He held a wooden spoon in one hand.
“Go on.” With the spoon, he motioned at Byron and then at the stairs. “I’ll look after her.”
William turned to Rebekkah and gestured to the table.
She sat, and he poured her a cup of coffee. Momentarily she could hear the shower upstairs. It felt comforting to be there, like being in a real home—as long as she didn’t think about the other part of the house where mourners were gathering around Maylene’s body.
William set down a plate he’d just filled with scrambled eggs and bacon. “If you want to see her, you can. I know you and Maylene had your traditions, though, so we can wait till the rest of them are gone.”
Rebekkah nodded. “Thank you. I’m not going to hide all day, but the ...” She felt the tears build up again. “I’ll be fine at the service. I’ll handle the funeral breakfast. I can do this.”
“I know you can,” William said. “Can I tell the ladies that they can get the meal set up at your house?”
Rebekkah paused. My house. It was still Maylene’s house. Calling it “hers” felt wrong, but arguing semantics wouldn’t help.
William looked at her expectantly.
“Sure,” she whispered. “That’s the right place to have it. I just ... They took care of everything already, didn’t they?”
“Everything but bringing it into the house. They are efficient,” William said. “They have to be with the short time between death and burial.”
His words weren’t cruel, nor was his tone, but it still made her chest tighten. “I just heard yesterday and then the flight and coming home and ...”
She heard herself, listened to the excuses pouring from her lips. The truth was that she didn’t want to see Maylene in her casket, still and lifeless, and she surely didn’t want to do it around other people.
“And there’s the jet lag,” William added. “No one will fault you for not being out there. Not many folks even know you’re home yet.”
“Thank you. For everything. You and Byron are both being so ... I’d be even more lost without you.” She offered him a smile, a watery one, but a smile nonetheless.
William smiled gently at her. “Montgomerys will always look after Barrows, Rebekkah. I would’ve done anything for Maylene, just as Byron would do anything for you.”
Rebekkah didn’t know what to say to that. She wondered if William thought she and Byron had stayed in touch. Really not what I want to ponder. She pushed that topic away and looked at
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