Read Online Heaven Beside You by Christa Maurice - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christa Maurice
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her. Over the collar and past Jason’s arm, she saw Paul simpering from the kitchen door before she turned to step into it. As she adjusted it around her shoulders, Jason scooped her hair out of the collar. The backs of his fingers brushed her neck. She had to bite back a moan of pleasure. The outward ripples of delight threatened to roll her eyes back in her head an instant before they nearly unhinged her knees. She kept her expression neutral through force of will, but her mother’s gaze sharpened on her face anyway. It was hopeless.
Chapter 5
“When I’m done, I’ll come help you.” The cold wind sliced through her. She hugged herself, trying to get a little more coverage out of the inadequate coat. The cold at least encouraged her parents to hurry home.
“I still don’t know what to buy,” Jason protested. “Why don’t I go with you, and when you’re done, we can do my shopping together?”
Stars and birds should be circling her head from the cartoon anvil that just fell on it, but she refrained from looking. She needed a few minutes away from the too tempting Mr. Callisto to get her head back on straight.
But her father approved of him. Dad, who disapproved of the accountant, thought the rock star was dandy.
Her father must be getting senile.
“No, I just have a couple of quick stops anyway.” She unlocked her truck and grabbed the box of mail on the seat. “Look for stuff you can eat without cooking, or heat and eat. I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Jason shifted from foot to foot beside the truck like he was being abandoned.
Cass shut her door and set off for the post office with her box, not looking back to check if he was watching her.
The town commercial district consisted of two blocks along the imaginatively named Main Street, with lesser businesses off Maple, Pine and Willow avenues. Apart from the cars parked on the street, it looked like a movie set for the Depression. The town hall sat at the center of town with a statue of a Civil War hero on his horse in front of it. Every year the high school graduating class pulled a prank involving the statue. Last year they’d dressed the poor man in a flowered dress and straw hat. Cass’s class had mummified him and his horse in torn sheets.
Beside the town hall was the post office. Cass pushed through the door and breathed deeply. The post office always smelled of wood, paper and coffee. Sanity itself, something in short supply after that lunch.
“Well, hello, Cassandra,” Ben, the postmaster greeted her. “I didn’t expect to see you in town already. And dressed up so pretty today. I heard you got yourself a winter guest.”
“Hi, Ben.” Cass set her box on the counter. She should have known the whole town would know about Jason even if they didn’t know who he was. How had she not considered that when she’d offered to drive him down for groceries and lunch? “I do have a guest, but he didn’t pack any food so I volunteered to bring him in to the grocery store.”
“Good girl,” Ben told her, his white walrus mustache quivering. “Got some things to go, do you?”
“Yeah.” She took the letter she’d written to Gretta off the top of the box. “I need this one to go overnight.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Truck’s already been.”
“I just want it to go out as soon as possible.”
“I think that’s doable. I’ll take this and get you your mail.”
Ben shuffled into the back room. He’d been the postmaster here all her life. The post office was only open a few hours a day and those were apt to change if he wasn’t feeling well. Years ago, everyone in town started picking up their mail because they worried about Ben trying to deliver it. He didn’t even try any more. The only way anyone got their mail was to pick it up themselves. Another thing she’d hated about Potterville before she’d left that hadn’t seemed so bad when she returned. So the mail
Chapter 5
“When I’m done, I’ll come help you.” The cold wind sliced through her. She hugged herself, trying to get a little more coverage out of the inadequate coat. The cold at least encouraged her parents to hurry home.
“I still don’t know what to buy,” Jason protested. “Why don’t I go with you, and when you’re done, we can do my shopping together?”
Stars and birds should be circling her head from the cartoon anvil that just fell on it, but she refrained from looking. She needed a few minutes away from the too tempting Mr. Callisto to get her head back on straight.
But her father approved of him. Dad, who disapproved of the accountant, thought the rock star was dandy.
Her father must be getting senile.
“No, I just have a couple of quick stops anyway.” She unlocked her truck and grabbed the box of mail on the seat. “Look for stuff you can eat without cooking, or heat and eat. I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Jason shifted from foot to foot beside the truck like he was being abandoned.
Cass shut her door and set off for the post office with her box, not looking back to check if he was watching her.
The town commercial district consisted of two blocks along the imaginatively named Main Street, with lesser businesses off Maple, Pine and Willow avenues. Apart from the cars parked on the street, it looked like a movie set for the Depression. The town hall sat at the center of town with a statue of a Civil War hero on his horse in front of it. Every year the high school graduating class pulled a prank involving the statue. Last year they’d dressed the poor man in a flowered dress and straw hat. Cass’s class had mummified him and his horse in torn sheets.
Beside the town hall was the post office. Cass pushed through the door and breathed deeply. The post office always smelled of wood, paper and coffee. Sanity itself, something in short supply after that lunch.
“Well, hello, Cassandra,” Ben, the postmaster greeted her. “I didn’t expect to see you in town already. And dressed up so pretty today. I heard you got yourself a winter guest.”
“Hi, Ben.” Cass set her box on the counter. She should have known the whole town would know about Jason even if they didn’t know who he was. How had she not considered that when she’d offered to drive him down for groceries and lunch? “I do have a guest, but he didn’t pack any food so I volunteered to bring him in to the grocery store.”
“Good girl,” Ben told her, his white walrus mustache quivering. “Got some things to go, do you?”
“Yeah.” She took the letter she’d written to Gretta off the top of the box. “I need this one to go overnight.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Truck’s already been.”
“I just want it to go out as soon as possible.”
“I think that’s doable. I’ll take this and get you your mail.”
Ben shuffled into the back room. He’d been the postmaster here all her life. The post office was only open a few hours a day and those were apt to change if he wasn’t feeling well. Years ago, everyone in town started picking up their mail because they worried about Ben trying to deliver it. He didn’t even try any more. The only way anyone got their mail was to pick it up themselves. Another thing she’d hated about Potterville before she’d left that hadn’t seemed so bad when she returned. So the mail
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