Read Online I'll Stand by You by Sharon Sala - Free Book Online Page B

about to ask you the same thing,” Walter drawled and then went back to cooking.
    She turned her back on him and began emptying the freshly washed dishes from the conveyor.
    When two o’clock rolled around, it was none too soon for Dori. She got her things and started home, then remembered she needed diapers for Luther Joe and turned left at the corner toward the supermarket.
    The farther away from Granny’s she walked, the better she felt. After yesterday’s rain, everything smelled fresh and clean. Too bad the rain couldn’t wash away the ugliness in Blessings.
    She was thinking about what to make for supper as she crossed the street and walked into the supermarket parking lot.
    Someone honked a horn and shouted her name. She looked up and saw Pansy Jones, her neighbor from across the street, smiling and waving. She smiled and waved back as she entered the store.
    Intent on wasting no time, she grabbed a shopping cart and headed straight toward the baby aisle. She turned a corner by the deli aisle and walked straight up on two girls from her old class who were there with their mothers.
    The minute the girls saw Dori, they gave her a body scan that would have made Homeland Security proud, smirked, then looked at each other and giggled. Their mothers just stared.
    Dori gritted her teeth and kept moving, hoping they would ignore her, but such was not the case.
    A curvy redhead named Jenn actually stepped in front of her cart to stop her.
    “Well, hi, Dori!”
    The last thing Dori wanted was for them to think she was running away.
    “Hi, Jenn. Hi, Leigh. It’s good to see you.”
    “Yeah, uh…you too,” Jenn said. “So how’s it going?”
    Dori smiled. “Oh, good, and you?”
    Leigh giggled and fluffed her blond curls.
    “We’ve been shopping for prom dresses. It’s only a couple of weeks away.”
    “Are you still dating Freddie?” Dori asked.
    The girls rolled their eyes at each other and then giggled again.
    “Ugh, no. You are so behind times, girl. But that’s to be expected, considering…”
    Normally the hateful tone would have sent Dori ducking her head in shame, but something had clicked in her today. Maybe she should have gotten angry a long time ago. She laughed, which made everyone stare.
    “Speaking of being behind…are you still failing chemistry? I mean, I used to tutor you, remember? But since I’m not in school anymore, I just wondered if someone else was helping you pass.”
    Leigh’s eyes widened. Her lips parted, but she was too shocked to answer. Her mother decided to take offense for her daughter and grabbed Dori by the arm.
    “See here, Dori Grant. You have no right to criticize my girl. After all, she’s still in high school and you’re…you’re not. You’re nothing but a dishwasher.”
    Dori smiled even wider as she pushed the woman’s hand from her arm.
    “Mrs. Glover! So nice to see you again. I know I’ve jumped the gun a bit on growing up, but it’s not as bad as you might think. Actually, I have already graduated high school. I passed the GED and am taking college classes online.”
    Mrs. Glover blinked. She glanced at her daughter and then back at Dori Grant, trying to figure out how all that could happen in light of her fall from grace.
    Dori just kept talking. “I’m leaning toward website design. It’s something I can do from home and make decent money at the same time. As for washing dishes, aren’t women always the ones washing dishes? The only difference between me and you is that I’m getting paid for it. I’d love to chat, but I need to finish shopping and get home. I don’t mind my job, but I sure miss my baby boy.”
    Mrs. Glover’s cheeks turned pink, but there was little she could say. She did wash the dishes at home and got little thanks for the effort, and for that matter, got little thanks for anything. She watched Dori Grant for a few seconds and then turned and glared at her daughter.
    “It’s time we got home. I have a thousand and one