Read Online Kestrel (Hart Briothers #3) by A. M. Hargrove - Free Book Online Page B

everything cooked to
perfection. Carter knows her way around the kitchen. That’s more than I can say
for myself.
    “So,
Mr. Hart, did you see anything you’re interested in buying?”
    “Kestrel.
And yes. Quite a lot. There are a few pieces of
furniture I don’t need, only because I have a lot of things of my own coming
in, such as couches and chairs. Unfortunately, I have some antiques as well so
I have to decide if I want to keep those or buy the ones in here. What I may do
is use one of the bedrooms as storage since I don’t need a six-bedroom house.”
    Her
already pale face becomes even more ghostly. The few freckles that are
scattered across the bridge of her nose and cheeks stand out in stark contrast.
Her tongue darts out and moistens her lips as she stammers, “U-use one of the
b-bedrooms?”
    “Yes.
As I said, I don’t need all the space right now. It would only be temporary.”
    She
jumps in and rapidly says, “But did you see all the storage space in the attic?
Why, there’s tons of it up there. I’m sure it could house your things with
plenty of room to spare.”
    “I
still haven’t made my decision on the room.”
    Her posture folds. It’s like watching someone get punched
by an invisible fist. Everything in her deflates, like a tire with a slow leak.
    “What
happened to your daughter?”
    Her
hand trembles as she raises her wine glass to her lips and downs the rest of
her glass. She doesn’t answer, but stands and clears the plates, her movements
wooden.
    After
several minutes of uncomfortable silence, I return to look at some more of the
furnishings. They really are perfect in here. I’ve taken pictures of the pieces
that I’m on the fence over so I can inspect them again later. I probably ought
to buy the whole lot of it, but I’ll make up my mind in a few days. When I get
back to the kitchen, she’s gone. As I glance out the window, I notice her
sitting out by the pool on a chaise. She’s gazing out in the distance at some
invisible entity, lost in her own thoughts. It’s dark and chilly out with only
one dim light on.
    I
walk out and say, “I’m finished looking so I’ll be on my way. I’ve made a list,
but I want to think about it. I’ll give you my final decision in a couple of
days, if that’s okay.”
    She
stands and latches onto my hand. “Please. What can I do to change your mind?”
Her ironclad grasp surprises me and I flinch.
    Tearing
my hand away, I say, “My mind isn’t made up yet.”
    “I
know, but I have a pretty good notion of what it’s going to be.”
    “Help
me understand about the room, Carter. Why?”
    She
half-screams. “It’s the only thing of hers I have left.”
    “But
it won’t bring her back.”
    “It
preserves her memory. When I walk in there, it’s like she still lives.”
    “Don’t
you think that makes it harder on you?”
    “It
makes losing her more tolerable.”
    This
whole thing is so fucked up to me. She needs to talk about this so I do
something that I know she’ll hate.
    “Okay,
here’s the deal. You have to tell me some things. Where’s the rest of your
family, Carter?”
    It’s
too dark to see the intricacies of her facial expressions, but I can get the
gist of them. She recoils when I ask the question.
    “They
… they’re all gone.”
    “What
the hell happened? Please, tell me the whole story.”
    She
turns away from me and walks back to the house, head bowed. I follow. When we
get inside, she heads to the bar this time and fixes a vodka and water on the
rocks. She asks if I want one but I decline. Her drink doesn’t stand a chance
against her. She slugs it down in several gulps.
    She
faces me and in a steady voice says, “My family perished in the hurricane four
years ago. I was away at a seminar at Duke. Ells was with my mom and dad.”
    “Jesus
Christ. And your husband?”
    “Never
had one.”
    “Fuck.
I’m so sorry.” And I am. I can’t imagine having my entire family wiped out at
one time.
    “Not
as