Read Online Past Forward Volume 1 by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chautona Havig
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to write them and thank them for their attendance. What if
her procrastination had cost her that chance?
“Miss—” Her expression stopped him. “Um,
Willow, can we talk for a minute? I have the M.E.’s report.”
It took her a moment to remember what M.E.
stood for. Medical Examiner. They knew how Mother died. Willow
swallowed hard and beckoned him to come inside the house.
In the kitchen, she pulled a piece of ice
from the icebox, chipped pieces into a glass, and filled it with
water. She handed it to Chief Varney, her hands shaking as she did.
Did she want to know what happened? He looked so grave. What if it
was hereditary? That’s why they did the autopsy in the first place,
wasn’t it?
“You know how she died then.” Chief Varney
looked out of his element. “Can you just tell me please? All of
this waiting is making me nervous.”
For the next twenty minutes, they discussed
the aneurysm that killed Kari Finley in her sleep. Chief Varney
acted surprised by her knowledge and understanding of the blood
bubble that exploded at the base of her mother’s brain. Willow, on
the other hand, fought the pain of the memory of her mother’s
terrible headache that last night. They’d both assumed it was a
migraine.
“I should have known—I could have walked to
town for an ambulance. We could have had a cell phone like Chad
bought me. They are private. Why—” She briefly choked back her
sobs. “I’m sorry— I—I—” She fled the room. Chief Varney listened to
her feet pounding up the stairs and a door slamming behind her. For
the first time since he’d met her, Willow Finley acted like a
normal and grieving young woman.
Outside, Chief Varney glanced up at the
window, his heart twisting with the heart wrenching sound of
Willow’s grief. He had to do something. She was so very alone. No
one should have to walk this valley alone.
He remembered Chad. The boy had forged a
friendship of sorts with Willow. His lips twisted into a wry smile.
Ironic—it was ironic how the kid who couldn’t handle her when she
reported the death was probably the only one who could help her
deal with it now.
He reached for his phone. “Hey, Tesdall. I’m
out here at the Finley place. I gave her the M.E.’s report and
she’s taking it kind of hard. Blaming herself. You’d better get out
here.”
“Me! Why me?” Chad’s voice was almost a
whine.
“That’s an order son.”
Life isn’t fair. Life isn’t fair. Life
isn’t… The words replayed themselves through his mind like a
scratched vinyl record on Uncle Zeke’s turntable. They continued to
taunt him as he turned down her driveway and parked at the corner
of her house.
His usual place. He shouldn’t have a
usual place. His truck had worn a path in the grass around the edge
of the yard. He started to curse the chief and stopped himself. The
last thing he needed was more trouble with the Lord.
As he stepped from the cruiser, Chad heard
Willow’s cries falling from her window. “Why not me, Lord?
Why!”
He took a deep breath. Why not indeed! His
gut wrenched. How callous could he be? He wouldn’t want Cheri alone
with no one to comfort her, loaded with false guilt. He’d want
someone—anyone, to be there for her. You know, Lord, I’m pretty
sure I’ve avoided the ‘here I am, Lord, send me’ prayer, but
apparently You chose me anyway. Remind me to cultivate gratitude
sometime. Right now, I’m just praying for the grace to get through
this. Again.
Inside, Chad called to her as he climbed the
stairs. “Willow? I’m coming up. The chief—” He paused. It wouldn’t
be a good idea to tell her he was only here because the chief
ordered him.
“He mentioned you were hurting.” At the top
of the stairs, he saw her face as it peeked out her door.
“Go away.”
“I can’t.” He didn’t dare say why.
“Why not?”
“She would ask,” he grumbled to
himself. “We’re all concerned about you. Let’s go for a walk. Talk
to me.” Yes,
her procrastination had cost her that chance?
“Miss—” Her expression stopped him. “Um,
Willow, can we talk for a minute? I have the M.E.’s report.”
It took her a moment to remember what M.E.
stood for. Medical Examiner. They knew how Mother died. Willow
swallowed hard and beckoned him to come inside the house.
In the kitchen, she pulled a piece of ice
from the icebox, chipped pieces into a glass, and filled it with
water. She handed it to Chief Varney, her hands shaking as she did.
Did she want to know what happened? He looked so grave. What if it
was hereditary? That’s why they did the autopsy in the first place,
wasn’t it?
“You know how she died then.” Chief Varney
looked out of his element. “Can you just tell me please? All of
this waiting is making me nervous.”
For the next twenty minutes, they discussed
the aneurysm that killed Kari Finley in her sleep. Chief Varney
acted surprised by her knowledge and understanding of the blood
bubble that exploded at the base of her mother’s brain. Willow, on
the other hand, fought the pain of the memory of her mother’s
terrible headache that last night. They’d both assumed it was a
migraine.
“I should have known—I could have walked to
town for an ambulance. We could have had a cell phone like Chad
bought me. They are private. Why—” She briefly choked back her
sobs. “I’m sorry— I—I—” She fled the room. Chief Varney listened to
her feet pounding up the stairs and a door slamming behind her. For
the first time since he’d met her, Willow Finley acted like a
normal and grieving young woman.
Outside, Chief Varney glanced up at the
window, his heart twisting with the heart wrenching sound of
Willow’s grief. He had to do something. She was so very alone. No
one should have to walk this valley alone.
He remembered Chad. The boy had forged a
friendship of sorts with Willow. His lips twisted into a wry smile.
Ironic—it was ironic how the kid who couldn’t handle her when she
reported the death was probably the only one who could help her
deal with it now.
He reached for his phone. “Hey, Tesdall. I’m
out here at the Finley place. I gave her the M.E.’s report and
she’s taking it kind of hard. Blaming herself. You’d better get out
here.”
“Me! Why me?” Chad’s voice was almost a
whine.
“That’s an order son.”
Life isn’t fair. Life isn’t fair. Life
isn’t… The words replayed themselves through his mind like a
scratched vinyl record on Uncle Zeke’s turntable. They continued to
taunt him as he turned down her driveway and parked at the corner
of her house.
His usual place. He shouldn’t have a
usual place. His truck had worn a path in the grass around the edge
of the yard. He started to curse the chief and stopped himself. The
last thing he needed was more trouble with the Lord.
As he stepped from the cruiser, Chad heard
Willow’s cries falling from her window. “Why not me, Lord?
Why!”
He took a deep breath. Why not indeed! His
gut wrenched. How callous could he be? He wouldn’t want Cheri alone
with no one to comfort her, loaded with false guilt. He’d want
someone—anyone, to be there for her. You know, Lord, I’m pretty
sure I’ve avoided the ‘here I am, Lord, send me’ prayer, but
apparently You chose me anyway. Remind me to cultivate gratitude
sometime. Right now, I’m just praying for the grace to get through
this. Again.
Inside, Chad called to her as he climbed the
stairs. “Willow? I’m coming up. The chief—” He paused. It wouldn’t
be a good idea to tell her he was only here because the chief
ordered him.
“He mentioned you were hurting.” At the top
of the stairs, he saw her face as it peeked out her door.
“Go away.”
“I can’t.” He didn’t dare say why.
“Why not?”
“She would ask,” he grumbled to
himself. “We’re all concerned about you. Let’s go for a walk. Talk
to me.” Yes,
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