Read Online Plum Gone: A Sonoma Wine Country Cozy Mystery (Sonoma Wine Country Cozy Mysteries Book 2) by A. J. Carton - Free Book Online Page B

you.”
    Jack folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. Then that wistful look crossed his face again that she had noticed before. It was few seconds before he spoke.
    “That’s Johnny,” he finally said. “That’s my son. He died six months after that picture was taken. Of leukemia.”
    Emma felt her heart free-fall into her stomach. “Oh my…” she said. “Oh, Jack…”
    She couldn’t continue, afraid her voice would crack. Even though she realized that the little boy in the photograph had probably been dead now for over thirty years.
    “I’m so sorry,” she finally said.
    Jack shrugged in his fatalistic way. “Funny thing, Emma,” he said. “He’s been gone now over thirty years. And you know what? I never got over it. I don’t think I’ve ever admitted that to anyone before. Not even to Fran.”
    Emma started to reach out to him, but he turned abruptly and walked to a far cabinet where he removed a bottle of Laphroaig and poured himself a couple of fingers of scotch. He downed it in one gulp.
    “I guess you never do get over something like that,” was all Emma could find to say.
    Jack nodded. “It was the end of everything, Emma. The end of my marriage. Sometimes, I wonder if it was the end of my life. Of course, Fran and I went on living. We had to for Cara. But, you know what? Instead of binding us together, it pulled us apart. She kept wanting to talk about it. I couldn’t. Instead I buried myself in my work. She devoted herself to Cara. And to her friends. The ones who would listen. Cara was the only one who came out stronger. The day Johnny died, we were all crying and she said, ‘Daddy, you’ll see. I’m going to be a doctor. This isn’t going to happen to anybody else’s little brother ever again. I promise.’ Poor kid, I think she’s still trying to keep that promise.”
    Jack took a deep breath, and smiled. “Too much information, right Emma? Let’s go.”
    On the way back to her house, Jack didn’t bring his son up again. Seated next to him in his car Emma wanted reach over and give Jack a hug. But she knew it was a cheap shot. Taking advantage of his pain. Sympathy wasn’t what he wanted. So she chattered away about the party. How perfect his house was. All the fun it would be. The words sounded forced and hollow.
    When they got to her door, Jack kissed her lightly on each cheek. “ Ciao, bella ,” he said, as if nothing had happened.
    “ Ciao ,” she replied. “Thanks for dinner.” As she opened her front door, she heard the wheels of his Tesla crunching on the pebbles of her drive. She couldn’t bring herself to look back.

Chapter 7: Monday Morning – Under the Bus
     
     
    Emma awoke the next morning, pulled her fleece muumuu over her pajamas and went downstairs to make coffee. Bundled against the Blissburg morning chill, she sat on her back deck, dunking a Claud’s fig and pistachio biscotto into the coffee she’d poured into her favorite Marimekko mug.
    How little we understand each other, she thought. Even our closest friends. After nine months, I hardly know Jack Russo. Did I think we were close simply because I told him everything that was on my mind? A running verbal twitter of my random thoughts, opinions and deepest fears? The idea embarrassed her.
    Then, again, she reminded herself, it was Jack who once said he could tell her “anything.”
    “You know Emma,” he began after they’d spent an hour over dinner discussing 81/2, a movie they both adored, “I married my high school sweetheart. And, don’t get me wrong. I was a lucky man. She was a wonderful woman. But she didn’t get Fellini. In fact, and I hate to say it,” he laughed, “I think the only books she read were store catalogues.” He paused as though considering what he was about to say. Then he shrugged, “I have to admit, once in a while I used to wonder what it would have been like to meet someone…I mean, later in life. When I was older. Someone I connected to. You