Read Online Taking the Bull by the Horns, a Cascade Texas novella by MJ Fredrick - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: MJ Fredrick
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daughter, her expression softening from the mutinous look she’d given her mother. “Lavender! Have you been out?”
Out, and she smelled like Taylor. Oops. She didn’t duck fast enough and Eleanor enveloped her in her arms. Lavender did not return the embrace, and Eleanor withdrew, nostrils flared just enough to tell Lavender she knew what had gone on that night.
Refusing to be ashamed, Lavender crossed the room to the refrigerator with a glance at her grandmother. Gertrude was pale, her face set stubbornly, her eyes trained on her daughter. Wishing for a beer, instead Lavender pulled out a pitcher of water and poured herself a glass with shaking hands before turning to face her mother.
“What are you doing here?” she repeated.
“I didn’t think I needed an invitation to my own home.”
“This hasn’t been your home for awhile. And why come in the middle of the night? How long has it been?”
She didn’t have to ask. She knew to the day–four years, three months, a week and four days. She just wondered if Eleanor was aware.
“Too long.” Eleanor tried for a soothing tone but it had no effect on Lavender.
“Are you hiding from someone? Or just running away again?”
Eleanor’s expression hardened into a replica of Gertrude’s. “You are just like your grandmother.”
Lavender bit back the desire to say she wouldn’t be if Eleanor hadn’t abandoned her to care for Gertrude all these years, but that would only hurt her grandmother, and she couldn’t do that.
She took inventory of her mother. Eleanor looked worn out, her long hair graying from roots to ears, exhaustion dragging at her face. She’d gained weight, so the gypsy skirt she wore stretched over her hips, and her battered sandals displayed equally battered feet. What had her mother been doing the past four years? Did she really want to know, or did that give her mother too much power?
“I just came to see the two of you, see how you were doing.”
“We’re fine. Does that mean you’ll leave now?”
Her mother sighed. “Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t feel anything for you. You are nothing to me.” Liar, liar, liar. She didn’t hate her mother, that was true. But seeing her raised all kinds of hope, hope she hadn’t let herself experience in four years. And in two years before that. And five years before that. She took a deep breath. “How long are you staying this time?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
Lavender buried the hope those words raised. Hope that she could visit Taylor in Alpine, hope that she could move forward with her life, give some of her responsibilities over to her mother.
She set the glass down on the counter. “Well. The sheets on your bed haven’t been changed in awhile, but otherwise the room is ready. Church is at nine.” Lavender crossed the room to kiss her grandmother’s cheek, nodded to her mother, and headed up the stairs.
****
Lavender dropped into the pew at church the next morning. Eleanor’s sudden appearance had one benefit. She commandeered the gossip that would have focused on Lavender and her behavior at the Longhorn last night. She had no illusions her actions would remain secret from Gertrude, but she was grateful for the reprieve.
Eleanor made her way to the seat beside her and Lavender struggled to balance her emotions. The little girl in her was excited to see her mother, more a fun relative than parent. Another part of her also held a childlike hope that her mother would step in, take over her own responsibilities, freeing Lavender.
For what? To chase Taylor to Alpine? She wouldn’t do that, even if she could.
Who was she kidding? They’d had one night, that was it. No telling if he ever wanted to see her again, if he even had told the truth about wanting her to come to Alpine.
Still lost in her own thoughts after the service, Lavender wandered out of church with vague greetings to her neighbors and the minister. Her focus
Out, and she smelled like Taylor. Oops. She didn’t duck fast enough and Eleanor enveloped her in her arms. Lavender did not return the embrace, and Eleanor withdrew, nostrils flared just enough to tell Lavender she knew what had gone on that night.
Refusing to be ashamed, Lavender crossed the room to the refrigerator with a glance at her grandmother. Gertrude was pale, her face set stubbornly, her eyes trained on her daughter. Wishing for a beer, instead Lavender pulled out a pitcher of water and poured herself a glass with shaking hands before turning to face her mother.
“What are you doing here?” she repeated.
“I didn’t think I needed an invitation to my own home.”
“This hasn’t been your home for awhile. And why come in the middle of the night? How long has it been?”
She didn’t have to ask. She knew to the day–four years, three months, a week and four days. She just wondered if Eleanor was aware.
“Too long.” Eleanor tried for a soothing tone but it had no effect on Lavender.
“Are you hiding from someone? Or just running away again?”
Eleanor’s expression hardened into a replica of Gertrude’s. “You are just like your grandmother.”
Lavender bit back the desire to say she wouldn’t be if Eleanor hadn’t abandoned her to care for Gertrude all these years, but that would only hurt her grandmother, and she couldn’t do that.
She took inventory of her mother. Eleanor looked worn out, her long hair graying from roots to ears, exhaustion dragging at her face. She’d gained weight, so the gypsy skirt she wore stretched over her hips, and her battered sandals displayed equally battered feet. What had her mother been doing the past four years? Did she really want to know, or did that give her mother too much power?
“I just came to see the two of you, see how you were doing.”
“We’re fine. Does that mean you’ll leave now?”
Her mother sighed. “Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t feel anything for you. You are nothing to me.” Liar, liar, liar. She didn’t hate her mother, that was true. But seeing her raised all kinds of hope, hope she hadn’t let herself experience in four years. And in two years before that. And five years before that. She took a deep breath. “How long are you staying this time?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
Lavender buried the hope those words raised. Hope that she could visit Taylor in Alpine, hope that she could move forward with her life, give some of her responsibilities over to her mother.
She set the glass down on the counter. “Well. The sheets on your bed haven’t been changed in awhile, but otherwise the room is ready. Church is at nine.” Lavender crossed the room to kiss her grandmother’s cheek, nodded to her mother, and headed up the stairs.
****
Lavender dropped into the pew at church the next morning. Eleanor’s sudden appearance had one benefit. She commandeered the gossip that would have focused on Lavender and her behavior at the Longhorn last night. She had no illusions her actions would remain secret from Gertrude, but she was grateful for the reprieve.
Eleanor made her way to the seat beside her and Lavender struggled to balance her emotions. The little girl in her was excited to see her mother, more a fun relative than parent. Another part of her also held a childlike hope that her mother would step in, take over her own responsibilities, freeing Lavender.
For what? To chase Taylor to Alpine? She wouldn’t do that, even if she could.
Who was she kidding? They’d had one night, that was it. No telling if he ever wanted to see her again, if he even had told the truth about wanting her to come to Alpine.
Still lost in her own thoughts after the service, Lavender wandered out of church with vague greetings to her neighbors and the minister. Her focus
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