Read Online The Doctor and the War Widow by Viola Russell - Free Book Online

minutes.
    “How do you know?” Judy was more protective of Harley than Eden had been.
    Harley sometimes thought Judy should be on VoodooMatch. She was still lovely with dark hair and an hourglass shape, but she spent most of her time worrying about her family and friends.
    “I searched him on the Internet. He’s everything he says he is.” Harley cast a disparaging glance at her cousin. Judy knew no more about the Internet than a gnat. Harley spoke with emphasis. “He is a doctor. He is widowed. He has a grown daughter.” Harley turned to her cousin and stuck out her chin. “How is he a serial killer?”
    “Just be careful, okay? Think twice before you invite him over.” Judy frowned and turned her attention to the altar. She seemed to be deep in prayer.
    “He’s been to the house.” Harley suppressed a smile at her cousin’s shocked expression. “See! I’m still alive.”
    “You should be ashamed. You’re about to give communion.” Judy tried to sound severe, but she was smiling.
    Harley rolled her eyes. “He’s come in for coffee.” She paused and weighed her words. Oh, what the hell! She was a grown-up and could say what she wanted. “I’d like more, but he’s a complete gentleman.”
    “So you like him?” Judy glanced at the crucifix on the altar and then turned to Harley.
    Harley hesitated. What exactly did she feel? “Yeah, I like him.”
    “It doesn’t bother you that he’s from Egypt?”
    “What in hell is that supposed to mean?”
    Judy colored a deep purple. “I didn’t mean anything. I just know a suicide bomber killed John.”
    “Not all Muslims are kooks, Judy.” Harley was surprised at her own anger. Tears pricked her eyes like tiny pins. She stared ahead at the altar. Why was Judy disparaging someone who made her happy?
    Judy stared at her for a long time. “No, of course not. I’m not a bigot.” She slipped an arm around Harley’s shoulders. “I just don’t want to see you get into something you regret.”
    Harley sighed. She suddenly wanted to sleep. “We always regret things. I’ve already stacked up a few. Your husband’s gone, too. Don’t you wish—?” Harley bit her lip. Her stomach tightened into a knot. Judy had been working while her husband was sick. He’d died in hospice without her at his side. Judy still was haunted by his death and her absence during his last hours. She stared ahead while Harley spoke. Harley cursed her own insensitivity and leaned closer to her cousin. “You couldn’t do anything else, Judy.”
    Judy retrieved a tissue from her purse. “I know that. I just wish I could have been with him at the end.”
    “Look, I don’t know what this is yet, but I’m having fun. We like the same music, movies, and plays. I also don’t have to pay half. I’m not sure how I feel, but I can talk to him easily. Anyway, you and Donna don’t seem to think women can live without men. You’ve both been at me to meet someone for years.”
    “Yeah, the normal way.” Judy shook her head.
    “Internet dating is the normal way these days.” Harley shrugged resignedly. “Look, I teach with nearly all women. The men at my school are gay or married to women with better careers. That’s only changed a little bit over the years. How else would I meet new people? The people in my neighborhood or here at church are elderly, infirm, or hooked up like the animals in Noah’s Ark.”
    Judy smiled slightly as she glanced around church. “I see what you mean.”
    Harley slipped an arm around her cousin’s shoulders. “Stop worrying about me. Besides, today I have bigger fish to fry. Communion, remember?”
    Judy turned to her, frowning. “Are you okay to give out communion?”
    “I think so. I’ll just do some deep breathing before I go to the altar.” Harley kept her tone light, but she was dreading the palpitations that always accompanied her Sunday obligations. “If I faint, call the crash cart.”
    “Take it easy, okay?” Judy’s gaze rested