Chapter 7: The Town Hears It First

Odalys's POV

I woke to the curtain falling back into place.

Alister stood at the window in his jeans with his shoulders set, and he did not turn around.

"Verna's out front," he said. "She's been there a while."

I got up with the quilt around me and went to stand beside him.

The Buick was at the curb with its motor running. Behind the windshield, Aunt Verna sat very straight with both hands on the wheel.

She was looking at my face in his window.

I did not step back. I put my palm flat on the glass.

She held my eyes for as long as it took to count to five.

Then she put the car in gear and pulled out at exactly the speed limit.

"Well," I said. "She's seen it."

"I can go out and talk to her," he said.

"No," I said.

"Odalys..."

"She's mine, Alister. I'll do it." I let the quilt slip off one shoulder and looked at him. "You'll hold my coat."

His mouth twitched. It was the first time I had seen him smile since Saturday.

Reva called at noon.

I was in my mother's pantry sorting soup cans into a box for the food pantry, and the phone buzzed against the shelf.

"I'm going to tell you something and you're going to stay calm," she said.

"I'm calm," I said.

"Verna was at the Wednesday Bible circle at ten," Reva said.

"She told the women in the church basement that her niece came home for the house."

"And that you're carrying on with the fire chief in your dead mother's street."

I put a can down.

"Those were her words?" I asked.

"Close enough. 'Bedding the chief.'"

"One of the women who was there told me," Reva said. "She was shaking so hard the sugar spilled."

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