A Marriage Left Behind novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: Bev's Table

Bev lived in a brick duplex on the east side, with a ceramic goose by the door wearing a different outfit for every season.

On Friday night it wore a Santa hat and a scarf.

"Don't look at him," Bev said, opening the door. "He's sensitive."

"I wasn't."

"You were about to. Come in and sit down before the roast gets ideas."

Her kitchen was small and yellow and warm, with a fat orange cat asleep on the radiator and a table set for two.

There was a pot roast, and green beans with bacon, and a pan of rolls she'd made that afternoon on her day off.

I had not eaten since lunch.

I had not noticed.

"I told you to rest," Bev said, loading my plate. "Not to go and feud with a church lady."

"I didn't feud. I went to Kylie's, and then Judith came to mine."

"On a Friday. With cookies."

"How did you know about the cookies?"

"Honey, I know the woman's type. Eat."

I ate.

I gave her the rest in a few sentences, and Bev put down her fork somewhere around the word plan.

"Say that part again."

"Kylie said I was the easiest part of the whole plan."

"The plan."

"She said she didn't mean it."

"People say that about the things they meant most." Bev picked the fork back up and pointed it at me. "All right. What are you going to do?"

"I told Judith I'd come to the lodge on Christmas Eve."

"You what?"

"I told her to tell everyone to bring their checkbooks."

Bev stared at me.

Then she began to laugh, a big, wheezing laugh that woke the cat and made it leave the room in protest.

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