Promises to Keep, Nan Rossiter [feel good fiction books .txt] 📗

gazed at it, his eyes glistening. “She was the most beautiful bride . . . and she was so good to me.” He looked up. “There’re more,” he said, motioning to the box.

Maeve nodded and, one by one, she unwrapped and admired all of Bud’s photos, handing them to him, asking him questions, and then, at his direction, placing them on empty shelves and tables around the room. Finally, she sat down again. “I just moved, too,” she said, “so I know how hard it is.”

Bud nodded. “Ethel and I bought our house when we were first married. It was brand-new. After she died, I continued to live there by m’self, but my kids wanted me to move closer, so here I am.” He shook his head. “I’ve been here two weeks and they’ve only stopped by twice.”

“They must be busy. I’m sure they’ll stop by when they can.”

He shrugged. “They have kids o’ their own and they’re always goin’ somewhere.”

Maeve nodded. “Well, the folks upstairs are a lot like a family,” she said softly. “Not real family, but they’re all very nice and many are widows or widowers, so they know how hard it is. I think you’d like them. Aristides Lincoln was in the navy, too, and I think Landon and Loren Olivetti were in the army.”

Bud looked up in surprise. “I didn’t know there were other vets here.” But then a shadow crossed his face. “I don’t need that woman comin’ ’round.” He shook his head. “She’s a piece o’ work!”

“You mean Gladys?” Maeve asked.

“I don’t know her name, but I am not interested!”

Maeve nodded. “You don’t need to worry about her. I told her you weren’t interested.”

“You did?”

Maeve nodded. “She understands.”

“Some women come on too strong.”

“They do,” Maeve agreed, and then, hearing a sound, she turned and saw Tallulah peering in and realized she’d left the door open. “Have you met our Tallulah?” she asked.

Bud frowned. “No, who’s Tallu . . . ?” he started to ask, but before he could finish, the little orange tiger cat padded across the floor and swished between his legs. “Oh!” he said in surprise. “Is this Tallulah?”

“It is,” Maeve replied. “She’s our resident hall monitor.”

“What a cutie,” he said, as Tallulah hopped on his lap and sniffed his chin. He laughed, and she seemed to approve of him, too, because she immediately curled up on his lap. Tallulah then spied the activity going on outside his door and gazed intently at the little flock of birds. “Hmm, I hope she’s not a hunter,” he said worriedly.

Maeve raised her eyebrows, recalling the scene she’d witnessed two weeks earlier when the fox had taken one of the hens. Gage had been heartbroken, and although he’d reinforced the fence around the coop as soon as he’d gotten home, he continued to worry that it wouldn’t keep the fox out, and he felt sorry for the hens because they couldn’t roam freely around the yard anymore. She’d also seen rifle ammunition on the counter and asked him about it. “What if the fox has kits it’s trying to feed?” she’d asked. “If you kill her—or him—they’ll go hungry.”

“What do you want me to do?” he’d asked. “Let it eat all the chickens?”

Maeve had sighed. It seemed like there was no easy solution.

Now, she watched Tallulah—who had hopped down and was sitting in front of the door with her tail twitching. Maeve knew she was very adept at catching mice and chipmunks, but she didn’t know if she would pose a threat to Bud’s little flock of birds. She hoped not—especially the female cardinal! “There’s no hunting down here, missy,” she warned.

“Well, I should head back,” she said, standing. “Are you sure you won’t come to dinner? It’s not too late—they’re probably just starting their salads.”

“What about the plate you brought down?”

“I can bring it back up or we can put it in your fridge, and you can have it for lunch tomorrow.”

Bud hesitated, considering. He didn’t want to have dinner by himself again, but he also didn’t want that woman bothering him. “Are you sure that woman won’t try to kiss me?”

Maeve suppressed a smile and nodded. “I’m sure.”

Bud nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll come up.”

“Good!” Maeve said. “I’ll walk with you.” She picked up the plate. “Shall I put this in your fridge?”

He nodded and reached for his cane and his navy hat. “Lead the way, ma’am,” he said with a smile, and they walked side by side with Tallulah darting up the hall ahead of them.

23

MASON PULLED INTO THE HOSPITAL PARKING LOT AND LOOKED UP AT THE last window of the room on the third floor. It had been two weeks since his mom had died, and a week since they’d celebrated her life at a memorial service. In that time, Mason had avoided the hospital, taking a longer route home from his summer job on a landscaping crew—a job he’d jumped right back into—but today, he’d arranged to meet Mrs. Harrison at the hospital, so he had no choice. He sat in his car, and looked up at the window of the room in which his mom had died, and the memory of that night—and its aftermath—came rushing back.

It had started raining after he and Ali arrived at the hospital, and it had continued to rain all the next day—it was as if the heavens were joining Mason in his grief. In the early hours of the next day, he’d stood in the lobby with Ali and her mom, sipping the coffee she’d bought for him, and watching it rain. Mrs. Harrison had insisted he come stay with them, but he told her he’d be more comfortable at home and assured her he’d be fine. After all, he’d been living alone for the last two months. Mrs. Harrison hadn’t been easily convinced. He knew his mom had probably asked her to look after him, and she was now determined to keep her promise. “Do you want Ali to stay over?” she’d asked, but he’d smiled