Read At Peace for Free Online Page B

at seventeen,
announced I was keeping the baby and marrying the father, something
they disapproved of immensely, or at least Mom did, then I asked
Sam quietly, “Dad want them to know it’s from him?”
    “That’s your call.”
    I sighed, thinking I’d tell the girls, it was
only fair, but I wouldn’t like it.
    “Vi,” Sam called and I looked at him. “Why
you workin’ overtime?”
    This made me sigh again.
    Then I answered, “Because Kate’s got Dane,
she’s wrapped up tight in him, even though they’ve only been dating
a few weeks. And Keira’s made friends with the entirety of the
eighth grade class. They’re not home much and I’d rather make some
extra cash putzing around a garden center than come home to an
empty house.”
    I watched my brother’s eyes go soft and
looked away.
    Sam read me and changed the subject but he
chose one that was no less uncomfortable even if it was not nearly
as sad. “You hear from him?”
    “Nope,” I answered instantly.
    “Nothin’?” Sam sounded surprised.
    “Nothin’.”
    I felt Sam lean into me so I looked at him as
I took a sip of my wine.
    “I been snoopin’ –”
    I felt my body grow tight, fear clutching my
insides and I leaned into my brother. “Sam –”
    He shook his head. “Someone’s gotta do
somethin’. He’s not done with you.”
    “That someone doesn’t have to be you.”
    “Vi, someone’s gotta do somethin’.”
    “Let the police deal with it.”
    I watched Sam clench his teeth, seeing his
jaws flex out at the sides and it was his turn to look away.
    “Sam, promise me you’ll let it go,” I said
softly.
    “Can’t.”
    “Sam –”
    His eyes locked on mine and he repeated,
“Can’t.”
    “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
    “I’m bein’ careful.”
    I leaned in further and hissed, “You don’t
mess with this guy.” Sam didn’t answer and I put my hand to the
armrest and got even closer to my brother. “You know, you know , what
happened to Tim, and he was doing his job … you know you do not mess with this guy.”
    “So I let him mess with my sister?”
    “He’ll forget about me.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “Sam –”
    “Bullshit, Vi.”
    “Think about Melissa.”
    “She agrees with me somethin’s gotta be
done.”
    My brother had been with his girlfriend
Melissa for ten years. They lived together for nine of those ten
years but never married. They talked about it all the time but they
were always enjoying their lives too much to get around to doing
anything about it. Mel and Sam had both been close to Tim, adored
him. Sam felt like Tim was his brother, Tim had felt the same. We
were all tight. When Tim died, they took it hard, nearly as hard as
me and the girls. And Mel had attitude, just like Sam. I knew that
Sam spoke the truth when he said Mel agreed something had to be
done, not only because they’d loved Tim but because they loved me
and the girls.
    “Talk to Barry,” I suggested.
    “I’m talkin’ to him.”
    “What’s he say?”
    “He understands a brother’s gotta do what
he’s gotta do.”
    Yes, Barry would understand that. Barry
was as crazy as Tim and Sam.
    “Sam, Barry’s a cop and he said he won’t rest
–”
    “And he isn’t.”
    “Then let Barry do his work.”
    “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t need help.”
    “Not from you.”
    “Just leave it, Vi.”
    I looked into my brother’s hard face for a
few seconds then I turned away, swallowing and thinking maybe it
wasn’t good we were so close. Maybe it wasn’t good I loved him like
crazy and he felt the same way. Maybe it wasn’t good Melissa
thought the world of me and my girls.
    I pulled in a breath, let it out and took
another sip of wine.
    Then I let it go. I had no choice and I knew
it. Sam was stubborn, always had been, so I whispered, “Tell Mel to
come down with you next time, yeah?”
    “Will do,” Sam whispered back then changed
the subject again. “Who’s the big guy next