Read Heather Horrocks - Who-Dun-Him Inn 02 - Inn the Doghouse for Free Online
Authors: Heather Horrocks
be.”
The wind pelted me with icy air and I pulled the blanket more tightly about me. Though the snow from last month’s monster snowstorm had pretty much melted, the intermittent wind blasts cut clear through me.
“I’ve begun to realize that Grandma’s right. I have to get on with my life. I keep wishing you were here, but you’re not. So I just want to let you know that the next time Lonny asks, I’m going to say yes. And if David—you don’t know him; he’s a new guy in town who seems nice—if David asks me out, I’m going to say yes to him, too.”
I paused, blinking back tears, but not feeling as devastated as I feared I might. “I love you, Robert. I always will. So this isn’t goodbye, but just sayonara , like you always used to say.”
Emotionally spent, I stopped talking. After several long moments, I felt an undeniable peace stealing over me, enfolding me. It was as though Robert were letting me know he was okay with my decision. Almost as if his arms were wrapped around my shoulders. As if he were reassuring me that I could go on now.
“Thank you,” I whispered as a couple of fat tears slid down my cheeks. I instantly recognized Robert’s calming presence as I always could. It was the same sense of serenity I’d always gotten whenever I was around him, even now.
“Thank you,” I whispered again, and the peaceful rays of warmth from him dried my tears.
I stayed by the grave until the cold tried to settle deeply into my bones. Finally, standing up, I brushed off the dirt and brittle leaves, picked up the lap blanket, and shook it out.
With one last glance at Robert’s stone again, I nodded. “ Sayonara , my darling.”
I drew in another deep breath. I didn’t know where “moving on” would take me, only that it would take me away from Robert—temporarily. But I believed he was waiting for me on the other side, and I felt such peace, I knew I’d made the right decision.
Turning away, I walked back to the path and toward the gate, in no hurry now.
It truly was time to start my life over again. And to prove it, I planned to stop at the Moose Muffin Café and buy myself a piece of pie. That’s where I went on my first date with Robert and we shared a piece of cherry pie á la mode. Walking through the café door, I would be symbolically moving on to whatever life had in store for me. I wasn’t going to hide from life any longer.
I could envision it but it scared me. However, I was blessed with a lot of family who could help me through.
After closing the cemetery gate behind me, I turned back and blew a kiss toward Robert’s grave. Once more, I said, “ Sayonara , Robert. Until we meet again.” I smiled. “And next week, I’ll bring Zach.”
Thinking of Zach, I gasped as I looked at my watch. I didn’t have time for pie or symbolic anythings. I had lingered here much longer than I realized. I was barely going to make it to Grandma’s in time for her to still have lunch with her friends.
~ ~ ~
Back at the Inn, I offered to settle Zach down to watch his favorite dog movie, 101 Dalmatians , but he wanted to finish some homework in the kitchen, and how could I discourage that? Grandma decided she’d rather visit with us than “some old ladies” and followed Zach. She’d probably be his biggest distraction.
I headed down to the “dungeon,” as Liz liked to call our very nice family quarters in the basement, and found her lying on her bed.
I had done some major fixing up in the basement, both in decorating and remodeling. I had one wall removed to add one bedroom to the great room. There were still four bedrooms—mine, Zach’s and two guest rooms, one of which Liz was occupying for a few months until she got her divorce. We each had our own baths and large closets, and we could hang out in the spacious great room, which was the size of the law library and exercise room combined. With a kitchenette in one corner, a TV and couch in another, along with a game
The wind pelted me with icy air and I pulled the blanket more tightly about me. Though the snow from last month’s monster snowstorm had pretty much melted, the intermittent wind blasts cut clear through me.
“I’ve begun to realize that Grandma’s right. I have to get on with my life. I keep wishing you were here, but you’re not. So I just want to let you know that the next time Lonny asks, I’m going to say yes. And if David—you don’t know him; he’s a new guy in town who seems nice—if David asks me out, I’m going to say yes to him, too.”
I paused, blinking back tears, but not feeling as devastated as I feared I might. “I love you, Robert. I always will. So this isn’t goodbye, but just sayonara , like you always used to say.”
Emotionally spent, I stopped talking. After several long moments, I felt an undeniable peace stealing over me, enfolding me. It was as though Robert were letting me know he was okay with my decision. Almost as if his arms were wrapped around my shoulders. As if he were reassuring me that I could go on now.
“Thank you,” I whispered as a couple of fat tears slid down my cheeks. I instantly recognized Robert’s calming presence as I always could. It was the same sense of serenity I’d always gotten whenever I was around him, even now.
“Thank you,” I whispered again, and the peaceful rays of warmth from him dried my tears.
I stayed by the grave until the cold tried to settle deeply into my bones. Finally, standing up, I brushed off the dirt and brittle leaves, picked up the lap blanket, and shook it out.
With one last glance at Robert’s stone again, I nodded. “ Sayonara , my darling.”
I drew in another deep breath. I didn’t know where “moving on” would take me, only that it would take me away from Robert—temporarily. But I believed he was waiting for me on the other side, and I felt such peace, I knew I’d made the right decision.
Turning away, I walked back to the path and toward the gate, in no hurry now.
It truly was time to start my life over again. And to prove it, I planned to stop at the Moose Muffin Café and buy myself a piece of pie. That’s where I went on my first date with Robert and we shared a piece of cherry pie á la mode. Walking through the café door, I would be symbolically moving on to whatever life had in store for me. I wasn’t going to hide from life any longer.
I could envision it but it scared me. However, I was blessed with a lot of family who could help me through.
After closing the cemetery gate behind me, I turned back and blew a kiss toward Robert’s grave. Once more, I said, “ Sayonara , Robert. Until we meet again.” I smiled. “And next week, I’ll bring Zach.”
Thinking of Zach, I gasped as I looked at my watch. I didn’t have time for pie or symbolic anythings. I had lingered here much longer than I realized. I was barely going to make it to Grandma’s in time for her to still have lunch with her friends.
~ ~ ~
Back at the Inn, I offered to settle Zach down to watch his favorite dog movie, 101 Dalmatians , but he wanted to finish some homework in the kitchen, and how could I discourage that? Grandma decided she’d rather visit with us than “some old ladies” and followed Zach. She’d probably be his biggest distraction.
I headed down to the “dungeon,” as Liz liked to call our very nice family quarters in the basement, and found her lying on her bed.
I had done some major fixing up in the basement, both in decorating and remodeling. I had one wall removed to add one bedroom to the great room. There were still four bedrooms—mine, Zach’s and two guest rooms, one of which Liz was occupying for a few months until she got her divorce. We each had our own baths and large closets, and we could hang out in the spacious great room, which was the size of the law library and exercise room combined. With a kitchenette in one corner, a TV and couch in another, along with a game