Out of the Storm by Kevin V. Symmons Page A

to be. Ashley was cute, had that to-die-for accent, nice smile, but…hell, she was spinning a tale at best, outright lying at the worst. Using her situation and her daughter to gain his favor. Eric shook his head as he started his Jeep, hit the accelerator, and left a trail of gravel as he took a right turn toward Route 28 and home. He wanted to hear about Rebecca’s session with Kylie.
    Like Ashley? He shook his head as a frown crossed his face. No way!
    ****
    When Eric pulled into his crushed-stone driveway he expected to see Louise’s blue Camry. No sign of it. He pulled out his cell phone and was about to call when he saw her buzzing down the street. She parked next to Eric’s Jeep. He watched as she got out of the car. Kylie followed slowly. The little girl looked at the ground.
    “Hi, Kylie,” Eric offered.
    “Hello, Uncle Eric,” she whispered back, still staring at the ground.
    “Can you go sit on the porch, honey? Then we’ll go inside and put your new things away.” Lu handed Kylie a bag. A pink teddy bear as large as Kylie stuck out of the top. “I’ll be there in just a minute. Promise.”
    Kylie took the bag, eyes still studying the ground as she nodded and headed to the house. She sat motionless on the swing suspended under the window on the back porch, waiting for Louise.
    “Well?” Eric shrugged.
    “I got another bag in the back.” She reached in and pulled the second bag out as she looked toward the back porch. “Talk to you later. I don’t want the poor child to wait while we talk. I’ll let her in.” Kylie rocked in the swing. Her enormous eyes, a gift from her mother, were fixed on an invisible specter as she clung to her new teddy bear like a life buoy.
    ****
    The three of them had devoured the Chinese food like a school of hungry sharks. Eric sat on the back porch smoking his nightly Marlboro. He allowed himself one cigarette a day. Elaine hated the habit. He’d picked it up in the army and could never quite shake it. Eric tried to limit his smoking to one after dinner. His small way of respecting Elaine’s memory. The clatter of dish washing came through the open window. Louise had shooed him out of the kitchen, asking Kylie to help her.
    During dinner Eric had told Kylie her mother would be coming home tomorrow. She brightened. It was the closest thing she’d shown to a smile. Eric still wanted to talk to Lu about the session with Rebecca. So far there’d been no chance.
    The late spring sun worked its way below the distant treetops on the far side of the street as Eric crushed his cigarette in an empty flower pot. He moved the swing casually, inhaling the fragrance of the late spring flowers—the ones Elaine had worked so hard to grow. They needed work. He’d have to get to them himself or call a landscaper. As he scanned his long narrow side street something caught his attention. A utilitarian van he’d never seen before, parked behind a large maple, almost out of sight.
    As he stood and squinted to see if anyone was inside he heard the screen door open and looked, expecting to see Louise. Instead, Kylie came out clinging to her new teddy bear. Rusty followed close behind.
    “Hi, honey.” Eric smiled.
    “Hello, Uncle Eric,” she said politely. Lips firmly posed in a pout, Kylie took a tentative step, surveying the large backyard. Eric and Elaine had bought the house three years ago because of it.
    Elaine had run down the stairs after seeing the master bedroom with dormers facing Nantucket Sound. From the low hill the house stood on, the blue-gray waves were just visible above the trees. You could close your eyes and smell the ocean.
    “Oh, Ricky. I love it. Just love it!” Elaine’s voice echoed with excitement. “Don’t you?” The house offered more than a view. “Look at this yard.” She swooned. The PJM rhododendrons were in bloom, while the forsythia shed their yellow mantle. “Perfect for kids. Lots of kids.” Elaine raised her eyebrows and giggled. The