knob, Jeff ope ned the door and held it w ide. She eyed him. H e shook his head no ne w s. Her father edged passed her, shook hands w ith Jeff and proceeded to the dining room w here the sounds originated.
Jeff appeared so strong, yet his eyes sho w ed his concern . He’d changed his shirt and the le mony yello w cotton emphasis his dark hair and almost black eyes . W hat w as w rong w ith her? Thinkin g about clothes w hen her mother lay dead and w ith Rod missing. She turn ed a w a y from him and shook her head. “I can’t go in there.”
He put his arm around her and led her to the library, the first room to t he right of the front door. Aft e r she came in, he closed the door , took her in his arms and held her , tenderly . She sobbed against his soft fishing shir t, trying to muffle the sound. T aylor w asn’t sure for w hom she cried; her mother, Rod, the teenager, or herself.
“The hospital called , professional court esy they said , to tell us about your mom. Mary’s been up since before da w n getting the house in order and feeding the mob. I left late last night, returned abou t an hour ago. D ad had to kno w before he heard the TV ne w s .”
She didn’t remove her face from his chest, but she nodded her head in understan ding. The tears had stopped still she made no move to slip a w ay . Jeff enjoyed the torture of holding her as if she w ere his.
“Keep talking. Say about anything , the color of the sky, the w at er, don’t let me think beyond this moment.”
Ho w long they stood there, she had no idea. W hat Jeff talked about, she couldn’t have repeated for s he’d only listened to the tone of his voice, d eep and strong and constant. Finally, she heard her name being called. S he stepped back from Jeff. “Thanks for being my friend.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“No problem, Tiny,” he said, his voice slightly husky.
“Coming, Sara.” She w alked a w ay from him.
She al w ays did that he thought. Just w hen he w as sure he had her, she turned and w alked a w ay . W ould he never learn that she belonged to someone else? Accept that he w as only her friend?
At eight a.m. , the doorbell rang. Everyone heard the sound a nd cro w ded into the hall w ay, suspect ing that the DNR had arrived. Taylor hoped she could handle the situation. She searched for Jeff , grateful fo r his six feet plus height. C a tching her glance , he move d in her direction.
Jeff maneuvered through the group to her side. Once there, he placed an arm around her w a ist and gave a gentle squeeze. She raised her face to him. He lightly kiss ed the top of her head. His gent le affection strengthened her will po w er.
Larry Murphy, the DNR person, headed directly to w ard Taylor and Jeff. They’d both kno w n him for most of their lives and he treated them as his children. He hugged Taylor then shook Jeff’s hand. “Taylor, I n eed you to come outside and check out the cooler w e picked up yesterday.”
She nodded.
“Martin, you might w ant to come, too. Everyone else , please stay here. ”
“Jeff, please come. You’re family . ” She placed her hand in his , her face a pale resemblance of itself.
Larry seemed to expect this for he didn’t disagree .
Dr. Harris said, “ W hy don’t the rest of y’all w ait for us in the living room? W e’ll be there shortly.”
Taylor gripped Jeff’s hand tightly. The four of them w alked outside and around to the back of Larry’s pick- up truck. Although all of them could see the coole r clearly, Larry lifted the blue and w hite cooler from the truck-bed, placing it on the ground.
“Taylor, I kno w this is hard. Do you think this is Rod’s?” He used the tone of a father speaking to a dear, loved child.
She stared at the cooler , before moving a w ay from Jeff and crouching do w n. Taylor tilted the box and looked at the bottom. She sensed all their eyes on her.
A large , gouge d mark crossed the entire bottom of the box.
S he dropped the
Jeff appeared so strong, yet his eyes sho w ed his concern . He’d changed his shirt and the le mony yello w cotton emphasis his dark hair and almost black eyes . W hat w as w rong w ith her? Thinkin g about clothes w hen her mother lay dead and w ith Rod missing. She turn ed a w a y from him and shook her head. “I can’t go in there.”
He put his arm around her and led her to the library, the first room to t he right of the front door. Aft e r she came in, he closed the door , took her in his arms and held her , tenderly . She sobbed against his soft fishing shir t, trying to muffle the sound. T aylor w asn’t sure for w hom she cried; her mother, Rod, the teenager, or herself.
“The hospital called , professional court esy they said , to tell us about your mom. Mary’s been up since before da w n getting the house in order and feeding the mob. I left late last night, returned abou t an hour ago. D ad had to kno w before he heard the TV ne w s .”
She didn’t remove her face from his chest, but she nodded her head in understan ding. The tears had stopped still she made no move to slip a w ay . Jeff enjoyed the torture of holding her as if she w ere his.
“Keep talking. Say about anything , the color of the sky, the w at er, don’t let me think beyond this moment.”
Ho w long they stood there, she had no idea. W hat Jeff talked about, she couldn’t have repeated for s he’d only listened to the tone of his voice, d eep and strong and constant. Finally, she heard her name being called. S he stepped back from Jeff. “Thanks for being my friend.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“No problem, Tiny,” he said, his voice slightly husky.
“Coming, Sara.” She w alked a w ay from him.
She al w ays did that he thought. Just w hen he w as sure he had her, she turned and w alked a w ay . W ould he never learn that she belonged to someone else? Accept that he w as only her friend?
At eight a.m. , the doorbell rang. Everyone heard the sound a nd cro w ded into the hall w ay, suspect ing that the DNR had arrived. Taylor hoped she could handle the situation. She searched for Jeff , grateful fo r his six feet plus height. C a tching her glance , he move d in her direction.
Jeff maneuvered through the group to her side. Once there, he placed an arm around her w a ist and gave a gentle squeeze. She raised her face to him. He lightly kiss ed the top of her head. His gent le affection strengthened her will po w er.
Larry Murphy, the DNR person, headed directly to w ard Taylor and Jeff. They’d both kno w n him for most of their lives and he treated them as his children. He hugged Taylor then shook Jeff’s hand. “Taylor, I n eed you to come outside and check out the cooler w e picked up yesterday.”
She nodded.
“Martin, you might w ant to come, too. Everyone else , please stay here. ”
“Jeff, please come. You’re family . ” She placed her hand in his , her face a pale resemblance of itself.
Larry seemed to expect this for he didn’t disagree .
Dr. Harris said, “ W hy don’t the rest of y’all w ait for us in the living room? W e’ll be there shortly.”
Taylor gripped Jeff’s hand tightly. The four of them w alked outside and around to the back of Larry’s pick- up truck. Although all of them could see the coole r clearly, Larry lifted the blue and w hite cooler from the truck-bed, placing it on the ground.
“Taylor, I kno w this is hard. Do you think this is Rod’s?” He used the tone of a father speaking to a dear, loved child.
She stared at the cooler , before moving a w ay from Jeff and crouching do w n. Taylor tilted the box and looked at the bottom. She sensed all their eyes on her.
A large , gouge d mark crossed the entire bottom of the box.
S he dropped the
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