Free Deeper Than Need by Shiloh Walker Page A

uproot a begonia a look of triumph crossed her face. Judging by the expression in her eyes, she’d retreated into a world only she knew.
    Maybe even she didn’t understand. That was the very worst, when she was alone, with not even her memories.
    They’d been married for going on sixty years. He would love her until the day he died and probably even after. It didn’t matter if the Alzheimer’s was taking her away from him, because it wasn’t taking him from her. He’d love her always and that was just that.
    They’d had a few good days, though … and then yesterday. The ambulance, the police cars, barreling past their house on the way to the Frampton place. All the noise and chaos had agitated her, and by the time the day ended both of them had been exhausted and Miss Mary had practically cried herself to sleep.
    He wasn’t too far behind. Tears didn’t come easily to him, but if he could have allowed himself the tears yesterday just might have broken him.
    To top it all off, the nonsense hadn’t ended yesterday. All blasted day there had been a steady stream of cars driving down the little street where their house was located. It wasn’t too often that people would be so obvious about it. He knew there were plenty who’d go poking around the Frampton house located just down the way from him. People used to do it all the time and he’d call the police or go out there and greet them with a shotgun, whichever seemed to suit the nature of the trespasser. After the house had sold, it stopped being an issue.
    But people hadn’t driven up and down the street all damn day. Not for twenty years.
    As another car came down the street, he stood up from his chair, coffee in one hand, and moved to the railing. Eyeballing it, he plucked the phone from the railing and watched as somebody used his driveway as a turnaround. That somebody—a kid of maybe twenty—caught sight of Max as he lifted his phone to his ear, and the boy gunned the gas, making the tires squeal.
    Not many people cut down in front of the Frampton house, though. It was a dead end, and in order to turn around they’d have to either pull into the old Frampton place or use Max’s drive as a turnaround.
    Not many people had the balls to use Max’s drive. Not many at all.
    People around Madison knew Max would call the cops and he just might charge them with trespassing.
    Judge Max wasn’t exactly a mean old goat, but he didn’t like bullshit and the unending string of cars was pissing him off.
    Standing on the porch, watching as his Mary hummed and pulled up more flowers, he crossed his arms over his chest as he saw yet another car slow at the end of the street. They caught sight of him and sped up. “Damn idiots,” he muttered.
    “All these weeds,” Mary said, her voice aggravated and tense. “We’re having so many weeds this year, Max.”
    Max shifted his attention to the flowers she’d just uprooted. He’d helped her plant them just a week ago. No help for it now, though. He wasn’t about to see the confusion in her eyes if he pointed it out to her. Instead, he just smiled. “We sure are, Miss Mary. Maybe I should see about getting a gardener or someone out here. Would make it easier on you if you had some help, wouldn’t it?”
    “Oh, don’t be silly.” She gave him a dark look. “I love my garden.”
    So much for that idea. He watched as she pulled up another bunch of flowers and then wiped her hands down the front of her nightgown. He’d asked if she wanted to change into some clothes before she came into the garden and she’d just smiled at him and told him she’d already done that.
    Dirt streaked her skinny legs, and her nightgown, the one he’d given her for Christmas a few years back, was most likely ruined. He’d do what he could to get the mud out. Maybe she wouldn’t notice if a few stains lingered.
    “Have you had any luck getting Nan to straighten up yet?” she asked.
    He dragged a hand down his face. “Not just yet,