Free Common Enemy by Sandra Dailey

turned to the woman, “Joyce, this is Jordan Holbrook my, umm, friend.”
    “Oh! You must have helped Connor with Tom when he found him,” Jordan said.
    “Your name is Holbrook? Like Patty Holbrook?” Joyce asked.
    Jordan was stunned. How long had it been since she had heard that name?
    “Well…yes. That was my mother’s name. Did you know her?”
    “Oh, honey. Your momma and I were partners in crime in high school. I was so sorry to hear she’d passed away. That must have been almost a dozen years ago.”
    “It will be twenty years in September. Thanks for not saying mean things about her, but I really don’t remember her. She left me with my grandparents long before that.”
    “Well, honey, try not to judge too harshly. Sometimes people get lost in circumstances. Maybe you can come by sometime and let me do your hair. We could talk for a while. Call ahead and I’ll cut out some time when we can have a nice private chat.” Her smile had softened. Jordan could tell she had a story to tell.
    “I think I’d really like that.”
    Joyce waved and walked away.
    “You’ve never mentioned your mother,” Connor remarked.
    “I don’t know much about her. Maybe it’s time I found out more.”
    The Douglases joined them later that evening to watch the fireworks. Holly begged to take Lizzy home with her for the rest of the weekend. They compromised on letting her go the next morning. Lizzy was already showing signs of exhaustion from her busy day.

Chapter Nine
    On Sunday morning, Jordan dropped Lizzy off at the Douglas house. She only stayed for a few minutes before she drove to the cemetery. She wasn’t the kind to hang out at cemeteries, but she thought it would be a good place to think for a while.
    She hadn’t seen Gram’s grave since the day of her funeral. The canopy and chairs were gone. The flowers had been taken away. The date of her grandmother’s death had been added to the double headstone shared by her and Pop. It had seemed creepy to see Gram’s name on the dark polished granite while she was still alive, but now, it was right. The loving couple was now laid to rest, together forever.
    Finally, she forced herself to look at the gravestone to the left. Patricia Ann Holbrook, beloved daughter and mother. She’d been thirty-years-old when she’d died. It occurred to Jordan that her own thirtieth birthday was only one month away.
    A single dove surrounded by a heart was etched above the inscription. She wondered why she hadn’t looked at this grave when she’d been here the month before. She knelt by the headstone and traced the words with her finger. “Who were you, Mom? Why didn’t I know you? What happened to you? All I have is questions. I’ve always been grateful to you, Mom. You knew I would be safe and happy with Gram and Pop. You knew they’d take care of me. They would have taken care of you, too. Why couldn’t you just come home?”
    Jordan absentmindedly pulled a few weeds from around the small headstone, and then sat leaning against it. She looked up at the morning sky. “ Well, that’s all in the past now. I hope Joyce can tell me more about you. I really would like to have good memories of you. I hope you found more happiness in heaven than you did here. Maybe I’ll bring Lizzy here someday when she’s older. She’s a wonderful little girl, Mom.” Jordan stood and brushed dry grass and leaves from her legs. “Thanks for everything.”
    Jordan ran her hand over the cold stone. The next time she came she’d bring flowers to brighten the sad grave.
    ****
    Jordan drove straight into the barn without looking at the house. Connor watched her from under the hood of his van, where he’d been checking the oil. She’d been going into the barn for long periods of time recently. She didn’t seem to do anything in there, but he followed her anyway. He wasn’t comfortable with her being alone outside the house anymore.
    The sun filtered through the holes in the roof. The barn