Free Heartbreak Highway 1 by Harper Whitmore Page B

said, “You know, it would probably cost about the same to tear it down and build a new, modern one as it would to fix that old house up.”
    Marshall stopped walking and looked hard at her. “That house was my home for my entire life, Simone. I would never think about tearing it down. Besides, you’re getting way ahead of us here. We haven’t gone to the reading of the will yet. He may have left the house to Eva.” They were stepping off the tram as he said that and Simone looked appalled. She took the hand he held out to her and stepped off into the dirt. She made a face about that too and shook off her designer shoes before saying,
    “That would be terrible if Henry did that. After all, you just said it was your home. No offense Eva, but even though Henry felt bad for the way….well, you know….your mother and all of that….blood should run a lot deeper.”
    Marshall stopped walking again. “Simone, knock it off, please.”
    “What? I said, ‘No offense’.”
    Marshall laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. It was like he was frustrated about trying to make her see things like a normal person should as he said, “You can’t just say, “no offense” and then say whatever you want to. People still get offended if you say ugly things.”
    Simone looked shocked at the way Marshall was speaking to her. She proved that she wasn’t a fast learner however by going on to say,
    “I wasn’t saying anything ugly. I was only stating the truth, right Eva?”
    Eva couldn’t believe the gall of this woman. She wasn’t worth the energy it would take to fight with her though as far as Eva was concerned. She just rolled her eyes and said,
    “Let’s go back to the cabin. We got up really early this morning. I’d like to take a nap.”
    “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea,” Marshall said. The drive back was quiet until they pulled into the complex and Eva said,
    “I’m going to go in the office and see if they have any available rooms.”
    “Why?” Marshall said, “There are two beds in our cabin.”
    Simone and Eva both looked at him like he was crazy then. Eva spoke first saying, “I think it would be better for the two of you to have some privacy.” Marshall looked like he was going to say something but Simone interrupted him by saying,
    “That’s real nice of you, Eva. Thank you.” Marshall left it alone then, likely just glad they had found at least one thing to agree on.
    * * *
    Eva was able to get a cabin for the night. It was at the end of the same row that she and Marshall’s cabin had been in. She went with Marshall and Simone into “their” cabin to pick up her things. As Eva gathered her stuff up she heard Simone say,
    “Kind of roughing it, huh? You may as well have just pitched a tent.”
    “We still could, if you’d like. There are a lot of sporting goods stores around here….we could run to town and get some equipment before it gets dark,” Marshall told her.
    Simone laughed as if she thought Marshall was making a great joke. Eva was wishing now more than ever that they would have camped out. Maybe then, Simone wouldn’t have been able to find them at all.
    Marshall helped her carry her suitcases to her new cabin. Once inside he sat the suitcase down and said, “Are you sure about this? I don’t like you way down here all by yourself.”
    She smiled, no matter how annoyed she was with his girlfriend; she still loved her best friend.
    “I’m a big girl, Marshall. I’ll be fine.”
    “Okay,” he relented, “What are we doing tonight?”
    “I think Simone has designs on you taking her out to a club or something.”
    “I know that’s not really your thing though. What do you want to do tonight?”
    “I think I’d just like to stay around here and relax. There are a few nice trails I saw in the brochures. I think I’ll get up early and take a hike before we leave for Tennessee.”
    “At the risk of sounding like Simone, that sounds hideously boring,” he told her with