Free The Reunion by Curt Autry Page B

accept my condolences.”
    Hudson hung up the receiver and braced himself on the doorframe. “He’s dead. Walter was murdered yesterday.”

11
    The big house at 6907 Avondale Road was dark, except for a single bulb that burned under the portico. It was only nine thirty. Carolyn studied the massive hand-carved oak door before knocking. Her two previous visits had been in the middle of the day, when only her mother had been home. Now she would meet the husband, a man who probably didn’t know she existed before last week, and probably would have preferred that it stay that way.
    The door opened. “Come in,” he said, his voice strong and clear.
    â€œDr. Thomas?” she asked tentatively.
    He shook his head and smiled. “Call me Harvey. I’m so glad to finally get to meet you,” he said, giving her an awkward hug. “We had a wonderful time with your son today. I told Kenny that I’d tell his momma to bring his bathing suit next time so we can play in the pool.”
    She looked up at him with a burst of anxious laughter. “Oh, he’d like that. He loves the water. He’s gonna be a fish when he grows up.”
    Harvey extended his hand, gesturing for her to come in. He was a teddy bear of a man, tall, muscular, yet with a noticeable tire around the middle, nothing like she expected. He wore a red sweat suit, and thick gray hair tumbled down over his forehead. His eyes were expressive and kind.
    â€œThank you,” she said as she wandered across the Italian marble. In the family room her mother was curled up in an overstuffed chair. She put her novel on the armrest when Carolyn walked in.
    â€œI hope Kenny wasn’t a problem,” Carolyn said.
    Stephanie’s face lit up as she stood for an embrace. “He’s a sweetheart. He fell asleep about an hour ago. I put him down in the guest bedroom.”
    Harvey ducked his head into the room. “Can I get you ladies a glass of wine?”
    Both women nodded. Harvey waddled out of the room, returning with two crystal wine goblets and a bottle of Merlot. He filled the glasses.
    â€œLadies, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave the bottle. My Texas Rangers are on.”
    Stephanie shot him a stern look, which quickly gave way to a smile. “Keep the TV down in there, the baby’s sleeping.” She took a sip from the glass. “Since he retired last year it’s all about baseball.”
    Carolyn shrugged. “If that’s his only vice you’re a lucky woman. He seems very nice.”
    Her eyes twinkled. “He is. He’s been very good to me. I only wish I had met him thirty years earlier.”
    Carolyn stared into her wineglass, suddenly lost in thought. “I hope my presence hasn’t upset him. I know that for us to just show up has to be a real jolt for the both of you.”
    Stephanie sat erect. “Don’t ever think that,” she scolded. “He’s happy for me. Harvey has a son by his first marriage, and granddaughters, two of them. They’re his whole world. I love the girls too, but I never really knew his joy, until today.” Stephanie moved to the couch next to her daughter, resting a hand on her back as tears trickled down her face. “We both had so much fun having a little boy running around this big empty house.”
    Carolyn couldn’t look her in the face. “Please tell me if this is too much too soon.”
    Stephanie moved closer. “Honey, don’t think like that. A week never went by that I didn’t wonder about you and pray that you had a good life. For you to come into my life now is an incredible gift.” She gently touched Carolyn’s face. “One I really don’t deserve.”
    Carolyn threw her arms around her mother’s neck. They squeezed each other tightly, gently rocking back and forth. Carolyn had never felt so safe in her life.
    ***
    Two hours later, Carolyn was back in her