Free The Only Best Place by Carolyne Aarsen Page A

time for us to leave.”
    Judy's puzzled look glanced off me and onto Dan. “You just got here! Why is Leslie talking about leaving?”
    Dan had obviously not prepared them for this. Had he been hoping that once we were here I would change my mind?
    I scanned the room. The sisters wouldn't meet my eye. Worse, they were looking at each other, and I certainly didn't have
     to be a VandeKeere to know what they were thinking.
    Our poor brother.
    I closed my eyes, sucked in some air, and counted to seven. I couldn't wait 'til ten, but knew I needed more than five.
    “Our move here was never meant to be permanent.” I focused on Judy, the one sister I felt the most connection with. But her
     glance was the merest whisper of her eyes over my face, and in that brief moment I caught a shout of disappointment that hurt.
     I resisted the urge to explain. Dan was supposed to have done all the groundwork, but obviously the sisters knew nothing.
     His mother, even less.
    Retreat in the face of overwhelming odds would not have been cowardly. But fear and pride can make people do undiplomatic
     things.
    “We're only here a year and then we're moving back to Seattle. That was supposed to have been made very clear.”
By your precious Dan.
    Dan's arms folded across his chest as he leaned back. Away from me.
    “Is she right?” Gloria asked Dan. “Why does she want to go back?”
    “We had discussed it,” he hedged, lifting his hand in a vague gesture.
    Discussed it?
We'd drawn up a plan with a timeline. Stay in Harland long enough to get the farm in decent shape to sell. Get Wilma set
     up, give ourselves a chance to regroup, and make some decisions about what to do when we moved back to Seattle again. I had
     initially lobbied for six months, but Dan had contended that it wasn't worth the bother if we didn't stay at least a year.
    Gloria slipped her arm across Wilma's shoulders, as if protecting her from the heresy of a daughter-in-law who didn't want
     to live here with the family. If anyone could imagine that. “This is news to us. However, if that is your plan”—her gaze cut
     to me as if the idea were mine and mine alone—“then we shall have to work within that.”
    Dan shot me daggers, and I knew we were going to have a “talk” when everyone left.
    “For now we still need to decide what to crop,” Dayton said, tapping his large fingers on his arm, thankfully bringing the
     conversation to a manageable, practical topic. “As well, the tractor needs a new engine. I'm sure you can get Uncle Orest
     to help you put a new one in.”
    More ideas surfaced, but I understood from the lack of eye contact that I no longer had a part in the conversation. At some
     unseen signal, Judy got up and brought coffee around and Gloria brought out cream and sugar. The sisters worked in an easy,
     efficient rhythm.
    Me? I sat there. Inadequate hostess. Ungrateful daughter-in-law.
    Finally I got up from my chair. “I'll go check on the kids.”
    Eyes swiveled my way, telegraphing unspoken relief.
    They wanted me gone. Well, gone I could manage. So I headed out of the room, leaving them to make their decisions without
     the interloper.
    I quietly made my way back up the stairs and slipped into Dan's old bedroom, where Nicholas now held court. He lay curled
     up on his stomach, his behind in the air, his arms tucked under him like a cat. As I tried to rearrange him into a more comfortable
     position, he flung his arms out and stiffened. I recognized the first step toward wakefulness and withdrew, pulling his quilt
     over his shoulders even though I knew in ten minutes he'd shrug it off again.
    Thankfully summer was coming and I wouldn't have to worry about how to keep him warm in this drafty old house.
    Winter would be another story.
    Don't go there yet. One day, one chocolate at a time was the only way I was going to get through this year. The jar sitting
     beside my bed down the hall whispered to my mind like a siren.
Come eat us. Drown