Page 99 of Mountains Divide Us

“They didn’t talk nothin’ over!” Abey jumped out of her chair, pointing at Cal, knocking her hat from her lap to the floor. “Her sister drove in the storm and ran into Frank’s truck. Then, after we found Murphy and took him to Doc’s clinic, Myrna drove off the road again! After her first accident, she decided she wanted to run to the store for lima beans. Lima beans in a whiteout! So she took Cal’s car, and I had to go pull her outta the ditch by the Food Mart. By the time I got her back to Cal’s—for the second time—she was wet and shiverin’ up a ruckus. Well, both of ’em got sick, picked up that cold or flu that’s been goin’ around. Next day, Father Jed told Phil about it at church, so then Phil showed up at Cal’s house with soup. She nursed Cal and Myrna back to health, and all of a sudden, they’re besties again.”

She stopped and looked up at the ceiling. “You know, it’s a wonder I like women, ’cause I really don’t like women. Y’all make no sense.” Bending to pick up her hat, she looked at Phil and straightened. “You two have hated each other for years, and all it took was a damn bowl of soup?”

Phil and Cal both shrugged and said, “Yep.”

Carly raised her hand. “What kinda soup? I’m hungry now.”

Frank’s mom was laughing beside me, and finally, everybody noticed her.

“Who’re you?” Billie asked.

“I’m Kathy, Frank’s mama, and I was just laughin’ ’cause y’all sound like my friends back in Texas.”

Cal hmphed, and then the Frank questions started.

Aubrey asked, “Did you know how handsome your son would turn out to be?” and she wiggled her eyebrows.

I stomped my foot. “Hey!”

She winked at me, and Abey said, “Did you know your son would grow up to be such a pain in my ass?”

I stood next to my chair, listening to it all, wondering if we’d ever talk about the damn book, but then I realized it didn’t matter. We could talk about the color of the walls, and I’d be entertained. I hoped we’d get around to books, too, but I was just glad for the friendships I’d made. Glad for the community I was a part of now, and glad for the love I’d found in Wisper.

It was better than any book in the world.

Frank’s voice behind me was a welcome interruption though. “Hey there, good-lookin’. You keepin’ these ladies in line?” With his rough hands on my arms, he turned me and planted his lips on mine, taking off his hat and hiding us from my nosy friends with it while he kissed me stupid, and a hush fell over the reading room.

“I’m trying,” I whispered when I could breathe again after being ravaged by his tongue so thoroughly that my knees wobbled.

“You tell ’em yet?”

I shook my head. “I’m kind of surprised your mom hasn’t said anything. Or Abey.”

Looking around his hat, I peeked at Kathy. And yep. She was about to burst as she smiled up at us.

I counted down in my head. Three, two, one…

“They’re gonna foster Murphy, and they’re gettin’ married!” she announced, and the whole room erupted.

Visions of Pride and Prejudice danced in my head as I laughed, and I realized that Frank was my Mr. Darcy. We weren’t rich by any means, but we were rich in love. We were a walking romance novel. Our grumpy sunshine age gap was one for the books.

How fitting that we’d fallen in love at the library.

EPILOGUE

SAMANTHA

Like a torpedo aimed for the sheriff’s station, Grum pulled Murphy through the door.

Abey had agreed to take custody of Grum for the weekend so Frank and I could take Murphy to see Frank’s parents in Texas. They’d been up to see us two more times since their first visit, but this was Frank’s first trip back to Risk, and Murphy’s and my first time there ever.

Frank was excited to show us around but nervous because his brother and sister would be there with their families, and I was happy to be going with him so I could help to keep him stress free. He was in his truck, checking in on the airline website, while Murphy and I ran in to do the last thing on our checklist before we left town.

Spring had come to Texas, and Frank promised Murphy and me fields full of bluebonnets.

When I caught the door and Murphy pulled Grum to a stop inside the station, we found ourselves standing in front of Devo from Ace’s House. She was handcuffed, her wrists held together in front of her, swinging her legs back and forth in Abey’s chair behind her desk with her black-and-white-striped tennis shoe pushing off the floor.

“Devo? Are you okay?”

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