Page 56 of The Secret to a Southern Wedding

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Thought or hoped?” Imani leaned against the wall and watched her mom.

Linda let out a heavy sigh. “Hoped.”

“Because you don’t want to talk about him calling?”

Linda took a sip of water. “Because I’d hoped you wouldn’t worry. I hate the thought of anything to do with your dad keeping you up at night.”

Imani moved to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair and sat. “Kind of too late for that. Sometimes I still think about that day and what happened. When I do, I usually can’t sleep at night.”

Concern clouded her mom’s face. “You shouldn’t still be thinking about that.”

“It’s kind of hard to forget, Mom. I was home that day. I...saw you on the ground. I thought she would shoot me next.”

She’d never forget being in her room doing homework and hearing the gunshot. When she’d run to the front of the house, she still hadn’t believed the shot was real. She’d assumed the television was too loud, or that if it were real then it had to be outside somewhere not at her home. Instead, she’d discovered her mom unconscious on the ground, her dad’s mistress standing at the door holding the gun. She’d jerked the gun in Imani’s direction when she’d run into the room. Their eyes met and for the longest second Imani thought she was going to die, but the woman turned and ran instead.

“I’m forever grateful she wasn’t that heartless,” Linda said in a tired voice before sitting across from Imani.

Imani watched her mother warily. After the divorce and subsequent conviction Linda refused to talk about the situation. There was no mention of her dad, the shooting, the trial, nothing. Her mom pretended as if he’d never been there and anytime Imani brought him up, Linda changed the subject to something else. Imani had followed her mom’s lead, believing that was the best way to help her move on. This was the longest conversation they’d had about that horrible day in years.

“Is he calling you a lot? You mentioned he contacted you before to say he’s seeing someone.”

Sighing, Linda tapped a fingernail against the side of the glass. “It’s coming up on the anniversary of when we first met. I think that’s why he’s reaching out more.”

Imani slapped her hand on the table. “More? So, he’s reached out before now?”

“He would try to call the house every so often. Wrote letters here and there asking about you. He always wants your contact information, but I never pass it along to him.”

“I didn’t know he reached out to you so often or that he bothered to ask about me.” She’d always assumed her dad had listened to her when she said she never wanted to hear from him again. She’d meant the words when she’d said them. All these years later, there were so many things she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Do you want to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. A part of me wants to talk to him. To ask all the questions I couldn’t ask back then. Why did he do this to our family? Did he realize his words made her think killing you was the only answer? Then I realize that no matter what he says I wouldn’t believe him. He lied to us and put us in danger. I have nothing to say to him.”

“I’ve thought those same things myself. I also don’t know if I want the answers. But, he is your dad and if you ever want me to give him your number... I will.”

Imani shook her head. “Not right now. Maybe not ever.”

Linda nodded and took another sip of her water. The silence stretched and Imani knew that her mom would easily move on to another topic and let this conversation fade away. But there were other things she wanted to know. Things only her mom could answer.

“Cyril doesn’t seem to know the entire story,” she said hesitantly. “I thought everyone in town would have told him by now.”

“What happened between me and your dad isn’t the hot topic in town anymore. Nearly twenty years have gone by. There have been other scandals, other betrayals. When I stopped talking about it and moved on with my life other people stopped talking about it, too. Are there those who have probably brought it up now that I’m getting married to Preston? I’m sure, but for the most part the town doesn’t want to focus on the bad things that happened here. Everyone is excited about the best small town designation. Bringing up old scandals and attempted murder cases isn’t what’s going to help us win.”

“It’s hard to believe. Back when it happened, I couldn’t imagine what he did becoming anything other than what the people in town would talk about.”

“I’m not going to pretend everyone here is a pillar of virtue, but a lot of time has passed. You don’t have to worry about everyone you meet asking you about your dad.”

Imani crossed her arms on the table and rested her chin on her wrists. “I guess that’s why Cyril didn’t find out. He says he doesn’t gossip, and he hasn’t asked about our past.”

He hadn’t pushed when she’d cried either. He’d just held her. Gave her the comfort she needed and let her walk away when she’d stopped crying. He’d been there for her without pressing for anything in return, which only made her wonder if she could always rely on him in that way. A dangerous thought for someone who planned to never open herself up to anyone.

“That’s one of the reasons why I like Preston and Cyril. They moved to town and minded their own business. Preston was hurt when his wife died. They came here for a new start. He respected my privacy, so I’m respecting his.”

“Do you know what happened to his wife?”

Her mom shook her head. “I only know it was unexpected and tragic, but he doesn’t like to get into the details. Her loss took a lot out of him and broke the family apart.”

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