Page 102 of Our Lips Are Sealed
But after a minute, Simone regained the composure she wore like armor to get through the days and opened up about Rebecca for the first time to Evie.
“It has always amazed me how one worthless man can break a woman with potential. Did you know she was only seventeen when Charlie brought her to Haven House?”
Appalled, Evie shook her head. “I didn’t.”
“And clever as a whip, too. I remember how nervous she made Ben.”
Drawing in a shuddering breath, Simone pushed herself to continue. “We were kind of happy in the beginning. There were a good couple of years where we lived our lives here, not quite carefree, but close,” she said. “That changed as the years did, and when the rest of us had given up on her, it was your mother and Miranda who held out hope for Rebecca. They thought we could build back up what Charlie had torn down.”
Simone’s eyes glazed over with memories and guilt. “Not me, though. I didn’t care one way or another. I was selfish and turned a blind eye to the situation. As long as me and mine were okay, Rebecca didn’t matter anymore. I felt that she was too far gone. Ben agreed with me, but Laura Jean begged him to let her get Becca help before he cut her loose, and of course, Benjamin would have done anything your mother asked of him.”
“You weren’t selfish,” Evie said. “I can understand why my mom would want to help her. There’s not much, but I can recall a few snippets of memory where everyone was happy here.”
The lines in Simone’s face—the ones Evie hadn’t noticed were growing deeper with time until just now—softened. “In those days, life at Haven House functioned much as it does now with you three girls. Except we had children running around everywhere.”
Simone poked Evie in the shoulder. “I expect all of you to fill this house with my grandchildren someday. That’s an order.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Studying her, Simone took her hand, and Evie braced herself for what was coming. Simone wasn’t the only one who had mastered the art of deflection. They had all gone through hell yesterday but were sitting around the kitchen as if it were a perfectly normal Sunday morning.
“That’s enough talk of the past for now.” Simone leaned in close to speak over Jamison’s screech-singing. “Are you ready to discuss it?”
Evie understood the effort it had taken Simone to speak about Rebecca, but she wasn’t quite prepared to do the same. For now, Toby had won. He was with her, and wasn’t going anywhere, but she would be damned if that would always be the case. “Not yet, but I will be soon.”
“I know not to push, but I don’t want you to become like me. Bitter and scared all the damn time.”
“Don’t be silly. You know we all think you’re superwoman,” Evie said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Of course I am.” Simone rose to get a refill on her coffee. “But even a superwoman can have her issues.”
Outside on the patio, Cohen passed by the screen door on his way to the forest. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” they replied in unison, and Jamison scampered over to the door.
“You’re looking mighty fine wearing my jacket, Agent Cohen.”
Cohen turned around, walking backwards with a dopey smile on his face. “I’ll return it to you tonight.”
“You girls are worse than a bunch of cats in heat,” Simone murmured, walking over to the coffeemaker. “But I guess that means I might get my grandbabies sooner rather than later.”
Down the hall, the front door shut, and Evie turned in her seat to see Samuel standing in the foyer. Abandoning the kitchen, she went to him as if drawn by a magnet, and he pulled her into his arms when she reached him, swaying them to the music.
She gave him a smile that was probably as goofy as the one currently on Cohen’s face. “I didn’t know you danced.”
“Quite well, actually. When I went off to college with Selah, he made sure I learned so I wouldn’t embarrass him at any of the parties we went to.”
“Selah taught you to dance?” She giggled at the very idea. “I would’ve paid good money to see that.”
The hand on her back dipped lower, giving a squeeze, and Evie rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Right here in the foyer, Mr. Fairweather?”
“Anywhere I can get it, Ms. Eddins.”
Samuel twirled her out and back again, the song having changed to an old Etta James tune.
“What were you and Cohen talking about out there?”
“The importance of good men, music, and books.”
