Page 26 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

That afternoon neighbors began arriving at the house with food: casseroles, stews, soups, pies. In the kitchen Laurel took a covered dish from Gavin. He was starting to look tired around the eyes. Of course, with the Claytons here, he was still sleeping on the couch.

“Lasagna,” Gavin said.

Last night Laurel had given the Claytons the spare room and taken Mallory and Mike’s bedroom herself. Their presence was so heavy in that room, in the happy colors and simple décor. A Dan Brown novel sat on Mike’s nightstand, open to the middle and turned over as if waiting for his return. A half-empty water glass sat on Mallory’s side. And even after changing the sheets, her friend’s floral scent lingered, keeping Laurel awake late into the night.

She marked the Pyrex dish and made room for it in the freezer while Gavin returned to his laptop at the kitchen table where he’d been working on a bid most of the afternoon.

They’d already eaten supper (chicken casserole), and the sun was getting ready to set. The Claytons had taken Emma and Sunny outside, where they were both presumably running off their energy. Now was a good time to address the subject that had consumed her all day.

She poured herself a cup of decaf and took a seat across the table from Gavin.

He glanced up, brows raised at her appearance.

So yes, she’d been avoiding him today. The memory of their son’s funeral plans didn’t exactly inspire warm, fuzzy feelings forher husband. Best to ease into this conversation. “I don’t know why it’s a tradition to bring food to grieving families. No one wants to eat at a time like this.”

“Gives folks something to do, I guess. Some way to show they care.”

“I suppose. There’s already enough food in there for a month.” Who would be heating up all those meals? It was impossible not to fret over the future. The planner in her didn’t like having anything up in the air, much less Emma’s future. She glanced out the window where Paul lifted Emma into his arms. “She doesn’t seem herself today.”

Gavin glanced outside. “You think it’s sinking in?”

“Or she’s just missing them. She asked me about them after her nap.”

“What did you say?”

“Same thing I said yesterday. She just stared at me.” The look in her eyes had nearly broken Laurel’s heart in two.

“A part of me wishes she could understand. Another part hopes she doesn’t.”

“I don’t know which would be worse. She didn’t go on the potty at all today. Mallory had her almost trained.”

“I read some regression is normal.”

“I read the same.”

He’d changed a little since she’d seen him last. A few gray hairs threaded through the hair at his temples, and faint laugh lines fanned from his eyes, even though he wasn’t smiling at the moment.

“I wonder why Patty hasn’t called,” he said.

“Maybe she lost her phone or broke it or something.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m sure she’ll call soon.” Check them out, being so adult. Putting all their hostility aside to deal with the tragedy at hand. But it was time to get down to business. She cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking . . . there’s really no sense in both of us hanging around here all week what with Paul and Judy being here.”

Something flashed in his eyes. Relief? “I agree.”

That was easier than she’d expected. She allowed the smallest of smiles. “The sofa must be hard on your back. You’ll probably be glad to be back in your own bed.”

His expression fell. “I’m not going anywhere. I thought you were going back to Asheville.”

Her spine lengthened. “I’m not leaving Emma.”

“I’mnot leaving Emma.”

She huffed. “She doesn’t need all of us here.”

“Feel free to go then.”

---