Page 146 of Fury

“He sure is,” I said, winking at her.

Her lips parted, but she had no comeback.

“That hair…those biceps…” Mary Lynn murmured.

“That ass!” Dee laughed loudly.

“I think we need another round of coffee.” Cassandra grinned.

“Lenore, you should come to the barbecue we’re having at the club in a couple of weeks,” said Dee.

“Yes, you should,” said Alicia.

I swirled the last of my coffee in the mug. “I don’t know.”

“It’ll just be our chapter, families only. Nothing too crazy,” said Dee.

Mary Lynn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, never is.”

I liked these women. I liked them a lot. I didn’t have many friends here in town. A number of casual acquaintances, but not real friends. However, I didn’t want to go to a club party, family style or no.

“That’s real sweet of you guys.”

I would come up with of some sort of plausible last minute excuse and not go.

That’s what I did best.

Over four years had passed,and I had settled into Meager very nicely. I enjoyed the quiet. I was designing and creating at my own pace, paying my bills, and had made good friends. Social media was beginning to explode, and I took advantage, bettering my business online.

One afternoon Alicia came to the store with a friend I hadn’t met before. “Lenore, this is Grace.” Alicia removed her sunglasses, gesturing at Grace who stood stiffly at her side. “She’s an old friend from the club who’s back in town. She needs a pick me up, and I’m treating her today.”

Tania’s best friend, the Grace I’d been hearing about for years and years, the woman whose heartbreak had been emotional signposts along my own path.

A slight smile passed over Grace’s slim face. She was tired. Her clouded hazel eyes shifted around the store, taking in the swags of multicolored gossamer fabric that flowed down from the walls, the large piece of handmade stained glass hanging in the front window which filled the boutique with jewel-colored light.

“What a beautiful store,” she murmured.

“Thank you.”

I assessed her figure and quickly pulled pieces for her to try on, and she did so quietly. Alicia kept chattering though, more than usual. She pointed out a few kinkier pieces for Grace to try, but Grace refused. In fact, she didn’t say much at all, but Alicia took no mind.

Something was off.

Grace decided on a few items, and Alicia paid for them. Grace thanked me, taking the shopping bag I handed her, and quickly exited the store. She went out to Alicia’s car which was being commandeered by two One-Eyed Jacks.

“Grace came back to town recently. It’s been sixteen years since she’s been home,” Alicia said, shoving her designer wallet back in her large handbag. “Her sister’s been battling lung cancer, and she’s real upset. We just came back from the hospital in Rapid, and I thought I’d cheer her up by stopping here.”

I glanced out the front window. Grace was talking on her cell phone, her body stiff.

“You’re a good friend, Alicia,” I said.

We moved to the doorway, Alicia telling me she wanted to organize a night out with me and Grace and the ladies, but movement on the sidewalk caught my attention. Bear, the heavy set biker in the front passenger seat, snapped out of Alicia’s Cherokee, a hand on Grace’s arm and guided her into the vehicle’s backseat. He darted towards us, his bro in the driver’s seat talking on his phone.

“Alicia, we gotta move. We got to get Grace and her nephew to the hospital right now. Shit looks bad.”

“Oh dammit,” murmured Alicia.

“Go, honey,” I said. “Let me know.”

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