Page 7 of Your Love

With a soft, concerned tone, she asks, “Are you alright?”

I take a moment to assess myself before responding. “I think so,” I reply, my heartbeat slowly returning to normal. “I’m Kerri.”

Her lips curve into a warm smile as she replies, “I’m Lou.” The sound of her voice is like honey, smooth and sweet. “Where are you headed?” she asks with a curious tilt of her head.

My gaze flickers outside. “Far from Texas,” I answer, my voice low and guarded. In truth, I’ve been forced to keep my private life very private, but for some reason, the answer rolls off my tongue easily with Lou.

The corner of her mouth turns up in a sympathetic smile. “And that makes you sad?” she questions, genuine concern coloring her words.

I shrug nonchalantly, but inside, I feel a pang of sadness. “A bit,” I reply honestly. “My parents live in Texas, but I’m going to live with my grandparents for a while.”

“That sounds lovely,” she replies with a gentle smile. “There’s nothing quite like spending quality time with my grandchildren. It’s what I look forward to most.”

“How old are they?”

“I have one who’s in his early twenties and another who’s just ten years old,” she responds fondly. The wrinkles around her eyes crinkle with delight as she speaks of them.

Lou reaches into her large purse, the clinking of keys, butterscotch candy wrappers, and rustling of papers drowned out by the scent of warm vanilla and butter wafting from within. She pulls out a clear plastic bag filled with colorful treats, and each cookie is cut out in the shape of an animal. My mouth waters at the sight, and she shifts the open bag in my direction with a knowing smile.

I can’t resist reaching for one—or two—of the cookies, their sugary coating leaving a light dusting on my fingertips. I choose a pink one with delicate white sprinkles and a white one with bright pink frosting. Each bite is a burst of sweetness as we make small talk about everything from the weather to the classes I’ve been taking in school.

With a sly smile, I ask her, “So, what’s your book about?”

A laugh escapes her lips as she responds, “Oh, Lord. It’s about a daring pirate who kidnaps a wealthy maiden and their journey towards unexpected love.” Her eyes sparkle with excitement.

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Sounds very dramatic.”

She chuckles and waves a dismissive hand. “I have a soft spot for these types of books. They are my guilty pleasure, you could say.”

I nod understandingly. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“What about you?” she asks. When I look at her curiously, she continues. “Surely a lovely girl like yourself has a boyfriend?”

My breath catches in my throat as I struggle to hold back the tears that are threatening to break free again. “No...no boyfriend,” I answer, perhaps more harshly than intended. My chest aches, making it difficult to speak.

Her voice is gentle and laced with a touch of regret. “I’m sorry, Kerri,” she murmurs, her eyes softening with empathy. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay,” I say quietly, reaching out to place my hand over her small, bony one. “It’s not something I like to talk about.”

“Then let’s not talk about it,” she offers, extending another cookie toward me. I happily take it and savor the sweetness and change of subject.

For the past few months, I have purposefully avoided any mention or discussion of the matter. It’s been my coping mechanism. Turning a blind eye and pushing the thoughts away has been my only way of finding the courage to move on and begin again. Someday, I’ll have to face it, but not today.

Chapter 4

“About A Girl”

Landry - Age 18, 1988

Merrimack Mavericks Player Questionnaire

Name: Christian Landry

Date of birth: July 28, 1970

Height: 6′5″

Weight: 207#. Hit the Christmas cookies pretty hard this year. I need to get that down to 200#. It’s almost April, so I’m not off to a great start.