Yet Georgette had told at least one big lie in her life. She’d told Caleb—told everyone, it seemed—that Kelly had gotten married.
Why bother? Had she actually wanted to protect Kelly’s reputation?
It was too late for an answer. She would never know what had motivated her mother now.
She dropped the ring back in the box, closed it with a snap and went to bed.
* * *
“Kelly! Kelly Rasmussen, hold up!”
“Hold on, buddy.” Kelly caught Tyler’s hand and stopped him from stepping off the curb as she looked back to see who was yelling her name. It had been a busy morning. Dropping off the clothes at the funeral home. Signing some paperwork at the lawyer’s. Getting Tyler into the barbershop.
“But I’m hungry.”
“I know.” She barely got out the words before the dark-haired woman reached them and caught Kelly’s neck in a tight hold. “Pam,” she managed to squeeze out. “It’s been a long time.”
“Rob and I are so sorry about your mama, honey.” Pam finally let go of Kelly’s neck and crouched down to Tyler’s level. “Hey, there, cutie pie. I’m your cousin.” More accurately, the woman was married to one of Kelly’s distant cousins. Even so, Pam had known Kelly all of her life. “But you can call me Auntie Pam. How’s that?”
Tyler cast Kelly a wary look. She gave him a calm smile. “Pam used to babysit me when I was your age,” she told him.
Pam laughed, tweaking Tyler’s nose lightly before rising. “Sure. Make me sound old, why don’t you? I was only sixteen when I babysat you. Now I hear you’re an RN even!”
“I see word still spreads as fast as ever in Weaver.” She hadn’t mentioned becoming a nurse to anyone but Caleb. And that had been just the night before.
“Time brings progress, but some things just stay the same and the grapevine is one of them. Puts all other means of social media to shame.”
Kelly smiled despite herself. “I don’t do any kind of social media. Never had the time nor the inclination.”
“Which explains why we still need a grapevine in Weaver. How else would we keep up with anyone?” Pam grinned. “So proud of you, though. I’m sure your mom was, too, even if she couldn’t bring herself to say so.” Pam’s smile softened. “I wanted to get by your place yesterday, but I was working a double shift at the sheriff’s. Is there anything we can do for you?”
The offer reminded Kelly of Caleb’s. Not that she needed any sort of reminder.
“The funeral’s pretty well taken care of,” she said. “The lawyer handled most of it. Evidently, my mother left him instructions a few years ago.”
“Sounds like Georgette. Probably because she didn’t trust anyone else to get things right, rather than not wanting to burden her loved ones.” Pam made a face. “Sorry. Shouldn’t speak ill of the dead. Especially to you.”
Kelly smiled humorlessly. “It’s all right. You’ve only said what everyone already knows.”
Pam gave her a sympathetic look. “You and Tyler are welcome to stay with Rob and me at our place. We have plenty of room.”
Kelly was genuinely touched. “Even though I haven’t spoken to any of you in all this time?”
Pam clicked her tongue. “There’s not a soul who knew your mom who blames you for that, hon. She made it pretty obvious she didn’t approve of you eloping. She was so mad about it, all she’d say about him was his name was Joe.”
Kelly opened her mouth, then closed it and smiled weakly. She rubbed her hand over Tyler’s neatly cut hair. “It...it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Pam nodded sympathetically. “These things happen,” she said. “I meant what I said, though. You’re welcome to stay with us. We’re right here in town.”
“Thanks, but there’s a lot to be done out at the house, and I only have a few weeks off work. I want to get the farm on the market as soon as possible.”
“So you’re going to sell it, then?”
“If it will sell.” The house was in deplorable condition, and the farmland was equally neglected.
“Selfishly, we’d love to think about you moving back home. But I do understand. Your mom—” Pam broke off and shook her head. “Well, it was her way or the highway. She didn’t want help from anyone.”
And the state of the farm showed it.
“Mommy,” Tyler said, “my stomach’s growly again.”
“I know, baby.” She knew Pam’s propensity for gossip. But she had never been anything but nice to Kelly. “I promised him lunch after we got his hair cut,” she told Pam.
“Take him to Ruby’s. It’s still open until two.” Pam gestured down the street. “Tabby owns the place now.”
“Tabby Taggart?”
“Tabby Clay now. She and Justin got married earlier this year. Bubba Bumble’s the cook. Do you remember him?”
She nodded, trying to imagine Justin Clay and Tabby as a married couple. From Kelly’s earliest memories in school, they along with Caleb had been like the Three Musketeers. Kelly hadn’t been part of that crew until she and Caleb started high school.
Until he’d picked her up and dusted her off after she’d done a header over her bicycle right in front of him.
She pushed away the memory.
“Good for them. I thought Justin was living back east somewhere, though.”
“He was. He’s in charge of the hospital lab now.” Pam adjusted the scarf around her neck and glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to run, but remember what I said. If you need anything—”
“Thanks, Pam.”
“See you later, peach pit.” Pam poked Tyler lightly on the nose.
Tyler giggled, watching the woman hurry off. “I’m not a peach pit. I’m a boy.”
“My favorite one,” Kelly assured him. She had thought about driving them out to the new McDonald’s that Mary had told her about, but Ruby’s Café was just down the street within walking distance. “Come on, buddy.” She turned until they were facing the opposite direction. “Lunch is waiting.”
They’d made it partway down the block when Tyler stopped and pointed. “What’s that?”
She glanced at the sign hanging in one of the storefronts. It was a colorful thing, featuring a black-hatted witch and a grinning jack-o’-lantern. “It’s an ad for a Halloween carnival,” she told him.
“Can we go?”
“It’s next week, bud. We’ll see.”
He ducked his chin. “That means no.”
“That means I have to think about it. Come on. I thought your stomach was all growly. When I was young, Ruby’s Café had great chocolate milk shakes.”
His eyes widened. “I can have a milk shake?”
“If you eat your vegetables first.”
“They won’t be carrots, will they?”
“I’m sure they’ll have something other than carrots.” They were the one vegetable he really hated. She’d learned that when he’d been a baby and spit them right back in her face. “That’s the café, right there.” She pointed at the building near the corner. “Race you.”
Tyler