The Silent Boy (Emma McPherson Book 1) by A.J. Flynn (people reading books txt) 📕

to make. She intended to pick Marla apart, piece by piece, but first she had to get rid of Ben somehow. It wouldn’t do for him to think she was out fighting his battles for him. He looked at himself as the man of the house and took his position very seriously.

Finally, awaiting his approval, she hit upon a solution.

“Do you have anything planned, between now and dinner?”

“No, why?”

“Well, I saw that the prescription that doctor gave me is running low. I was wondering if you would mind running downtown to get it refilled for me?”

“Sure. You’ll have to give me some money for my bus fare, though. I’m broke.”

She held herself back from pointing out that he was always broke, and found her purse. She removed a hundred dollar bill from her billfold and handed it to him.

“If there’s anything you would like to see, you might as well stay out for a movie and get yourself something to snack on. I wasn’t able to go shopping today, so there isn’t a lot in the house to eat.”

His face lit up with enthusiasm. “I think that superhero movie came out today. You remember, the one we saw the trailer to?”

“Yes, I remember, and if you walk a block down from the theater, there’s a good restaurant. You could order yourself a nice dinner before you go to see the movie.”

Considering the fact that there was a fast food burger joint on the block before you reached the theater and restaurant, it was a useless suggestion, but it gave her something to say.

“I’ll give it a look,” Ben promised, with a spark of his old elation. “I better get changed. The public deserves to see me at my best.”

Thank goodness for the fickleness of youth, she thought, but unfortunately she wasn’t able to change her own mood quite so easily. As soon as he’d left, there were a slew of well-chosen remarks she intended to deliver to the lady across the street. Mr. Turner, she was willing to overlook, but not Marla.

Ben came back in with his hair carefully styled, and wearing grey tapered sweatpants and a new blue hoodie.

“You better wear a jacket. It’s set to get cold.”

“All right,” he agreed, and grabbed a sports coat out of the closet. “Well, see ya later.”

He kissed the air around her cheek and went out. She followed him to the door and called out the standard mother’s farewell. “Don’t be late.”

He shouted something back at her in answer, but she couldn’t make out his words, as he sprinted to the bus stop.

As soon as he was gone, Ella grabbed her sweater and thrust her arms viciously into the sleeves. The sound of the door slamming shut behind her, as she stepped out, was a fair measure of the state of mind she was in. She was as angry as she’d ever been, and she looked forward with pleasure to doing something about it.

She had always thought of Marla Fitts as a milksop, a mamma’s girl, but she had never actively disliked her. The time they’d spent together drinking coffee and chatting had always been pleasant. After all, one couldn’t expect perfection in friends any more than one expects it in one’s self, but to make Ben suffer for her stupidity was a step too far. Marla was going to have a few plain truths about herself pointed out. Things her husband was too gentlemanly to reference, even if he noticed them.

Ella noticed that Karl’s car was in the driveway as she marched up the walk, heels clicking. When she finally reached the door, she rapped vigorously, then lowered her head to the side, raised it and rapped again. She’d hardly finished the second series of knocks when the door swung open and she found herself face to face with Karl Fitts.

“Hello, Ella,” he said, greeting her. “What’s wrong? You look like you want to bite someone’s head off.”

“I do,” she answered shortly, “and I’d appreciate it if you brought Marla out. There are some things I would like to say to her.”

Karl looked puzzled, but he held the door open for her as he motioned her in. “Come in. We’re still packing. Marla and the kids are leaving town tonight. I returned home early to help then drive them to the station.”

“I take it she’s going home to Mamma.” Ella’s voice was sharp as shattered glass.

Karl gave her a look of surprise, but was saved from answering by Marla’s entrance from the hallway.

“Yes, I’m leaving to visit my mother, not that it’s any of your business. And what’s wrong with that?”

Ella folder her arms over her chest and squinted. “First let me ask you a simple question, then I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. Just what was your intention with your treatment of Ben this afternoon? He’s been stopping by to mow your lawn for two years now, and you’ve known him even longer than that! Up until today, you’ve always made him feel welcome, so I would like to know why you decided to yell at him to leave or else you would call the police. You’re acting like he turned into a leper overnight.”

Karl stepped forward. “Just what in the hell are you talking about, Ella?”

“Marla knows perfectly well what I’m talking about, and I’d like to hear her side of it.”

Karl turned to Marla. “Well, Marla. What’s she talking about?”

Marla’s face flushed with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to hurt Ben’s feelings, and it had seemed like such a small lie at the time. After all, Karl hadn’t been very enthusiastic about her going to her mother’s, and it seemed like a good idea to call and say there had been a strange man at the door. After all, she hadn’t actually seen Ben, so it wasn’t exactly a lie, but she hadn’t counted on being faced with it.

“Well…see, when this knock came at the door, I got scared. You know how nervous I’ve been, Karl, so I