Lined With Silver by Roseanne Evans Wilkins Read Free Book Online Page A

his
surroundings.
    “Zack. How good to see you, son.” His alert
eyes rested on Zack’s discolored eye. “Did you win?”
    Sondra had expected a harsh man after the
demands he’d put on his son, but the love he had for Zack glowed in
his eyes.
    “Of course I did. You raised a winner.” He
grinned at his dad, who smiled back. Zack rubbed the back of his
neck, as if he wasn’t sure how to approach his father. His tone
changed. “I talked to Grant yesterday.”
    A steely look entered Mitchell’s eyes. He
asked in a voice firm even so near death, “How did it go?”
    “He let me know you changed your will.”
    “I did. It’s time you settled down. You
should’ve married Hannah years ago.”
    “Dad,” Zack sighed heavily, “she married
Doug. Remember? It was right after Mom died.”
    Sudden confusion shifted Mitchell’s focus.
“Laurie isn’t dead. She was visiting me today. I don’t know what
you’re talking about.”
    Almost overwhelmed by this new bit of
knowledge— that Zack had lost his mother and was clearly close to
losing his father—Sondra willed herself to focus.
    Whatever had happened with Mitchell, Zack,
and the will, she was sure he wouldn’t have made the choice in an
earlier time. He obviously loved his son, and he also loved his
deceased wife. The only unknown was Zack’s sister, and Sondra
couldn’t make any judgments without having met her.
    Zack didn’t argue with his father, instead,
he said, “Dad, I want you to meet my wife. This is Sondra.”
    Zack pulled her gently forward. When Mitchell
reached for her hand, she was surprised by how firm Mitchell’s grip
was.
    His voice shook slightly. “You’re as
beautiful as Laurie. I wish you all happiness.” Confused, he looked
over at Zack, Sondra’s hand still in his. “When did you marry?”
    Zack stepped over and put an arm around her.
“We married this morning.”
    Still holding onto her hand like it was a
buoy in a storm, Mitchell asked, “How come I never heard about
this?”
    “Dad, you’ve not been well. I didn’t want to
worry you with wedding plans.” He smiled at Sondra, his eyes
challenging her to keep up the charade.
    She smiled at the ailing man, unsure of what
she should say. He seemed to accept her quiet assurance as evidence
of their commitment. He finally released her hand, looked up at his
son, smiled, and drifted back into what she assumed was a
drug-assisted sleep.
    Guilt washed over her. She wasn’t accustomed
to playing parts, and deception wasn’t something she felt
comfortable with. The story of Abraham and Sarah when they entered
Egypt and claimed to be siblings sprang to mind. Sometimes, Sondra
rationalized, a small lie for the greater good is justified. The
problem, she reminded herself, is where those small lies lead.
     

Chapter Five, Tours
    Zack tenderly stroked his father’s thick gray
hair then bent down and whispered, “I love ya, Dad.” The light
reflected off a single tear wandering down Zack’s cheek. He brushed
it off as he turned to leave.
    Sondra pulled the blankets up over Mitchell’s
hands and up to his neck, making sure the IV tubing was hanging
free, feeling with some sorrow this might be the only interaction
she would ever have with Zack’s father.
    “I know we spent some of your vacation time
with Dad, but we also need to see Grant.” Zack’s voice didn’t seem
so loud in the hallway.
    “The attorney?” she guessed.
    Zack nodded. “Dad really isn’t in a clear
enough frame of mind to trust him to communicate with Grant. If
we’re going to keep my grandmother in her own home, we need to
follow up.”
    “That’s fine.” It was her own fault her
travel plans had been intruded on. She was the one who’d come up
with this scheme.
    She sat in silence while they drove to the
office. This time, she followed Zack. A brassy blond receptionist,
her professional attire matching the office décor, looked up as
they walked by, but she didn’t stop them.
    He rapped softly