No Story to Tell by K. J. Steele Read Free Book Online

although the line was bad and his voice muffled in a vain attempt to disguise it, he had given so many obvious clues as to his identity that people thought he must have been drunk or insane or probably both.
    One day he was just gone. Left Rose with three kids, house, car and bills. Fortunately he’d also left a bit of money, and she managed okay with the town’s help and the added bit she brought in from her job as a seamstress. And the town did help her, felt protective over her and perhaps a little guilty for what had happened; after all Steve had grown up out of their loins. Where he had gone no one knew, no one cared. They were just glad to be rid of him and prayed he wouldn’t come back. Some prayed he was dead.
    Victoria felt a little annoyed that their lunch conversation had got off to such a bad start. She felt like she had a special delicacy to offer Rose, but all the negativity was souring it.
    “Well, I guess I got lucky today.” She tried to start again. “I got a ride right away with—”
    A bustle of wrinkled cotton invaded their space.
    “More coffee,” announced Pearl, already spilling it into their cups, not waiting for an answer.
    “What can I git’cha to eat?” Her guarded brown eyes slid toward Rose.
    “I’ll have the tossed salad with a turkey sandwich.”
    “It ain’t tossed, it’s jus’ salad . . . dressing?”
    “Italian, please.”
    “Ain’t got none.”
    “French?”
    Pearl shook her head defiantly.
    “Ranch?”
    “Nope.”
    “Well . . . what do you have?” Rose countered, raising her eyebrows and rolling her eyes surreptitiously at Victoria.
    “Thousan’ islands.”
    “That’s all?”
    “Yep. You want it or not?” Pearl was known to have the patience of a gnat.
    “Okay, sure. That would be lovely,” Rose smiled.
    “You?” Pearl dropped her head in Victoria’s direction. Victoria had no idea what she wanted, hadn’t even seen the menu, but Pearl’s tapping pencil gave the feeling expediency was crucial.
    “Same. I’ll just have the same, if that’s okay,” she blurted, although she disliked turkey sandwiches.
    “Okay with me. I don’t give a damn what’cha eat,” Pearl grumbled as she walked back to the kitchen.
    Victoria blotted up the coffee that had spilled over the edge of her cup and filled her saucer. Messiness annoyed her. She rearranged the cutlery into a precise row: bottoms even, a finger’s-width space separating the knife and spoon. She felt heavy hands pressing her shoulders down toward the seat, and she let her head fall with a silent sigh, too weary to sit tall. Rose had no idea of the effort it took for her to try and retain some dignity in this town with Bobby’s actions constantly driving her down. Sometimes she wished she could just open up and let the truth of it all fall free. Release all the lies and half-truths and closeted secrets that had slowly woven themselves into the fabric of her life. But there were some things not talked about even in a small town. And Hinckly was a small town in every conceivable way.
    “I got a ride with someone interesting today.”
    “Oh. Who’s that? Someone get lost?” They both laughed, but she could see she had Rose’s attention.
    “Elliot Spencer.” To her alarm his name came out singsong, an infatuated schoolgirl grin skipping across her face. She blushed, dropping her eyes to avoid Rose’s curious and somewhat startled stare.
    “Oh my. Tell me more.”
    “Nothing to tell, Rose. He gave me a ride, that’s all.”
    “Must have been quite the ride.” Rose fluttered her lashes teasingly.
    “Rose. It was nothing like that. It was just a ride.”
    “Hmm. Bet once Bobby dear knows who’s giving you rides to town he’ll find time to fix your car, hey?”
    “Rose—”
    “Maybe you should just let him know if he doesn’t take care of you maybe someone else will.”
    “Bobby doesn’t do well with stuff like that, Rose. You know that. Just leave it alone, okay? Elliot was just nice