Читать книгу Deadlier Than the Male: The Fiercest Heart / Lethal Lessons - Colleen Thompson - Страница 12

The funeral was a blur. At first Haley’s heart had been beating so loudly that she hadn’t heard a word the preacher said; then she began to realize that she could feel her mother’s anger as if it was a living, breathing thing.

And Lena was seething, not only angry that Haley had shown up unannounced, but that the day was no longer about Lena the widow. It had turned into “the prodigal daughter returns.”

Haley’s first “welcome home” moment came when the congregation began moving down the aisle past the family, passing the casket to pay their respects on their way out the door. Someone squeezed her shoulder, then leaned down and kissed the side of her cheek.

“So sorry, honey,” the woman said, and then quickly moved past.

Haley belatedly realized that it was Retta—obviously pregnant and with shorter hair, but once her best friend, just the same. By the time the church had emptied and the only ones left were the family, a good dozen of the congregation had paused to either give her a hug or a kiss, or shake her hand. When her mother suddenly turned and glared at her, Haley didn’t even notice. Her eyes were blurred with unshed tears.

Then she heard the doors shut and realized they were giving the family some private time before removing the casket and taking it to the cemetery. She wasn’t certain what was going to happen, but there was one thing she knew for sure: this time, she wasn’t going to run.

Lena didn’t even pretend to be polite. The moment there was no one left inside the sanctuary but the family, she stood and pointed at Haley.

“What do you think you’re doing, coming back here now, looking like the slut you obviously are?”

Haley unfolded her long length from the pew and stepped out into the aisle. She glanced at her mother, then arched an eyebrow.

“Well, I obviously came to my father’s funeral. As to how I look, the DNA came from you and Daddy, so if you don’t like my looks, you have only yourselves to blame … Mommy dearest.”

Lena was shocked. Where had that cold sarcasm come from? Finally she managed to sputter, “What are you doing here?”

Haley glanced at the others—her extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins, who’d always used her mother’s behavior as a guide to how they should treat her, as well.

“Oddly enough, I got a letter informing me of the services. I assumed it was from you. My bad.”

Then she picked up her purse, turned her back and started walking up the aisle toward the exit.

“Where are you going?” Lena screamed.

Haley paused, then stopped and turned around. “Why, Mother, I didn’t think you cared.”

Lena doubled up her fists and started toward Haley when Saul suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

“Let it go, Lena. This is neither the time nor the place.”

Lena shrugged him off, but she couldn’t stop her anger from boiling over.

“You have no business being here,” she accused Haley. “You ran away before your brother was even buried. The brother you killed. You don’t belong to this family anymore.”

Haley sighed. “Mother, Mother, you sound like a broken record. As for Stewart’s death … that responsibility falls on your head.”

All the blood drained from Lena’s face. Even the others began to mutter beneath their breath, thinking Haley had gone too far.

“That’s not true. If you hadn’t been with that damned Brolin—”

“No!” Haley said, interrupting her before she could finish. “That’s