Her Sister's Child. Cynthia Thomason

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СКАЧАТЬ them that had started one autumn when Julia was a sophomore in college. That resentment had continued to the present day, or at least until the day Tina died. This morning, Julia felt only overwhelming pity for her older sister and, God help her, guilt over the tragic, lonely way her life had ended.

      And she hadn’t thought much about Cameron Birch for years. The handsome, charismatic assistant professor who’d taught American Literature during her sophomore year in college had eventually faded from her mind. Cameron, the man who’d opened her eyes to the beauty of the written word. The man she’d adored. The man Tina had set her sights on the moment she discovered her sister idolized him.

      Cora stood and carried her mug to the coffee machine. “You want a refill?” Cora’s voice reminded Julia that her mother hadn’t yet begged her to stay.

      “No. I’m fine.”

      Cora filled her own cup. “What were you thinking about just now? You seemed far away.”

      “It’s funny, but I was thinking about Cameron Birch. You remember him?”

      “Your college professor?”

      Julia nodded.

      “Sure. A nice-looking young man. His grandfather lived up the road at the top of Whisper Mountain. Cameron used to visit as a teenager. They’d come into the store for supplies.” She smiled sadly. “Old Josiah’s gone now. Died a while back. I’ll bet you don’t remember your Professor Birch from those days.”

      That was almost true. Julia had been a little girl when Josiah Birch used to come into Cora’s with his grandson. Julia had barely noticed the gangly, grinning boy trailing behind the old man from the top of the mountain.

      After those childhood encounters, she never gave Cameron Birch a thought until she walked into that classroom at Riverton College years later and there he stood, all grown up, wearing jeans and a blue denim shirt, his acorn-brown hair slightly mussed and falling over his forehead. He absolutely stole the air from her lungs that day and it was a full term before she took another normal breath.

      Cora returned to the table. “It’s the oddest thing, you mentioning Cameron. This is the second time his name has come up this week.”

      Julia stared at her. “Really?”

      “This must be old home week on the mountain. Rosalie said that Cameron had inherited Josiah’s place and was coming back to stay for a while.”

      “Where did Rosalie hear that?” Julia asked.

      “At the coal supplier’s. She overheard the manager talking about an order Cameron had placed for the winter.”

      Julia faked nonchalance with a shrug of her shoulder. She’d never admitted that she’d been completely infatuated with Josiah’s grandson, or that part of her heart had broken when she learned from a former classmate that the gorgeous Professor Birch had married. “I haven’t seen him in years,” she said. “The last I heard he was married and teaching at North Carolina State.”

      Cora nodded. “He wasn’t from around here. His family lived in Raleigh.” She tapped her finger on the tabletop. “I know what brought him to your mind today,” she said.

      Julia flinched, sitting back in her chair. “What?”

      “Tina had a few dates with him at one time, years ago. It’s strange how a tragedy can make the mind conjure up all sorts of details from the past. I’d always hoped those two would get together.”

      Julia swirled the contents of her coffee mug. “I’m sure that’s it. Why else would I think of Cameron?”

      A soft shuffling caused both women to shift their attention to the door. Katie stood in the entrance, one hand fisted around the folds of her white nightie, the other curled and rubbing her eye. Tousled blond curls fell over her shoulders like spun silk in the morning sun. She looked like an angel, a sad, heart-weary angel.

      Julia went to her and got down on one knee. “Hello, Katie.”

      The child’s voice was barely a whisper. “Hi, Aunt Julia. Grandma said you’d be here today.”

      Julia gently finger-combed hair from Katie’s cheeks. “Of course, sweetheart. We Sommerville women have to stick together, don’t we?”

      Katie’s expression didn’t change. She stared at Julia, then dropped her gaze to the floor. “I guess.”

      “I can’t believe how big you’ve grown,” Julia said. “I haven’t seen you since Christmas.”

      Cora got up, opened a cupboard and carried a bowl to the table. “Do you want some breakfast, honey?”

      “Okay.” Katie sat in a chair, folded her hands in her lap. “Daddy’s gone, isn’t he?”

      Cora opened a cereal box. “For now, yes. He had some things he had to do.”

      “He has to pick up Mommy’s ashes.”

      Cora dropped the box on the floor. “What?”

      “He said she was cre… I don’t know the word.”

      Cora grabbed the handle of the refrigerator to steady herself. Her eyes glittered with fresh torment and something else—fury. “D-damn your f-father,” she cried. “I told him I wanted a traditional service to bury my daughter properly here on the mountain. He’s taken that away from me.”

      Julia’s momentary hope that Cora had found the strength to face this tragedy for Katie’s sake vanished. She looked into her niece’s eyes, saw the fear reflected there. She took the girl’s arm and led her onto the back porch. “Look at the trees, sweetie. It’s beautiful this morning. We’ll have breakfast out here.”

      She went back to get Katie’s cereal, poured herself a glass of water and took her prescription bottle from the pocket of her robe. She swallowed the tiny pill and brought a sobbing, trembling Cora to a chair before facing the fact that a few weeks might not be enough time for any of them to heal.

       CHAPTER TWO

      JULIA ENTERED the kitchen on Tuesday morning and headed for the coffee machine. She filled a mug that had been left for her on the counter and smiled at her mother. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

      Cora glanced at the kitchen clock. “8:45 a.m. is hardly worth thanking me for. Besides I have a good idea how many times you got up during the night.”

      Julia took her first sip of fortifying caffeine, walked to the back door and looked onto the porch where Katie sat in an old bent twig chair, her eyes cast down on a book. An empty bowl and glass were on the rustic table beside her. “At least she ate her breakfast,” Julia said. “That’s encouraging, even if she’s still not sleeping well.”

      “Nightmares again?” Cora asked.

      Julia nodded. “I doubt she remembers them, though. She cries without fully waking up.” She sent her mother a concerned look. “Did you bring up the subject of taking a bath yet this morning?”

      “I mentioned it. Katie just shook her head and said she didn’t need a bath СКАЧАТЬ