Goodbye Earl(108)

Ada had been praying that his answer about the Foxberrys having a case would be an easy no, but she also thought about her mother-in-law, Joanna, and how she’d never backed down from a fight in her life. Grayson told her that Joanna had sat in front of her brother’s desk with that chief of police nameplate on it and had once again given him the entire rundown of everything the Foxberrys had ever done wrong, going back at least fifty years.

Ada thought about Beau’s aunt doing the autopsy—prayed that what she came back with held more water than the other autopsy report. For anything the Foxberry family tried to throw at them, there was a woman on their side who could throw just as much or more back.

“The Goldie coroner’s not going to find anything that’ll get y’all in trouble.” Beau’s voice in the dark startled them all. He was standing next to them now. “My aunt Lucinda already told me she was going to make sure it was airtight for now and later if anybody comes sniffing around. I told Caro that tonight, but I don’t know if she heard me…maybe she was already sleeping. But really, don’t worry about our coroner one bit. My aunt was married to an abusive asshole once too.”

“Caro told you—” Ada said.

“I know enough,” Beau said. He sat in the chair next to Ada and she offered him a beer. He took it and drank. “I was real close to telling that cop to his face that I’d wanted to kill Trey myself. Honestly? I just wish y’all had told me about it in advance so I could’ve helped.”

“That’s the same thing I said to Ada. I don’t even want to think about what could’ve gone wrong…what he could’ve done to them if it’d gone sideways,” Grayson said, rubbing his face. Ada knew that move and heard the change in his voice. Grayson wasn’t scared of a lot of things, but he’d do anything to protect her and the boys. Ada had seen that what-if fear in his eyes when she had told him what they’d done. It was the only thing he’d been angry about, really—that Trey could’ve killed her or Rosemarie or Kasey. That he wouldn’t have been there to stop it.

“So don’t. We don’t have to think about it,” Ada said, putting her hand on her husband’s knee. Hoping the words we don’t have to think about it would help put an end to her own intrusive thoughts.

“Damn. Y’all love people the way people are supposed to,” Beau said. “That’s how you’re supposed to love your friends, your family. Anything less and what’s the point?”

“You can’t tell anyone any of this,” Ada said to him.

“I’m an outlaw, Ada; don’t worry about me,” Beau said, smiling at her. “I ain’t saying shit.”

“I’m an outlaw undercover for about another month,” Silas said, causing Beau to let out an easy laugh. The boys shook hands. Beau asked Silas if he’d ever put anyone in handcuffs besides Trey, and Silas said no, but he was tempted the one time he saw Lawrence Acklin going a smidge too fast on his horse.



“There wasn’t another choice here,” Grayson said after some quiet, touching Ada’s knee for reassurance, just in case she needed it, and she did. She was so grateful for their telepathy; she put her hand on his.

“Y’all, I can’t even picture being in New York right now,” Kasey said. “Like, being out here…Goldie on a summer night…I feel like a completely different person. I don’t know which part feels more like the dream, though. Here or the city. Just listen to that,” she said, tilting her head. They sat there with the sound of the water, the low hum of the night, all of it churning around them the same way it had when they were growing up. The same way it would when they were gone.

“I like you,” Silas said, putting his arm around her.

“I like you too,” Kasey said, leaning in.

“Will you tell your auntie that we’ll owe her forever?” Ada asked Beau. “I want this all to be fucking over.”

“I’m betting it will all be over soon. This is for y’all and this is for Caro, but also, this is bigger than all that. It’s bigger than everything, honestly,” Beau said.





2018


52





From: [email protected]

To: [email protected],

[email protected], [email protected]

Subject: Hey Ladies



I’m bummed we can’t all find a time to meet up anytime soon. I know everyone is busy, though! And Kase, Caro told us you’re not able to come back to Goldie for the wedding this Christmas and I know how much I hated not having you here when Grayson and I got married. It’s hard without you here! I don’t want to make you feel bad about it, but you know it’s not the same without you, and we all want to meet Devon too. Maybe next year when Taylor and Ben get married? I’m genuinely keeping my fingers crossed for that, although I know it’s a long shot. I know there are things here you’d rather forget…

I miss RACK. I barely get to take a breath with work and the boys. Earlier today I was thinking of those days between junior and senior year when we’d launch our rafts off the Castelow lake house dock and float all day. Remember that?

Let’s promise we’ll do that again. One day.

I love you so much.