How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 92

The old woman's appetite had improved a lot; she even finished another half bowl

of soup.

The small pot of soup Elodie had simmered was nearly gone.

Even Jarrod had helped himself to more than a little.

Elodie wasn't surprised-he'd always appreciated her cooking.

After dinner, Jarrod stepped outside to take a call.

Elodie waited a few minutes, then followed him out.

She found him under the porch, smoking. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she walked over. "Do you have a moment?"

She wanted to talk to him about attending her mother's memorial.

When he saw her coming, Jarrod shifted his cigarette away, then stubbed it out.

"How long have you been out here?" His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing.

Elodie realized what he meant he probably thought she'd overheard his conversation. Was it Sylvie on the line?

"Just now. Right after you hung up," she replied coolly, her chest rising and falling with the chill.

Finally, Jarrod glanced up at her, slipping one hand into his pocket. His tone was casual, almost detached. "I was drunk that night."

Elodie blinked, not following at first.

almost lazily. "I trust you won't make a fuss about

she understood—he was referring to that night

surge of cold crept down her spine; for a

her not to stir up trouble between him and

need to worry," Elodie replied, meeting his eyes. Her tone

both rest

gaze for a moment longer; in the chilly night air, his expression seemed even

a beat, he

another word, he

the 24th, do you have time? I was hoping you could

my schedule. Get some rest. I have things to do tonight," he interrupted, barely glancing back before disappearing

wait for her to

felt nothing-no

too many times over

year on her mother's memorial, Jarrod never showed. He was always too busy with work or suddenly out of town. Even when she'd pleaded

heart inevitably grows

memorial was one thing,

Unless-

willing to meet her grandmother before the anniversary and explain, face to face, that they were

was always busy, always elsewhere. She doubted he'd

heart returned to its familiar, still

end, she was nothing more than a business partner, needing to

showed up depended entirely

nothing like

remember. No matter how

find a way-no