Greer stood in Emma's room and read the quotes stenciled around the top.

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

She took a deep breath. Naturally her sister would have encouraging words plastered everywhere, she was a life coach. It was her job to boost morale. Help people make good decisions and have a positive outlook.

Greer closed her eyes and leaned against the doorjamb. Everything had been so perfect for Ava. Great kid. Wonderful husband. Fabulous job. And from the crowd at the funeral, tons of friends.

A storybook existence where the girl from the wrong side of the tracks gets the prince and lives happily-ever-after.

If only she'd lived...

Shaking the thoughts away, she made the bed, piled brightly colored pillows on top, and a mass of stuffed animals against them. Once done, she brought in packing supplies from the garage. Emma would never know how box by box, all traces of her mom and dad were disappearing. Goodwill would come at noon to haul them away.

Once Greer finished with Evan's things, she'd start in Ava's closet.

That would be more difficult.

She and her sister had similar taste. Bohemian style bordering hard-core hippie. A residual effect from childhood.

Flower children of parents who had no TV, practiced free love, and smoked a little weed now and again. Greer herself had been kicked out of her own senior prom because her mother neglected to mention to her and her date that the brownies she baked were special.

It's a wonder she and Ava turned out stable. At least Ava had. The jury was still out on Greer.

Before she got started someone knocked. Maybe a wrong address, because other than a few people she'd met at the funeral, and her next door neighbor, she didn't know anyone in Fairhope. Peering through the peephole, she recognized the woman from the services.

She pulled the knob and eased the door open. "Hello."

"Hi. I don't expect you to remember me, but I'm Shari Elkins. We met at the memorial." She stuck out her hand and Greer clasped it.

"Yes, I remember. Please, come in."

The visitor focused on the boxes. "I won't stay but a minute. I see you're busy. Ava and I, along with two other mothers shared carpooling the kids to school. We were wondering if you wanted to continue. It's strictly up to you. If you do, next week would be your turn."

The coffeemaker gave a hiss signaling the brew was ready. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Oh, I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"No trouble. I was about to have a cup. Besides, other than Emma and the man next door, I don't have anyone to talk to."

"In that case, I'll join you."

Greer walked into the kitchen. Shari followed and plopped down on a bar stool. "I've always loved this room. The morning light comes through the window and cheers the whole area. How are you making it?"

Greer poured the drinks and slid a mug across the bar, then claimed a stool for herself. "All right, I guess. Having this kind of responsibility is new. For most of my life, it's been just me, myself, and I. My sister left me some big shoes to fill."

Shari sipped then held her mug in midair. "I know this is hard for you. Losing your sister. Interrupting your life. Emma is lucky to have you."

"Thanks, but I think I'm the lucky one. She's such a sweet child. Ava and Evan were great parents. I'm terrified I won't measure up to their standards."

Shari laughed. "All new mothers are scared. I didn't sleep for a month after I came home with my first one. Lay awake and thought of every horrible thing that could happen and how I might prevent it. At least you don't have a newborn."

She'd not thought of that. An infant would be a nightmare. But since her sister's death, Greer had experienced plenty of sleepless nights. Usually she cried herself into exhaustion, but sometimes, even tears didn't work. "That's a good point. Compared to a baby, Emma is easier."

Shari ran her finger around the rim of her cup. "I still can't believe Ava is gone. And Evan too. It's such a tragedy. Poor Emma. Fortunately, she's young enough she'll rebound faster than an older child. Especially since she's in a stable environment."

"She's getting better. Still cries at night, and gets in bed with me before morning, but during the day, she doesn't talk about them as much. I never know what or how much to say, and always worry it'll be the wrong thing."

Shari patted Greer's hand. "If you need any help, just call me. Emma and Katie are best friends. We'll schedule some play dates. Give you some time to yourself."

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I'll be happy to do the carpool. From now until school's out, I want to keep as much of Emma's schedule as I can."

Shari pulled papers from her pocket. "Here's the times and addresses of where you'll pick up and drop off the kids, with a chart of who drives each week. I also listed the sitters we use. Emma is familiar with them, so if you need a night out, you can relax and not worry about leaving her."

A night out? Was the woman insane? That's exactly what Greer needed. That, a few drinks and a one night stand. If Emma was in the hands of a good sitter, what would it matter? "That's great. Thank you."

Shari stood. "Well, I'd better get going. Along with mine, I listed the other mom's phone numbers, so if you have a question, call any of us." She turned and walked to the front door with Greer on her heels. "As sad as it is to be without Ava and Evan, I guess the good Lord took them, so they'd always be together. We should find comfort in that, I suppose."

Said by someone who'd obviously never lost anyone as close as a sister. 

"Well, thank you for coming by. Have a great day."

After Shari left, Greer got to work. She'd already packed all of her brother-in-law's clothing and now worked on his shoes. And he had a lot for a man. She tossed the last pair into the box and moved to the bathroom.

Picking up a bottle of cologne she unscrewed the lid and held it to her nose. Mmm. Andreas came to mind. His defined muscles, tatted arms, and how they felt around her. When he'd opened his tattoo parlor in the peeling pink storefront across the street from Greer's New Age shop, he'd become an instant convenience.

Bad boy deluxe. Just her type. Sex on demand and no strings. Okay, so maybe he wasn't the best lover, but he was handy.

An orgasm was an orgasm even without foreplay.

Giving herself a mental slap, her eyes popped wide, and she set the fragrance back on the counter. Yep, she needed a night out all right.

Either that or a cold shower.

She turned to stare at the couple's bed. She'd not slept in it. Just didn't seem right. She wondered how it'd be to sleep with the same man—forever. The longest she'd been able to manage was two years; she'd been young, and stupid in love. But if Mason hadn't asked for a divorce, would she still be with him?

Tears spilled onto her cheeks and she wiped them away. What brought that on? Her first marriage ended two years ago, and she wasn't proud of how she'd handled it. But at twenty-two, logic goes out the window. At least Ava had found happiness.

Going through her things, Greer had been prepared for memories to haunt her, but the recollection of Mason had been unexpected. She'd gotten over him long ago. Who was she kidding? He'd been her first love. And she wasn't sure a woman ever got over that. Ava had married her one and only, but who would have thought until death do us part would come so soon?

Abandoning the bathroom, she moved to the desk. Paperwork should be easier to deal with. She opened the first drawer. Pens, pencils, paperclips, and all the other generic office supplies filled divided slots. She went to the closet and retrieved an empty shoe box, then dumped all the items into it. No need to get rid of this stuff. It would come in handy, if not for her, Emma's schoolwork.

Moving to the next one, medical insurance forms and copies of filed claims. Two boxes of business cards. She slid one out and stared at the stagecoach with her brother in law's name printed nicely across. She dropped them into the trash can, and then opened the last drawer.

A manila envelope. No markings. Unsealed. Slowly, she raised the flap and slid the contents onto the desk.

In the past two weeks, each time she'd moved to a new area, nerves got the best of her.

Like she might discover a deep, dark secret.

Whips.

Chains.

Porno movies.

Ridiculous as it sounded, all couples had private things they didn't want anyone to know.

A mental picture of Ava with a whip and Evan constrained, caused Greer to giggle. The throaty sound brought her back to reality. She focused on the document. All humor gone, she staggered to the bed and sat on the edge.

A cold chill scraped down her spine and Shari's earlier remark rang in her ears. I guess the good Lord took them, so they'd always be together. The statement sounded like an attempt to console. But now, meant something different.

Greer's hands trembled as she gazed at divorce papers.

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Yikes. I guess people aren't always what they seem to be. Maybe the porno or the whips would've been better than divorce papers. :P

Anywhoooo, vote, comment, feedback if you please :)

Next chapter Jackson and Greer finally meet.

x zuz