Page 47 of With Spite

I hadn’t expected Heidi to bring her back, but now that she was here, I was glad that she did.

“Well, look who the cat dragged in,” Harvey drawled.

Romina slapped him across the chest. “What did I tell you about talking so badly about your sister?”

The table erupted in laughter.

“I was talking about Bernice.” Harvey rolled his eyes. “Romina, this is the woman my mom tortured for the last three months.”

Bernice’s eyebrows rose, but it was Romina who stood and walked over to Bernice and gave her a long hug. “I’m so sorry you had to deal with that horrible woman.”

Bernice’s eyes caught mine where I was leaning against the counter drinking a beer.

Her eyes widened and she mouthed, “What is going on?”

I shrugged.

When Romina pulled away, I noticed how Bernice’s arms went around her as she hugged herself.

I shoved off the counter and walked into my bedroom, coming back with the small throw that I had on my bed to cover my face and ears when I was sleeping, and handed it to Bernice.

She smiled at me gratefully, and I walked to the thermostat and kicked it up five degrees.

I’d be sweating my balls off in a few minutes, but it’d be worth it if I didn’t have to see Bernice shiver anymore.

“Cold?” Hampton asked.

Bernice gratefully wrapped the blanket around herself, then surreptitiously bent her nose into the fabric of the blanket before inhaling deeply.

“I’m not sure that my Southern blood is made for Montana winter yet.”

The table erupted into “but it’s not winter yet!”

They were right.

It wasn’t technically winter yet.

Just pre-winter, we liked to call it.

That time in the late fall when it could go either season. Sometimes in a day.

I went back to my room and pulled out a sweatshirt, then walked back into the kitchen and tossed the sweatshirt at her before heading to the door for the pizza.

The sweatshirt landed on her head as I passed, covering up her face.

The group laughed.

I walked to the door and opened it, jerking my chin at the kid who delivered every week.

“Keep the change,” I said as we exchanged money for pizza boxes.

“Thanks.” The kid skipped down the walk.

I glanced down the road to see the Hubers still drinking in their yard.

I wished that I could get rid of the public nuisances permanently without stirring trouble.

I’d be doing Jesper County a public service.