Page 29 of The Love Shack

So long ago, he’d backed her up.

Her mother hadn’t been able to, and no one else had tried. Her world had felt soempty. But now she knew that Lawson had, and as ridiculous as it seemed, it softened the memories of her past.

He suffered his own harsh recollections of their youth. On the beach, the way he’d coiled tighter and tighter—she’d felt it, and so had Hero. She could only imagine how much worse daily life would have been for him. A tall, good-looking, strong young man—no doubt he’d been expected to do many things, by many people.

Despite what he’d said, she’d been a homely girl, so most of the local boys had left her alone with her awkwardness. Oh, she’d been propositioned a few times, but not overly. Her stammering, red-faced replies had usually sufficed.

“You’re smiling, dear.”

Berkley turned to Betty with a start. Somehow she’d forgotten all about her. Heck, she’d forgotten that she was outside, that she’d been cleaning a dog kennel and that other people were around. How long had she been standing there lost in thought?

Bustling now, she began rewinding her hose while saying to Betty “So are you.” She liked seeing the town matriarch like this. Betty, who was always impeccably dressed, her short gray hair permed into an enduring style, looked so happy whenever she visited The Love Shack. Animals did that for a person.

“Care to share your thoughts?” Betty asked. She took a seat on a bench, and the dog she’d been walking tried to jump up, too, but couldn’t quite manage it with her short legs and stocky body. “Oh, sweetie.” When Betty started to reach for the insistent pooch, Berkley hurried forward.

“Let me.” She gently scooped up Gladys and placed her beside Betty.

Elder and dog both seemed content.

“So,” Betty said. “These thoughts of yours?”

How was it that Betty always saw right through her? It had been like that from the start. Odd that a twenty-six-year-old and a woman nearing ninety could become instant friends, but they had.

“Remember I told you about that scandal I went through?”

Betty’s brows lifted. “About the cheating man-whore who abused you? Yes, I remember.”

“Er...not exactly how I put it.”

“I’m too old to play word games. I speak the truth. It saves me time, and as you know, at my age, time is limited.”

“Betty!” No, Berkley did not want to hear her talk like that. “You’re an energetic, sharp-witted woman with plenty of years ahead of you.”

“Baloney. My hips hurt, my feet hurt, I can’t get in or out of the tub, so it’s only showers for me—and Ilovedlong baths. There are certain things that come with age, and one of those is the right not to sugarcoat things. The man was a reprehensible pig. I hope his selfish, shortsighted wife has made him miserable.”

After biting her lip to hold back a laugh, Berkley said, “Actually, I think they’re divorced now.”

“Good. She might be a better person without him. So what’s the problem?”

“Lawson lived in my neighborhood. He recognized me.”

With no reaction at all, Betty waited.

“Don’t you see? I had hoped to never...” She trailed off, unsure what to say. The past was there, and it wouldn’t magically go away.

“Never what?” Betty softly demanded. “Remember the hard times? You’ll have more, believe me. Some worse, some not as bad. All are worth remembering for the lessons we learned, or the trials we overcame. You know how strong you are because you got through it and you’re still a wonderful person.”

Wow, that heartfelt speech humbled Berkley.

Betty wasn’t through, though. “If you forget the bad times, then you forget the good times that were woven around them, like your mother and how much you loved each other. How dedicated you were to her and how she worried about you.”

“Yes,” Berkley whispered, thinking those things right now. Right up to the end, her mother had loved her the best that she could. Disease had weakened her, and even then, she’d smile at Berkley in a way that made her feel whole. “I still miss my mom.” Pretty sure she’d miss her every single day for the rest of her life.

“I wish I could have met her,” Betty quietly replied.

That made her smile, because her mother and Betty were as different as night and day. “Mom was such a gentle person to go through so much.” And Berkley knew she had added to her worries.

“Well,” Betty said, turning all brisk and businesslike. “We can’t pick and choose the parts of our past that look the prettiest to our memories. We can move on from them. We can get over the rough times and celebrate the good times. But forgetting them completely is never the way. Take it from someone who’s lived a long time. I’ve made mistakes, and I have regrets, but oh, it’s been a wonderful life and I wouldn’t trade a single moment that led me to this point because I’m enjoying my life so much.” She patted Berkley’s hand. “Especially with you as a friend.”

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