Page 41 of The Soul Never Forgets

“Frank was illiterate.”

“Illiterate?”

“He couldn’t read when they met. Augustina started helping him, and by the time they’d been together for six months, she had him reading and writing. He fell in love with books. He probably went through one about every three to four days for as long as he was alive.”

I’m almost positive that Frank was dyslexic. It’ll be interesting to see if Dawsey is able to shed some light on that.

“What was Frank’s background?”

“His father owned a potato farm. He was made to quit school so he could help on the farm when he was only thirteen or fourteen. At seventeen, his mother shot and killed two men who had broken into their home. To protect her, his father told the authorities that he was the one who did it. The robbers were the sons of important men and he was sent to prison. He stayed there until he was seventy-two years old. He only got to spend two years with his family before he passed away from cancer.”

“That’s a damn shame.”

He was my father-in-law and although I didn’t see him much, I loved him. He was a good man, and I hated that our children didn’t get to grow up with him in their lives.

“Frank loved his father very much. His mother too. They were good parents. They did the best they could.”

“I don’t know what I’d have done without my dad. We do everything together.”

“You are lucky to have him in this life. My dad was great, but he died when I was thirteen. It was tough growing up without a father especially when your mother is Lilly Beaumont.”

“I’m sorry your dad is gone and that you got another bad mother.”

“My parents in my previous life wanted to kill me. I should be happy with what I got this time around. At least my mother never tried to strangle me.”

Well, my birth mother did leave me for dead in a dumpster.

We continue our game, and I learn a lot about Dawsey. He’s an LSU fan. Loves to travel. Wants to become a pilot and fly his own plane.

And is dying to pierce the veil of time and go back to 1939.

“There is no science to this. I don’t know where you’ll land. It could be in a jail cell for all I know.”

“So he goes to jail. For how long?”

“Two months.”

“That doesn’t sound like a place I’d want to land. I’d prefer to get there when he gets out of jail and is reunited with Augustina.”

“And we both know why.” He has his first good sexual experience, sort of, and now he’s like a tomcat.

He holds up both hands and shrugs. “Hey, I’m not denying my motive.”

Horny bastard. “You’re such a man.”

“You don’t get to be jealous because I want to go back and be with her. She’s a version of you.”

“I’m not jealous of myself.”

He chuckles. “Are you sure? Because it kind of feels like you are.”

Is that a thing? Can you envy yourself? “I’m not sure what to call it.”

“Jude Dawson Wescott isn’t the one who is actually going to be there. I’m right here, and I’m yours any time you want me.”

Is he taunting me? “Keep on and see where you end up.”

“I’m sorry, Cara. Please don’t send me back to sit in jail and rot.”

---