Page 7 of Pieces of Perfect
“No. No way,” she said. “He doesn’t ‘mean that much’ to me. It’s natural that I’d wonder if…if maybe you’ve seen him. You both live in California, after all.”
“He lives in So-Cal, six hours from here.”
She should’ve kept her mouth shut; she’d given too much away. “Right. Sorry.”
“Lorelei, I know you care about him,” Serenity said.
“Weallcare about him,” she responded.
“Not in the same way you do. Reagan and I have never slept with him,” Serenity said with a laugh. “Call him.”
After Serenity disconnected, Lorelei navigated to the last text exchange she’d had with Finn—four months ago, at Christmas. They’d checked in, wished each other a happy holiday.
Should she reach out to him? See if even a flicker of what he’d felt the summer they met was still there?
She didn’t want to bother him if he’d moved on. And chances were hehadmoved on. A man as handsome, intelligent and kind as Finn could take his pick of women. Why would he wanther?
She opened the photos on her phone and scrolled through the pictures they’d taken at the lake two years ago, and felt a smile tug at her lips. She’d been married and dealing with her husband’s infidelity. It was Finn who’d helped her through that terrible, dark period. He’d built her self-esteem by listening to her and befriending her and making her feel desirable at a time when she’d felt like an old cast-off sweater.
But when the summer ended, he hadn’t pushed for anything more. She’d told herself she wasn’t in a position to get involved with anyone; she was on the rebound. They didn’t live in the same state. He was five years younger and not ready for marriage. And she had a daughter to think about.
She’d assumed she’d go home, file for divorce and eventually forget about Finn.
She’d been right about two of those things. She’d gone home and filed for divorce. But here she was two years later. Her divorce was final and she’d survived the emotional rapids that’d tossed her around for so long.
Yet she hadn’t forgotten a single moment she’d spent with Finn.
CHAPTER FOUR
The day the letter arrived from the Mississippi State Penitentiary, Lorelei stuck it in her purse. She was too nervous to open it right away. She didn’t even look at it until after she’d spent the evening with Lucy and put her to bed.
Then, when she was alone and the house was quiet, she took the letter out of her purse, carried it into the living room and sat down on the couch.
A red stamp signified it was correspondence from a correctional institution. That was the only way she could tell it was from Greenstone; his prison number and not his name appeared in the return address.
She planned to call Serenity and Reagan to tell them he’d replied. They’d been waiting for more than two weeks. But she wasn’t quite ready to alert them. The reason she’d decided to be the one to write him was so she could have a few minutes to herself, should he deign to reply, to absorb the contents and evaluate how his response made her feel. Because of her background, seeing Greenstone mattered more to her, on an emotional level, than it did to her sisters. Serenity had been raised by a wonderful family; she’d known the love and securitythat brought. Reagan hadn’t gotten quite as lucky in that area. She’d been raised by a difficult mother. But these days, she was so fulfilled being with Rally and raising their child, the past didn’t seem as important to her.
Lorelei was the one who’d had a terrible childhoodandbeen unlucky in love.
Steeling herself for what could amount to a stinging rejection, or even a lie claiming he wasn’t guilty of the crimes for which he’d been imprisoned, she tore off one end of the envelope and slid out the lined paper inside it.
His handwriting could only be described as elegant. He’d written to her in cursive, and not many people did that anymore. As far as Lorelei could tell, he hadn’t made even one mistake, despite the fact that he probably wasn’t allowed an eraser. From what she’d read online, prisoners were given a golf pencil and nothing more. The perfection of what she saw indicated that Greenstone had taken his time and wanted his reply to look as civil and dignified as possible.
His words seemed to convey the same thing.
Dear Ms. Cipriano,
Thank you for your letter. I would certainly be willing to meet with you and your sisters and help in any way I can. Assigned visitation for my unit is the third Monday of the month from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., but that can change depending on several factors, so you might want to check the website before you come. I will add you to my visitation list. That way, there won’t be any problems the day you arrive.
In case you’ve never visited a prison before, be aware that you will need to bring a valid state or federal I.D.,and there is a dress code. Again, I refer you to the prison website so you can read about that and other rules, which should make your visit go more smoothly. For instance, you will need to leave your cell phone, purse and other personal belongings locked in your car, as you will not be allowed to bring them in.
I look forward to meeting the three of you.
Sincerely,
Father Greenstone
He’d signed it Father Greenstone. No doubt he’d been excommunicated when he was convicted. Lorelei guessed that would be standard procedure. So it was probably just a name he still called himself. Was there some significance to it? Was he once again trying to lay claim to the credibility and respect typically afforded a man of the cloth?
