Chapter 16

Glenna was just getting ready to leave the spa when her cell phone rang. It was Katlynn Eidelman from their Sunday dinner group. “Hey Kat, what’s up, need a massage?”

“Oh, I’d love a massage, but that’s not why I called. We’re passing the word, Mysti is at the hospital. Rumor is: Begley went after her on the walking track with that butt ugly dog of his. We’re trying to see if we can get some people to take her some easy to microwave meals for a while to make it easy on her.”

“That’s terrible. Yeah, I can take something. Won’t be nothing like Leanne whips up, but it will put food in her belly.”

“Ain’t no one going to whip up something like Leanne does, but every meal helps. I’m making Mom’s Matzo ball soup and some frozen bread dough. Every meal will help her rest and recover.”

“Count me in. I’ll make something as soon as I get home and run it over. Got to go, talk later.”

“Yeah, we need to catch up. I want to know about you and Harry.”

Glenna sighed. “Not right now. We can talk another time. Bye.”

Then she hung up. She knew it was rude but she wasn’t going to go crying to the girls in the Sunday group. Harry didn’t need them making him feel like the slime he was in his own house. She’d just skip dinner for a few weeks. Besides, Daddy had been after her for a while to spend some time with him. Now she could.

She went home and quickly grabbed some ground beef, a jar of pasta sauce and some spaghetti noodles. She wasn’t a chef, but she could doctor up some jar sauce pretty good. Then she stuck a loaf of frozen garlic bread in the oven and in just thirty minutes she was ready to go deliver her care package.

She sucked in a breath when she arrived and saw Harry’s monstrosity out front. She should have known he’d be here. He was Mysti’s best friend and protector. Well she’d just drop off the food and leave. She wouldn’t look at him, or speak to him. She wouldn’t think about him, or his kisses, or the way he made her body melt when he touched her. No, she wouldn’t think of those things at all, because he was a liar and trying to take away her dream. She saw Samantha in the store front and knocked on the glass. Sammy let her in and the two of them went up to Mysti’s apartment. Sammy called out, “Look who I found at Mysti’s front door!”

Leanne smiled at her, “Glenna!”

Before she could come fully through the door Harry was there. “Hey, Glenna, let me take that for you.”

Leanne looked at him funny. “Why, so you can leave it on the counter to spoil?”

Glenna stepped away from Harry. “It’s just jar sauce and spaghetti noodles,” Glenna apologized. “But I made it with love.”

Harry put his hand on the small of her back. “Nonsense, I’m sure it’s wonderful.”

Glenna stiffened. She didn’t want him to touch her, and yet she did. She was so conflicted. How could she have gotten herself into this mess. Leanne was going on about something, but she wasn’t listening; instead she was trying to tell her nerves they didn’t like the small circles Harry was rubbing her back with. All the other women laughed and she laughed with them and turned slightly away from Harry. He stepped even closer. She could smell the scent that had become so much a part of her world. Why couldn’t he take a hint? They were done. She would never trust him again, and she couldn’t be with someone who she couldn’t trust. Heck he had used her and stolen the one thing she had kept sacred all these years. That thought filled her with anger, she needed to get away from him. “Well I just wanted to drop off the meal. I’ve had a rough day so I’ll see you all later. Give Mysti my love and I said to get well soon.”

She turned and made a beeline for the stairs out of the building. Just as she reached the outside door, Harry’s hand caught her elbow. “Glenna stop, I didn’t put my name in for mayor, you have to know that.”

She jerked away from him. “I know no such thing. The paper and billboard both said you paid for the ads. Also, before you deny it, I called the city clerk’s office. As candidates we have a right to know who filed to run against us. Kevin said your application was in his mail box Thursday when he got there and was signed by you! So, tell me another lie!”

Harry let her go and anger flashed across his face. “Why is it Glenna, that I’m the only person in this town you think is lying to you? Let me ask you this: who pays Kevin’s salary, huh? Is it me? Or is it someone who might not want you to become mayor? Someone who knew you’d beat him hands down but thought just maybe I’d have a shot against a young, smart, motivated woman like yourself? You tell me you love me, that you’ve always loved me. Then the first time something happens you think the worst of me. That’s not love. You want to believe I’m the evil genius, fine, I’m the evil genius. But try this on for size. I will never sign divorce papers, so you’ll be married to the evil genius until one of us dies. Maybe, I’ll just go see Hal and give in to his plans. Since following my heart turned out to be such a screwed-up thing to do.”

He stormed off down the alley, around the corner and back to his car. She heard as he backed up into the street and squalled the tires as he left. Dear god, what had she done?

She didn’t think things could get any worse when she heard Samantha’s voice from the top of the stairs. “Wait, Divorce? Glenna, when did you and Harry get married?”

She turned and looked at her friends, Harry’s family and Pastor Cayden, all staring down at her with wide eyes and she couldn’t stop when the anguish and loss dropped her to her knees and the sobs wrenched themselves from her mouth.

*****