One Wish (Thunder Point #7)(49)

Ray Anne, who never walked anywhere and was always seen in her little BMW, walked down the street, down the hill and into Carrie’s deli. Carrie and Rawley appeared to be cleaning up. Customer traffic was usually at its lowest in midafternoon, heaviest for lunch and dinner. When Ray Anne walked in, Rawley automatically disappeared into the kitchen in the back of the deli.

“Well, hello,” Carrie said.

“Call Lou and cancel dinner. Ginger just arrived and she’s not fit to go out.”

“Is she sick?” Carrie asked.

“She’s horribly depressed. She can barely speak. The only thing more depressing than her personality right now is her wardrobe. Apparently it feels better to dress in poorly fitting rags. It’s like sackcloth and ashes.” She shook her head in misery. “I should have listened to myself. I can’t help with this. She is way outside of my experience. I don’t know what to do with her.” She took a breath. “Can I please have a to-go dinner? Since we’re not able to go out?”

“Sure. Now tell me what happened.”

Ray Anne explained about Ginger’s gaunt appearance, horrible clothing, turned-off phone and so on. “I was already very sad for her and about the baby. Of course I held that baby—he was a perfect baby! But it’s been months and one look at her and you’d think it happened this morning. She’s in terrible pain. Just terrible.”

“She’ll have to work through it, Ray. Everyone’s grief time is different. Maybe you can get her into some kind of counseling or something.”

“We’ll look at that,” she said. “First, I have to clean her up and feed her.”

Carrie stood back from the deli case. Feeding people was her specialty. “What’s your pleasure?”

“Something with carbs. And a big salad for me. God knows, I don’t need fattening up. If my ass gets any bigger I won’t be able to stay up on these heels.”

Carrie laughed. “The chicken enchiladas are pretty irresistible. And I have some chips, salsa and guacamole.”

“Perfect. And a salad. I can eat a little Mexican food and plenty of salad and she can eat a lot of chips and enchiladas and a little salad. And listen. Would you ask Lou about counselors?”

“I can do better,” Carrie said. “When Ashley was on that downward spiral a couple of years ago, Lou found Gina a great counselor for Ashley. She specialized in young adults, but she might know someone to recommend for Ginger. Would you like me to ask Gina to give her a call?”

“Please,” Ray Anne said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to convince Ginger to go, but really—something has to be done to move forward. I don’t know what else to do. And her daddy is right—she hasn’t gotten any better.”

“What have you done so far?” Carrie asked as she dished dinner into containers.

“Not much. I told her she couldn’t take a nap until her clothes were unpacked and she’d better turn on her phone or else. And...” She looked down somewhat shyly.

“I bought some lotions and stuff for her bathroom. I always feel better if I’m a little nice to myself. Baby steps,” Ray Anne said.

Carrie smiled. “Just do what comes naturally to you, Ray. You’re not a professional grief counselor but you know a lot about managing your own grief. And you’re very sympathetic.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m trying not to mother Ginger, but I’m thirty years older than she is and even though I haven’t been a mother, it kind of comes naturally.”

Carrie passed the food across the deli counter. “Be yourself. You’re a good woman and you love her.”

“I do love her. She was my little angel.” She dug around in her purse for money.

“Ah, on the house, Ray Anne. Tell her I’m sorry we’re not going out tonight, but this is my contribution.”

Eleven

Grace had always been capable of focus and discipline. She had amazing willpower and she thought with a clear head about what Seth had said. She reminded herself it was a note and not from the person who had threatened her fourteen years ago. She would be careful. Perhaps she’d be overly cautious for a while, but that was all right. She was not going to melt into a sniveling little girl.

In years past, when she was a teenager and the exhaustion or the other competitors or even her mother got the best of her, when she broke down, it got her nowhere. When that happened, when she cried, the abuse was even worse. The only thing that had ever worked for her was strength and grit. So she relied on that again. She focused on her abilities. She was small but very strong.

Troy was at the shop as soon as he was done with work. He had to knock on the back door because, feisty or not, she wasn’t an idiot.

“I called Coop and told him I couldn’t help at the bar this week because there’s stuff going on.”

“Let’s not do that,” she said. “Let’s not panic and run scared.”

He frowned. “You shook and had nightmares all night.”

“Yeah, I hope I don’t do that anymore. I’m much stronger and more sensible than that. Go help at the bar—I know how much you enjoy it. I think I’ll get something from Carrie to warm up for dinner. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll text or call you when I’ve closed the shop and gone upstairs. If you want to come by later, that’s okay, but really, you don’t have to. I think I’ll be fine. I’ll lock the back door and even slide a chair against it.”