They'd gotten the call a few days ago. Kathy didn't know how Violet had gotten
             their phone number. Perhaps Spence had been listed as next of kin at the nursing
             home. It didn't really matter. Violet had called to inform Spence of his mother's
             death. The funeral would be held at the local cemetery. The service would be at
             Shiloh Baptist Church. Violet's church. Spence's mother, Leola, didn't belong to
             one.

             Kathy had to force Spence to go. Not that she could blame him. Leola had been a
             bitter, drunken biddy who never forgave her precious Spence for becoming
             engaged to "that two bit whore." Imagine what she would've done if she'd known
             that Kathy had been several months pregnant when she and Spence left.

             Ah, but that was all water under the bridge. She miscarried, the elopement never
             happened. They'd been "living in sin," for the past five years.

             As they passed the towns, Kathy had a slight feeling of deja-vu. Christianburg.
             Roanoke. She'd driven this route before, when she went to the small North
             Carolina college. That was were she met Spence. She never thought she'd be here
             again. Yet, they were already across the border into North Carolina.

             Or as Spence said, "Carolina."

             "At this rate, we should reach Violet's by five in the PM," Spence said.

             Violet Thibodeaux, Leola's only friend. "It was nice of her to let us stay at her
             place while you handle the will and all."

             Spence looked bored. "Momma actually kept me on as executor. I thought she
             disinherited me long ago." He rolled his eyes. "I wish she did. Now I gotta deal
             with Glynnis, Emma and Jeremy."

             He hated his siblings as much as he hated his mother. His daddy died long ago.
             That was when his momma began drinking heavily. Not that she hadn't been
             drinking before.

             "It won't be long," Kathy told him, "Just do what you have to, then we're gone."
             Always the comforter. Kathy had been doing that ever since they began dating
             during Kathy's senior year. Spence had only been a freshman.

             Ah Spence. She was still amazed that such a looker would choose to stay with
             someone like her. Sable brown hair, crystalline blue eyes, and a nicely muscled
             body caused by years of working construction. In college, that body had been
             sculpted by working out.

             Not that Kathy was ugly. At least, not in college. Wheat colored locks had faded to
             dishwater blond. Eyes that one boy had called "the color of the ocean," had become
             washed out to a pale blue. If her dear sweet bitch of a mother could see her now,
             in her floral sundress with spaghetti straps, she'd say, "Katherine, you've associated
             with poor white trash so long, you look the part." Who would look at her now
             anyway? But she was with Spence Wilder, wasn't that enough?

             Kathy could see the mall to her right. Maybe she could go shopping while Spence
             met with the lawyer. Jeez, Asheville had gone through major changes since she'd
             been here last. As they got off the exit and drove down the strip, she realized her
             special country town had become just another strip mall. The only thing that made
             it special were the Smoky Mountains. They hovered like a blue shadow in the
             distance.

             "Joby still lives in town," Spence suddenly said. "He has a house a few blocks
             down."

             Joby Thibodeux. Violet's son. When in hell did he call? Just his name was enough
             to set Kathy's teeth on edge. "Well, you won't have time to see him. You'll be
             much too busy." That was that.

             "I'm seeing him tonight. Probably after dinner."

             Why did it bother her so much? Spence and Joby had been very close in college.
             The three of them used to hang out at the local bars. Something she felt less than
             comfortable doing, but he was Spence's best bud. Kathy knew what happened to
             woman who forced their men to choose between their best friend and their
             woman.

             To avoid that, she handled it another way. Asked Spence to marry her. And made
             sure he knocked her up. Spence immediately wanted to do the right thing, but he
             also didn't want a scandal. So he and Kathy dropped out of college and set off to
             elope up north, in Maryland.

             It was amazing how things worked out. She got Spence. That was about all she
             got. They'd chosen Maryland because Spence had heard there were a lot of
             construction jobs out there and it was a good way to make money. And it was, for
             the few months he worked. Kathy found work as a teller, at one of the local banks.
             Between the two of them, they could barely afford the apartment they rented.
             Thank God, she had miscarried. They could never have been able to give the child
             what it needed. Spence knew her family had money. Lord, he was disappointed
             when he found out that Kathy had nothing to do with her family.

             As usual, Spence was right. They pulled up Violet's driveway at precisely 5:00 in
             the afternoon. It was springtime, but Violet was up in the mountains so it was still a
             little chilly. Kathy had to get her sweater out of the car, but Spence was
             comfortable in his button down blue shirt and jeans. As usual, Kathy had bought
             him the shirt, Spence had no patience for shopping. It made his eyes even more
             blue.

             Violet came meandering down the driveway, a little more gray but not much
             different than when Kathy had last seen her. She was a frowsy woman with her
             housecoat and slippers, but even Kathy had to admit, the woman had been more of
             a mother to Spence than his own mother had been.

             She embraced Spence, then Kathy. Violet smelled of biscuits and sweat. She'd
             probably been cooking all day long. "So good to see y'all. You been drivin' a long
             time, why don't ya rest a little before unpackin'?"

             Spence shook his head. "Thanks, Vi, but I'd like to just get it over with. Then we'll
             see."

             They didn't have that much to unpack. Spence's good suit. Kathy's dress that she
             bought specifically for the funeral. Two suitcases. And except for the dress,
             Spence brought it all in. He was old-fashioned that way, believing that Kathy was
             this little fragile thing. In fact, he'd lost his temper when she first approached him
             about working. In his world, women didn't work, they just sat home in the kitchen
             and had babies. Well, she'd hammered home reality when one of his construction
             jobs fell through and they couldn't pay the bills that month. If Spence'd had his way,
             they'd just ignore the bill collectors and pay whenever he wanted to. But Kathy had
             put her foot down. Regardless of what she thought of her family, they'd never been
             in debt and she refused to be. She started the job at the bank the next day.

             And Spence wouldn't sleep with her for two weeks. That was his way of handling
             things. He never yelled or hit her, not like his daddy did to his mother. No, he was
             more passive-aggressive than that. He just withheld sex. Though to be honest,
             Kathy sometimes thought it was just an excuse anyway. Spence was good in bed,
             and he liked to please her, but she always got the feeling that she wasn't quite
             pleasing him.

             Kathy sighed. It wasn't as if they were going to have any kind of relations in
             Violet's house. Wasn't proper.

             "Why don't you come in and talk with me while Spence brings in your stuff," Violet
             suggested.

             Kathy couldn't think of anything she could possibly say to the woman, but she didn't
             want to be inhospitable so she followed Violet into the house. It was going to be a
             long week.