Between the Seams Read Online Free

too wrapped up in it and my own issues.”
    “Your mom was a slutty bitch who didn’t deserve you as a daughter.”
    Years ago, Jo would have jumped to defend her mom. After several rounds of therapy, though, she knew that her mom hadn’t done anything to deserve her defense. “Be that as it may, I hadn’t quite admitted that at the time. You know that by college I knew that Chase’s dad had put a quick end to her bullshit and had never once done anything to encourage her. Mom sure as hell took her sweet time telling me that, though, and by the time I knew the damage had already been done with Chase.”
    “Jo, it’s been like eighteen years since all of that crap went down. We’re all grownups now. Maybe you should think about, oh, I don’t know, just talking to Chase about it rather than avoiding it and him all together.”
    “Wait, I thought I was supposed to be the therapist here.”
    “I teach seventh graders, so I might as well be a therapist.”
    “So true. I don’t envy you teachers one bit.”
    Jenn clinked her empty glass against Jo’s. “And I don’t envy you guidance counselors one bit, so we’re even.”
    ~~*~~
    “Heard Jo Sommers is back in town.”
    Chase stilled before pushing his sunglasses onto his nose and climbing into his black F-350. Frank Wimbly followed suit, giving Chase a blessed few seconds to get his thoughts in order. “Yeah, I heard that, too.”
    Frank shook his head. “Damned shame what her mama did to that poor girl. And her daddy…didn’t care one damned bit about either of them.”
    Chase glanced over at his gray-haired companion before pulling out of the parking lot and onto Highway 90 to head back into town. As Lake Amistad grew smaller in his rearview mirror, Chase considered his next words. “Yeah, I think they did a number on her.”
    The older man stared out the window at the passing scenery. “You were probably too young to understand what was going on back then, and usually I wouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but if it hadn’t been for Nellie Anne, well, I don’t know how that girl would have survived and made anything of herself.”
    Chase mentally tried to connect the dots and figure out what the old man was hinting at. Despite the fact that he and Jo and Jenn had been best friends as kids, he’d always known that Jo hid stuff from them. He’d met her parents a few times, and they’d seemed ok. As an adult, he’d heard other rumors here and there, but nothing substantial. After both her parents had died in a car accident a few years ago, the rumors had kicked up a bit, but nothing solid or that Chase had thought had any merit. Now he was beginning to wonder.
    “That Chandra Sommers…” Frank shook his head, “now there was a woman who hit on anything with an XY chromosome. Like a cat in heat. All the damned time.”
    Chase had fuzzy memories of Jo’s mom in skirts that were just a bit too short, and tops that were just a tad bit too low. Very large breasts. Teased blonde hair. If he remembered correctly, she’d been a huge Dolly Parton fan, thus Jo’s given name of Jolene. He had a vague memory of Jo being embarrassed when a boy in their class had commented on Chandra’s breasts and how they’d grown in size over Christmas break. A few sizes, really.
    He slowed as they entered the outskirts of city proper and the speed limit dropped. They neared Walmart, and he was taken back to their meeting the other night. He hadn’t mentioned to anyone yet that he’d run into Jo. His thoughts had been uncharacteristically tangled since that night, and his dreams unfortunately just as confused.
    It seemed that maybe his high school crush hadn’t gone away after all.
    ~~*~~
    Frank had been gone fifteen minutes when Owen sauntered into Chase’s office and plopped into one of the big leather chairs in front of Chase’s desk.
    Chase looked up at his friend. “Don’t you ever work?”
    Owen shrugged. “Sure, every now and then.”
    The fact was, Owen