Orchids and Stone Read Online Free Page B

her hand and she smiled, studying his face. Calm and amiable, wavy hair and glasses, sweet smile. The kind of guy a girl fell in like with right away and fell in love with as she got to know him.
    Damp and getting chilled now, Daphne pulled on a fleece sweater, wishing for the millionth time that Vic didn’t keep the house so cold. “She’s not in trouble, right?”
    He looked at her. “I wasn’t there, Daph, but I’m sure you’re right. She’s fine. You did fine. I’d have done the same thing.”
    “You’d have done nothing?”
    “Well . . .” He stacked two cans in a cabinet. “Maybe.”
    Irritation percolated. She grabbed his arm, saw her fingers on his denim shirt, then imagined her hand thin-skinned, blue-veined, and covered in age spots. Facing her dim reflection in the microwave, she half-expected to see her hair white, short, and flapping, not dark and grown-out, loose from its usual ponytail. And her skin, while showing the effects of spending days on rooftops in all weather, was of a woman in her thirties, much firmer than a thin old lady’s.
    Daphne turned from the microwave, unwilling to allow the lady’s image to haunt her. “Maybe what? What would you have done?”
    Vic’s gaze landed on the fridge calendar. “Depends. Whatever you think’s best.”
    Daphne studied the calendar. The next day showed a soccer game for Jed and a volleyball game for Josie. Friday listed Vic on day shift and Saturday bore the note: G-Pop!
    Shouldn’t the old lady in the park have been in as safe a situation as Vic’s dad? Many of the residents at Green Springs babbled nonsense. Others were mentally sharp but needed close monitoring for medical or safety reasons. G-Pop forgot things he should know, but he still did crossword puzzles and enjoyed the care facility’s activities. Daphne sighed. “I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to overreact. It’s so far-fetched that there was a real problem, but . . .”
    “But you’d feel better if you told someone.” He kissed her mouth then caressed her face as he put a large sack of no-brand frosted cornflakes on top of the fridge.
    “I doubt it,” Daphne said. “I just told you and I don’t feel any better.”
    “Thanks for that.” His smile flickered and he reached for the telephone. “Oh, we missed messages.”
    Daphne looked at the phone and took in the double-blink of the little red light indicating two missed messages. Her mom? Thea? Probably the calls were for Vic, but she leaned forward when he hit the play button. At times like this, she was glad Vic hadn’t updated electronics when he’d moved into his father’s home.
    The machine’s mechanical voice announced “Message one.” Then her mom’s voice sighed and asked Daphne to call. Daphne hit the delete button. Resistance born ten years back, in the wake of their second family disaster, left Daphne forever torn in dealing with her mother.
    She refused to meet Vic’s look, knowing he didn’t understand.
    The machine announced message two and Vic’s ex’s shrill voice made Daphne wince, made Vic hold his breath.
    Cassandra’s voice scolded. “Vic, I’d appreciate it if you’d pick up Jed’s bike at the repair shop tomorrow. He’s your kid, too. Don’t leave me to do everything while you’re over there partying with no responsibilities.”
    Delete it. Hit delete the second you hear how bitchy she’s being , Daphne wanted to say.
    He hit the delete button then got a dial tone.
    “Who are you calling?” she asked.
    “The police.”
    “What? Seriously?”
    “Sure. This thing in the park, it’s their job.”
    “But I don’t even know if there was a real problem.”
    “You don’t have to.”
    “And they’re gone now. There’s no problem now anyway.”
    “You can still report it,” Vic said, then turned his attention to a voice in his ear. “Yes, this is regarding something my girlfriend saw in the park. Possibly suspicious. Suspicious, let’s say. We’d