been the first to arrive. Cathy was thankful that she’d stayed all day and planned to stay with her and Seth tonight. Lorie had served as a buffer between Cathy and the numerous concerned visitors, and she had taken over the dreaded task of contacting J.B. and Mona with the news of Reverend Kelley’s condition. Her in-laws had shown up before breakfast, with her mother in tow, and the three of them had stayed until midafternoon. J.B. had wanted Seth to go home with them, but he had adamantly refused.
“Mom needs me to stay with her,” Seth had told his grandfather. “It’s what Dad would want me to do. I’m not leaving her.”
J.B. had backed off reluctantly.
Donnie and Missy had come by twice, once in the morning and then again only an hour ago. John Earl and his daughters had visited briefly, and Ruth Ann had stopped by on her way home after having worked at Treasures all day. Patsy and Elliott Floyd had been among the many visitors, along with at least a dozen members of Cathy’s church.
“You two have to be hungry. I don’t think either of you has eaten a bite all day,” Lorie said. “I’m going to fix some sandwiches, and I expect both of you to eat.”
“I’ll help you,” Seth said as he followed Lorie toward the kitchen. He paused, glanced over his shoulder and said, “Mom, why don’t you sit down or even lie down for a little while and try to relax while no one else is here. I’ll come get you when the sandwiches are ready.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” To humor her protective son, Cathy sat on the sofa, kicked off her shoes and folded her legs at the knees as she pressed her back against the padded armrest.
She was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, as much from the parade of well-meaning friends and acquaintances as from the knowledge that Mark’s killer had struck again. But she had to admit that having had to deal with company coming and going all day had actually been a blessing, keeping her too busy to allow depression to take hold. Whenever she had gone off by herself, even for a few minutes, either Seth or Lorie had come after her. She hadn’t missed the worried look in their eyes and the concerned glances they had exchanged.
The only way she could convince her son and her best friend that she was not going to fall apart was simply not to do it. Yes, whenever she had a quiet moment, such as now, memories of the day Mark had died bombarded her. Unless a person had experienced it, no one could imagine the horror of seeing someone you loved die in such an agonizing way. Mark had gone into shock, and that had lessened his chances for survival. The shock combined with the extent of the third-degree burns covering his body had made recovery impossible. Even now, Cathy asked herself if there was anything she could have done to save Mark.
His death is not your fault. There was nothing more you could have done. Even the paramedics who treated him for shock had been unable to save him.
Tears burned her eyes and tightened her throat. She had needed to cry all day, but had kept her emotions in check, as much for Seth’s sake as to prove to herself that she was in control.
When the doorbell rang, she hesitated. Please, God, not more company, not now when she was on the verge of crying her heart out.
As she swung her legs off the sofa and stood, she called out to Lorie and Seth, “I’ll get it.”
Barefooted, she padded to the front door. The moment she peered through the viewfinder and recognized her visitor, she swung open the door. Jack Perdue stood on her porch, a five o’clock shadow darkening his face.
“Hi, honey. How are you?”
“Holding it together,” she replied.
“I can’t stay long. The task force is meeting for a big powwow in about an hour, but I wanted to come by and check on you.”
She stepped back, allowing him room to enter. The moment he closed the door behind him, he reached out and ran his hand over her cheek. She gasped at his touch, his gentleness breaking the dam that had held her emotions in check all day. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes. Jack swiped the tears away with his fingertips.
“Ah, babe, don’t do this to yourself.”
She swallowed her tears as she stared