“Everything’s comin’ together,” she said with a smile.
I balanced the heavy mirror on the top of my foot and nodded. “Yes, it is. And not just the house. Everything. I love my job, I’m dating a great guy, and Trey and I haven’t gotten along this well since he was a little boy.”
My mother raised her brows. “So you and the good-lookin’ man in blue are finally knockin’ boots?”
Blushing, I turned away from her bemused gaze. “If you must know, we haven’t progressed beyond the kiss good night stage.”
“Why the hell not? You’re a grown woman. More than grown.” She grunted. “Shoot, Lila. Don’t you know that havin’ gray hair means that you get to sleep with a man without anybody’s permission?”
I frowned at her. I spent a pretty penny keeping my shoulder-length hair a gray-free, roasted chestnut hue. “I’m not looking for permission. Work just keeps getting in the way. Sean’s been assigned a string of night shifts, and with the festival coming up at the end of next week I—”
“How about a little afternoon delight?” my mother suggested with perfect aplomb. “When your daddy was alive—”
Thankfully, Trey called out for my mother before she could elucidate on the ecstasies of her marital bed. I’d heard them before, usually after she’d consumed a few fingers too many of her lifelong beau, Mister Jim Beam, but I really didn’t want to hear her conjugal anecdotes before dessert.
Returning my attention to the mirror, I hefted it against the wall and slowly eased it onto the brass hook. The moment I drew back, the wire attached to the frame snapped. My fingers shot out to catch hold of the mirror, but I couldn’t move quickly enough. The vintage work of art tilted sideways and hit the hardwood floor. The sound of glass shattering echoed down the narrow corridor.
I screamed in dismay and both Trey and Althea came running.
“Did you cut yourself?” Trey asked, worry clouding his handsome face.
“I’m fine, honey, but I doubt I can say the same about this.” I bent over the mirror. It had fallen facedown, concealing the extent of the damage. Gently, I flipped it onto its side, listening to the sickening crunch of broken glass coming loose from the frame and crashing onto the ground.
I sighed in relief. The delicate birds and flowers were unscathed. There was a small scratch on the right-hand side that could be easily repaired with a dab of stain, and the glass could be replaced by the local art supply store. I’d seen their custom frame jobs and knew they’d have my mirror fixed in no time.
Trey disappeared to fetch a broom and a dustpan, but my mother stayed rooted in place, her features pinched in concern.
“Mama,” I said softly, touched that she was so upset over the thought of my being injured. “I’m okay. See?” I presented both of my pink, healthy palms as proof.
She shook her head and did not meet my eyes. She couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from the jagged shards of glass. “Oh, darlin’. It’s not fine. Not at all.”
To my surprise, she knelt down on the floor, picked up a piece of glass shaped like a lightning bolt, and began muttering under her breath.
“Mama?” I began to feel a stirring of alarm.
She waved Trey away when he appeared with the broom, insisting that she needed to collect the pieces and take them far away from the house.
“Whatever for?” I asked her, utterly perplexed. “All that nonsense about broken mirrors and seven years of bad luck is just that. Nonsense.”
She took a deep breath and answered in a tremulous voice. “You should believe. I’m takin’ these to protect you, Lila. Trouble’s comin’. It’s comin’ hard and fast as a runaway train.”
My uneasiness grew. Memories of my brush with violence during my first month in the Valley could still fill me with dread, although the sharp edges of the fear had dulled somewhat. “That was this summer. It’s all over now.”
She pointed at the debris on the floor, and I was disturbed to note that her finger shook as she said, “You’re wrong, Lila. This is only the beginning.”
Chapter 2