Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (140 page)

Her
grandfather
smoothed
her
crazy
curls
as
he
tried
to
comfort
her.
“You
remind
me
of
that
little
girl
right
now.”

“Which
one,
little
Vannie
or
Cari?”

“Both…
you
were
a
lot
like
Cari
at
her
age.”

Vannie’s
head
shot
up
and
stared
at
her
grandfather,
shocked.
“I
was
not!”

“You
certainly
were—still
are
a
little.
When
I
came
in
the
first
words
you
said
to
me
were,
‘You
won’t
make
me
forgive
her.’
What
would
Cari
have
said?”

Her
groan
escaped
before
she
could
recognize
and
resist
it.
“Cari
would
say
can’t
make
me,
but
it’s
the
same
thing.”

“When
I
said
it’ll
only
hurt
you,
I
meant
it
won’t
hurt
Geraldine
Stuart.
Aggie
isn’t
going
to
let
you
within
five
miles
of
that
woman.
You
can’t
hurt
her
back
by
being
angry
or
bitter
or
refusing
to
forgive
her…”

“Forgiving
hurts
when
people
don’t
recognize
that
they
need
it.”

“This
is
true,”
he
agreed.
“
Not
forgiving
hurts
more,
though.”

“She
always
gets
forgiven,”
Vannie
complained.
“She’s
horrible
and
we
all
are
told
to
love
and
forgive
her
because
she’s
Daddy’s
mother.
Well,
she
was
a
bad
mother
to
Daddy
too.
I
just
wish
I
could
pretend
she
didn’t
exist.”

“Well,
after
this,”
Ron
Milliken
whispered
into
her
ear,
“I
think
that’s
the
only
thing
you
can
do.
Pray
for
her—sure—but
she’s
out
of
yo
ur
life
for
good
now.
She
kidnapped
a
child.
That’s
a
crime,
Vannie.
An
old
woman
is
going
to
jail,
possibly
for
the
rest
of
her
life.
She’s
going
to
jail
because
she’s
lonely
and
has
an
unhealthy
love
for
her
family.”
He
stared
down
into
the
young
girl’s
e
yes.
“If
you
feel
anything
for
her,
learn
pity.”

Vannie
jumped
up
and
rubbed
the
angry
tears
from
her
eyes.
“I
need
to
apologize
to
Luke
and
say
hi
to
Grandma
Millie.
”
She
grabbed
his
hand.
“I
can
do
that
at
least.
Maybe
later
I’ll
be
ready
to
forgive.
I’m
not
there
yet.
I’m
still
angry.”

~*~*~*~

“I’m
going
to
need
to
see
the
security
tape
from
that
area
for
the
time
Ms.
Farina
said
they
were
here.
”

William
was
all
business.
The
young
woman
who
identified
Ellie
was
certain
beyond
any
doubt
and
apologetic—much
too
apologetic.
“I
just
can’t
believe
it
didn’t
click
when
they
were
here.
”

“Did
she
pay
with
cash
or
a
credit
card?”

“Car—no
,
maybe
cash.
I
don’t
know.
I
had
two
c
ustomers
waiting
for
help
and
the
woman
was
rude.
It
flustered
me.”