Sunshine Valley 

Weak

     On the ride home Simon and Rebecca were quiet. He finally asked, “what did you think?” 

     “The food was amazin’, as always. Della is great.” Rebecca answered, keeping her focus on the road. 

     “About Evelyn’s story?”

     “Fake.” 

     Her answer was so fast, it shocked him. His thoughts wondered. “What makes you say that?”

     “Women know these things.” She said confidently. “Lack of emotion. And I mean; look at her, who would want her? I mean other than the sheriff, of course. He’s love sick and you can see it. It’s written all over his face. I bet she even made her ex husband up.”

     “What would be the point?” Simon was not happy with this side of his wife. In all the years they’d been married, where had this woman been hiding?

     “Make people feel sorry for her. You saw how they fawned over her. That’s probably the most attention she’s ever gotten in her life.”

     “What if you’re wrong?” 

     She shrugged her shoulders and casually reported, “then I’m wrong.”

     “Do you remember how she looked that first day?”

     “More or less.” 

     “Don’t you think she’s gained a little weight?”

     Rebecca slammed on the breaks almost throwing Simon through the windshield. Good thing he had his seatbelt on. He was not expecting that. 

     She whipped her head around, “you’ve been lookin’ at another woman.”

    He was shocked, “what the hell!? It’s not like that and you know it. How many conversations have you and I had about Maggie when she was battling cancer? Or random people at church that looked under the weather? Or when they start lookin’ better after an illness? We’ve talked about the pastor and how sad he’s been since his wife passed. You’ve encouraged me to pay attention so we could talk about it.”

     Rebecca was about to speak when there came a peck on her window, it was a deputy. She screwed on a big smile as she rolled down the window. “Officer, is there a problem?”

     “I was gonna ask you that question. You’ve stopped your car in the road.”

     “Oh, my husband and I were just havin’ a heated conversation.”

     The officer lowered his head to look at Simon, “sir, are you okay?”

     “Yes,” he sputtered. “Yes.” He said confidently, “we are fine.”

     “Driver’s license and registration please.”

     “What?! For what?!” 

     “You are blocking traffic.” 

     She angrily handed her information out the window. Simon looked out the passenger side window so she couldn’t see him smile. As the officer handed her information back, she snapped, “why don’t you go catch a real criminal?”

     He held onto the papers as she tried to pull them from his fingers, “how would you like to do a field sobriety test?”

     “What?!” She screamed. “We are going home after being at the community dinner. If alcohol was served, perhaps you would like to investigate the hostess.” She snapped. 

     “Get out of the road.”

     “Damn!” Simon glared at her as they drove away. He had to add, “did you notice she was wearing an engagement ring.

     Rebecca slammed on the breaks again. Jerking Simon forward again. This time she heard the siren. “What now?!” 

Sunshine Valley