Faye Worthington

Welcome to Grayville, where women learn about the power of love, friendship, and the battles of everyday life. Meet Becca Mantra, who is having a secret love affair and doesn't realize she's pushing her husband Jay over the edge. Why is she so happy about her infidelity with a woman half her age? Maybe it’s because Tuckie Brice, a greasy mechanic at Monkey’s Garage who suffers from depression, is actively seeking psychological help for her problems, while Jay is not. There’s also psychologist Dr. Sharon Shaw, who sees Tuckie twice a week, falls in love with Trevina Banter, a paperback mystery writer. When Trevina saves Jay from a suicide attempt, she decides to write a strange short story, which has nothing to do with her prize-winning sleuth. And then there’s Julia Bevel, an abused wife with a questionable attraction to her best friend, Cindy Cotter. When she steps out of her comfort zone and makes a physical pass at Cindy, Julia’s visit to Grayville will never be forgotten, and her life changes in dramatic ways. Together the women of Grayville share their individual tribulations and triumphs of everyday life in their small Pennsylvania community.

Welcome to Grayville

Approximately a quarter of a mile east of Snyder’s, Steven stops on Rodmer Street in downtown Grayville, pressing his right foot to the brake pedal in the driver’s foot well. What grasps his attention is a large, handwritten sign hanging on a wrought-iron gate to his right. The sign is a canary-yellow hue with blazing-red lettering on thick construction paper. The sign’s size is obnoxious: two feet long and three feet high. It reads 1 Bedroom Apartment—Utilities Included. A phone number is listed beneath this information in thick strokes of onyx-black marker.


Chapter 20