My Novel: Chapter 16

Running:

Fun run: Yellowstone. Until I realized the herd of buffalo were moving in a direction that would cut off my route back to my camper--and safety.

Writing:

Fun writing: Running new words through my brain. Writing tip: Use a thesaurus. Try out new words. Expand what you know. I've incorporate some into my writing and vocabulary.

 I moonlight as a writer.

Secrets at Midnight

Leona Palmer Haag

Chapter 16

It was nearly midnight when Matt dully announced, “Salt Lake City.”

For a long moment Jenn’s eyelids refused to respond, but finally opened. She looked around, then let them droop, muttering, “It's about time.” As if on cue, Katie awoke. Jenn turned around as best she could and rubbed the back of her curled fists and cooed, “You've been a brave little traveler today. We’re almost there.”

But where was there? Salt Lake City was another place far from home and nowhere she’d ever considered going. Nothing about the cement freeway with lights twinkling beyond drew her attention. It equaled nothing more than a way station somewhere between home and Oregon—another destination that had never landed on her wish list.

Matt parked at a hotel curb. “I'll let the valet park this and take in our bags. What do you want me to carry in for you?”

Exhausted, she said, “Me and Katie. Can you manage?” She opened her door and slid out and stretched. Matt unbuckled Katie and lifted her out and smiled when she put her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes and returned to dreamland.

If anyone could envy a baby at that moment, Jenn did. “That's how I want to look at noon today, except I want to be in a bed with a pillow—a down one.”

Her travel companion’s words were bad news. “We're getting on the road earlier tomorrow. I want to arrive in Portland before dinner.”

“Impossible!” The word reverberated off the high ceiling and faux-marble painted walls in the lobby. Jenn reduced the volume. “That would be torture. Child abuse.”

On his way toward the concierge’s desk Matt said, “Then save time. Don't unpack. Shower tonight.”

Like being chained to his wake, Jenn followed. “Did you book two rooms?”

He either ignored her or didn't hear—probably wishing to avoid an argument in an echo chamber. A few minutes later he unlocked one room and stepped aside, holding the door for her.

Complete reluctance to enter engulfed Jenn, but sheer exhaustion propelled her into a gorgeous living room. She walked through French doors into an adjoining bedroom with a huge king-sized bed abounding with plump pillows. A love nest. He hadn’t advanced on her yet, but maybe he’d try tonight when she was well beyond exhaustion? When she turned back to demand an explanation and fight him, she found Matt already pulling out blankets and tossing them on the living room sofa. He kicked off his shoes and walked over to the French doors, and without a word pulled them shut, leaving her on the other side. Her unspoken question was satisfactorily answered.         

Jenn carefully lay Katie down and changed her diaper. She tucked her in bed and minutes later curled up beside her—fully clothed and not caring. Somehow she managed to kick off her sandals. One tumbled to the floor, but she was too tired to kick the other half that far and it landed somewhere in the bed.

It was dark when a sound awoke Jenn. She tried to shake off sleep to figure out what it was, but her brain felt fuzzy. She dozed off again while instructing herself to be a good detective and figure it out.

A slim line of gray light pried through a crack between the heavy curtains when Jenn heard a metallic click like the sound her handgun made when she cocked the trigger. Her heart stuttered to a stop. It resembled the fuzzy sound she’d heard earlier. An instinct she never knew she had until recently surfaced—jump up and bolt into the closet and huddle behind clothes until she calmed down enough to figure out what to do next. With every ounce of willpower she could muster she remained in bed, breathing as if asleep, but her mind kicked into high gear. What to do? How to protect Katie? Was Salt Lake City a dead end? Why had Matt chosen this location? Would headlines read: Missing Woman and Child Found Murdered in Utah?

“Jenn, we need to get up and go,” Matt whispered.

Jenn nearly fainted.

No gun pressed against her temple. His voice was soft, not demanding. She slowly rolled over and saw the man's shadow that she'd felt hovered nearby. Just Matt—a dark silhouette with his hands hanging at his sides—no gun. No threat at all. She let her breath out normally, which took tremendous effort. “Okay,” she whispered.

The shadow disappeared through the French doors, shutting them with a metallic click. A shiver prickled up Jenn's spine. She shuddered and rolled back to hug her defenseless daughter. Why had she jumped to conclusions and conjured up horrible images? She’d known Matt her entire life, and never had he been scary. Harmless, happy and honorable described him better. She’d recently added crazy, but didn’t everyone tip and sway a little toward the loony side now and then?

Tip, maybe, but the poor guy had toppled. Fantasies he’d spun during the long ride to Utah proved it, and she hated remembering them not that she was fully awake.

When a metallic click penetrated her fuzzy brain again, Jenn flinched. The man and gun had returned.

“Jenn, you awake? We need to go,” Matt whispered.

No gun, Jenn thought, emerging from a dizzy slumber. She coached herself to be calm and released her grip on Katie and slowly sat up, brushing her hair from her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Almost five.”

Four disrupted hours of sleep weren’t enough to sustain life. “Katie sleeps at least eight hours.”

“She can sleep in the car.”

Clearly trying to buy sympathy for a toddler wouldn’t pay off. Jenn slid her legs over the side of the bed and balanced before standing. “Give me enough time to take a shower.”

Matt disappeared, shutting the doors with an annoying click. Jenn clenched her jaw. She stumbled to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and studied herself in the mirror. She looked tired, weary, withered and flaky like a shriveled prune—dehydrated and worn out. She guzzled two glasses of water and decided to skip the shower. She pulled her hair to one side, tucked it behind her ear and washed her face. So much for grabbing further luxury in the posh hotel.

“Are you ready?” Matt asked when she emerged, dragging a suitcase.

“No. I'm going against my will,” she mumbled.

He took her bag and piled it beside his on a luggage dolly. She leaned against the French door frame and seriously thought about asking if she could ride too. Hopefully they could make it to the SUV and buckle Katie in without disturbing her too badly.

No such luck. Katie whimpered the moment Jenn touched her. She began crying as soon as she was lifted from the bed. She let out a howl and tried to throw herself out of Jenn's arms a second later. Jenn sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching her daughter to her. “She's burning up. Something’s wrong.” She stared at the man standing in front of her and wondered if he'd demand they stop wasting time—and what she'd do if he did.

Matt stepped through the French doors. “What should we do?”

Jenn pushed damp curls from Katie's forehead. “Take her to a doctor. Maybe she's got an ear infection.”

“Is that bad?”

“Not really. She's had one before. She tugged on her ears a lot yesterday. I thought it was from the changes in elevation as we went up and down mountains. Once she's on medication she'll be fine.”

“Should we take her to a hospital right now?”

Jenn studied the tiny girl in her arms and slowly shook her head. “I think it can wait a couple of hours. Maybe she's warm because I was cuddling her.” She looked at Matt hovering nearby. “Or maybe she’s allergic to getting up at 5:00 am.”

Matt forced a smiled as he deliberated. He finally said, “Go back to bed and get up when you're ready. We'll decide what to do later.”

She sighed with relief. He’d never been heartless before, and this proved it might not happen now. Matt left, making her jump when the doors clicked behind him.

Hours later Jenn discovered empty emergency rooms don't mean visits are quick. The doctor checked Katie, then called in a pediatrician. Her throat looked red and her glands seemed swollen, but her ears looked fine. The rapid strep test came back negative. The doctor thought it might be a virus and suggested waiting to give her medication after the 24-hour strep test came back positive. He thought they should take her home, treat her fever and call back the following day for results.

“Let's take her home,” she said once they buckled up in the SUV. Katie kicked and howled in the back as tears streamed down her face and her nose ran.

Matt glanced in his rear view mirror at the miserable kid. “You mean the hotel?”

“No. I mean home where I have a thermometer, baby Tylenol, her favorite tub toys and her bed.”

He shook his head.

“What's best for Katie—a hotel room and no real doctor?”

“That was a real doctor. It was also a real doctor's bill.”

“It wasn't her doctor. Besides, I'm tired of sitting in a car. You're playing James Bond and it's silly. Did you know Nick sold a life insurance policy to our next door neighbor in January? Explain that, Einstein.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I know. I've sold a few to keep my cover too. It's not tough. We have someone in the department who helps us handle those little details. Selling life insurance is a piece of cake.”

A car honked, and why not, they were halfway out of a premium parking spot near the entrance. Matt headed toward the parking garage exit acting as if he’d had the last word and had won, but her eyes narrowed. “Why do I think you're lying to me?”

“I've never lied to you. Not once.”

“For some reason, probably because I'm in Utah instead of Texas, I think you are.”

Maneuvering in the sluggish rush hour traffic, he said, “What does Katie need? We'll stop and get it.”

“A bed. Medicine. Her own home.”

“Narrow it down to essentials. I'll drop you off at the hotel and go buy what you want. Write me a list.”

Jenn’s jaw dropped. “You don’t trust me in Dallas, but you trust me alone in a hotel in Utah? Aren't you afraid I'll skip town?”

“I'm not forcing you to let me protect you. What you do is your decision. Leaving town would probably be bad, especially if you use your credit card. If you really want to go, I'll give you cash.” At a red light he pulled out his wallet. A moment later he shoved four-hundred dollars into her hand.

Jenn pocketed the cash. “You'd really let me go?”

He nodded.

Katie began wailing. Jenn turned and reached back and rubbed her damp cheek. “Take us back to the hotel. I'll find a flight home.”

“Write the list anyway.”

After pulling a scrap of paper from her purse, Jenn scribbled a long list, adding several items she personally wanted if she found herself stuck with Matt.

Back in the hotel, Katie’s screams rose and subsided as Jenn paced the floor with her daughter. Katie alternately snuggled and thumb-sucked, then tossed her shoulders back, screaming for release. Jenn felt the same way—ready to throw a tantrum. Two exhausting hours dragged by before Matt returned, lugging several bags. “I got everything on your list, but if you need more, I’ll go back.”

Jenn dumped the contents from the nearest bag on the bed. A thermometer, rubber ducky, baby pain reliever, teething medicine and a pink towel. She smiled to herself. She'd written down everything she could think of because she was so mad at Matt. And her situation. And stepping on a stupid wrist.

He took Katie from her arms, soothing her with soft humming and gentle rocking. Katie responded, resting her head on his shoulder and smiling. It wasn't fair that she instantly calmed and approached borderline happy with him. Jenn turned away and plopped down on the bed and proceeded to examine the stash. “Four bottles of lotion? I only wrote it once.”

“You wrote, ‘lotion—the kind that makes alligator dry skin soft again.’ They all claim something like that, but I limited it to the four best smelling. You should be happy with one of them, but if not, I know where to find more.”

“Okay,” she slowly said. She’d written 'nighties for me' on her list and wondered what he’d done in that department. Two bags later she learned. She held up a white pair of pajamas with pink and black puppies printed on the pants and an embroidered puppy on the tank top. “You think this is my style? Silk, Capri pants and doggies?”

He shrugged.

She dumped the contents from the next bag and lifted the find by a thin strap and dangled it in front of him. “Wow, suddenly I jump from thirteen to what—twenty-two and sexy? You probably should have bought this toasty little number for Monica so she didn't run off and leave you.”

Matt spun around and left the room, pulling the French doors shut a little harder than necessary. Jenn shrugged and tossed the shimmering brown thing with hot pink trim on the bed and opened the next bag. More pajamas—something she could lounge in: sleep pants with a matching lace-trimmed top. She rubbed the fabric against her cheek. Cuddly soft. The next bag held a summer nightgown—mid-thigh length and perfectly okay for wearing in Matt’s presence. The final nightie was longer, modest and almost grandma-ish, except for the slimming fit and trendy color. He had good taste. Except that hot item. Well, even that piece of spice.

Sitting in the middle of the bed, Jenn sorted through everything that had tumbled from the bags. Nothing on her list was missing. Her shoulders slumped. She knew she should thank him for his consideration, but she didn't want to see him for at least three years—if that soon. Her comment about Monica gnawed at her conscious. She knew she should apologize and wondered how long she could put it off—forever?

Procrastination could be dragged out only so long. She dowsed herself with lotion, ate a handful of dark chocolate candies, then opened the French doors to tackle the distasteful project.

Her daughter gleefully bounced on Matt’s knee as he sat at his laptop with Katie’s little fingers adding keystrokes. He didn’t hear her enter so she cleared her throat. “Thanks for the nighties, and I'm sorry for what I said.”

He didn’t explode, but he also didn't glance over his shoulder. “It's okay, kid.”

Jenn felt horrible. Katie whimpered so she crossed the room and retrieved her, moving to face him. “It wasn't okay. It was heartless. I wish you knew where Monica is.”

He looked up. “She's fine. Don't worry about her.”

Despite the upturn of his lips, she knew he was faking it. She wondered how well she really knew Matt Jensen—wonder kid from childhood—who had been fixing things for her since day one. What was he doing now—unfixing? Destroying? Faking? He was a stranger now.

End Chapter 16