Writing is addicting. I really should be doing something else right now, like painting my great room walls. But, I'm dying to find out what's going to happen next! (Just kidding, I already know.)
Secrets at Midnight
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 50
Curling up in bed, Jenn
scolded herself for emerging once more in her towel in front of Matt—and nearly
losing it. He probably considered her a tramp, but her whole life she’d dodged
her mother’s lifestyle by a million miles. She recalled how shortly after
marrying Nick she'd overheard two women at work. One, describing a neighbor,
had said she had been married three times—the tramp!
Embarrassed, she’d
fled the scene. She’d never gone back—changed jobs instead. Three marriages
made no one a tramp. Her mind and heart defined her—not dreams shattered by
men. She hoped Matt knew that about her.
As kids, he had been
included in many conversations she and Shawn had about their mother. Did he
remember they’d sworn they’d go to any length to rise above what she had given
them? Many times Shawn had said, “Matt, I want to be married like your mom and
dad. We'll live in a double-wide, never get divorced, and my kids will always
have a dad.” Shawn hadn’t accomplished it the first time around, and she’d fared
worse—until Nick.
Nick fulfilled Jenn’s
dreams. He overlooked her miserable past to build their future. Katie, their
miraculous addition, convinced her more than ever to be the kind of mother
every kid ought to have, not a waitress who entertained men for bigger tips.
Many times Shawn and Matt had been her caretaker while their mother disappeared
with a customer for days. Jenn hadn’t adopted the heritage thrust at her. Nick
sold life insurance and provided everything she wanted—stability.
As she dozed off, Jenn
realized Nick might not sell insurance. They’d discuss it. If he didn’t like
insurance he could find a new job, something that didn't involve travel. They’d
move to Alabama and live close to Shawn—leaving Matt and Granny Monica behind.
“Jenn, wake up.”
The voice asked the
impossible.
“Where’s your gun?”
Matt shook her shoulder. “Don't shoot me. Just tell me where your gun is.”
She vaguely remembered
he'd given it back to her, but where she’d placed it remained submerged in
sleep.
“We're not alone.”
Jenn bolted upright.
Matt shoved her down. “Where. Is. Your gun?” he hissed.
“On top of the armoire,”
she whispered.
“Get up. Get dressed.
Get your gun and....” He pressed a finger to his lips. “Don't make any noise.
Someone is listening.”
She grabbed his arm
and pressed her lips to his ear. “If you leave me alone for even one second, I
swear I’ll shoot you!”
He pressed his finger against
her lips. “Shh. Hurry.”
He turned his back and
walked to the window. She grabbed her jeans and whispered, “Don’t turn
around—I’m getting dressed.” When finished, she sat on the end of the bed
shivering with fright. “I’m ready.”
He joined her,
standing over Katie, watching her sleep. After what seemed like an eternity of
shivering in the dark, which according to the bedside clock only lasted
thirteen minutes, he shifted his weight. “Get in bed and get some sleep, but
keep your shoes on. We're alone again.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I can't.” He crossed
the room, fetched her gun and returned. “Keep this on you, and don’t kill me.”
He turned and left the room before she could respond.
Jenn’s breath slowly
escaped. She slid out of bed and placed the gun atop the armoire and returned
to bed. She could do nothing but quake with fear—which she accomplished until
sleep conquered. Moments later a hand touched her shoulder, launching her into
reality. “It’s time to get up,” Matt whispered close to her ear. Sometime
during the few hours she’d slept he’d pulled a chair to her bedside and propped
his feet up. He lowered them and stood. “Pack Katie’s diaper bag with
everything you’ll need for a couple days. Leave everything else behind.”
“But it’s all brand
new—never worn. It’s all we have.”
“Someone from the
office will retrieve it, but if you really want it, wear it.” He left the room,
shutting the door behind him.
Everything she’d
bought she wanted—and it wouldn’t smash into a diaper bag. She sorted
carefully, choosing items for Katie and bare essentials to look nice when
reunited with Nick—if that day ever arrived. Her gun and ammunition fit in an
outside pocket, weighing it down.
Using the computer,
Matt waited in the sitting room. “Who are you talking to?” she asked, sitting
on the end of the sofa and peering over his shoulder.
He didn’t look up.
“Curtis. Ready to go?”
“No, but that hasn’t
changed since this fiasco began. Are you sending him back to my house for more
snooping?”
A smile tugged on his
lips. “I could. A wild goose chase might entertain him.”
“It bores me. Can we
quit this game?”
He didn’t answer—which
said everything. Minutes ticked away. “What about Katie? Should I wake her
up—or should I crawl back into bed wearing shoes? What are the exact rules to
your hurry-up-and-wait game?”
“Get her up.”
She rose and stretched. “Any
sane person wouldn’t listen to you—would change the rules—would change the
game. I should play with someone else.”
End Chapter 50
There are tons of things to do, so thanks for spending a few minutes here. I hope you're enjoying my novel Secrets at Midnight. ~~ Leona
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