I
Secrets at Midnight
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 56
The motel in Fort Collins, Colorado was no Hilton. It had a
definite dirty sock odor. Jenn wrinkled her nose but didn't complain as she
plopped her bag on the bed and watched Matt settle Katie beside it. She
stretched out beside her sleeping daughter and closed her eyes and kicked off
her shoes.
Matt brought in the remaining bags—retrieved by his own man
from the hotel room they'd abandoned. He sat at the table and opened his
laptop. She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow, blocking out all
sights and sounds. Minutes later Matt shook her shoulder. “Nick is in New
Mexico.”
“How far away is that—time, not miles.” she mumbled.
“He’s taking a lot of precautions that are slowing him down.
Maybe twelve to eighteen hours, possibly more.”
Jenn cracked her eyelids open to glare at him. “When you pin
it down exactly, tell me.”
He returned to the computer and she slowly got up to find
pajamas. “Hey, no towels,” Matt called as she stumbled toward the bathroom
door.
She turned back. “That reminds, me—bring me my gun.”
He chuckled. “Fetch it yourself.” He didn't look up from his
computer.
She leaned against the doorframe. “Are you staying there
until I’m out?”
“Yeah, why? Are you planning to kill me if I try to leave?”
She shrugged. “Good idea.”
He laughed. “You need sleep. Go to bed.”
He laughed. “You need sleep. Go to bed.”
A long warm shower with lavender scented body wash eased
Jenn’s muscles. She dried off and coated herself with lotion. Matt sat hunched
over the computer when she snuggled deep into her covers. “Jenn,” he whispered
into her ear nearly two hours later, yanking her from a pleasant dream set in
Texas. “Wake up.”
She struggled to sit up and frantically looked around. “What
happened?”
He pushed her back down. “Not that awake. I'm having
problems with the internet connection. I'm going to use the one in the office.
I’m warning you so when I come back you don't freak out and kill me.”
“Can't it wait until morning?”
“No. Go back to sleep. I'll be back in maybe thirty minutes
or so.”
He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand. “Please don't
go. I'd feel safer if you were here. You need to sleep too. Wait until tomorrow
to work. Please don’t leave me.”
He sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed her fingers.
“You'll be okay, kid. Nothing is going to happen.” He brushed the hair from her
cheek and bent over and kissed it. “It's almost over. Everything will be okay.
I promise. I’ll just be in the office.”
She grasped his hand tighter. “Come back in ten minutes. No
more, okay?”
He squeezed her hand. “I need at least thirty. Maybe an hour.
I promise not more than two. You’ll be fine.” He pulled from her grasp and
moved to sit on the foot of his bed to put on his shoes. He picked up his key
and whispered, “Don't worry about letting me in. Goodnight.”
Jenn rolled her back to the door and closed her eyes. Sleep
evaded her, replaced by unbidden visions of running and hiding. Shivers raked
her body. Her fingers slipped under her pillow, the tips finding cold
metal—evidence that fears were winning. At last her body relaxed and thoughts grew
fuzzy.
A key clicked in the lock and the door creaked open. Matt
entered the room. He’d only been gone a few minutes—thirty at the most. He
fumbled—he must have forgotten something and didn’t want to turn on the light
to search.
Shoes softly thumped to the floor.
Jenn realized she must have slept longer than she’d thought.
She couldn't convince herself to roll over to check the clock.
Matt’s zipper whispered and his clothing rustled, falling to
the floor. He leaned over her, moved the covers aside and slid into bed,
encircling her in his arms and pulling her close. His lips pressed against the
back of her neck, then moved to her shoulder, sliding her nightgown away to expose
bare skin.
Fully awake, her hand grasped the gun. “Get out of this bed
or I'll kill you,” she hissed.
“That wasn't the reception I expected,” Nick
whispered in her ear.
End Chapter 56
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