My Novel: Chapter 13

Running:

I never liked running organized races for one specific reason: I like to finish, and running with a huge group of people makes me start out faster than I like and finish weaker. Once I realized that my adrenaline pumped as people sprinted off and my natural reaction was to keep up, I had to produce amazing amounts of self control to hold back until I was ready to push it. Learned and practiced, that helped me finish strong, even pass some people who had happily run past me in the early stages. But it never did make me enjoy the huge group concept or racing.

Writing:

Writing may seem like a solo event, but actually it involves tons of people. I've been slaughtered in classes--left beaten and bleeding, sometimes for stupid things, and other times for real problems with my technique. Writing tip: Learn fast how to listen to critiquing and criticism without taking it personally. Develop a technique for picking out helpful advise and chucking out envy or malice.

My photo of the day has nothing to do with writing, but everything to do with my run, I mean, one of my morning walks. I left the house shortly after all the high school students drove by--and found someone's breakfast in the road--thankfully in this manner. I'm guessing it was placed on the car roof as a backpack was stashed in the back seat--and forgotten. I got a good photo and laugh out of it. Life is crazy like this at times!

Secrets at Midnight

Leona Palmer Haag

Chapter 13

Matt closed his eyes. If he didn't catch some sleep he'd never deliver Jenn and Katie to the safe house in Oregon. Exhaustion blanketed him, but not before a vision of Monica danced from half-conscious corners, her silky hair blowing as their boat skimmed across sparkling waters, her perfect figure in something small and stringy, a glass of wine pressed to her pretty lips, and her eyes piercing his soul. Agony pounded through his chest, reviving reality. His wife was extremely visible. Her specialty never included dropping out of sight, but lay in remaining visible. His mind pushed through doors that might conceal her, but none released her.

Baby chatter pulled Matt from disjointed dreams, signaling morning had arrived. He shook clouds of sleep from his mind and the last snatches of altered reality. Across the room he found Jenn smiling at her daughter. Didn’t she know her expression was a contradiction to their situation? He silently slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom. “Morning,” she cheerfully said when he emerged a few minutes later.

Nodding a greeting, he dug jeans and a shirt out of his bag and retreated. When he returned he said, “I'll find us some breakfast. Anything special you'd like?”

Mom and daughter looked up. “Katie likes Rice Krispies and whole milk. We both like fruit, preferably bananas. I like whole wheat toast—dry—and skim milk.”

“No guarantees,” he muttered. He picked up the room key and left. He found Jenn dressed and Katie fighting getting her sandals buckled when he returned. He dragged the table to the bedside and offered Jenn the chair as he dished out sweet rolls and juice. Jenn peeled the sugary frosting from two rolls and handed one to Katie. 

The car part wasn't in by ten so Matt consented to walk to the sorry dust bowl park under the glaring sun. He pushed Katie as Jenn swayed in the other swing and chirped like a little springtime bird about how she didn’t want to miss another day of work, and thanked him for calling in her excuse, but several boxes of supplies were due to arrive tomorrow and she needed to supervise unpacking, and…. On and on her expected future rambled. He smiled and tried to look enthused about plastic band instruments for preschoolers. It sounded like misery in the making, but beat discussing what lurked in the back of his mind.

They lunched at the Dairy Freeze where Katie dipped the same fry in ketchup until it disintegrated. Jenn ordered a cup loaded with sliced tomatoes. Could people really do that? Apparently a smile and money bought a pretty girl exactly what she wanted.

The car purred to life shortly after five. Matt rushed his charges into their seats and pushed the gas pedal to the floor outside the city limits. “Why the hurry?” Jenn asked. He didn’t answer.

She mirrored his response with her own shrug, and searched for music until the radio buttons hit something satisfying. After she sang along with a few favorite tunes she turned the volume down and peppered him with endless questions, twisting and replacing nouns and verbs, but they were really all the same. He ignored her and dished out discouraging expressions, refusing to divulge anything, and letting her try ploys including sweet talking, threats, bribes, anger and the silent treatment. Nothing she did bought her answers.

Darkness descended as they left Kansas and pushed toward the heart of Colorado. It completely engulfed them before they pulled into a motel parking lot in another dusty town surrounded by huge grain silos and endless featureless miles under cultivation. “Get two rooms,” Jenn requested as he pushed the car door open. He didn't reply. Refusal at this moment wouldn’t help Jenn’s attitude.

“They're full,” he said when he returned to the car a few minutes later. “There’s a rodeo in town.” He nodded toward the parking lot packed with trucks on steroids. “We’ll have better luck closer to Denver, but this place claims they’ve got the best Texas barbecue around. Want to try it or push on?”

“No one can make Texas barbecue unless they’re in Texas, and that seems to be a few states ago,” Jenn wearily said, unbuckling in slow motion. “I’m starving so I’ll choke it down.”

Looking like a family, they headed for the restaurant. Freed from her car seat, Katie attempted dismantling the place despite Jenn’s control.

Back on the road again, Jenn leaned back and closed her eyes. It was a long drive into Denver. The tires rumbled over the asphalt for more than an hour before she broke the silence. “Can I borrow your cell phone? I need to call someone to take my place at work tomorrow.”

“I’ve already taken care of it,” he said, feeling her eyes open to study him. “Family emergency, if anyone asks when you return. Indefinite leave of absence.”

“I thought it was for one day—and I wasn’t feeling good. Thanks for getting me fired.”

“You're welcome.” His response sounded cold and heartless, but the truth was, getting fired beat getting killed, but he didn't want to explain it in those terms.

Jenn seemed to revive. Food must have done it—that or getting upset. “Talk. Now.” She squared her shoulders and faced him.

He considered what he should say, and the first thought crossing his mind spilled out. “Can you still shoot a gun?”

“Does that really matter? I don't have one at the moment, you know.”

He cleared his throat and tried a new angle. “How much do you know about Nick's job?”

“He sales insurance.”

Matt gripped the steering wheel and pressed on. “What kind of insurance?”

“What do you mean, what kind? You know what he does. You work with him. I don’t pay attention to beneficiaries, indemnities or premiums.”

“He's told you he sales life insurance, right?” He looked at his buddy’s wife to see if she had a clue this conversation contained clues.

She nodded, her face reflecting a faint glow cast from the dashboard lights. “But that doesn’t mean I understand anything more than the company pays up when someone files a claim—or they fight it.”

“You never ask Nick any questions. He says convention, conference, trade fair or business recovery attempt, and you pack his bags and happily kiss him good-bye.”

Her silence pulled his eyes toward her. She’d sat up straighter and pulled her bottom lip in for a good workout. “Not happily,” she corrected. “And what exactly are you telling me?”

Life wasn’t always easy; it delivered swift kicks to the backside more often than sweet lullabies. Matt regretted urging the harsh side to the surface. “The life insurance policies your husband secures aren't the kind you’re familiar with—car, boat, house, life. They’re for kids across America—for housewives and the working class.” She urged him on with a quick nod when he paused. “He insures drugs, guns and violence stay off the streets and kids grow up to raise their own kids without terrorism.”

She stared at him, eyes widening as time sped on. Had she caught the gist of his words? He wanted to make Nick’s line of work clear. “Jenn, think about it—no cell phone service or internet? Where does that happen in America? They have all that in Chicago. So why is Nick’s contact with you sporadic? Why are his emails few and far apart?”

Her tiny voice squeaked, “He—he’s busy?”

Matt blurted out something he’d vowed he’d never say. “Wrong. He's usually out of the country. Right now he’s in Colombia.” 

End Chapter 13

 I love knowing what happens next and have skimmed books to know what lies ahead. I've even read the last few pages so I'm not too surprised. I don't do it always--but sometimes...
Sorry if you're that type too and can't skip to the end and preview what happens to Jenn, Katie, Matt, Nick, and oh yeah--remember Natalie?  Of course, if you've found this after I've posted the last chapter, you've got that option!
Leave comments if  you'd like, or just go on to the next chapter...