Chapter 30
Another hollyhock, this time with a visitor
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 30
Jenn picked up Katie and retraced her steps to the
main floor where she put her on the family room floor to finish her nap. Jenn
finished going through the bags she'd carried into the house, then sat at the
kitchen island and played with her cell phone as she waited for Kevin's call.
"There's a little black binder in the pantry on
the top shelf. It has instructions for all the appliances in the house,"
Kevin said.
Jenn pulled it down and thumbed through it while Kevin
waited on the line. "Found it. There's a power button in the pool house.
That must be the little shed out there."
"Call me back if you need something else."
"Okay," Jenn said.
Once more, the house seemed too quiet when the
conversation ended. "Like Kevin is the person I really want to be talking
to right now," Jenn muttered. She sighed, shoved her phone into her pocket
and faced the front door. "The office is about to watch Jenn the Brave
tackle the great unknown, one shaking step at a time."
Jenn opened the front door, skipped off the step and
down the walk and opened the back of the car—all without broadly grinning and waving
at Kevin. She pulled out as many grocery bags as she could carry and started
for the porch. On the step she looked up at where she assumed a camera might
be, waved her baby finger at it, smiled and mouthed, Hi, Kevin. She bounced
into the house, deposited the load, and returned for more bags.
On her third trip to the car, Jenn saw the front door
across the street open. She gulped. She dropped a bag and oranges rolled all
over behind the back seat. She frantically scrambled to gather them up.
"Hi, you must be our new neighbor," she
heard a voice call over her shoulder.
Jenn straightened up and smiled. "Hi." Her
voice sounded slightly restricted. She gulped so her next words would come out
better.
The woman was exactly as Kevin described. Almost.
Maybe one-hundred pounds overweight. Radiantly happy. Pretty. And holding a
plate of cookies.
"I'm Kristina and this is Dallin.” She patted the
head of the toddler beside her. “We live across the street. We saw your lights
on last night. We thought we'd come over to welcome you to the
neighborhood." Kristina pushed the plate of mouth-watering looking cookies
toward Jenn.
Jenn took a deep breath and tried to analyze her feelings.
Warm? Cold? Terror was all she felt. "Thanks. That is so sweet," she
managed to say.
"The little tag has our name and phone number on
it. Call me if you need anything. I saw you this morning with a baby. My oldest
daughter is fifteen and is an experienced baby sitter if you need someone. Are
you new to the area?"
Jenn nodded.
"I can show you around or tell you the best
places to shop, dine, take the kids to play or whatever. Give me a call."
Jenn nodded. "Thanks."
"I'm Kristina Walker, and you are…?"
Jenn flushed. “Oh, I’m so over worked from moving and
tired! I’m sorry I forgot my name, um, to tell you my name. I’m Uh…Dia. Uh… Dia
Morgan."
"Your home has been vacant for a long time. It's
nice to finally see someone move in. You'll love the neighborhood. Are you from
nearby?"
Jenn tried to not gulp as she swallowed her fears. She
wondered what she should say. Finally she settled on the truth. At least parts
of it. "No. I've lived mostly in… well, I just moved from Louisiana, but
I've also lived in Texas and… and we just moved from Louisiana."
"Oh, which part?"
Suddenly Jenn remembered something she had observed
Natalie, the great escape artist, do. Evade. Control. Direct the conversation.
That, Jenn could do. "Shreveport. Have you been there, or have you always
lived here?"
"I've never been east of Arizona. I've lived in
the Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, Scottsdale area my whole life, except while I was
attending college out of state. Joe is from Tempe. We met at college in Utah
and moved here shortly after graduation. Once you're hooked on warm winter
days, it's hard to live anywhere else. He was offered a good job in Salt Lake
City when he finished his internship, but we turned it down. We aren't fond of
snow."
"Internship? What does Joe, that is your husband,
right, do?"
"He's a doctor. An internist. What about you, are
you married?"
Jenn's heart sank. She hadn't expected the question
and mentally kicked herself for directing the conversation toward it.
"Yeah. Yeah, I am."
"What brought you here?"
Jenn glanced at the car and then back at Kristina's
deep blue eyes. "My husband's job." It was so honest she wanted to
scream.
"What does he do?"
"Insurance. He is in the insurance business.
I—we've been relocated."
"You'll love it here. Do you work or do you have
the luxury of staying home with your baby?"
Jenn looked down at Kristina's little toddler who had
plopped down on the driveway in the shade of her car. "I managed a day
care center, but now I'm… unemployed. That part of the move is going to be a
huge challenge for…" Jenn stopped. She'd almost finished with: for Kevin
to resolve when he fixes the mess he's put me in. “For me to accept,” she
ended.
Kristina looked past Jenn toward the castle. "The
job market is still pretty strong here, if you need to find a job."
Jenn shook her head. "It's more wanting to work than
needing to at the moment. I have a two-year old and a degree in education. I
love being with my daughter and teaching. How old is your son?"
"Dallin is almost three. Let's arrange for our
kids to play together. Why don't you come over on Tuesday at eleven? I've got a
group of friends coming over for about two hours for a cooking demonstration. A
few will be bringing their toddlers. Pack a sack lunch for your daughter. The
kids will be having their own little lunchtime-play time together. We'd love to
have you join us. Do you cook?"
Jenn nodded. It was something she could do, and well,
with little effort. "I love it."
"Great! Our little group meets monthly and we try
new recipes each time. There are about twelve to fifteen of us. We'd be
delighted to include you."
Jenn slowly nodded.
"Can I help you carry things inside?"
Kristina said, glancing at the back of the SUV and all the bags. Before Jenn
could object, Kristina grabbed a couple bags and started toward the front door.
Watch this, Kevin, Jenn thought as she grabbed the
last few bags. She closed the SUV's back door and locked it with a flare. She
followed Kristina—the home invader—and resisted waving at Kevin as she entered
the house.
"Is this your family?" Kristina asked as she
paused at the family photo center in the foyer.
Jenn nodded and pushed past her toward the kitchen.
"It's a cute family." Kristina set her load
on the kitchen counter and whispered. "Oh, look at the little sleeping
angel. What is your daughter's name?"
"K—Katrina. She goes by Katie."
"Well, we won't stay and wake her up. It's been
fun meeting you, Dia. I'll see you on Tuesday at eleven if not before."
Jenn snatched up the garage door opener before she
followed Kristina out the front door. She pushed a button and the double door
began sliding up as she said, "Thank you so much for the cookies. It was
sweet of you, and it's nice meeting you."
"Remember, just call me if you have any questions
or need something. I'm sure you've got some essentials still packed in a box
that you'll need, but can't find, like light bulbs or laundry detergent. I'd be
happy to help you out in an emergency—or just for fun."
"Thanks," Jenn said.
End Chapter 30
It's been fun posting chapters for you to enjoy. I HOPE you're enjoying them! I'm going to take a break, but check back on Monday to see if there's anything new. Goodnight, ya'll.
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