Chapter 31
Yes, I'm in love with flowers
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 31
After the Walker’s returned to their side of the
street, Jenn pulled the SUV into the garage and sighed with relief. She leaned her
forehead against the closed door leading from the kitchen to the garage, then
turned around and looked over the garage—three stalls holding one lone car. She
sucked in a deep breath. She, Jenn Washington had lived through her second
personal encounter in Arizona and had remembered her name had been changed. Then
she remembered her front door was hanging wide open—welcoming the entire world
inside. Probably making Kevin sweat bullets. And swear so loud Nick would hear him
and be on the next flight home. She fumbled with the doorknob, finally got it
to turn, and raced through the house and slammed the front door shut. The whole
house shuddered and it locked with a quiet click and red light blink.
Once more Jenn leaned against a door and sighed with
relief. This whole run and hide thing was getting old—and she wasn't even
twenty-four hours into it yet. It made her cranky. The paranoia it produced got
on her nerves. Watch. Hide. Don't say this. Don't forget to do that. What's
your name? Tell a lie, and then another one. The whole mess made her stomach
churn. In fact, it made her sick.
Jenn raced to the kitchen sink and threw up. She ran
cold water and splashed her face until it stung. She yanked a paper towel on
the holder nearby, and a string of towels uncurled in a white avalanche. Jenn
slowly wound them back up and sat down at the island on an over-sized wrought
iron stool made for royalty. "I want to go home," she moaned as her
head sank to the cool black granite speckled with gold flecks and silver veins.
After a good cry, Jenn double checked all the exterior
doors, even the one on the upstairs deck, then returned to the kitchen and ate
a cookie while she put the food away. Katie woke up and they had tuna
sandwiches for lunch. Katie spied her new swimsuit and started stripping. Jenn
reviewed the instructions for uncovering the pool. Katie danced circles around
her in her pink swimsuit as Jenn changed. Together they ventured out to see if
she could successfully accomplish the task.
The thermal blanket rolled off the swimming pool with
a mechanical hum and into a neat curl at the far end as Jenn and Katie watched.
"Lesson number one: Hold your breath, then blow bubbles," Jenn said
as she sat down on the edge with her daughter and dipped her toes into the
water. The air was chilly, but surprisingly the water was warm. Jenn slid into
the pool and pulled Katie in with her.
End Chapter 31
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