Chapter 37
Along with flowers, I love birds. It's not by chance, either. My dad pointed out all the verities of birds around us and made sure we had a loaded birdfeeder in the yard, and books to identify our visitors sitting on the dining room table.
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 37
Jenn stared at the ceiling. Morning was slow at
arriving in Arizona, she decided, as she studied the gray shadows of predawn.
She thought she hadn't slept a wink, but knew she had. Because of the dreams.
Nightmares really. Of a brewing storm. Giant, thick storm clouds only known in
Texas, she thought. But they’d found her in Arizona. Clouds with black edged
and roaring funnels. Sickly green clouds bulging with…
Jenn sprang out of bed and raced to the bathroom. She
made it to the sink barely in time. Her heart pounded as she closed her eyes
and turned the water on, washing her stomach contents down the drain. She
splashed her face, neck and arms with cool water and brushed her teeth. She
faced herself in the mirror. "Raise your right hand and repeat after me:
We will never do that again, Jenn Washington." Her reflection obeyed.
Her head sank to the cool granite countertop.
"Oh, like I'll keep that vow," she moaned, remembering the nightmare.
"I can't stay awake forever, you know."
Jenn inspected her reflection again. She sipped a
glass of water and then returned to bed. Once more, the ceiling above her swirled
in shades of gray. Not like sickly green storm clouds this time, but more like
tendrils of death. Jenn clutched her stomach and refused to think about them.
But the nightmare returned again. This time she saw Kevin
holding a match. He was standing in her front yard. "I'm going to burn it
down, Jenn," he was yelling above the storm. Taunting. Waving his
flickering match. The flame grew, dancing like dragon fire.
"No! No! It's my home! My belongings! My
memories!" Jenn's voice wailed by his side.
Kevin laughed maniacally—like a wicked Halloween monster.
"It's trashed. It can't be fixed!" He tossed the match and everything
Jenn loved in Dallas, Texas turned into a firestorm. Sparks shot into black and
green swirling clouds overhead, then rushed downward with mouths open to engulf
her.
Jenn turned away from the scene replaying on the
ceiling for her waking eyes. She rested them on Katie with her soft dark curls fanned
against a lace edged pillowslip. She reached out and tenderly stroked her
cheek. "Everything I love is here—except Nick," she whispered. "Kevin
can burn our house down if he wants. What I really love is with me in this
make-believe castle."
Jenn reached past Katie to the nightstand and picked
up her cell phone. She flipped it open and whispered, "The torture chamber
is now open." She punched in Kevin's number. Sunday or not, working or
not, he was going to hear from her after ruining her night and starting her
morning off wrong.
"Hey, Jenn, what can I do for you," was how
Kevin Curtis answered his phone in a groggy voice.
"Good morning," Jenn replied.
"In about three hours," he sarcastically
said.
"I had a nightmare."
"Yeah? Well, go back to bed and sleep it
off."
"You don't sound very happy this morning. Why are
you so testy? You're not the one who got jolted out of sleep by a bad dream,"
she said, trying to remain calm and not awaken her daughter.
"Look at the clock!" Kevin stormed, sounding
fully awake now.
Jenn knew exactly what time it was. Predawn.
Practically pre-life. She ignored her captor's foul attitude. "I dreamed
about you. You torched my house." The accusation in her voice couldn't be
missed—as if he'd actually done it.
"Yeah? What are you saying? You want me to go
over and do that? Or are you accusing me of being a bad guy? You know, you
ought to just go back to sleep and…"
"Come on, Kevin, be nice to me. I'm stuck here in
a desert and…"
"In a palace! The best safe house we have!"
he shouted.
"In Artificial
Land!” she clarified. “And I have no idea if my mail is piling up or Nick left
the bathroom sink running. Can you imagine how badly that's upsetting me? Would
you mind going by to check things out? Break in if you have to. If Nick left a
load of clothes in the washer, add detergent and send them through the wash
again or they'll turn sour. You've already snooped around enough to know where
to find everything. And check…"
"Can I just torch the place? You do know what
time it is, don't you? Waking up this early turns me into a fire freak.
Couldn't you wait to call me after breakfast? No, make that after lunch on a
weekend. How about waiting until tomorrow or the next day."
Jenn harrumphed. "Kevin! If I was in Dallas I'd
do all that stuff myself. But since you put me on a jet, you get to do it. Duh.
You should have thought about it before you whisked me off. If I woke you up,
it's your fault." Jenn's voice had grown loud enough that Katie stirred.
She quickly hushed and patted her daughter’s shoulder, hoping she didn't wake
up.
"Okay. I'll finish sleeping tonight, because
that's what it still is at this hour, and I'll check your house for you
tomorrow. What else does your Royal Highness want?"
Jenn held back a giggle. He had no idea she was
succeeding even better than she'd planned. Since she had his attention, she
scrambled for a request and remembered something valuable. "Katie and I went
shopping yesterday, but there are still a few things we need. There isn't a
single kid’s book in this whole ten-billion square foot house. Can you believe
that?"
"So what do you want, a library next door? Maybe
in the basement? How about in every room!" Kevin stormed in reply, like he’d
created his own tornado.
Jenn sweetened her voice. "No. That's not
necessary. We just need a few books and movies and other stuff. I have to
entertain Katie somehow, unless you want to…"
"No!" Kevin roared. "I don't want to
come play nanny, if that’s what you’re leading into. Buy whatever you want! Got
that! Don't call me at four o'clock in the morning to tell me your kid needs a
book! Who do you think I am, the Bookmobile?"
As he was adding a few colorful words Jenn broke in
and calmly said, "She needs more than a book."
"Buy the ----- bookstore! Buy anything!"
Jenn held the phone from her ear as Kevin released a
string of angry words full blast. "Um, Kevin, sorry I woke you up,"
Jenn softly apologized.
"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled, lowering his
volume.
"Really, I am. Thanks for taking care of my
house. For listening. For being so nice to me. After such a terrible dream I
really needed a kind ear, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I'll call you
later."
"That's not necessary unless it's
necessary," he muttered.
"I know. I'll call anyway. Go back to sleep. I
hope I didn't ruin your night. Um, your morning. Whatever it is back home.
Sleep tight."
Jenn shut her phone and giggled. She hadn't realized
she had such a wicked mean streak hiding somewhere deep inside her.
She tossed her cell phone onto the comforter at her
knees and giggled, "Torture chamber opened, occupied, emptied and shut.
Poor guy." She sank back to her feather pillow and closed her eyes,
willing herself to not see sick green clouds gathering around her home in
Dallas. In her life.
End Chapter 37
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