Chapter 38
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 38
Jenn awoke to the first rays of sunshine peeking
through the arched window above the wall of windows and French doors leading to
the balcony. Katie was stirring. If she hadn't seen her cell phone in the
middle of the bed, she wouldn't have believed she'd actually called Kevin. She
would have considered that part of her nightmare.
"Fuut Loops," Katie said, forcing Jenn out
of the comfy bed. When they got to the kitchen Katie saw the muffins and
changed her mind. Jenn wasn't sure she wanted a chocolate chip muffin for
breakfast, but Katie promptly began devouring one. Jenn split one open, toasted
it in the oven, smeared on butter and gave it a try. It was amazing! She ate
two.
"Swim," Katie begged as Jenn propped her on
her hip and circled the house letting in sunshine as they opened shutters and
blinds.
"This afternoon. After it gets a little
warmer," Jenn promised.
Katie scampered off and returned with her damp
swimsuit. She sat down in the middle of the floor and began undressing. Jenn
laughed when halfway through Katie began donning the swimsuit.
"Let's hang it up to dry so it will be ready
later," Jenn said, tugging it off again. It took some work, but Jenn
finally convinced Katie to relinquish it so she could hang it over the deck
railing to finish drying.
Jenn made a list of possible purchases for their
shopping trip that day. Hair bows for Katie. A sun dress in case it warmed up
more. A jacket if it didn't. Sandals. Shoes. Books. Toys. Movies. Pool toys.
Lots of pool toys. There wasn't anything Jenn needed for herself. Except maybe
a movie to watch in the middle of the night if she woke up from another
nightmare. Kevin's torture had to be spaced out so he didn't suspect what she
was up to.
Jenn and Katie shopped, ate lunch and shopped some
more. The pool toys that wouldn't fit into her SUV would be delivered the
following afternoon. Exhausted, Jenn buckled Katie into her car seat and headed
back to the castle. Katie slept all the way.
The air was chilly and Jenn hoped the pool was warm.
She and Katie put on brand new swim suits—fresh from their shopping spree in
case yesterday's new ones were still damp—and headed outside for a second
swimming lesson. Afterward, Jenn plunked Katie into a blow-up kiddie inner tube
float toy and let her splash around all she wanted until she was coated in
goose bumps.
"We have four gas fireplaces," Jenn said as
if Katie understood when she pulled her from the swimming pool. She wrapped her
in a huge beach towel and tucked her under an arm football-style as she raced
to the out building and pushed a red button just inside the door. The pool
blanket began unwinding with a gentle hum and closing the surface.
"With this luxury, do you think we'll ever go
home?" Jenn wistfully sighed as she watched it latch shut on its own.
Katie shook her head.
"Except that's where daddy is, so we'll gladly
kiss this lifestyle good-bye."
"Daddy?" Katie asked.
"At home," Jenn sighed.
"Daddy?" Katie asked again, squirming to
look around to spot him.
"Not tonight, I'm afraid." Jenn bit her
bottom lip to stop the quivering. It didn't do much good so she let tears roll
down her face with drips from her wet hair.
Lounging in brand new nighties in front of the family
room fire, Jenn called Kevin. "Hey, Uncle Kevin, Katie wants to thank you
for her new shark!"
"What?" Kevin gasped.
"Her new pool toy. It's a shark. It's way cute
and she can sit in it and there's even a place to hold her sunglasses and a sippy
cup and whatever else she wants to swim with."
"What about the other part?" Kevin growled.
"What part? The uncle part?"
"Yeah," Kevin growled even more menacingly.
"Everyone dreams of having a rich uncle, so we
decided you're ours. You don't mind, do you?" Jenn moved the phone away
from her ear so she wouldn't go deaf, but to also giggle and whisper to Katie,
"He loves it. I think the name will stick."
She pulled the phone back and said, "Katie wants
to talk to you. Here she is."
Jenn stuck the phone against Katie's cheek. "Tell
Uncle Kevin thank you."
"Dank-you, Unca Kebin."
Jenn laughed and took the phone back. "She loves
you, Kevin! Isn't it cute?" Kevin was silent. Jenn rolled her eyes.
"You'll get used to it. It's better than being a nanny, right?"
"Barely," Kevin muttered.
"You like kids, don't you? I mean, you buy them
toys and clothes and books and…"
"When I get to the office tomorrow I'll see what
else I bought my niece, or whatever you call little girls by their uncles,"
Kevin growled.
"Cheer up. When she turns sixteen you can buy her
a car. Something cute and small and sporty so she'll catch a rich guy and you
can quit paying for everything."
"If I don't kill you first," Kevin
threatened.
Jenn laughed it off. "Okay, let's get down to
business. How is my house doing?"
“You know, I evicted you from it, and could evict you
from the substitute too.”
“My house?” Jenn demanded. “Is it still standing or
did you reduce it to ashes?”
End Chapter 38
I'm happy to be back with Hidden Secrets. Thank you for honoring the copywrite.
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