A Sentence Examples
It is a little speech that I have written for him.
The Keller homestead, where the family lived, was a few steps from our little rose-bower.
The little porch was hidden from view by a screen of yellow roses and Southern smilax.
A sudden gust of wind circled them and whispered words in her mind.
He stooped and picked up a bird's nest that had fallen upon the ground.
But I can see a path.
Suddenly he stopped at the foot of a tree.
She is not a child.
We saw a baby howse!
He was dressed in black, and had a very pleasant face.
AdvertisementShe forced a smile.
A touch of humor came into his eyes.
A warm hand rested on her waist.
It was a sobering and unpleasant question.
But I am making a simple statement that life is better now than it has ever been.
AdvertisementHe lifted a brow.
He arched a dark brow "Alexia?"
A few seconds later Alex answered the phone.
Analysts declared each successive generation might be "the first to have a lower standard of living than their parents."
A wry smile briefly touched his lips.
AdvertisementFor a moment he studied her face.
A few minutes later the nurse came in.
She gathered it in a hug and smelled deeply of it.
I came in a charter helicopter.
But what about a reasoned belief based on a balanced look at both history and current reality that leads you to be optimistic?
AdvertisementAre you down here taking inventory or doing a lot of thinking?
He got a room at the hotel.
The snow melted, leaving in its wake a harvest of spring flowers.
I'll be home in a few minutes.
We're probably all a little hypocritical at times - and we're all sinners, so I hear.
Alex was a wealthy man - rich by her standards.
He studied her for a moment over the rim of his cup.
He thinks I am still a child.
He says he has a cold.
She was cleaning the coffee pot and Alex was reclining in a chair at the table, enjoying the last cup of coffee.
Any time a wild animal isn't afraid of you, there is probably something wrong.
A warm flush started up her neck.
The table and chairs were made of a dark rich wood, and the tiles on the floor looked like polished bricks.
He slid an arm under her and gently took her hand in his, planting a warm moist kiss in the center of the palm.
I thought maybe we could get a van, but I didn't know if we could afford it.
There was a long silence and then Señor Medena spoke.
After a few moments Jonathan answered.
He said Destiny's fever had broken and if she continued to improve, they would take the tent off her bed in a few days.
Eleven months earlier Alex had her bred to a handsome Appaloosa stud in Indiana - via AI.
I just got a call from the doctor.
The doctor set a due date of August 17th.
Without a doubt, the fact that the babies were healthy had major influence on his mood.
Less than a week later she passed another milestone.
Yet it was a short period of time for so much to have happened to them.
Even Mrs. Reynolds pitched in with some stuffed animals - a giraffe and horse.
March came in like a lion with a snow storm.
They stood there for a moment, watching their image in the mirror.
Her first thought was that it was a puppy someone had dropped off.
When she glanced up at it, she did a double take.
It didn't take long for him to get home, and when he came in from the garage, he went directly to his gun cabinet and took out a rifle.
Loading it quickly, he watched the skunk from the house for a few minutes.
Pulling gloves and a bag from his pocket, he proceeded to collect the grisly specimen.
He had a family to support - and two more children on the way.
I don't want you to lose anything, but you know I'd want to be with you even if we didn't have a dime to our name.
It was a change of attitude.
He took a few sips and finally broached the subject.
How did having a son become a financial issue?
They would all get together and wash her old car, winding up in a gleeful water fight.
The grass had been mown short for about five feet on either side of the narrow drive, and a tangle of underbrush and trees lay beyond... freedom, or a barrier?
Carmen accepted the outstretched hand and placed a foot in the vacated stirrup.
Could they afford to buy a van?
How could a man with four million in the bank be in financial danger?
A voice broke into their lovemaking.
A house without children is not a home.
A hand gently pushed her forward.
At the bottom of the hill a sharp turn waited.
Not even a path had existed here when she lived in the area five years ago.
The long drive detoured around several large oak trees before it ended in a circle.
A gray brick house dominated the landscape, its ranch style sprawling in a U shape with a garage on one end.
In the middle of the circle was a large teardrop-shaped flower garden.
A patch of blue cement suggested a swimming pool might also inhabit the estate.
This isn't a hotel.
It was a lovely setting for a home, secluded in wildly beautiful forested hills.
He was getting to be quite a handsome young man.
The wooden banisters were polished to a high finish, and the hardwood stairs were covered on the walkway with more carpet.
A long hallway ran across the back of the upstairs, leading to four bedrooms.
Surely he had a simple checkbook file.
After a mind boggling search through more investment files, she found his savings account.
He lifted his hand and displayed a doll to Destiny.
Felipa asked in a surprised tone.
As soon as they were settled at a table, Felipa lay out her plan.
Carmen asked, and then made a face.
Felipa waved a hand in dismissal.
For a moment she envisioned him and felt a pang of loneliness.
It was the middle of the day, and Alex never took a nap.
There was a pause.
You should have seen her when he came in carrying a doll.
Felipa put a hand on her arm.
He says he thinks he has a cold, but the doctor told me he could get pneumonia real easy.
Alex always said she had a good imagination.
Where Princess was concerned, it was a normal uneventful birth.
He hesitantly announced to Carmen one evening that he wanted to learn to play a guitar.
She wiped the pot with a dishtowel and carefully placed it on the coffee maker.
She met his gaze defiantly for a moment longer, but he made no attempt to argue.
He didn't bring it up again - not even when Jonathan was unable to get his short arm into a comfortable position to play the guitar.
Nor did he say anything when she exchanged the guitar for a violin and paid for lessons.
That's the soonest I could get a flight.
Maybe she was right, and if Alex hadn't been such a perfect husband in every other way, she might have done it.
Would you like to play a game?
It was a delightful surprise.
It must have been a smorgasbord.
She greeted them with a big smile, hugging each of them as if they were old friends she hadn't seen in a decade.
Never would she have guessed such a lavish home existed in these rustic mountains.
He didn't look like a rich man, but then, what did a rich man look like?
The movement brought a painful awareness of how stiff her muscles were becoming.
A huge marble fireplace dominated the large family room, its image reflected on the shiny expanse of hardwood floor.
Paintings hung on every wall and expensive looking pottery lamps with hand painted shades gave the room a warm glow.
Giddon lifted a brow at Lisa.
A middle-aged woman entered the room, her hands full of hamburger meat as she formed a patty.
Her large brown eyes took in Lisa with surprise and she threw her son a questioning look.
It's a long way to drive from Fayetteville, and then they'd have to bring you back in the morning.
Her hand hung over the phone a minute as she fought with the urge to call Howard.
A curly blond head peeked around the corner and large blue eyes studied the stranger cautiously.
The little girl was adorable in a Shirley Temple kind of way.
Tammy half skipped and hopped down the hall, throwing a shy smile over her shoulder at Lisa before disappearing into a doorway.
He said, and dropped into a recliner.
So you threw your clothes in a suitcase and ran away.
Would this friend be a boy?
You're a very interesting person.
When she returned, he was putting a CD into the player.
Yes, there is a light on North Street.
Dad had taken a short cut then.
Why don't you go take a nice warm shower?
She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and curled into a shivering ball, staring through the window into the darkness.
She had always been a recluse at heart, often declining a social outing with her friends so that she could be alone with a book or her writing.
The room lit up with a bright flash of lightening, and thunder rattled the windowpane.
She dressed hurriedly in the clothes Sarah had loaned her and ran fingers through her hair, wishing she had a comb.
Sarah entered the room carrying a pan of steaming biscuits.
After a moment of thanks, they all began their meal.
The movement caught Giddon's attention and he glanced from Tammy to Lisa with a puzzled expression.
I think I'll work in the garden for a while, after I get my chores done.
Sarah waved a hand at Lisa, watching Giddon intently.
I said I'd take you and I'm a man of my word.
He was right, of course, but his harsh words were like salt on a raw wound.
A four wheel ATV was parked next to the porch and Giddon stepped over it, seating himself as he turned the key.
At her surprised expression, he quirked a brow.
His mouth twisted into what might have passed for a smile.
He indicated the space behind him with a wave of a hand.
He's a big horse, but I couldn't make him carry the two of us in that terrain.
Carmen swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked tears from her eyes.
He did a lot of researching before he talked to me.
It was a silly thing to do... utterly pointless.
It wasn't just losing a baby.
It was the idea that I would never have one... the death of a dream, I guess.
He had a lot on his plate right now... the twins, his father and who knew what else?
I know, sweetheart, and that is a comfort, but it won't be that bad.
As a matter of fact, he hadn't said that since he spent half the night with his old flame.
That wide-eyed innocent look and those full lips reminded him of a fairytale princess.
Even the way she wore her hair, with those braids wrapped around the top of her head like a crown and the long shiny blond curls falling around her shoulders and down her back – she wasn't simply beautiful.
Why, because he is the son of a prominent family doctor?
Lathum dismissed the subject with a shrug.
Headlights flashed on the curtains briefly and a car door slammed.
Her heart hesitated a moment, contracting for a race.
A train hit their car.
Len's face was pasty white and for a moment she thought he was going to throw up.
Her mouth felt dry and her voice was barely a whisper.
My parents are at a restaurant.
Your face is as white as a sheet.
He hesitated a moment.
Lisa insisted, still hoping to get a different answer.
He released her hand, but his eyes still held hers in a hypnotic trance that made her think of Dracula.
A sweet voice called from another room.
He picked up a newspaper and snapped it open, his attention instantly captured by something he found in its crinkled pages.
She put a gentle hand on Lisa's shoulder.
The car was a loss anyway, but her purse and clothes would be ruined.
She stared at his broad back, testing a hand full of his Jacket gingerly.
It was a wicked thought.
They left the main road on a narrow trail consisting of two ruts.
Apparently this was a favorite haunt for Giddon... and how many others?
Again she had allowed herself to be put in a precarious situation.
For a moment he looked down at her, his expression somber.
It felt good to be off her feet, even if only momentarily and in such a manner.
Feeling a little better?
His mouth twisted into a sardonic smile.
Glinka, the editor of the Russian Messenger, who was recognized (cries of "author! author!" were heard in the crowd), said that "hell must be repulsed by hell," and that he had seen a child smiling at lightning flashes and thunderclaps, but "we will not be that child."
That was a no-brainer.
For a moment she struggled with him until something changed in his eyes.
But then, a party didn't seem like something Señor Medena would plan.
She probably thought Destiny was a spoiled child.
Minutes later when the nurse arrived with a syringe of medicine, Destiny was asleep again, still clutching the doll to her chest.
Who would have thought he would become attached to a child that was neither his own blood nor male?
It is not a sin to want your child.
Where it is written how we are to make a child?
I will watch for a while.
There was a fine line between protecting and smothering, though.
As proud as she was of Jonathan, it was Alex who stayed on her mind for a long time after the phone call.
On the other hand, Alex needed to be in a position where he was forced to actually talk to his father.
Maybe it was more a case of wishing it were so.
Alex might have convinced himself that he wanted a simpler lifestyle.
Alex was away on a call when she discovered Princess in labor.
Still, the romancing was so much a part of him that it was as if he wasn't even Alex.
Since everyone knew the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, she started with a special meal.
Corn seasoned with red bell peppers and black beans made a colorful vegetable.
Carmen tied Destiny's curls with a yellow ribbon.
She used a few combs to pull hers into a French bun.
She looked so cute that Carmen took a few pictures of her.
Destiny was a little lady, waiting until he came into the kitchen before plowing into him.
Alex divided his attention between a very attentive Destiny and a reserved Carmen.
Throughout the meal she led the subject a weaving path around the animals, the weather, and work on the nursery.
His lips held a faint smile and his eyes twinkled.
She gave him a coy smile.
I mean, one you have a chance of winning.
As a matter of fact, I'm beginning to feel pretty good.
A warm hand caressed its way up her back and around to cradle her breast.
He held a hand up to her and then guided her down to his lap.
A slow song began as he moved toward her.
Without a word, she slipped into his arms and fell into the rhythm of his step.
He was watching her, a wry smile on his face and an amused twinkle in his eyes.
Carmen read to her from a book for a few minutes until she fell asleep and then turned the light off.
From now on she'd have a lot more respect for the art of romancing.
Would there be a point at which she stopped being surprised by his family?
If Alex had known he had a son, things would have been different.
You're a wonderful husband and father.
A person couldn't be in control all the time - right all the time.
She gave him a final squeeze and released him.
I want to be a part of your life.
If they presented a united front, Tessa might back up.
That was a pretty good indication of interest - or lack thereof.
In any case, she would never be a social fit.
He didn't comment, but several times that evening she caught him watching her with a reflective expression.
It's a little early, but twins tend to have their own schedule.
Beginning at his dusty oxfords and indigo blue jeans, her scrutiny continued up to a neatly tucked in worn white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to mid arm.
Their eyes met for a moment... piercing blue eyes meeting startled green eyes in a battle of nerve.
After studying the car thoughtfully for a few minutes, he confidently assumed authority.
I'll ride back to the house and get my car and a chain.
Without another word, he turned the horse and kicked it into a trot in the opposite direction.
It was nearly dark and she was a good fifty miles from home.
A large rock beside the road provided a place to rest while she listened for vehicles.
The car rocked slightly with a gust of wind.
It was getting late and the air was taking on a chill.
A grinding noise jerked her attention back to the car.
It poised for a moment and then took a dive off the cliff.
She counted the seconds in tense silence, waiting for the sound of an explosion, but the only sound was a car approaching from below.
Completing his appraisal, he gave her a hard look.
His smile was sardonic, yet his eyes held a glint of humor.
Yeah, you could get to it, but it would take a while, and you'd be subjecting yourself to thorns, ticks, snakes and about ten miles of the roughest country you can imagine.
His lips twisted into a wry smile.
But after what you've been through, I guess it would seem like a picnic.
Glancing down at her sandaled feet, it occurred to her that she was hardly dressed for a walk in the woods.
He stuck out a big hand.
He lifted a brow inquisitively.
Her spirits did a roller coaster as she desperately watched his retreating back, and then comprehended his words.
His voice was gruff, and his brows were drawn together in a frown... and yet the blue eyes twinkled with humor.
As he had pointed out, it wasn't as if she had much of a choice.
You're in a fix.
What did she know about this man... other than the fact that he had a volatile temperament?
He was a big man, in good condition.
He could easily overpower her in a struggle or outlast her in a chase.
And yet, its little engine hummed along with a surprising lack of noise.
Giddon swung his arm out and pointed to a patch of flowers.
Such an unlikely spot for a home site, and yet, the remains of a chimney gave indisputable proof that one had existed at some point.
The trail couldn't have been a road... more likely a wash.
Giddon exclaimed sharply and clawed a spider web from his face.
Far from the grouchy expression he had put on at the beginning of the ride, now his eyes flashed with humor, and his lips were twisted in a friendly smile.
A little further ahead, they glimpsed a white flash of tail as a deer bounded crossed the trail no more than fifty feet ahead of them.
Giddon paused at a mud hole and pointed at a track.
It wasn't the first time she had seen a bear track, but it was the first time she had seen one that fresh.
As a girl, she had wandered the woods with friends.
But then so was the scream of a mountain lion, and she had never seen one of those, either.
Like an Avon notice on a doorknob, the tracks in the mud were proof of an unobserved visit.
It was a sobering reminder that a bear had been on this spot – possibly only minutes earlier.
She glanced around for some kind of weapon as they walked, and soon came up with a walking stick.
When they stopped beside a wide shallow creek, he crouched with his back to her.
He threw her a sharp look over his shoulder.
It could be a way to get her to put it down.
On the other hand, if he wanted to harm her, he might snatch the stick from her and use it as a weapon against her.
Chancing a glance at his face, she found him watching her in a strange way.
Geez. Looks like it's been hit by a locomotive.
The agonizing memories ruptured to the surface at last, forcing a long overdue reaction.
The grief was so strong that it became a nauseating pain.
A strong hand gripped her shoulder.
It's just a car.
Her ankle twisted painfully, forcing a quick cry of pain from her lips.
Better would be a long time coming, but she felt more in control of her emotions.
He pulled her into a gentle comforting hug.
He started the engine and she clamped her arms around him, clinging to him as he spun the tires in a spray of pebbles and rocks.
At one point he splashed through a mud puddle, throwing mud and water all over her.
She knocked his hand away and headed for the house in a stiff jointed hobble.
You've got a lot of spunk, you know that?
He hesitated, studying her face with a puzzled expression.
Were his comments genuine, or simply a way to get her to like him?
She crossed her arms and gave him a level look.
She hesitated, wanting to find a way home, but not wanting to ask any more favors of him.
After a startled look at Lisa, she turned on Giddon, a frown wrinkling her forehead.
I guess I got in a hurry.
When her gaze returned to Lisa, her features softened into a warm smile.
Why don't you go take a warm shower and I'll have a hot meal ready by the time you're done.
She lifted her purse, forcing a smile.
Sarah gave Giddon a stern look and then returned her attention to Lisa.
As I said, I enjoy having a female around.
As if she hadn't been a burden in enough ways, now she had Mrs. Giddon upset with him.
It was a strange feeling to realize she had been in a cocoon for weeks.
The auto charger was in the car, but she had a plug-in type at home.
As his fingers traced a warm tingly path to the back of her dress, hers traced his lips.
The next morning when he stood by the door before leaving for work, she looked him over while he examined a document.
Still, a person didn't need to say it to feel it.
It was as if they had started a fresh relationship.
You have a right to know, Carmen.
You have a right to know everything.
If you don't stand up and demand a change, he'll keep on doing it.
Katie said, lifting a brow.
Katie leaned back, a triumphant look on her face as if she had made a point.
He had a lot of investments and...
She was slicing some left over pork roast for a recipe tomorrow when Alex walked in and announced that Destiny and Jonathan were asleep.
Finally she put the knife down and started putting the sliced meat in a plastic container.
Finally he took down a couple of cups and poured them some coffee.
Her stomach contracted and then twisted into a knot.
He said Alex was the kind of man who would crawl into bed with a woman on the first date.
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
The wound opened again and the salt he threw into it drew a sharp response from her.
If Dulce had a boyfriend, no one had mentioned it.
But then, no one mentioned a child, either.
Why would she hide him from me all this time and suddenly ask for a fortune?
For the first time the memory of how he reacted when she told him she was pregnant wasn't a painful one.
In fact, it was a virtual revelation.
At that moment there was a choice to make.
She gave him a sarcastic smile.
He planted a lingering kiss on her lips and drew back.
For a moment he gazed down at her, his expression much like the trapped fox in the hen house.
I was going to tell you - as soon as I had a handle on it.
Within a week, they were back at the hacienda.
This time Señor Medena greeted Carmen with a hug.
That should have been no big surprise, but Carmen would have thought he would welcome the idea of a willing heir.
At any rate, Alex joined forces with his father in the request for a DNA test.
I would have thought a gender oriented decision would upset you, but you seem to be on his side.
I don't think it's a gender-based decision - not at this point, anyway.
He wants you because you would do a good job, and because you are his son.
The only business experience she had was the goat dairy, the non-functional farm and a horse ranch that had been in the fetal stage for years.
Alex gave him a sour look.
Carmen set her jaw and challenged them each with a stern look.
She paused, sucking in a deep breath, and then threw her hands in the air in defeat.
Everyone was watching her with a horrified expression - even Jonathan and Destiny.
What felt good a minute ago now sounded like suicide.
Alex's mouth twisted into a wry smile and the dark eyes that sought hers held a trace of humor.
Everyone relaxed and the conversation did a one-eighty.
June leaped into July and Random gave birth to a little filly for Jonathan.
Eureka was a dark Appaloosa with dark spots on white loins, quarters and croup.
How much does a gallon of milk weigh?
She glanced down at the straining bodice and made a face.
Well, I hope I don't have a gallon of milk in there!
Maybe you are having a little water gain, but you look great.
She watched him as he answered it and then headed toward her at a brisk pace.
There had been two cancellations on a flight and Alex grabbed them.
They needed to gain a little weight before they would be released from the hospital, though.
Later they were taken to a room where they were introduced to their newest family members.
Carmen had assumed breast feeding would be a natural thing, but as Matthew lay fussing in her arms, it seemed a major obstacle.
It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it seemed much longer.
It may take a few minutes, but he'll catch on.
It was intended to encourage her, but it was more a distraction.
It felt like a sudden and painful swelling.
As if Matthew thought the encouragement was intended for him, he latched onto her breast, creating a suction that sent tiny bubbles down the feeding tube.
A lump formed in her throat and tears spilled from her eyes.
The nurse knocked on the door and then came in carrying a crying Natalie.
Natalie needed little encouragement - or maybe it was because Carmen was a little more relaxed and experienced.
Carmen glanced at Alex and did a double take.
When a female voice answered, he pressed the speaker button and the phone call became theirs.
A few minutes later Señor Medena answered the phone.
For a moment he looked uncomfortable... uncertain.
I guess he's always been a part of me... one I've wasted most of my life trying to remove.
He wasn't the one who gave me a bad name.
Maybe it's something a person understands better when he becomes a father.
Or when he has a wife to point the way.
I guess we both had a change of heart, didn't we?
Sharing their problems was a step in the right direction.
Alex paused at the door to their bedroom, a tray of coffee in his hands.
Carmen was breast feeding Matthew and Felipa was feeding Natalie with a bottle.
He set the tray down on the table and handed a steaming cup of coffee to Señor Medena.
Señor Medena watched him for a moment, his expression guarded.
Alex let out a breath of relief.
They sipped their coffee in silence for a few minutes and then Señor Medena spoke.
Carmen is a good wife.
You have a good family.
They would like to have such a life.
Mr. Barnett was a good father.
You thought you had a son for a little while.
Not like I wanted to take him away from the man who had been a Dad to him.
Father and Dad are two different things to a son.
Señor Medena was looking at him in a strange way.
When you hear you have a son, you feel responsible - yes?
Alex ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.
If he lived to be a hundred he'd never understand women.
This make a good horse ranch, yes?
Alex treated him to a wry smile.
At some point their marriage had morphed into a family.
Carmen had been his soul mate for a long time.
Her response to the issue about a son was indication that she was ready to break from the past.
Lightening flashed in the east and thunder rumbled a posthumous threat.
As he turned, the lights of a silent ambulance bounced across the long stretch of pasture between the highway and the mangled car.
The train crouched silent on the tracks in a feline pose, as if hovering over a kill.
Officer Lathum met him half way to the car and lifted a bushy gray brow.
A person could change a lot in a few years, especially when they were that young.
Maybe Lathum had a point.
Lathum waved a hand in dismissal, his mind already firmly entrenched in another project.
Thunder growled a deep rumbling warning.
Lisa pulled a curtain back to examine the sky.
In the hilly city of Fayetteville, that was a threat during any heavy rain.
She stared into the early darkness of a thick cloud cover.
Dad was in a hurry to beat the storm, so she had said nothing as the car backed out of the drive.
He pressed his face against the window and managed a forlorn goodbye wave.
It was a moment that lay in her stomach like a week-long hunger, regardless of the fact that they had been gone only minutes.
A long train whistle sounded several times, adding to the dark mood of the evening.
A moment later, veins of light threaded through dark low clouds.
A newspaper with Allen's picture on it lay opened on the coffee table.
Even his ability to find alcohol for a party was adventurous.
Allen had been drinking at the party a little more than usual.
There was no reasoning with him, so she accepted a ride with her best friend, Connie.
Howard was a good ten years older and had far more important things on his mind – like his new position as partner at the law firm.
For a full week she enjoyed the benefits of being big sister.
Jarred from her thoughts, she began filling a tube with blue icing.
After adding a bottom border, she changed to the red icing.
She pondered a few minutes and then smiled.
She carefully drew the outline of a truck around the words on the top.
Food was more a distraction than a desire.
A few weeks wouldn't mean the difference in paying for college, and she could use the time to relax.
Leaning her head back, she forced the soft chair into a reclining position.
For a moment she stared at the door, her heart racing.
Her heart skipped a beat and then began to pound in her ears.
For a moment they stared at each other.
Candy spilled across the coffee table and a glass bowl was shoved in front of her mouth.
Why don't you get a wet cloth, Miss Spencer?
Codes mingled with names and addresses in a request for medical assistance.
Connie returned with a cool damp rag which she placed on Lisa's face and then the back of her neck.
Feeling returned with a vengeance and her head pounded mercilessly.
She jumped up, pushing them all away, darting for the bathroom with a hand over her mouth.
He grabbed a rag and wet it before wiping her mouth.
Later she woke to find Connie asleep in a chair beside her gurney.
Howard dropped her hand like it was a hot coal.
Howard gave him a strange look.
Lisa stared at him, fragments of the night before slowly fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Connie stood up from a chair by the wall.
Howard hesitated and shot a questioning glance at Connie, who shrugged and turned away.
The facts drifted in slowly, as if attending a dreaded meeting.
It's in the freezer, in a plastic bag wrapped with foil.
She handed them to Howard, who watched her face with a puzzled expression.
Lisa came home from the hospital the day before the funeral and Connie insisted on staying with her for a while.
Connie had moved into the house for a while.
They hadn't seen her in church for a while and they were worried about her.
I could be a room mate – help you with the bills and pay rent.
I'm sorry I've been such a poor companion.
Maybe a vacation would be good right now, but don't go back there.
Maybe that was a good sign.
And I will be for a very long time.
It was a selfish thought, showing no appreciation for everything they had done.
Maybe a little time to yourself is a good idea.
I just wanted to ask you a question.
If you put me in jail again, when I get out there won't be a safe place for you.
All this attention from Howard could be due to a guilty conscience.
She wandered around the house with a foreboding that this was the last time she would see it.
It might be a good idea to tell Len or Howard about it.
A 24-hour guard wasn't possible and arresting him would only make him more dangerous.
As she passed a neighbor boy, he waved at her, his two missing front teeth displayed in a sweet smile.
For a moment she hesitated, and then accelerated.
Maybe that would change, but it would take a while.
The radio channel played nonsensical songs from the 60's in a barely successful mission to lift her spirits.
Ahead was nothing but a narrow dirt road lined with mature Oak trees and brush.
The rear end of the car danced sideways, bouncing like a horse kicking up its heels.
Somewhere up ahead was a sharp turn.
For a moment she felt the dull aching pain of being utterly alone.
She gripped the steering wheel as the vehicle plunged down a steep hill.
Her heart attempted a painful escape through her throat.
Beyond that, less than three feet separated the road from the edge of a cliff.
Only low brush could grow in so small a space... no trees to prevent a vehicle from plunging into the forested mountain ranges below and beyond.
The car spun around at the bottom of the hill, spraying gravel in a wild circle.
For a few moments the car hung there, the back half solidly on the ground, the front hanging precariously over the cliff.
Only a few minutes ago she had flaunted death.
She opened her eyes, afraid to move or even take a breath.
At any time a gust of wind could send the car over the cliff.
Carefully she moved her feet into a position with better leverage.
She tentatively lifted a foot into the front seat, and knew a moment of panic when her sandal heel caught in the hem of her dress.
There she sat for a few moments, gasping for breath.
She closed her eyes and said another prayer before she clamped a sweaty hand around the cold door handle.
A deep masculine voice commanded so gruffly that she jumped.
Once free of the vehicle she took a deep breath and turned to face her rescuer.
The man lifted his hands gently from the trunk, and the rear wheels of the car lifted a few inches from the ground.
Cupping a hand to her mouth, she turned away from him.
A gust of wind whipped at her full skirt and tossed her long blond curls into the air.
She collected a handful of the material in modest protest.
I didn't know you expected a gold-engraved invitation.
He was such a jerk.
A simple yes or no would have sufficed.
The last word ended on the upturn, as if it were a question, not a statement.
It would cost you a fortune.
When they reached the house, she invited him in for a cup of coffee.
She had some money tucked away in a cookie jar in the kitchen and she intended to pay him something, whether he liked it or not.
The newspaper included a photo with the article about the wreck.
I could have... would have been more of a comfort.
He looked up and studied her face intently for a moment.
There are a zillion fast food restaurants around here.
For a moment he stared into his coffee.
You've got a better summer job, if you'll accept.
Now he was offering her a job taking care of his family?
The place was quiet and secluded, and Sarah would be a sweet person to work for.
Still, working for Giddon would be a challenge.
It was too far to consider driving every day, even if she had a car.
He hadn't thought about a sitter before now, or hadn't thought about how much he would pay?