sorry. I can’t imagine how you must feel.”
“You’re right, you can’t. I still look for her wherever I go. I know she’s alive. I can feel it.” He tapped his chest. “In here. I know if she’s anywhere, eventually I will find her. And once I know she’s safe, I’m going after the son of a bitch.”
She stared across the courtyard long after Todd disappeared. What she wouldn’t give for a brother as obviously devoted as Todd. Heck, anyone who gave a rat’s patootie about her, for that matter, would be good.
There was a time when she thought Fred was that person. In hindsight…She shook her head. What had she been thinking?
Remembered fear gripped her at the memory of creeping around her apartment, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing and incurring Fred’s wrath. How she’d stood it as long as she did was nothing short of a miracle.
Still, though, there were times she felt so lonely even Fred would be company. But all it took was remembering why she left and how difficult it had been to get away.
Once she left she’d never looked back. Unless you counted the looks over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Again. It was almost uncanny, the way Fred seemed to always find her.
But not this time, she vowed, rising on unsteady legs to stagger toward her door. This time would be different.
Clicking on the tiled courtyard caught her attention a microsecond before something warm and solid hit her behind the knees.
The next instant she was flat on her back on the sun-warmed tiles, her head aching from hitting the hard surface.
“Damnit, Petunia!” Francyne’s strident voice echoed from the stucco walls. Or maybe it was just within Jamie’s head.
The old woman rounded the corner, her tan legs and sneaker-clad feet coming to a halt by Jamie’s head. “Bad dog! Look what you did to our new friend.” She leaned down until her nose was almost touching Jamie’s. “You all right, sweetie?” The strong smell of alcohol on the woman’s breath brought tears to Jamie’s eyes.
She nodded and slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her head. “What happened?”
“Oh, that idiot dog of mine got spooked by her own shadow and took off before I could get the leash clipped. Next thing I knew, she rounded the corner with me in hot pursuit. Then there you were, flat on your back.” She glared at the dog, who now sat docilely against the building by Jamie’s door. “Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how you got that way.”
Petunia got up and snuffled Jamie’s hand until she’d insinuated her head directly beneath Jamie’s palm.
Hesitant, she scratched the big dog’s ear and then ran her palm gently over the warm smoothness of her skull. In response, the dog leaned against her leg, almost knocking her sideways.
“Oh, now you’ve gone and done it,” Francyne said with a sour look on her made-up face. “You just made a friend for life. C’mon, Petunia, you affection slut.” She tugged on the now secure leash. “It’s past time we got our beauty sleep, not that it will help you any.” She peered back at Jamie through her trifocals. “You sure you’re okay?”
Jamie nodded and smiled despite her headache. “I’m sure. Good night, Francyne.” She leaned down and ruffled the dog’s sleek head. “And good night to you, too, Petunia.”
Before she realized what Petunia was going to do, the dog bestowed a big, slurpy doggy kiss. Yuck, dog germs.
She waved as Francyne and Petunia made slow progress across the courtyard and then let herself into her apartment.
The glare of the new lightbulbs she’d installed caused temporary blindness. Forcing her suddenly heavy eyelids open, she locked the door and the deadbolt and then checked to make sure all the windows and the patio door were securely locked.
Weary steps took her to the bathroom then on into the bedroom where she barely had time to remove the hot silicone pouches from her push-up bra before collapsing on
“You’re right, you can’t. I still look for her wherever I go. I know she’s alive. I can feel it.” He tapped his chest. “In here. I know if she’s anywhere, eventually I will find her. And once I know she’s safe, I’m going after the son of a bitch.”
She stared across the courtyard long after Todd disappeared. What she wouldn’t give for a brother as obviously devoted as Todd. Heck, anyone who gave a rat’s patootie about her, for that matter, would be good.
There was a time when she thought Fred was that person. In hindsight…She shook her head. What had she been thinking?
Remembered fear gripped her at the memory of creeping around her apartment, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing and incurring Fred’s wrath. How she’d stood it as long as she did was nothing short of a miracle.
Still, though, there were times she felt so lonely even Fred would be company. But all it took was remembering why she left and how difficult it had been to get away.
Once she left she’d never looked back. Unless you counted the looks over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Again. It was almost uncanny, the way Fred seemed to always find her.
But not this time, she vowed, rising on unsteady legs to stagger toward her door. This time would be different.
Clicking on the tiled courtyard caught her attention a microsecond before something warm and solid hit her behind the knees.
The next instant she was flat on her back on the sun-warmed tiles, her head aching from hitting the hard surface.
“Damnit, Petunia!” Francyne’s strident voice echoed from the stucco walls. Or maybe it was just within Jamie’s head.
The old woman rounded the corner, her tan legs and sneaker-clad feet coming to a halt by Jamie’s head. “Bad dog! Look what you did to our new friend.” She leaned down until her nose was almost touching Jamie’s. “You all right, sweetie?” The strong smell of alcohol on the woman’s breath brought tears to Jamie’s eyes.
She nodded and slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her head. “What happened?”
“Oh, that idiot dog of mine got spooked by her own shadow and took off before I could get the leash clipped. Next thing I knew, she rounded the corner with me in hot pursuit. Then there you were, flat on your back.” She glared at the dog, who now sat docilely against the building by Jamie’s door. “Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how you got that way.”
Petunia got up and snuffled Jamie’s hand until she’d insinuated her head directly beneath Jamie’s palm.
Hesitant, she scratched the big dog’s ear and then ran her palm gently over the warm smoothness of her skull. In response, the dog leaned against her leg, almost knocking her sideways.
“Oh, now you’ve gone and done it,” Francyne said with a sour look on her made-up face. “You just made a friend for life. C’mon, Petunia, you affection slut.” She tugged on the now secure leash. “It’s past time we got our beauty sleep, not that it will help you any.” She peered back at Jamie through her trifocals. “You sure you’re okay?”
Jamie nodded and smiled despite her headache. “I’m sure. Good night, Francyne.” She leaned down and ruffled the dog’s sleek head. “And good night to you, too, Petunia.”
Before she realized what Petunia was going to do, the dog bestowed a big, slurpy doggy kiss. Yuck, dog germs.
She waved as Francyne and Petunia made slow progress across the courtyard and then let herself into her apartment.
The glare of the new lightbulbs she’d installed caused temporary blindness. Forcing her suddenly heavy eyelids open, she locked the door and the deadbolt and then checked to make sure all the windows and the patio door were securely locked.
Weary steps took her to the bathroom then on into the bedroom where she barely had time to remove the hot silicone pouches from her push-up bra before collapsing on
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