Read Online Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 by Claudia Hall Christian - Free Book Online
Authors: Claudia Hall Christian
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up.”
Delphie gave a slight nod. Sam opened the
door to find Jill carrying a kicking and screaming Katy away from
the apartment.
“ Jill?” Sam
asked.
Jill turned to look at him.
“ It’s all right. She’s
awake.”
Jill looked down at Katy.
“ Pleeeeeze Mommy.
Pleeezzeeee.” Katy’s dark eyes were puppy dog round. Tears flowed
from the child’s eyes.
“ OK but be gentle,” Jill
said.
Katy’s tears dried. The moment Jill set her
down, Katy raced around the adults through the apartment door to
hop onto the Queen sized bed. Delphie held out her arms and the
child threw herself into her arms. There was a noise in the hall.
Turning toward the noise, Sam watched Sarah, Scooter and Buster
barrel down the hall. Like Katy, the three dogs hurled themselves
onto the bed and the woman they loved most. Delphie’s tea spilled
all over the bed.
Delphie was overwhelmed with emotion. She
laughed until she cried. Katy began a very long story about what
happened when she was in the Chapel. Of course, Paddie was scared
but Katy was never scared. All the while, the dogs pressed
themselves closer and closer to Delphie until they pressed against
her on all sides.
Delphie’s had never felt so much joy.
She felt as if some dark cloud had lifted.
Maybe some long forgotten psychic connection to Levi Johansen had
kept the darkness around. Whatever the reason, Delphie now felt a
bubble of sheer joy. Looking up from Katy, she smiled when Sam gave
her a towel to mop up her tea.
“ I’m finally
free.”
“ Yes,” Sam said.
“ Too bad I’m dead,” Delphie
said.
Sam looked away to keep from rolling his
eyes at her. Jill looked from Delphie to Sam and laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday mid-day — 11:30 A.M.
“ Ok, I’ll see you in a
month,” Sandy said as she escorted her client out of the
studio.
“ You’ll still be here?” a
woman with perfectly coifed hair asked.
“ I promised my best friend
that I would have the baby in Denver,” Sandy said. “Plus, the kids
have to finish the school year.”
The woman hugged Sandy and left the studio.
Sandy caught the door before it closed and locked. Standing in the
doorway, she felt the bright the late March sun on her face. She
was about to turn into the studio when she heard someone calling
her name.
“ Sandy?”
A tousled man wearing an expensive suit,
starched shirt and expensive shoes waved at her. He was carrying a
leather briefcase and a Styrofoam container.
“ I’m sorry, sir. I only see
people by referral and appointment,” she said. “The number is on
the window.”
She turned to go inside.
“ No, I’m here for your
lunch break,” he said.
She turned back to him.
“ I have your lunch,” he
said.
“ Do I know you?” she
asked.
“ No, you don’t. I’d give
you my card but…” He held up his hands showing his briefcase and
the Styrofoam container. “May I come in?”
“ Sure,” she
said.
She stepped back to hold the bulletproof
glass door for the man. He bustled into the salon and set his
briefcase down on the waiting area couch.
“ Wow, this is really nice,”
he said.
“ It is,” she said. “My
friend Jill set it up for me. Her husband owns the
space.”
“ That’s a gorgeous color.”
He pointed to the wall across from the mirrors. “Is it
red?”
“ It looks different at
various times of the day depending on the light,” Sandy said. “I
think of it as burnt orange. Jill found it.”
“ It’s perfect with the wood
floors. Makes them sparkle.”
Sandy smiled at the man. When he didn’t say
anything, she said:
“ Can I help you with
something?”
“ Oh, right,” he said. “I
have your lunch. Pasquini’s Chicken Caesar Salad with fresh bread
sticks.”
He gave her the Styrofoam container.
“ Ah shit, I forgot the
bread sticks in the car. I’ll go get them.”
He hopped to his feet.
“ That’s all right,” she
said. “Thank you for lunch. Did Aden…”
“ Aden, yes,” the man
nodded.
“ Aden
Delphie gave a slight nod. Sam opened the
door to find Jill carrying a kicking and screaming Katy away from
the apartment.
“ Jill?” Sam
asked.
Jill turned to look at him.
“ It’s all right. She’s
awake.”
Jill looked down at Katy.
“ Pleeeeeze Mommy.
Pleeezzeeee.” Katy’s dark eyes were puppy dog round. Tears flowed
from the child’s eyes.
“ OK but be gentle,” Jill
said.
Katy’s tears dried. The moment Jill set her
down, Katy raced around the adults through the apartment door to
hop onto the Queen sized bed. Delphie held out her arms and the
child threw herself into her arms. There was a noise in the hall.
Turning toward the noise, Sam watched Sarah, Scooter and Buster
barrel down the hall. Like Katy, the three dogs hurled themselves
onto the bed and the woman they loved most. Delphie’s tea spilled
all over the bed.
Delphie was overwhelmed with emotion. She
laughed until she cried. Katy began a very long story about what
happened when she was in the Chapel. Of course, Paddie was scared
but Katy was never scared. All the while, the dogs pressed
themselves closer and closer to Delphie until they pressed against
her on all sides.
Delphie’s had never felt so much joy.
She felt as if some dark cloud had lifted.
Maybe some long forgotten psychic connection to Levi Johansen had
kept the darkness around. Whatever the reason, Delphie now felt a
bubble of sheer joy. Looking up from Katy, she smiled when Sam gave
her a towel to mop up her tea.
“ I’m finally
free.”
“ Yes,” Sam said.
“ Too bad I’m dead,” Delphie
said.
Sam looked away to keep from rolling his
eyes at her. Jill looked from Delphie to Sam and laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday mid-day — 11:30 A.M.
“ Ok, I’ll see you in a
month,” Sandy said as she escorted her client out of the
studio.
“ You’ll still be here?” a
woman with perfectly coifed hair asked.
“ I promised my best friend
that I would have the baby in Denver,” Sandy said. “Plus, the kids
have to finish the school year.”
The woman hugged Sandy and left the studio.
Sandy caught the door before it closed and locked. Standing in the
doorway, she felt the bright the late March sun on her face. She
was about to turn into the studio when she heard someone calling
her name.
“ Sandy?”
A tousled man wearing an expensive suit,
starched shirt and expensive shoes waved at her. He was carrying a
leather briefcase and a Styrofoam container.
“ I’m sorry, sir. I only see
people by referral and appointment,” she said. “The number is on
the window.”
She turned to go inside.
“ No, I’m here for your
lunch break,” he said.
She turned back to him.
“ I have your lunch,” he
said.
“ Do I know you?” she
asked.
“ No, you don’t. I’d give
you my card but…” He held up his hands showing his briefcase and
the Styrofoam container. “May I come in?”
“ Sure,” she
said.
She stepped back to hold the bulletproof
glass door for the man. He bustled into the salon and set his
briefcase down on the waiting area couch.
“ Wow, this is really nice,”
he said.
“ It is,” she said. “My
friend Jill set it up for me. Her husband owns the
space.”
“ That’s a gorgeous color.”
He pointed to the wall across from the mirrors. “Is it
red?”
“ It looks different at
various times of the day depending on the light,” Sandy said. “I
think of it as burnt orange. Jill found it.”
“ It’s perfect with the wood
floors. Makes them sparkle.”
Sandy smiled at the man. When he didn’t say
anything, she said:
“ Can I help you with
something?”
“ Oh, right,” he said. “I
have your lunch. Pasquini’s Chicken Caesar Salad with fresh bread
sticks.”
He gave her the Styrofoam container.
“ Ah shit, I forgot the
bread sticks in the car. I’ll go get them.”
He hopped to his feet.
“ That’s all right,” she
said. “Thank you for lunch. Did Aden…”
“ Aden, yes,” the man
nodded.
“ Aden
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