Read Online Daniel's Gift by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Ads: Link
We're outta here."
"Wait, I don't want to go yet. I want to do something. I want to let her know I'm okay."
"You can't talk to her. It ain't allowed."
"Can't I do something, anything? Please." Desperation made him feel heavy, and Danny felt his body drift toward the ground.
Jacob rolled his eyes as he grabbed Danny's arm. "You're a stubborn cuss, ain't you?"
"She's my mom, and she's all alone. She needs me. I'm all she's got."
"She's got the rest of her family, her father, sister, brother."
"They don't love her like I do. Please, let me talk to her."
"Maybe later," Jacob said cryptically, and Danny felt himself being pulled from the room.
"Wait, stop!" he cried. Danny flailed his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to control his movement.
"Come on, kid. You're gonna get me in trouble."
"I'm not going anywhere until you give her some sort of a sign." Danny crossed his arms defiantly in front of his chest.
Jacob sighed loud and long. "A sign, huh?"
"Yeah. Knock over a glass of water or something."
"I'm an angel, not a ghost."
"Is there a difference?"
"Damn right there is. Oh, why not?" Jacob reached out an arm that seemed to grow longer as he extended it, until his fingers touched Jenny's arm. He did a spider crawl along her bare skin until she raised her head. It was a simple caress. It was also a game that Danny had played with his mother since the day he was born.
Danny looked over at Jacob. "How did you know?"
"I know everything, kid."
Jenny lifted her head from the bed and shivered as she looked at Danny's body. "I'm here, baby," she whispered. "I won't leave you. I'll stay right here until you wake up."
"I love you, Mom," Danny muttered, but his mother didn't hear him, because the boy on the bed hadn't moved. Danny ran the back of his hand across his eyes, feeling like crying, but there weren't any tears.
"Come on now," Jacob said.
Jacob extended his hand to Danny. Reluctantly Danny took it. The touch reassured him, comforted him in a way that no words could.
"Where are we going?" Danny asked.
"To see someone."
"God?"
"No, this time we're going to see your father."
* * *
The night was long, tormented. The minutes passed slowly, mockingly. Luke rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling.
He had wrestled with his pillow for hours, trying to get comfortable. He had counted sheep, counted money, counted the days since he had last seen Jenny. Nothing worked. He kept thinking about her and the boys on the porch.
After the party he had asked Denise about the blond kid, about what she had said to him, and what the boy had said to her. Denise had simply repeated that the boys were selling candy.
Luke wanted to believe her. The only children who ever came to his door were usually selling something. Why should those boys have been different? But there was something about the child's face, something familiar. Then later -- to have Jenny stop by -- after thirteen years of nothing, no letters, no calls, no contact of any sort. Why would she suddenly show up at his door without warning?
It didn't make sense, and he was used to things making sense. One plus one always equaled two. Two halves made a whole. Logic ruled his life. He saw everything in concrete, countable terms. As a scientist, it was the only way he allowed himself to think. There was no room for maybe, if, or perhaps. Which was why there hadn't been room for Jenny in the first place.
She had always been unpredictable. Being with her had been like riding on the tail of a kite. Sometimes they soared. Sometimes they crashed. But he had to admit every day had been exhilarating.
Luke turned his head and looked at Denise. His wife was sleeping on her side, her face turned toward the wall. She looked unapproachable. There was no way he could pull her into his arms, make love to her, without drawing a cross look.
Denise was predictable. She made love in the evening, never in the middle of the night, once in a great while in the morning.
"Wait, I don't want to go yet. I want to do something. I want to let her know I'm okay."
"You can't talk to her. It ain't allowed."
"Can't I do something, anything? Please." Desperation made him feel heavy, and Danny felt his body drift toward the ground.
Jacob rolled his eyes as he grabbed Danny's arm. "You're a stubborn cuss, ain't you?"
"She's my mom, and she's all alone. She needs me. I'm all she's got."
"She's got the rest of her family, her father, sister, brother."
"They don't love her like I do. Please, let me talk to her."
"Maybe later," Jacob said cryptically, and Danny felt himself being pulled from the room.
"Wait, stop!" he cried. Danny flailed his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to control his movement.
"Come on, kid. You're gonna get me in trouble."
"I'm not going anywhere until you give her some sort of a sign." Danny crossed his arms defiantly in front of his chest.
Jacob sighed loud and long. "A sign, huh?"
"Yeah. Knock over a glass of water or something."
"I'm an angel, not a ghost."
"Is there a difference?"
"Damn right there is. Oh, why not?" Jacob reached out an arm that seemed to grow longer as he extended it, until his fingers touched Jenny's arm. He did a spider crawl along her bare skin until she raised her head. It was a simple caress. It was also a game that Danny had played with his mother since the day he was born.
Danny looked over at Jacob. "How did you know?"
"I know everything, kid."
Jenny lifted her head from the bed and shivered as she looked at Danny's body. "I'm here, baby," she whispered. "I won't leave you. I'll stay right here until you wake up."
"I love you, Mom," Danny muttered, but his mother didn't hear him, because the boy on the bed hadn't moved. Danny ran the back of his hand across his eyes, feeling like crying, but there weren't any tears.
"Come on now," Jacob said.
Jacob extended his hand to Danny. Reluctantly Danny took it. The touch reassured him, comforted him in a way that no words could.
"Where are we going?" Danny asked.
"To see someone."
"God?"
"No, this time we're going to see your father."
* * *
The night was long, tormented. The minutes passed slowly, mockingly. Luke rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling.
He had wrestled with his pillow for hours, trying to get comfortable. He had counted sheep, counted money, counted the days since he had last seen Jenny. Nothing worked. He kept thinking about her and the boys on the porch.
After the party he had asked Denise about the blond kid, about what she had said to him, and what the boy had said to her. Denise had simply repeated that the boys were selling candy.
Luke wanted to believe her. The only children who ever came to his door were usually selling something. Why should those boys have been different? But there was something about the child's face, something familiar. Then later -- to have Jenny stop by -- after thirteen years of nothing, no letters, no calls, no contact of any sort. Why would she suddenly show up at his door without warning?
It didn't make sense, and he was used to things making sense. One plus one always equaled two. Two halves made a whole. Logic ruled his life. He saw everything in concrete, countable terms. As a scientist, it was the only way he allowed himself to think. There was no room for maybe, if, or perhaps. Which was why there hadn't been room for Jenny in the first place.
She had always been unpredictable. Being with her had been like riding on the tail of a kite. Sometimes they soared. Sometimes they crashed. But he had to admit every day had been exhilarating.
Luke turned his head and looked at Denise. His wife was sleeping on her side, her face turned toward the wall. She looked unapproachable. There was no way he could pull her into his arms, make love to her, without drawing a cross look.
Denise was predictable. She made love in the evening, never in the middle of the night, once in a great while in the morning.
Similar Books
