Read Online Death and Deceit by Carol Marlene Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Marlene Smith
Ads: Link
she’s around.”
“That you, Jessie?”
Jessie peeked into the room. “Yes, Mom. You’re awake.” She strode in and took her mother’s hand and kissed it. “You okay, Mom?”
Her mother smiled weakly. “They say I am. But I feel pretty run down. I have to stay in bed for a while.”
As Jessie listened to her mother talk, she noticed that since she had been away her mother had lost a considerable amount of weight. She never was a big person but the weight loss was quite noticeable. She swallowed hard, a little shocked by this, but she didn’t want to mention it to her mother.
“I think I need to come home and stay with you, Mom. But I’m not sure when I can do that, with my job and all.”
“I know. But Sandra’s here,” Jessie’s mother said. She turned and glanced at the doorway which Sandra’s large frame filled. “Sandra’s going to look after me. What a friend, hey?”
“Yes, Mom, but only temporarily. Alan and I will work something out for the future.”
“You talked to him?”
“Of course I did. And he’s very worried,” Jessie lied. “He can’t wait to get down here to see you, but he’s kind of tied up with work. But he’ll be here—”
“I know.” She patted her daughter’s hand. “Big city lawyer. Alan’s a good boy. Like you. I have wonderful kids. Until then though I’ll go home and live in Sandra’s guest room. Maybe you kids could get me some help? Do you think we could all afford that together?”
Sandra returned to the bedside. “No more of this foolish talk. You and I will get along fine for as long as it takes.”
****
As soon as she returned to the city on Tuesday night, Jessie called Kent. In less than an hour after she’d arrive home, he was at her place. Seated beside her on the sofa he let her lean on him. Gently he brushed his hand across her soft hair then settled his arm around her shoulder.
“You feel so good,” she whispered, her eyes closing.
“I want to be here for you,” he replied. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
She opened her eyes and stared into his. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I did. I called Sunday and the line was busy — twice. I called Monday night too.”
“At the very times I was speaking to Sandra and my brother no doubt. I’m sorry to doubt you, but I half feared you were...” She looked down at her hands and twisted them.
“You doubted me?” Kent asked. “Why? Did I give you any reason? The last time we were together I could barely leave you.” He turned a little in order to get a good look into her face. She was still looking down so he tilted her face towards him. Their gaze finally locked. “I miss you every minute,” he said.
Jessie moved towards him, pulled by a passion she could no longer resist. When their lips met, shivers — good ones — caressed her neck and ran down her spine. His lips were soft and sweet. It was their only touching part now, but she felt as if they were together in all other ways.
When the kiss was over she said to him, “I’m sorry. I was thinking of Liz and how you had dated her and—”
“And dropped her?”
She nodded. “I shouldn’t have, but I’ve been feeling guilty ever since we started dating.”
Kent rose suddenly. He walked to the window and looked out. “You’ve got to get over that, Jessie. And if Liz is bothering you with it, I’ll talk to her.”
Jessie walked up behind him. “No, that’s not the case. Not at all. She’s been wonderful. She stayed with me Saturday night...after I got that horrible message, and on Sunday she offered —”
“What message?”
“Oh, it was nothing. Well, it was something. It was awful, but it was a prank...I think. I mean, Liz said it had to be.”
Kent looked concerned and turned towards her. “What was it?”
“It’s nothing. Forget it.” Jessie didn’t even want to think about it. She looked at his concerned, handsome face and melted into his arms. “Just hold me, please.”
Kent
“That you, Jessie?”
Jessie peeked into the room. “Yes, Mom. You’re awake.” She strode in and took her mother’s hand and kissed it. “You okay, Mom?”
Her mother smiled weakly. “They say I am. But I feel pretty run down. I have to stay in bed for a while.”
As Jessie listened to her mother talk, she noticed that since she had been away her mother had lost a considerable amount of weight. She never was a big person but the weight loss was quite noticeable. She swallowed hard, a little shocked by this, but she didn’t want to mention it to her mother.
“I think I need to come home and stay with you, Mom. But I’m not sure when I can do that, with my job and all.”
“I know. But Sandra’s here,” Jessie’s mother said. She turned and glanced at the doorway which Sandra’s large frame filled. “Sandra’s going to look after me. What a friend, hey?”
“Yes, Mom, but only temporarily. Alan and I will work something out for the future.”
“You talked to him?”
“Of course I did. And he’s very worried,” Jessie lied. “He can’t wait to get down here to see you, but he’s kind of tied up with work. But he’ll be here—”
“I know.” She patted her daughter’s hand. “Big city lawyer. Alan’s a good boy. Like you. I have wonderful kids. Until then though I’ll go home and live in Sandra’s guest room. Maybe you kids could get me some help? Do you think we could all afford that together?”
Sandra returned to the bedside. “No more of this foolish talk. You and I will get along fine for as long as it takes.”
****
As soon as she returned to the city on Tuesday night, Jessie called Kent. In less than an hour after she’d arrive home, he was at her place. Seated beside her on the sofa he let her lean on him. Gently he brushed his hand across her soft hair then settled his arm around her shoulder.
“You feel so good,” she whispered, her eyes closing.
“I want to be here for you,” he replied. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
She opened her eyes and stared into his. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I did. I called Sunday and the line was busy — twice. I called Monday night too.”
“At the very times I was speaking to Sandra and my brother no doubt. I’m sorry to doubt you, but I half feared you were...” She looked down at her hands and twisted them.
“You doubted me?” Kent asked. “Why? Did I give you any reason? The last time we were together I could barely leave you.” He turned a little in order to get a good look into her face. She was still looking down so he tilted her face towards him. Their gaze finally locked. “I miss you every minute,” he said.
Jessie moved towards him, pulled by a passion she could no longer resist. When their lips met, shivers — good ones — caressed her neck and ran down her spine. His lips were soft and sweet. It was their only touching part now, but she felt as if they were together in all other ways.
When the kiss was over she said to him, “I’m sorry. I was thinking of Liz and how you had dated her and—”
“And dropped her?”
She nodded. “I shouldn’t have, but I’ve been feeling guilty ever since we started dating.”
Kent rose suddenly. He walked to the window and looked out. “You’ve got to get over that, Jessie. And if Liz is bothering you with it, I’ll talk to her.”
Jessie walked up behind him. “No, that’s not the case. Not at all. She’s been wonderful. She stayed with me Saturday night...after I got that horrible message, and on Sunday she offered —”
“What message?”
“Oh, it was nothing. Well, it was something. It was awful, but it was a prank...I think. I mean, Liz said it had to be.”
Kent looked concerned and turned towards her. “What was it?”
“It’s nothing. Forget it.” Jessie didn’t even want to think about it. She looked at his concerned, handsome face and melted into his arms. “Just hold me, please.”
Kent
Similar Books
