Read Online December Frost (A Southern Romance Monthly) by CJ Hockenberry - Free Book Online Page B

 
    He took the sandwich out. "Wanna split it?"  
    "Sure. And then I'll make you a real clam and linguine dinner tonight in the cabin."  
    Lex groaned. "She learned it from Nana."  
    The front buzzed and Lex moved to the intercom by the door to his office. "Inzmann."  
    "Hey doc. It's Pearson. I got your order."  
    Lex buzzed the front door.  
    Cecelia put her hand on her gun tucked behind   her. "Lex, what if someone is with Richard?"  
    He pointed to the tiny display screen mounted to the wall in the corner. "I can see the whole building. It's fine."  
    The door opened and Thomas met Richard Pearson, the local Pharmacist. That surprised him. The guy looked like he was twenty.  
    "Twenty four," the young man said a he opened the bag in his hand. He was medium height, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed warmly, in a thick jacket, jeans and boots. He wore a small stud in his left ear. "Now, this bottle is the antibiotic. Take it with food at breakfast and then again with dinner. And the small bottle has painkillers. It's just a generic brand, low dose. Lex said you shouldn't be unconscious."  
    Thomas took the bag and looked inside. "Oh you're right. I shouldn't. How much do I owe   you." He reached into his back pocket—where was his wallet?  
    "Oh no. The doc's got it." Richard waved at everyone. "Nice to see you again, Cecelia. By Lex, Nana. Might wanna get home. The stuff's really coming down out there." He left.  
    "Nice kid." Thomas eyed the sandwich. "Anyone got a knife?"  

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    It'd been years since Cecelia had been to Lex and Veronda's cabin. Since her death, Lex hadn't used it much and offered it to Cecelia on several occasions. She wasn't sure if her brother had taken Nana there yet.  
    Cecelia visits were always in the summer, in the daylight and with no snow. Driving in these conditions was a whole new experience.  
    And she took her brother's truck and left the Hummer in Lex's garage. The Hummer was too conspicuous.  
    It wasn't very late when she left Lex's office, but the overcast sky and the continuously falling snow made it look dark outside. Snow blanketed the trees, the sides of the streets, the roof tops of houses—the whole area of Roswell looked like a winter wonderland.  
    She took the service roads to 75 North. It wasn't really the smartest route to go, especially if they broke down or the roads iced over, but she wanted to avoid traffic as much as possible. Or…from what the local stations were reporting, traffic jams.  
    "You handle a truck pretty well."  
    Cecelia glanced to her right at Thomas. He looked better, but he was still pale. The circles under his eyes looked darker. He needed sleep—deep, interrupted, healing sleep. They both needed food. The sandwich hadn't been enough, and it sort of felt lodged in her chest. She swallowed it whole. "I grew up in the south. Everyone owns a truck."  
    "And a Hummer?"
    "Not much different, in my opinion." Though, that'd been the first time she'd driven one of them. "Where are you from?" She stopped at a four-way and turned right. Two more miles and they would hit the interstate. She silently prayed it was a straight shot to Red Top with no freaked out drivers.  
    Or, drivers trying to paint a target on their backs, especially Thomas's.  
    "I was born in Tallahassee, Florida. I have two brothers I haven't seen in several years. My father worked at grocery stores all his life, finally landing a managerial position when I left for the service. My mom's been a secretary as long as she's been alive."
    "Are your parents still alive?"  
    "Yes. They're retired. My mom's mom passed away a year ago. I got a card in the mail, six months after the service. I'd been in Budapest, chasing the Phantom."  
    "Service…you were in what branch?"
    "I went into the army—but I was recruited out to do…" he shrugged. "Other things. So I spent five years in Government work—"  
    "Is this were the thief part comes in?"