Read Online Finding Jessie: A Mystery Romance by Eve Paludan - Free Book Online

decisions sometimes, but I surely try to be kind.”
    “Christmas lights. You’re a Christian?”
    “I’m a staunch atheist with a capital A, which stands for the inexplicable invisible angel on my shoulder. Either that, or I am crazy and hear a voice in my head. I prefer to think that the angel is real and not a figment of my imagination.”
    “How come?”
    “Because he’s very astute and very kind. I don’t know how to come to terms with my atheism and the angel on my shoulder.”
    “Oh. I guess that will give us something to talk about while I get better.”
    He smiled. “I will talk about anything you want to talk about. I’m just glad you can talk at all, Jess. You had quite a courageous swim.”
    “The river was very cold. I was afraid, but then a buoy was there, where none had ever been before. They told me that when they rescued me. Do you believe it?”
    “That seems far-fetched.” She did have a flair for the dramatic. But none of it seemed to be her fault.
    “You’d think so, that it’s far-fetched, but here I am.”
    She seemed to fall asleep then and it was a long wait before he could arrange for her prescriptions to be filled and her discharge to be official.
    An orderly finally helped him wrap her into a down sleeping bag in the back seat of the Volvo station wagon and zip it up around her. He stuffed pillows all around her body, because there was no way she could wear a seat belt. He drove very carefully, through three hours of pouring rain and slippery turnpike, all the way home to his book-filled house in Port Sapphire.
    Now, instead of Sam being alone in his book-filled rooms, there was Sam and Jessie .  
    What are you going to do with this helpless young thing ? asked the angel on his shoulder.
    Read to her , Sam replied in his head.
    You’ll have wings someday, promised the angel on his shoulder.
    “Let’s not rush things,” he replied aloud.
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Those first four days after her accident were rough on both Jessie and Sam. He’d rarely had a woman in his house, except overnight or maybe for a weekend. Now it was approaching five days and Jessie was still there. Though it took a lot of effort to care for her, strangely, he didn’t want her to go away from his house. Ever.
    He brought her lunch tray to the second-floor en suite bedroom. She was awake and playing with the cats, a small catnip mouse in her good hand, the Twins standing on hind legs to get at the stuffed mouse, which she let them sniff and then held it high, out of their reach, so they would jump for it.
    “You brought lunch!” she exclaimed. “I’m so hungry.”
    “You were still asleep for this morning’s toaster waffles,” Sam said.
    “ Eww . Good thing. I’ll make up for it now.” She threw the catnip mouse down the hall so that the cats would jump down from the bed and leave her alone with her food. They did so.
    He put the lunch tray over her lap and she put the napkin in her lap.
    “It smells wonderful, Sam. What is it?”
    “It’s shepherd’s pie. I hope you like it. Mrs. Foster, the neighbor lady, made it. Her granddaughter, Cindy, brought it over in a basket. She was dressed up like Red Riding Hood and was getting into the role of goodies delivery. She also brought red velvet cupcakes.”
    “I love cake, as you know. And I am something of a cupcake addict.”
    “I remember. You were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you, but I’m sure that Cindy will come again.”
    “I hope she does. She sounds like a delightful child.” She picked up the fork with her good right arm and took a taste. “Yum! Thanks! Please tell her I said thank you and that it was delicious.”
    “Will do.”
    She ate hungrily and still he wondered how, with an appetite like hers, she wasn’t plump at all. He hoped she wasn’t bulimic. He didn’t think so, though.
    He sat in the recliner chair at the sunny window, reading the Port Sapphire Star on his Kindle Fire and waiting for her to finish