Read Online If Onions Could Spring Leeks by Paige Shelton - Free Book Online Page B

need it any longer, that he’d call later, and that I should sleep as much as I could. I didn’t like the sense that I’d lost so many hours. I had to check calendars and clocks to understand where and when I’d landed. When I realized the amount of time that had passed, I mostly wondered what I’d missed. I thought I’d better begin to find out by asking the person who signed my paychecks.
    â€œBetts, are you okay?” Gram said as she answered her phone.
    â€œI’m fine,” I said. “I slept through the night and I’m trying to get my bearings. I’m sorry if I missed something I’d committed to do, but at the moment I can’t think of what it would be. How was your night? Bad dreams?”
    â€œYou didn’t miss anything important from me. My dreams are still there, but Jake’s got a sketch artist coming over this morning so I can get on paper what these people looked like. My goodness, young lady, thanks for talking to him even in the midst of being hurt. How are you? You need more rest.”
    I remembered talking to Jake but not about a sketch artist. He must have had the idea himself or Gram had mentioned it. I appreciated the attention to the matter.
    â€œI’m too antsy to rest. Have you seen Jerome?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHave you met Grace or Robert yet?”
    â€œNo, not yet.”
    I wasn’t sure what to do next, but I’d think of something. “I’ll call you later, Gram.”
    â€œOkay, sweetheart, but I really hope you’re all right. Try to get more rest.”
    At the moment, that was the last thing I wanted to do. “I will if I need it.”
    â€œGood girl. And call your parents. They’re wondering about you. I told them you found Derek’s body, but I didn’t tell anyone you were hurt. They’ll have my hide, of course, when they find out I knew. It’s okay, I can take it.”
    â€œThanks for that, Gram.” I was sure I would have had the whole family in Dr. Callahan’s office and hovering over me at home if they’d heard I was hit on the head. It was better for everyone that they hadn’t known.
    When I disconnected from Gram, I noticed that Mom, Dad, and Teddy had all called and texted me a number of times. I hadn’t turned the volume on my phone down—boy, I really had slept hard.
    I brewed a full pot of coffee, drank lots of it, filled a travelmug with the rest, left a message for Cliff, and then revved up the Nova. It knew the route to my parents’ house almost on its own. I thought it would be good to show them in person that they didn’t need to be worried about me, and I hadn’t seen them in a couple weeks anyway. Good parent-bonding time was in order. And just by looking at me they’d never know I was hurt.
    As I pulled into the driveway, however, I regretted not calling before stopping by. Teddy’s big red truck was there, which meant that not only was he there (which wouldn’t be a bad thing), but Opie might be with him, and I didn’t want to talk to Opie. But if I pulled back out of the driveway, someone might see me and I’d have to explain. I didn’t want to come up with a good lie even more than I didn’t want to see Opie.
    â€œIsabelle Winston, as I live and breathe,” my dad said as he came out of the house carrying a large mirror and wearing two pairs of glasses on the top of his head. “Is it really you? I was beginning to think my daughter had moved far away. Two weeks, I think it’s been, and we reside in the same small town.” His face became serious over the top of the mirror frame. “Hey, I heard you found Derek, poor guy. I’m sorry for him and I’m sorry you had to see that.”
    â€œI’m fine. Sorry I’ve been busy, Dad,” I said as I kissed his cheek and pulled off one of the pairs of glasses. I folded them and put them in the pocket on his shirt.