Read Online Listen to the Shadows by Joan Hall Hovey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joan Hall Hovey
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plenty of frauds around only too willing and able to con the gullible and the lonely. There was also no doubt in her mind that there were some things human beings had no answers for—some things that defied scientific explanation.
Who was the boy? she wondered. She had had no sense of recognition, although admittedly she hadn’t seen his face clearly. Just as she hadn’t seen with any clarity the surroundings, only that there’d been grass and trees.
Was it Black Lake? It hadn’t felt like Black Lake. And yet she’d been part of the scene.
“Everything okay?” Nurse Ring asked, coming into the room, wearing her coat and carrying her purse over her arm.
Clearly, the other nurse must have related to her that her patient had cried out just as Linda was about to leave for the day.
“Everything’s just fine,” Katie said cheerfully. “The tea and toast really hit the spot. I hope you’re not neglecting your other patients, what with all this fussing over me.”
“I enjoy fussing over good patients. Besides, I’m a fast nurse.” She started away, then turned back. “And don’t take that the wrong way.”
Maybe she was making too much of the “vision” or whatever it was she had experienced. One thing was sure: she had no intention of telling anyone else about it. Dr. Shea had already suggested she’d concocted the story of seeing the eyes in the rearview mirror. Adding to it might just end her up in a rubber room somewhere, instead of on her way home.
Katie started at the feel of warm lips on hers. The sight of Drake drawing back from her, smiling down at her as a mother might smile at a sleeping child, was dreamlike. Lost in thought, she’d neither seen nor heard him enter the room.
“I think that’s called taking unfair advantage,” she said tightly, struggling to a sitting position and drawing the sheet up as far as it would go to cover her hospital shirt.
“You’re right and I apologize,” he said. “It’s just that you looked so like a little girl lying there, I couldn’t resist.” His gray eyes were innocent of ulterior motive as he lay a hand on her shoulder. “I was so worried about you, Katie; I’ve hardly slept a wink since you’ve been in here.”
At once, Katie’s initial annoyance faded and she gave him a forgiving smile. The kiss had been kind of sweet, now that she thought about it. She thanked him for the roses, told him how handsome he looked in his charcoal gray suit, the white shirt and silk burgundy tie.
“You look very much the prosperous lawyer,” she said, while in the back of her mind she wondered how to broach the subject of the expensive gifts she had no intention of keeping.
“All for show,” he replied, grinning. He went to the foot of her bed to raise her up. His movements were quick and precise, like pencil strokes. “Enough?”
“Perfect.” He had nice, square teeth. His mouth was a little on the thin side, but sensuous. Drake really was quite nice looking.
She watched him smooth the already neatly combed hair across his forehead in a familiar gesture. A nervous habit, she thought. Drake drew the chair to her bedside, the same chair Dr. Shea had sat in yesterday. It appeared to fit Drake better. Drake was shorter than the doctor, but stockier in build.
And why am I making the comparison? She also noticed that Drake’s fingernails were dirty, and felt crummy for noticing.
“I hope everything fit,” he said, glancing down at the overnight case, which stood unopened against the wall beside the closet. “I guessed at the sizes.” His smile was tentative.
Understanding his nervousness now, knowing he’d expected her to be wearing something from the case, Katie braced herself. “That’s something I need to talk to you about, Drake,” she said, relieved he’d raised the subject himself.
The anxious, intense expression Drake wore so often spread across his features. Even his tan seemed to pale, leaving his freckles naked.
“You didn’t
Who was the boy? she wondered. She had had no sense of recognition, although admittedly she hadn’t seen his face clearly. Just as she hadn’t seen with any clarity the surroundings, only that there’d been grass and trees.
Was it Black Lake? It hadn’t felt like Black Lake. And yet she’d been part of the scene.
“Everything okay?” Nurse Ring asked, coming into the room, wearing her coat and carrying her purse over her arm.
Clearly, the other nurse must have related to her that her patient had cried out just as Linda was about to leave for the day.
“Everything’s just fine,” Katie said cheerfully. “The tea and toast really hit the spot. I hope you’re not neglecting your other patients, what with all this fussing over me.”
“I enjoy fussing over good patients. Besides, I’m a fast nurse.” She started away, then turned back. “And don’t take that the wrong way.”
Maybe she was making too much of the “vision” or whatever it was she had experienced. One thing was sure: she had no intention of telling anyone else about it. Dr. Shea had already suggested she’d concocted the story of seeing the eyes in the rearview mirror. Adding to it might just end her up in a rubber room somewhere, instead of on her way home.
Katie started at the feel of warm lips on hers. The sight of Drake drawing back from her, smiling down at her as a mother might smile at a sleeping child, was dreamlike. Lost in thought, she’d neither seen nor heard him enter the room.
“I think that’s called taking unfair advantage,” she said tightly, struggling to a sitting position and drawing the sheet up as far as it would go to cover her hospital shirt.
“You’re right and I apologize,” he said. “It’s just that you looked so like a little girl lying there, I couldn’t resist.” His gray eyes were innocent of ulterior motive as he lay a hand on her shoulder. “I was so worried about you, Katie; I’ve hardly slept a wink since you’ve been in here.”
At once, Katie’s initial annoyance faded and she gave him a forgiving smile. The kiss had been kind of sweet, now that she thought about it. She thanked him for the roses, told him how handsome he looked in his charcoal gray suit, the white shirt and silk burgundy tie.
“You look very much the prosperous lawyer,” she said, while in the back of her mind she wondered how to broach the subject of the expensive gifts she had no intention of keeping.
“All for show,” he replied, grinning. He went to the foot of her bed to raise her up. His movements were quick and precise, like pencil strokes. “Enough?”
“Perfect.” He had nice, square teeth. His mouth was a little on the thin side, but sensuous. Drake really was quite nice looking.
She watched him smooth the already neatly combed hair across his forehead in a familiar gesture. A nervous habit, she thought. Drake drew the chair to her bedside, the same chair Dr. Shea had sat in yesterday. It appeared to fit Drake better. Drake was shorter than the doctor, but stockier in build.
And why am I making the comparison? She also noticed that Drake’s fingernails were dirty, and felt crummy for noticing.
“I hope everything fit,” he said, glancing down at the overnight case, which stood unopened against the wall beside the closet. “I guessed at the sizes.” His smile was tentative.
Understanding his nervousness now, knowing he’d expected her to be wearing something from the case, Katie braced herself. “That’s something I need to talk to you about, Drake,” she said, relieved he’d raised the subject himself.
The anxious, intense expression Drake wore so often spread across his features. Even his tan seemed to pale, leaving his freckles naked.
“You didn’t
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