Read Online Patricia Rockwell - Essie Cobb 03 - Valentined by Patricia Rockwell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Rockwell
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pajamas. “Lordy, do I wish I had me a shy man. My
Bernie! He not shy. Not shy at all. Nope. We got five kids, Miss Essie. A
little more shy not bother me at all.” Lorena rolled her eyes as she helped
Essie out of her trousers and into her nighttime attire.
“Lorena,” said Essie, “I do appreciate your insight, but I
don’t think my secret admirer is shy. I think there’s a totally different
reason for his secrecy.”
“No, he just shy!” maintained Lorena. She finished helping
Essie get ready for bed and then headed out to her next resident. “Mark my
words, Miss Essie. This one shy man who love you!” She shook her finger at
Essie as the door closed behind her. Lorena’s words of wisdom did little to
calm Essie’s concerns. Now, in addition to her aide’s personality assessment
of her secret admirer, Essie was concerned that Lorena had seen the card. It
appeared that most, if not all of Happy Haven, now knew she had received a card
from a secret admirer. Probably a good portion had figured out or could figure
out that she probably kept it in her walker basket. She did keep many of her
important possessions in her walker seat—as did many Happy Haven residents who
used walkers. It wasn’t that Essie feared that Lorena would steal her card.
But she did worry that her gregarious aide might accidentally mention the card
to one person too many. Essie did not want to lose her card as Betsy
Rollingford had.
She rolled into her bedroom, still contemplating these
issues, her valentine housed safely in her walker basket. She pulled down her
covers and slid under her sheets, pulling her walker close by. This was where
she usually kept her trusty vehicle, because she often needed it in the middle
of the night for quick bathroom visits. Now, however, there was a second
reason to keep her walker close to her bed. If someone did try to slip into
her apartment in the middle of the night and steal the card, Essie wanted to be
prepared. She wasn’t exactly certain what she’d do if someone actually did
enter her bedroom and try to take something out of her walker basket. Really,
all she wanted was to know who it was. She figured that if someone took it, it
would be someone who either was the secret admirer or who knew who the secret
admirer was. In a way, Essie was actually hoping someone would come and take
the card. Then this mystery would be solved. Maybe. It didn’t really dawn on
her that someone breaking into her apartment and stealing something from her
was actually dangerous and if she attempted to intervene, even by trying to
discover the person’s identity, she could endanger her own welfare.
She lay down and tried to sleep. Eventually she drifted
off. When she awoke in the middle of the night with an urgent need to visit
her toilet, she first opened her walker seat. The valentine was still there in
its cream-colored envelope. She even peeked inside to be sure someone hadn’t
come in and removed the card from the envelope, but the original card was
definitely there. No one had come to get it. She made her quick bathroom trip
and returned to bed. This process was repeated several more times throughout
the night, and each time when she awakened and checked in her basket the card
was still there.
Chapter Nine
“Passion makes the world go round.
Love just makes it a safer place.”
—Ice T
At breakfast the next morning, Essie was anxious to tell her
tablemates what she had learned from Betsy Rollingford. Her valentine remained
snug in the basket of her walker seat beside her.
The women were uncharacteristically quiet as they savored
Happy Haven cinnamon rolls that the chef made fresh once a week. Essie had
slathered hers with more butter than she typically used, but she figured she
deserved this little addition to one of her favorite treats. After all, she’d
been hard at work trying to figure out a
Bernie! He not shy. Not shy at all. Nope. We got five kids, Miss Essie. A
little more shy not bother me at all.” Lorena rolled her eyes as she helped
Essie out of her trousers and into her nighttime attire.
“Lorena,” said Essie, “I do appreciate your insight, but I
don’t think my secret admirer is shy. I think there’s a totally different
reason for his secrecy.”
“No, he just shy!” maintained Lorena. She finished helping
Essie get ready for bed and then headed out to her next resident. “Mark my
words, Miss Essie. This one shy man who love you!” She shook her finger at
Essie as the door closed behind her. Lorena’s words of wisdom did little to
calm Essie’s concerns. Now, in addition to her aide’s personality assessment
of her secret admirer, Essie was concerned that Lorena had seen the card. It
appeared that most, if not all of Happy Haven, now knew she had received a card
from a secret admirer. Probably a good portion had figured out or could figure
out that she probably kept it in her walker basket. She did keep many of her
important possessions in her walker seat—as did many Happy Haven residents who
used walkers. It wasn’t that Essie feared that Lorena would steal her card.
But she did worry that her gregarious aide might accidentally mention the card
to one person too many. Essie did not want to lose her card as Betsy
Rollingford had.
She rolled into her bedroom, still contemplating these
issues, her valentine housed safely in her walker basket. She pulled down her
covers and slid under her sheets, pulling her walker close by. This was where
she usually kept her trusty vehicle, because she often needed it in the middle
of the night for quick bathroom visits. Now, however, there was a second
reason to keep her walker close to her bed. If someone did try to slip into
her apartment in the middle of the night and steal the card, Essie wanted to be
prepared. She wasn’t exactly certain what she’d do if someone actually did
enter her bedroom and try to take something out of her walker basket. Really,
all she wanted was to know who it was. She figured that if someone took it, it
would be someone who either was the secret admirer or who knew who the secret
admirer was. In a way, Essie was actually hoping someone would come and take
the card. Then this mystery would be solved. Maybe. It didn’t really dawn on
her that someone breaking into her apartment and stealing something from her
was actually dangerous and if she attempted to intervene, even by trying to
discover the person’s identity, she could endanger her own welfare.
She lay down and tried to sleep. Eventually she drifted
off. When she awoke in the middle of the night with an urgent need to visit
her toilet, she first opened her walker seat. The valentine was still there in
its cream-colored envelope. She even peeked inside to be sure someone hadn’t
come in and removed the card from the envelope, but the original card was
definitely there. No one had come to get it. She made her quick bathroom trip
and returned to bed. This process was repeated several more times throughout
the night, and each time when she awakened and checked in her basket the card
was still there.
Chapter Nine
“Passion makes the world go round.
Love just makes it a safer place.”
—Ice T
At breakfast the next morning, Essie was anxious to tell her
tablemates what she had learned from Betsy Rollingford. Her valentine remained
snug in the basket of her walker seat beside her.
The women were uncharacteristically quiet as they savored
Happy Haven cinnamon rolls that the chef made fresh once a week. Essie had
slathered hers with more butter than she typically used, but she figured she
deserved this little addition to one of her favorite treats. After all, she’d
been hard at work trying to figure out a
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