Read Online Queen of the Road by Tricia Stringer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tricia Stringer
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wardrobe?’
The little girl’s eyes looked from side to side as she put one chubby finger to her lips. ‘It’s a secret,’ she whispered.
‘You can tell me, Claud. I’m your mummy. We don’t keep secrets from each other, remember?’
Claudia shrugged. ‘Are you going away?’
‘No, why would you think that?’
‘Janice said if you went away I could stay at Grandpa’s and have all the things in my special wardrobe.’
‘Did she?’ Angela struggled to her feet.
Claudia’s eyes brimmed with tears and she flung her arms around Angela’s legs. ‘I don’t want you to go away.’
A burning sensation rose in Angela’s chest. She hugged her daughter close. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Claud.’ She bent down and wiped away the tears smeared across the little girl’s cheeks. ‘How about you and I have a bubble bath?’
‘Yes!’ Claudia squealed. ‘Can I bathe Bebe?’
Angela nodded. She didn’t think the doll was one that would do well in water, but she didn’t care. Claudia skipped off to her bedroom and Angela picked up her mobile from the couch before beginning her search for the cordless.
Why was Janice suddenly showing so much interest in her daughter? It was Angela’s dad who usually entertained Claudia at family get-togethers, and when he called in for a visit, Janice was rarely with him. Angela thought back. Over the last month or so Janice had offered to collect Claudia from pre-school and look after her if Angela had something on, like the wedding. Angela had assumed her father was the driving force for this. What was Janice up to?
She found the handset in the jumble of clothes on her bed. It was flat. She decided to leave it that way a little longer.
Back in the kitchen she downed a large glass of water and plugged in her mobile. As soon as she did it began to beep with messages. She started working her way through them. Carmela’s snappy voiceasking her to call back. Kate’s carefully worded message asking how she was. Janice’s curt request to call back urgently.
Angela sucked in a breath as Nigel’s voice asked how she was feeling and suggested they really needed to talk. Another message from Kate, this one from this morning and with urgency in her voice, asking her to call. No doubt to warn her about Ian and his happy snaps. The final one was from her father just saying hello and hoping she’d had a good weekend. He sent a sloppy kiss for Claudia. Angela could hear the weariness in his voice.
She collapsed into a chair, staring at her phone. Everything was a bit off centre. Her dad was under pressure, she was in damage control mode, and Janice was up to something. Why would she be making a cosy place for Claudia? Angela sat up straight.
The truck job
. When Janice had urged her to take it she obviously thought Claudia would be left behind.
‘Mummy, you said we could have a bath.’
Angela looked up. Claudia had stripped off her clothes and was clutching her new doll to her bare chest. Her big brown eyes, the only part of her that reminded Angela of Nigel, were full of trust. The mobile beeped again with a text and the turmoil in Angela’s brain ceased long enough for her to make a decision.
‘We are.’ Angela dropped the phone on the chair and bounced up as best she could in her current state. ‘A deep bath with lots of bubbles. And after that we’re going to pack.’
‘Why?’
Angela scooped up her daughter and kissed her soft cheek. ‘Because we’re going on a little adventure, Claud. Just you and me.’
Chapter 9
Coop dragged himself out from under the seeder and rose to his feet. Slowly he rubbed each elbow and ran his eyes over the piece of machinery. Over several weeks he’d been carefully bringing the seeder back to life, and now he just needed one last part and it should work fine.
He thought of Alice and how much he wanted to show her the results of his labour. It had been her idea to resurrect the seeder once she discovered he had the skills.
The little girl’s eyes looked from side to side as she put one chubby finger to her lips. ‘It’s a secret,’ she whispered.
‘You can tell me, Claud. I’m your mummy. We don’t keep secrets from each other, remember?’
Claudia shrugged. ‘Are you going away?’
‘No, why would you think that?’
‘Janice said if you went away I could stay at Grandpa’s and have all the things in my special wardrobe.’
‘Did she?’ Angela struggled to her feet.
Claudia’s eyes brimmed with tears and she flung her arms around Angela’s legs. ‘I don’t want you to go away.’
A burning sensation rose in Angela’s chest. She hugged her daughter close. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Claud.’ She bent down and wiped away the tears smeared across the little girl’s cheeks. ‘How about you and I have a bubble bath?’
‘Yes!’ Claudia squealed. ‘Can I bathe Bebe?’
Angela nodded. She didn’t think the doll was one that would do well in water, but she didn’t care. Claudia skipped off to her bedroom and Angela picked up her mobile from the couch before beginning her search for the cordless.
Why was Janice suddenly showing so much interest in her daughter? It was Angela’s dad who usually entertained Claudia at family get-togethers, and when he called in for a visit, Janice was rarely with him. Angela thought back. Over the last month or so Janice had offered to collect Claudia from pre-school and look after her if Angela had something on, like the wedding. Angela had assumed her father was the driving force for this. What was Janice up to?
She found the handset in the jumble of clothes on her bed. It was flat. She decided to leave it that way a little longer.
Back in the kitchen she downed a large glass of water and plugged in her mobile. As soon as she did it began to beep with messages. She started working her way through them. Carmela’s snappy voiceasking her to call back. Kate’s carefully worded message asking how she was. Janice’s curt request to call back urgently.
Angela sucked in a breath as Nigel’s voice asked how she was feeling and suggested they really needed to talk. Another message from Kate, this one from this morning and with urgency in her voice, asking her to call. No doubt to warn her about Ian and his happy snaps. The final one was from her father just saying hello and hoping she’d had a good weekend. He sent a sloppy kiss for Claudia. Angela could hear the weariness in his voice.
She collapsed into a chair, staring at her phone. Everything was a bit off centre. Her dad was under pressure, she was in damage control mode, and Janice was up to something. Why would she be making a cosy place for Claudia? Angela sat up straight.
The truck job
. When Janice had urged her to take it she obviously thought Claudia would be left behind.
‘Mummy, you said we could have a bath.’
Angela looked up. Claudia had stripped off her clothes and was clutching her new doll to her bare chest. Her big brown eyes, the only part of her that reminded Angela of Nigel, were full of trust. The mobile beeped again with a text and the turmoil in Angela’s brain ceased long enough for her to make a decision.
‘We are.’ Angela dropped the phone on the chair and bounced up as best she could in her current state. ‘A deep bath with lots of bubbles. And after that we’re going to pack.’
‘Why?’
Angela scooped up her daughter and kissed her soft cheek. ‘Because we’re going on a little adventure, Claud. Just you and me.’
Chapter 9
Coop dragged himself out from under the seeder and rose to his feet. Slowly he rubbed each elbow and ran his eyes over the piece of machinery. Over several weeks he’d been carefully bringing the seeder back to life, and now he just needed one last part and it should work fine.
He thought of Alice and how much he wanted to show her the results of his labour. It had been her idea to resurrect the seeder once she discovered he had the skills.
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