Read Online Revenge is Sweet (A Samantha Church Mystery) by Betta Ferrendelli - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betta Ferrendelli
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knew it, but kept drinking anyway. Sam sat up straight when she saw Jonathan and April pull into the driveway. She noticed that the neighbor girl from down the street was also with them.
As soon as April got out of the backseat, Sam s tumbled out of her Mustang, clutching the bottle in one hand, and a shopping bag in the other. She staggered toward them, trying to talk to April. “April … I love you … Mommie loves you, look what I got for you…” Sam tried not to stutter, but she couldn’t help it, the booze had full control of her now. She stopped and tried to pull something from the bag she carried. “Look, sweetie! Mommie bought you a pair of tennis shoes … your … fav-” Sam stumbled and began to lose her balance. She caught herself before she fell, but not before drenching April’s new shoes in whiskey.
A pril and the neighbor girl turned to dash into the garage, but as April ran by Sam, she dropped the shoes and the bottle and grabbed her by the wrist. “Come home with me, sweetie! Mommie misses you so, so much!”
“Leave me alone!” April yelled , and tears welled in her eyes as she tried to free herself from her mother’s grasp. Jonathan stepped in and pulled Sam’s hand off April’s wrist. “Will you please get a hold of yourself,” he asked in a voice that remained calm and collected, trying not to cause anymore of a scene than Sam had already created.
Sam couldn’t help herself and , as if her actions were not her own, started slapping at Jonathan while screaming over and over, “I’m her mother! I love her and I have a right to be here, too!”
The neighbor girl reached for April’s hand and they ran together through the garage and into the house. Sam stopped yelling at Jonathan as soon as the door to the house slammed shut.
“Get your bottle and leave, please,” Jonathan said, as his shape retreated into the garage.
Sam watched him disappear into the house. She stared numbly at the house for what seemed a long time, then she turned and started to walk toward her Mustang. She stumbled over the white tennis shoes stained the amber color of the whiskey. Sam looked at them for a moment before bending down to pick up the shoes and the now empty bottle of Jack Daniels, almost falling over in the process. As she stuffed both back in the bag, she felt someone watching her and knew immediately it was the busybody neighbor across the street. Sure enough, there she was, standing with her arms folded tightly across her chest, watching Sam, who felt a stinging heat of embarrassment begin to rise in her chest.
“What the hell are you looking at?!” Sam yelled at the neighbor, who watched Sam a minute more, shaking her head in disgust before she went in her front door. Sam stood in silence until it was broken by the sounds of her garage door closing. She walked slowly to her car, the bag in her hand and her embarrassment turning to regret as she realized what she has just done.
Sam closed her eyes, wondering if she would ever be able to erase that memory. She took one more long look at the house. There was no reason to come by here anymore. Jonathan was gone and Sam would have to do everything she could now to get her daughter back from his mother. She never liked calling that woman a grandmother to her daughter. Sam had, at least, taken the first step. The AA meetings were hard and an embarrassment to her, but she was going. And it would be a month soon since she had taken her last drink.
She looked at her old house, watching as several people came and went from the garage into the house carrying boxes. It was 6:30 p.m. when Sam headed back to 20 th Avenue and drove to Clancy’s Pub on West 38 th Avenue, Wilson’s favorite hangout. He had first taken her there to celebrate after their big story hit the newsstand. She remembered that he ordered his favorite, a beef sausage sandwich (otherwise known as a Clancy’s Pride ‘N Joy) potato salad and an iced tea. Tonight, she downed a
As soon as April got out of the backseat, Sam s tumbled out of her Mustang, clutching the bottle in one hand, and a shopping bag in the other. She staggered toward them, trying to talk to April. “April … I love you … Mommie loves you, look what I got for you…” Sam tried not to stutter, but she couldn’t help it, the booze had full control of her now. She stopped and tried to pull something from the bag she carried. “Look, sweetie! Mommie bought you a pair of tennis shoes … your … fav-” Sam stumbled and began to lose her balance. She caught herself before she fell, but not before drenching April’s new shoes in whiskey.
A pril and the neighbor girl turned to dash into the garage, but as April ran by Sam, she dropped the shoes and the bottle and grabbed her by the wrist. “Come home with me, sweetie! Mommie misses you so, so much!”
“Leave me alone!” April yelled , and tears welled in her eyes as she tried to free herself from her mother’s grasp. Jonathan stepped in and pulled Sam’s hand off April’s wrist. “Will you please get a hold of yourself,” he asked in a voice that remained calm and collected, trying not to cause anymore of a scene than Sam had already created.
Sam couldn’t help herself and , as if her actions were not her own, started slapping at Jonathan while screaming over and over, “I’m her mother! I love her and I have a right to be here, too!”
The neighbor girl reached for April’s hand and they ran together through the garage and into the house. Sam stopped yelling at Jonathan as soon as the door to the house slammed shut.
“Get your bottle and leave, please,” Jonathan said, as his shape retreated into the garage.
Sam watched him disappear into the house. She stared numbly at the house for what seemed a long time, then she turned and started to walk toward her Mustang. She stumbled over the white tennis shoes stained the amber color of the whiskey. Sam looked at them for a moment before bending down to pick up the shoes and the now empty bottle of Jack Daniels, almost falling over in the process. As she stuffed both back in the bag, she felt someone watching her and knew immediately it was the busybody neighbor across the street. Sure enough, there she was, standing with her arms folded tightly across her chest, watching Sam, who felt a stinging heat of embarrassment begin to rise in her chest.
“What the hell are you looking at?!” Sam yelled at the neighbor, who watched Sam a minute more, shaking her head in disgust before she went in her front door. Sam stood in silence until it was broken by the sounds of her garage door closing. She walked slowly to her car, the bag in her hand and her embarrassment turning to regret as she realized what she has just done.
Sam closed her eyes, wondering if she would ever be able to erase that memory. She took one more long look at the house. There was no reason to come by here anymore. Jonathan was gone and Sam would have to do everything she could now to get her daughter back from his mother. She never liked calling that woman a grandmother to her daughter. Sam had, at least, taken the first step. The AA meetings were hard and an embarrassment to her, but she was going. And it would be a month soon since she had taken her last drink.
She looked at her old house, watching as several people came and went from the garage into the house carrying boxes. It was 6:30 p.m. when Sam headed back to 20 th Avenue and drove to Clancy’s Pub on West 38 th Avenue, Wilson’s favorite hangout. He had first taken her there to celebrate after their big story hit the newsstand. She remembered that he ordered his favorite, a beef sausage sandwich (otherwise known as a Clancy’s Pride ‘N Joy) potato salad and an iced tea. Tonight, she downed a
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