A Secret Identity by Gayle Roper

Author:Gayle Roper [Roper, Gayle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Love Stories, Christian, Adopted children, Romance, Christian Fiction, Manic-Depressive Persons, Religious, Pennsylvania, General, Amish
ISBN: 9780736925877
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Published: 1998-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

I lay in bed reading, propped against my pillows, Rainbow asleep beside me. The house was quiet, the darkness outside my screened windows deep and black with no street lights sending funnels of illumination. The night was weighted with heat and humidity, and I yearned for previously taken-for-granted air conditioning.

My new fan oscillated warm air over me, head to toe, toe to head, trying to convince me it was making me cool, but we Bentleys are not that stupid. Rainbow’s hair puffed like a filament cheering wave as it moved past her, and every so often she stretched with pleasure.

I was trying to turn my thoughts off enough to fall asleep, but my mind refused to stop skittering, much like leaves helpless before an autumn wind. First Todd, then the adoption search, then the meeting with Alma raced across my mental movie screen. I felt as if I were at a cerebral speed photography screening, image flashing to image.

After reading for a half hour, I finally felt my eyes growing heavy. I closed my book and reached to turn off my lamp. I had maybe five minutes to fall asleep before my mind started up again.

A car roared down the road, its loud sound tearing the stillness. It slowed for an instant, then sped on. Rainbow raised her head, blinking sleepily at the rude interruption of her peace. My eyes snapped open, and hopes of slumber were gone. I groaned in frustration. How long would it be before my busy mind was once again lulled toward dreamland?

The bang was so loud, so unexpected, that I froze in a moment of stunned incredulity. Rainbow gave a bleat of terror and leaped from the bed. She threw herself beneath it to cower in safety, poor baby.

The ice of shock quickly melted, leaving my limbs with a tingling sensation. My heart began to pound, and my breathing became jerky. What had just happened? All I knew was that the sound had been very near…scarily near.

I raced to the window. Had the car that just passed crashed? But it wasn’t the right kind of noise for a crash. It was one quick loud boom, like fireworks, only there were no lovely bursts of color lighting the sky.

The black night hid whatever had happened.

I grabbed a pair of slacks and a shirt and pulled them on. I could hear John and Elam calling to each other, and I saw Jake’s lights flick on and stream out from his apartment, the soft glow illuminating the yard and the road. I looked out the window again, but I still could see nothing amiss, no clue to what had caused the horrendous noise. At least I didn’t see a car wrapped around a tree. The only movement was Hawk, let out of Jake’s apartment and jumping the rail of the wheelchair ramp, racing for the road.

Feet thundered down the stairs, and the front door slammed open and closed. John and Elam raced toward the barn to make sure the livestock were all right.

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