Present Danger by Susan Andersen

Author:Susan Andersen [Andersen, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: C429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9780821766774
Google: Yd9f7uvNbrcC
Amazon: 0821766775
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2000-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Aunie could hear her phone ringing through the door as she fit her key into the latch. Mary had just dropped her off after their holiday with her family and as Aunie was burdened with purse, suitcase, and a large sack of groceries, she didn't rush to unlock the door. Not many people knew her unlisted number, and of those who did, Mary was on her way home; she was planning to go down and visit Lola as soon as she unpacked; James wasn't likely to call her, and neither was his brother Bob. The college office had her number but they were closed for the holidays, and she'd only received a handful of other calls which had invariably turned out to be either wrong numbers or an occasional charitable organization that had somehow gotten hold of her unlisted number.

By the time she had unlocked the door, closed it behind her, and unloaded her purse and suitcase on the nearest chair, the phone was no longer ringing.

She shrugged indifferently. It could have been her attorney, she supposed, but if that were the case, he'd call back. She carried her groceries into the kitchen.

She'd had a wonderful time at Mary's parents' house, but she was glad to be home. Fed up with James and his inexplicable attitude the morning following his attack, she had jumped at the opportunity to get away. But it hadn't been long before she'd begun to wonder how he and his brother were faring in the aftermath of their ordeal. She had also missed the Jacksons.

As soon as she had put the groceries away and unpacked her suitcase, she gathered the Christmas presents she had bought for Lola and Otis and let herself out of her apartment. Minutes later, she was knocking on the Jacksons' door.

"Hoppy New Year, woo-mon!" Lola exclaimed upon opening the door. She reached out and gathered Aunie to her breast in an enthusiastic hug. Aunie hugged her tightly in return. After a lifetime spent with an undemonstrative family, she was still getting used to being embraced this way. Unaccustomed to it as she'd been, at first she'd felt stiff and uncomfortable with Lola's tactile ways. But it was a habit to which she was discovering she could rapidly acclimate, as it always left her feeling appreciated and flushed with warmth.

She spent the next couple of hours visiting with her friend. They exchanged Christmas presents and news of how their time apart had been spent.

"James is back to normal," Lola informed her almost immediately. "Paul's recuperation has been slower, but he has been released from the hospital. He's in a new program to kick his drug dependency, and so far, he's doin' very well." She explained the way it worked, then waved a hand impatiently. "But that is not the big news." Momentarily she looked shamefaced. "Of course, it is big news; it's very important.

It's just not my big news."

"Tell me your big news," Aunie demanded. She could sense Lola's suppressed excitement.

"Otis and me, we signed up wid the adoption peoples," Lola blurted.

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