Race for the Flash Stone by K. Patrick Donoghue

Author:K. Patrick Donoghue [Donoghue, K. Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leaping Leopard Enterprises, LLC
Published: 2017-04-30T04:00:00+00:00

The doorbell rang a cheery tune, awaking Pebbles from her slumber. Startled, she trembled beneath the heavy flannel blanket and cracked one eye open. Finding only rumpled sheets on Anlon’s side of the bed, she smiled and nestled under the warm covers to drift back to sleep. Good! she thought. He can get the doorbell this time.

A moment later, the doorbell chimed again, and this time it didn’t strike Pebbles as particularly cheery. Annoyed, she rolled over to spy the bedside clock: 10:18 a.m. That meant the caller was their UPS deliveryman, Reggie. If history was any guide, Reggie would ring the doorbell at least two more times before giving up. Pebbles covered her head with a pillow and prayed, “Come on, Anlon, answer the door.”

The doorbell chimed for a third time and was followed immediately by several resounding raps on the door itself. With a huff, Pebbles cast aside the heavy layers and crawled out of bed. Naked and shivering, she tiptoed to the bench at the foot of the four-poster bed to pull on sweatshirt and pajama pants.

Thus clothed, she descended the red oak staircase from the lodge’s upper floor, her forearms wrapped across her chest to assist the sweatshirt’s heating process, and called out for Anlon, but received no answer. It had been four hours since he left to meet with Antonio. Surely he should be home by now, Pebbles thought in frustration.

On the other side of the door, Reggie timidly moved his finger to ring the bell again. He’d delivered enough packages to Anlon’s home by now to know that if more than three rings were required, it would most likely be Pebbles who answered the door. And at this time of morning, that could be dangerous!

He was saved from a fourth attempt when Pebbles wedged open the door. Squinting into the sunlight filtering through surrounding pines, she hoarsely said, “Good morning, Reggie.”

Chuckling, Reggie scratched at the back of his head and stared downward at the slate-covered doorstep. He said, “Sorry to wake you again, Pebbles. But you know it’s not my fault. Just following the good doctor’s instructions. He doesn’t like me leaving packages on the doorstep.”

“Yeah, yeah,” mumbled Pebbles through an extended yawn. “Can’t you rearrange your route to come by later in the day? I mean, really. Ten in the morning is a bit early, don’t you think?”

Reggie laughed as he reached for his handheld scanner and swiped the optical reader over the package’s shipping label. Looking back up at Pebbles, he said, “Wish I had that much control over my route! Can you sign here for me?”

Pebbles stepped out onto the doorstep. As her bare feet met the cold slate, she shuddered. Though it was technically still summer, the temperature at six thousand feet in the Sierra Nevadas often dipped into the forties at this time of morning. After signing for the package, she stepped quickly back into the doorway and asked, “What’s it this time? Rocks again? More fungus? Or another

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