Rachel Dahlrumple by Shea McMaster

Author:Shea McMaster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2011-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

I recall little about that day. Every now and then a bird will sing or the wind rustle in the upper canopy of the trees, and I’ll remember the casket suspended over the dark, deep hole. I’ll see the flag I’d been handed and remember the white gloved hands folding and presenting it. A smart uniform will remind me of the pall bearers. The scent of fresh cut grass will bring back the sensation of floating amongst the grave stones.

What I remember most fondly about that day was waking up to Mindy sitting beside me on the bed, patting my cheek.

“The party’s mostly over, Rachel. You need to come downstairs. Uncle Burt’s daddy wants to talk to you.”

“Oh?” I rubbed my eyes, hoping to clear them.

“I brought you lemonade. I had to save a glass. There’s none left.”

“Aw, sweetie. Thank you. Sure you don’t want it?”

“I gots some. This is for you.”

The only power on Earth who could move me right then was Mindy. For her, I sat up and took the glass. Cold and just the right amount of tart and sweet–sort of like the little fiend who crawled up beside me, the giggling one–it slid down my parched throat.

The giggler settled under my arm and hugged me. “You have bed head!”

“Great. After I drink the rest of this refreshing lemonade, I’ll fix it up again. Why didn’t you tell me this hairdo would take work, hmm?”

“You didn’t ask me,” she said archly. “But I like it. It makes you prettier.”

“So you’re saying I was pretty before?”

“Yes.” Had to love her loyalty. “But you’re prettier now. Uncle Dan thinks so too.”

I coughed on the last swallow of lemonade. “Oh does he?”

“Yes, he liked you before, but he smiles when he looks at your new hair.”

Couldn’t slip a thing by the kids. They saw it all.

“Ahem.”

Throat clearing of the manly sort came from the doorway. Delicious Uncle Deputy Dan leaned against the frame looking extra handsome with his disheveled hair and missing half his suit. He’d removed the coat and tie. He still wore the trousers and white shirt, but in that end-of-the-day relaxed way. The I’m-thinking-of-jumping-the-woman look.

“Glad to see you awake.”

Hmm, did his thoughts mirror mine? His gaze definitely raked me from head to toe and back again. And he smiled. Mindy elbowed me to make sure I noticed that part.

I handed her the empty glass. “Take that downstairs, please.”

Still giggling, she scooted off the bed and sauntered toward the door where Dan leaned over to tickle her, but she dodged him and ran down the stairs.

“She’s right, you have bed head.”

Any woman would try to pat her hair into place after a comment like that. “Thank you for carrying me upstairs. Again. Did I embarrass myself at the gravesite?”

Grogginess was leaving me faster than before. Did that mean the drug pushing doc had used a smaller dose? Or had he dosed me with a stimulant in the oh-so-innocent-looking-lemonade delivered by a sweet angel? The man needed a talking to, but I welcomed the wakefulness creeping into my head.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.