Shivaree by J.D. Horn

Author:J.D. Horn [Horn, J.D.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-11-03T05:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

Corinne sat at the edge of the water for what felt like hours. She stared into the depths, doing her best to convince herself she had been dreaming, that her first day in Conroy had been too much for her, that she had sleepwalked into the water and had been awakened by its cold currents. Deep down, she knew that was bullshit. She had spent years in a war zone without suffering any hallucinations, but the only two alternatives she could come up with were that she had gone mad or the woman from the photo truly had called her out for a starlight swim before disappearing into thin air. Corinne felt another chill and wrapped her arms around herself, doing her best to rub the goose pimples from her flesh. Her damp and muddied gown clung to her like a second skin. She forced herself to her feet, then took a few stumbling steps toward the sleeping porch. She would get inside and change. Rinse the mud out of her gown in the sink.

Suddenly, the darkness was pierced by the porch’s light being turned on.

The screen door squeaked open, and Ava stepped out and stood beneath the light, the brightness of which reflected off the white lace cap she wore over her hair rollers. Her pink robe glowed like the dawn. She scanned the field with one hand over her eyes, the other resting on her hip. Corinne fought the urge to turn and run before Ava spotted her, but it was too late by the time the thought occurred to her. She had already been spotted. Ava stomped out from under her hundred-watt halo into the shadows. “Good Lord, girl, what is wrong with you?”

“I just wanted to cool off,” she said, but even though Ava’s face was now obscured by darkness, she could tell the woman’s expression had grown even more sour. She knew Ava would launch into a lecture, so she tried to cut her off. “I only meant to dip my feet in the pond, but I slipped.”

Ava started to speak, but then shook her head. “Get on inside and clean yourself up. Dr. McAvoy needs your help. Clay’s gone to fetch Elijah out of the barn. He’ll drive you into town once he’s up.” Ava headed back toward the light without another word.

“Wait.” Corinne hurried forward and grasped Ava’s forearm. The older woman froze, her eyes delivering a withering glance to the spot where Corinne’s flesh connected with her own. Corinne felt a nearly physical shock from the venom in her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s eyes. She pulled her hand back. Ava’s angry eyes rose to meet hers. “Dr. McAvoy wants my help? Why?”

“It seems you make quite the first impression. On the menfolk, at least. He has requested your help in caring for a patient. A special patient.” Ava scanned her up and down. “If he saw you like this, he might question the wisdom of that.” Then she tugged the screen door open and let the spring slam it shut in Corinne’s face.

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