The Heart's Voice by Arlene James

Author:Arlene James [James, Arlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780373872718
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

John Odem wanted them to bring back as much bagged ice as they could carry. His stores were severely depleted due to the power shortage as people, like him, tried to save the contents of their refrigerators and freezers. As she aimed her ten-year-old sedan northward, Abby worried aloud about what was to become of Becca and the children, the cost of repairing their house and saving their merchandise and the plight of others hit hard by the storm. Dan didn’t mind. He only caught a word or two here and there, and his thoughts were preoccupied with a swirl of plans of his own. By the time they completed the forty-some-mile trip he’d decided on a definite course of action.

He had Abby take him by the insurance office first, where he filed a report on the truck and pretended not to notice Abby telling the agent how he’d “saved” Becca and the kids. He was promised a visit by an adjuster within twenty-four hours and a check soon after. After leaving the insurance office, he and Abby drove straight to the bank, where he withdrew a sizable amount of cash. The next stop was the automobile dealership.

It didn’t take long to explain what he needed and why, choose a red, midsized, double-cab, short-bed pickup truck, tell the man what he intended to pay for it—cash on delivery—order the warning system, leave a significant down payment and insist that it be ready within three days. When the sales manager pointed out that he’d have to send a man to Oklahoma City to find the necessary equipment, Dan forked over another hundred bucks as an incentive and walked out while the man was still talking. He hadn’t thrown his weight around in quite a while, but he hadn’t forgotten how to do it, and in some ways being deaf actually made it easier. The whole transaction took less than ninety minutes, and he had little doubt that the truck would be ready when he returned for it, and if not, he’d know why. He didn’t have time to be patient or politic.

The final stop was the local discount department store. With Abby’s help he picked out whole new wardrobes for Becca and the kids, about a week’s worth of apparel, including dress clothes for Sunday. He bought nightgowns, shoes and a supply of baby goods, as well as a crib, high chair, car seat, diaper bag and a clever little monitor set with lights that flashed when it picked up sound. In fact, he bought two of those.

The most personal stuff he left to Abby, who put together a selection of shampoo, conditioner, brushes, combs, clips, deodorants, creams, underclothes and such. While she was doing that, he wandered the toy section, entertaining himself with the amazing array of gadgets designed to teach and enthrall a kid. He had no idea that toys had changed so much, but the old favorites were still around, too, and he made sure to buy a combination of both new and familiar items, as well as half a dozen books.

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