Jezebel's Blues by Ruth Wind & Barbara Samuel

Author:Ruth Wind & Barbara Samuel [Wind, Ruth & Samuel, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FICTION / Romance / Contemporary, FICTION / Contemporary Women, FICTION / Romance / General
Amazon: B005OELJS4
Published: 2011-09-19T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

By the time she reached Calla’s Folly, Celia was truly exhausted. Her neck ached, her head pounded, her eyes were grainy. Muscles she didn’t even know existed ached from the vigorous night she’d spent with Eric.

Outside the friendly, brightly lit clinic, she paused. Jezebel had come through here screaming. A tree branch clung to the roof of a house across the road, sticking comically into the starry sky like an antler.

The clinic had obviously received first priority in the cleanup effort, however, for as Celia walked in, she saw that the floors were waxed, the lights bright. The walls could have used a fresh coat of paint, but that was, after all, a minor point.

A stout woman behind the desk looked up as Celia approached. “Hello. Are you the one who called about the woman we found?”

“Yes.”

The nurse waddled around the counter. “Come with me.”

Celia followed her down a hallway, hearing the squeak of rubber-soled shoes against clean linoleum. The nurse pushed open a big door and stepped aside for Celia to pass.

Inside the room, Celia paused. There, covered with a crisp sheet, was Laura. There was no question that it was Eric’s sister lying so still in the bed. Her hair was long, trailing over a shapely figure, and it was every bit as black and wavy as her brother’s. There was the same mouth, fuller and riper in this woman’s face, but unmistakable. Even the sweep of lashes over the high cheekbones was the same.

Like Eric, Laura was uncommonly, compellingly beautiful, even with pallor and bruises marring her face.

Celia nodded at the nurse, who winked and left her. She crossed the room to take one of the still woman’s hands. “Laura,” she said softly, “can you hear me?”

There was no response.

Celia stroked the slender hand. “Your brother is going to be so happy to see you. He’s been crazy with worry.”

There was a tiny flicker of eyelids in the still face and a jerky movement of a thumb against Celia’s palm.

Suddenly Laura was looking right at her, with eyes a stunning, rich shade of blue. Celia smiled and squeezed her hand. “Your mother must have been quite a beauty,” she said, not caring if it made sense.

Laura licked her lips and her eyelids drifted to half mast. “Mama was blonde,” she whispered. “Like you.”

Even in the weakness of the words, Celia heard the husky beauty of Laura’s voice. Patting her hand, she said, “I’m going to go call your brother. I’ll be right back.”

In the hallway she found a pay phone and realized she had to look up the telephone number. It seemed odd after all they had shared, but until now, there had been no reason to call him.

The phone rang five times before he picked it up, and Celia winced at the wary, harsh sound of his voice.

“Eric, I found Laura. She’s alive.”

“What?”

“She’s alive. She’s in a clinic in Calla’s Folly.”

“How do you know it’s her?”

“I’m here with her now, Eric. There’s no question that she’s your sister.

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