The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

Author:Diane Chamberlain
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Murder, Fiction - Espionage, American Mystery & Suspense Fiction, General, Literary, Kidnapping, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller
ISBN: 9780778328544
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2010-10-15T09:51:28.834000+00:00

For the next week, they met twice on the grounds for a bite to eat and they spoke every night on the phone. On Saturday, Jack arrived with a twelve-inch, red, Radio Flyer bicycle with training wheels. He called Eve outside to see it before showing it to Cory.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay with this before I give it to her,” he said.

“Oh, my God, Jack!” Eve said when she spotted the bike. She was both astonished and a little unsettled by his generosity. “This is too much.” She meant it. Generous gifts came with obligations.

“I know,” Jack admitted. “And I promise not to be Santa Claus every time I see her. But indulge me right now, okay? I’m having fun.” His kidlike grin was hard to resist.

“Okay,” she said.

They called Cory outside and watched her eyes light up at the sight of the bicycle.

“Wowie!” she said, running over to it. She looked at the bike from front to rear, then up at Jack. “You got the same color as my hair!” she said.

Jack laughed. “You’re right, Cory-Dory. And I had to look high and low for it, too. Why don’t you hop on?”

Eve helped Cory onto the bike, but she stayed on only three seconds before getting off again. “It’s scary,” she said.

“Scary?” Jack looked surprised. “I asked the guy in the bicycle store to sell me the unscary one.”

Cory looked at him, and Eve knew she didn’t quite follow what he was saying.

“Maybe in a few days you’ll feel brave enough to get on it,” Eve said.

“I think she’s brave enough now, aren’t you, Cory?”

Cory put her skinny leg over the bike again, and Eve had an image of her riding down the slightly sloped driveway and into the path of a car. “The first thing we’ll teach you is how to brake,” she said.

Cory sat down on the bicycle seat and gripped the handlebars.

“Great job!” Jack said.

“You look like a big girl,” Eve added.

Cory bit her lower lip. “Will I tip over?” she asked.

“Impossible,” Jack said. “You have these cool training wheels in the back to keep you from tipping over.”

Cory peered around her shoulder to look at the training wheels.

“So, how do I make it go?” she asked.

They gave her a lesson in the driveway, and soon she was riding on her own, but as if she could read Eve’s mind, she back-pedaled to brake every few feet.

“Excellent!” Jack said once she’d managed the length of the driveway without braking. “You’re ready for the sidewalk.” He helped her turn onto the sidewalk, and Eve walked next to her as she rode.

“There’s a big bump!” Cory cried. The sidewalk up ahead was cracked over a tree root.

“It’s not that big,” Eve said. “You can go over it.”

Cory shut her eyes and let out a yelp as she rode over the bump.

“All right, Cory!” Jack called from behind them. “Cory-Dory rose to the challenge, boys and girls. She went over the bump like a pro.”

Cory didn’t seem to hear him, her forehead furrowed in concentration.

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