“I think I can. It’s only four hours, and I need something to do, especially until the construction is done on the house. Elaine said she would be there to supervise.”
They had a light supper and Annamarie went to her room to read. She fell asleep.
She didn’t hear violins or see firelight. She heard Magdalena’s voice softly remind her, “Beware of the man with dark hair.”
Chapter Ten – Strange Occurrence
Waking with the birds, Annamarie remembered the warning. She lay in bed, wondering if Magdalena was referring to Tim or if there was another dark-haired man who’d bother her. Daniel had dark hair, but wouldn’t Magdalena have said “Daniel?” She had been through enough. She hoped it would stop and her life would be peaceful.
She smelled her mom’s homemade waffles and hurried down for breakfast. “Yum, are they ready yet?” she asked in anticipation.
“Almost. Sit.” Her mom placed a glass of milk and orange juice on the table for her.
“Thanks, Mom, but you’re going to spoil me. When I move into the Logan house, I’ll be making my own meals.”
“No, Elaine and I had a long talk about your nutritional needs and she’s happy to be sure you get good meals during the week, and then you’ll be home weekends for me to fuss over, remember.”
Sighing, Annamarie said, “I remember, but I can take care of myself.”
“You’ll be happy when you’re working full-time and you don’t have to cook and clean. You’re alone, dear, and Elaine will help make sure you don’t get overly stressed.”
“I know. She’s good to me,” Annamarie said as she bit into one of her mom’s waffles, covered in blueberry syrup.
Paula said, “I’ll make you lunch before you leave for work. Do you think you’ll want a snack to nibble on this afternoon?”
“I doubt it. It might ruin my supper, but I’ll take an apple in case I feel hungry.”
“Good idea.”
Her morning went quickly, and after lunch with her mom, Annamarie headed back to her first day at work since Daniel died.
* * *
Feeling a combination of excitement and sadness, Annamarie started the engine of her car. She still loved the car, but there were so many memories of Daniel. She knew she would keep the car, but wasn’t sure what to do with his Jeep and motorcycle. She thought she would ask George what he thought. Her thoughts of what to do kept her busy until she pulled into the dairy’s parking lot and parked her car. As she walked toward the building, she thought how she was glad September had brought cooler weather.
She opened the main office door to the sound of “Welcome back!” Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, along with several of the dairy workers, were there to greet her. Tears formed in her eyes when she saw the caring people surround her.
“Thank you, this is so sweet. You’re all my second family.” She hugged Mrs. Hanson.
“You’re welcome, dear, we’re happy you decided to come back to work.”
Mrs. Hanson left for the day and Mr. Hanson and the workers went back to the plant. Tim stayed behind in the office with Annamarie.
Tim asked, “Are you feeling well enough to return to work? I can ask Mr. Hanson if I could help you in some way.”
“I’m fine, please go back to work.”
“I’m serious, I would be happy to do anything for you.” He touched her arm, smiling.
She drew back from his touch and said, “No, I need to get my work done alone.”
Still smiling, he said, “Okay, but remember I’m always here and the offer for supper still stands. We could also catch a movie. We could go to Oaklin during the week when no one would see us. I only want to spend time with you.”
She shook her head, backed away from him, and Tim left the office, heading for the plant.
Sitting at her desk, she said aloud, “What’s wrong with him? Tomorrow will be three weeks since Daniel’s been gone and he wants a date and to sneak to Oaklin to have it so no one will see us. I think Magdalena was right, dark-headed men are a problem and right now Tim is the worst. Maybe I should have waited to come back to work.”
She pushed the thoughts out of her head and tried to concentrate on the invoices and receipts in front of her. About an hour later, she was rattled out of her concentration by the sound of the accident alarm. There was no mistaking it; something had happened.
Jerry, a plant worker, ran into the office. “We’ve had a nasty accident. We called the ambulance. Please send ‘em back when they get here.” He left quickly. She could hear the siren.
She hurried to the front door of the dairy to direct the attendants down the correct hall to the production room door. She was closing the door when she saw the sheriff.
“What’s he want?” she mumbled.
“Hello, Annamarie, what’s going on?”
“I have no idea. The alarm went off and someone called for the ambulance.” She still didn’t trust him. She turned her back on him and walked back to her desk. He followed.
“Hope you don’t mind if I sit here and wait for your boss. I want to be sure it was only an accident.”
“Suit yourself.” She busied herself and ignored him.
About thirty minutes later, the ambulance attendants pushed a stretcher carrying Tim out of the building. He appeared unconscious. His head, arm, and leg were wrapped in thick, white cloth. Annamarie could see they were bloodstained.
Mr. Hanson walked into the office and Annamarie and Sheriff Richardson asked in unison, “What happened to Tim?”
“I’m not sure; it was the damnedest thing. Tim was in a foul mood, mumbling to himself and slamming things around the desk. He wouldn’t answer when I asked him what was wrong.”
“How’d he get hurt?” asked the sheriff.
“Out of the blue, he decided one of our machines wasn’t working correctly. He said he could smell pine cleaner and was concerned something was used on it that shouldn’t have been.”
Oh no, Annamarie thought as she sat down.
Mr. Hanson continued, “No one else noticed anything, but Tim was adamant and got a ladder to check. I tried to get him to come down and let the maintenance man check it out. He wouldn’t listen. He said he was as good as anyone and could prove it.”
Annamarie’s apprehension grew.
“Well, he was leaning over to look at the top and said the smell was coming from the right side and leaned instead of moving the ladder. All of a sudden, he lost his balance and screamed, ‘Don’t push!’.”
“‘Don’t push’?” asked the sheriff. “Who else was up there?”
“No one; it’s the weirdest thing. And then, he fell into a huge stack of metal milk crates. The attendants think he may have a broken leg, his arm is definitely broken in two places, and he may have a concussion. We haven’t had a plant accident in five years.”
The sheriff said, “This isn’t my investigation. It’s an accident. I’m sure the proper authorities will investigate. I’ll be going. I hope Tim heals quickly.”
Mr. Hanson looked at Annamarie and said, “It’s only three thirty, but you can leave. We’re closing the dairy early. I’ll call you this evening to let you know if we’ll be open tomorrow. If we have investigators in, we’ll be closed.”
“Okay, sir, I hope Tim will be okay. It’s an odd accident. I’ll talk to you later.”
* * *
She grabbed her purse and hurried out to her car. She was stressed and she didn’t want to go home. She needed food, comfort food. She headed for Ray’s.
Everyone at Ray’s was discussing the accident and questioned Annamarie, but she told them she didn’t know a thing. She found a booth and sat down.
“What can I get for you, Annamarie?” Ray asked.
“I’ll have a large chocolate malt and a double order of extra crispy fries.”
“Sure.” He disappeared into the kitchen.
While she waited for her food, Annamarie thought about her dream. Magdalena warned her about dark-haired men. Was Tim’s a
ccident more than it appeared? Who or what pushed him? What about the pine scent?
Ray set her malt in front of her. “Fries will be up in a minute.”
As she sipped her malt, she couldn’t shake the thought Magdalena might be responsible for Tim’s accident, but how would she ever know? Her fries arrived and she smothered them in ketchup, drowning her worries with food.
She glanced at her watch and realized she had spent an hour worrying and eating. “I better head home before Mom becomes anxious,” she mumbled. Leaving some cash on her table along with the bill, she headed home.
“I’m home, Mom.”
“Hi, dear, you’re early. Are you all right?”
Yes, but we had an accident at work.” She dropped into a kitchen chair, putting her head on her arms. She looked up with tears in her eyes. She filled her mom in on Tim’s accident, causing the plant to close early.
“It’s terrible. Poor boy; we saw him at the reception. I hope he’ll be okay.”
“Me, too. Mr. Hanson’s going to call me this evening to let me know if we’ll be working tomorrow. They may have to close for an inspection. Maybe he’ll know about Tim. It was frightening.” She wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I hope so, dear. I think it’ll be okay. Are you feeling all right? It’s only you and me for supper. Dad called. He has an extra load to deliver.”
“I’m fine. I enjoy it when it’s only us. We can talk girl talk.”
Paula smiled as she pulled the lasagna out of the oven.
Oh no, Annamarie thought. I love lasagna and I’m still full of fries. How am I going to eat? Annamarie found the stress of the day increased her appetite and she ate what she would have if she hadn’t had the fries. She hoped it wouldn’t make her sick.
* * *
Annamarie and her mom cleaned up the kitchen and settled in the living room to watch TV. The phone rang shortly before eight.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Annamarie, I’m calling to let you know you can stay home tomorrow. Since Tim’s injuries are serious, the state will be sending an inspector to be sure the plant is up to code.”
“Thanks for calling, sir. Do you know how Tim is?”
“He’ll live, but it’ll be a long recuperation. He broke his leg and has a slight concussion. His worst injury is his right arm and shoulder. It was broken in three places. They operated late this afternoon and placed a pin in it. They’re not sure how much function he’ll have. Time will tell how he heals and if he’ll be able to return to work.”
“It sounds dreadful, but I’ll pray he recovers fully.”
“We will, too. Have a good night and I’ll see you Thursday afternoon.”
“Good night.”
Placing the phone back in its cradle, she told her mom about Tim’s injuries. Paula expressed her concern.
“Mom, he flirted with me again today. I’m sorry he’s injured, but I’m glad he won’t be flirting with me for a while.”
“He shouldn’t be flirting with you at all.”
“I don’t have to be back at work until Thursday afternoon. It’ll be three weeks tomorrow since Daniel’s been gone. I’d like to go to the cemetery and then the house to see if all the work has been done. I also need to go into Oaklin and order cabinets. Do you want to go with me?”
“Of course, it’ll give us a nice day together.” They began to discuss their day when Theo arrived home.
“I better heat your dad’s supper. He’s probably starving.”
Annamarie filled in her dad about the accident at work and sat with him while he ate.
“Accidents can happen so quickly. I’ve seen it happen at work. I hope Tim recovers quickly. He’s young; he’ll be fine.”
It had been a long day and they all retired early.
* * *
Annamarie heard violin music in the distance and the firelight seemed a long way off. She heard Magdalena’s voice as if it floated on the wind. “The dark-haired man will not trouble you again. Daniel is responsible for the tragedy. He has been banished to a wood far away. He will never be a concern to you or the baby. Sleep well and in peace, my child. You are safe now.” The firelight and music faded.
Annamarie slept deeply.
* * *
Annamarie woke early, feeling refreshed. She remembered the dream and wondered if it had been real. Could Daniel have been responsible for Tim’s accident? He had always been possessive and jealous, but would he still be that way in death? He had been banished and neither he nor Tim would be a threat again.
Her mom was still asleep. She started the coffee. Cornflakes appeared to be the only breakfast she could find. She opened the fridge for milk and said, “Left over cold lasagna, yum.”
Cutting a big square, she sat down with her breakfast and enjoyed every bite. She was finishing when the scent of coffee brought Paula into the kitchen.
“Coffee, thank you, dear. Lasagna? You ate cold lasagna for breakfast?”
“Sure, I haven’t changed. I used to eat leftovers all the time in high school. Chili was my favorite.”
“I remember, but I don’t understand,” Paula said while she made toast to eat with her coffee.
After breakfast, they dressed for their day and headed to the Logan house first.
“I can’t see what they did,” Annamarie said, “but the new mattress and box spring are upstairs. I told Daniel they would fit.”
Paula smiled and her voice softened. “I know the two of you had plans, but you can make plans for you and the baby now.”
Annamarie tried to smile.
Paula said, “If you look under the kitchen sink and in the laundry room, you’ll see the new pipes. The rest run through the walls, but I guarantee they are there. Don told me the plumber was well respected.”
“Good, but I’ll need a plumber for the new sink and dishwasher. I’d like to hire Don. I trust him.”
“Good idea. I want to ask him about a dishwasher for the house.”
“Does Dad know?”
“No, and he won’t until it’s done.”
Annamarie smiled. “We can both pick out dishwashers today.”
“I need to be sure Don can fit one in first.”
“Okay, but you can pick the one you like and order it when Don says it’ll work.”
“It’s a plan. Ready to go?”
“Yes, but I want to stop at the florist before we head to the cemetery, Mom.”
“Of course. I thought you might.” It was a short ten-minute drive to the florist.
“Good morning, Mrs. Logan and Mrs. Schneider. How may I help you?”
“I’d like three red and three white roses tied with a white ribbon please,” said Annamarie.
Paula chose a small, but pretty bouquet of daisies.
They paid for their purchase and drove to the cemetery. Since Annamarie chose to have Daniel buried in the bright sun away from the trees, it was a short walk from the service drive. After placing their flowers and saying a prayer, they noticed George’s car pull up. He and Maureen had the same idea.
“Annamarie, dear, you look so much better. How are you feeling?” asked Maureen.
“Very well, thank you.”
Maureen hugged Annamarie, which she had rarely done in the past. She placed her hand on Annamarie’s abdomen and said, “I think I might be able to feel a little growth, dear.”
“I think I can, too. It’s exciting.”
Maureen smiled.
George added, “We were concerned when we heard the dairy had an accident.”
“Tim was injured and fairly severely, but he’ll be okay,” said Annamarie.
“Good to hear.”
They spoke for a few minutes, and Paula and Annamarie left, giving George and Maureen some privacy with their feelings while they visited Daniel’s grave.
* * *
On their drive to Oaklin, Annamarie commented, “I think Maureen meant what she said about becoming closer. She was so kind and gentle.”
“Los
s can do that, but I think it was her health scare that changed her. She was worried she would never see Daniel’s child. I think she’ll be good to the baby.”
“I think so, too. Speaking of the baby, Maureen is right. My skirts and slacks are getting a little snug. Do I have to start wearing the maternity clothes now?”
“You’re almost three months along. You could wear the slacks and skirts. They will be comfortable. If you don’t want to wear the tops right now, wear your regular tops that are loose. In a month or so, I think you’ll need the tops, too. You’re petite. I’m not sure how quickly you’ll begin to show.”
“Okay. I’ll check out my wardrobe tonight, but my maternity things are at the Logan house.”
“We can stop on the way home. Look, here’s the kitchen center.”
Annamarie was excited to find her cabinets and finish the house. Then she could move to her own home.
Entering the store, they were greeted by a middle-aged man with a light blue shirt and nametag bearing the name “Rob.”
“Welcome, I’m Rob. What can I do for you ladies today?”
“I’m Annamarie Logan. My contractor said he would send you the measurements of my kitchen and you could help me choose cabinets.”
“Of course, Mrs. Logan. I have some ideas I’m sure you’ll like. Please follow me.”
Annamarie found the cabinets for her dream kitchen. Then they discussed dishwashers. She told him the stove and refrigerator brand she purchased and he said they also carried the brand. Ordering the same brand would guarantee the colors would match perfectly. She ordered the gold.
Her mom, caught up in the excitement, said that she would most likely need a dishwasher, too, but she would have to get back to them. She’d have her plumber call. She also chose a new sink.
Both women left the store excited about their kitchens while they discussed where to have lunch.
* * *
Having lunch out was always a treat. Annamarie could eat more of her favorites and less of the super healthy foods her mom prepared. She leaned back in the booth and bit her lip while she glanced at the ceiling.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
“I was debating on having a chocolate or cherry malted.”
“You spent a fortune on a new kitchen, picking things out quickly, and you can’t decide on a malt flavor?”
Annamarie and Magdalena (Gypsy Spirits Book 2) Page 14
