Murrook Farm (Sam & Jody Series Book 2)

by Lois Kay

  Alice took a deep breath and decided to concentrate on one thing and one person at the time. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been in the company of so many people at the same time, and it scared her. But a part of her craved a sense of normalcy and kindness, and when she looked into Jody’s eyes, the only thing she could see was gentleness. “A glass of water would be nice,” she said. She cast down her gaze and felt her cheeks grow warm.

  “Water it is,” Jody said. “I’ll get you some. Unless you’re game to try Sam’s homemade lemonade. It’s not bad,” Jody finished with a smile.

  “Of course, it’s not.” Sam grinned. She had joined Jody and extended her hand to Alice, patiently waiting for a response. It took Alice a few moments, but she shook Sam’s hand briefly.

  Sam noticed Alice’s discomfort and took a step back. “It’s nice to meet you, Alice. It’s good to have you here. And just for the record, I make the best lemonade ever. Want to try some?”

  Alice looked up at Sam and couldn’t help answering the genuine smile that was directed to her with a small one of her own. “Yes, please,” she whispered.

  “Great.” Sam rubbed her hands. “I’ll get you some. Just grab a chair and relax, alright?” Sam jumped up on the veranda and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Alice and Jody alone again.

  “Alice, I can only imagine how strange this must feel to you,” Jody said. She smiled when a pair of startled blue eyes looked up. “We’re all pretty easygoing in this family and if, at any time, you feel you need some air that’s okay. There’s a lovely flower garden at the other side of the house. It’s where I go when I need to clear my head and relax.” Jody reached out and briefly touched Alice’s shoulder, happy to see the girl didn’t flinch. “Feel free to use it. Okay?”

  When Alice nodded and glanced back up, she became aware of the scrutinizing look of a dark-haired teenager. Immediately, she wished she was somewhere else. Anything would be better than the judgmental looks she was too familiar with.

  Fiona descended the veranda and stopped next to Jody, in front of Alice. The two teenagers looked at each other and just when Alice decided that nothing would be lost if she would turn around and run off, her hand was grabbed in a firm grip.

  “Hi, I’m Fiona, Jody’s and Lucy’s sister,” she said. “They refer to me as their ‘baby sister,’ but you’ll soon find out I’m the most sensible and mature one around.” She grinned when Jody bumped her shoulder. “Thanks for helping Mom,” Fiona added. “I really appreciate it. That was a brave thing you did.”

  Alice shrugged. “No worries.” Her gaze traveled up to look at Fiona who was still standing in front of her. Her grin was infectious, and Alice felt the beginning of a smile.

  “And I must warn you,” Fiona’s eyes were sparkling. “My family is a bit…. different. But they’re okay. You just have to get used to them.”

  “Thank you, oh, mature one,” Lucy sounded from the veranda. “You’re a treasure, Fi!”

  Alice’s smile widened. The sisterly bantering was funny, and for the first time, she thought that maybe it hadn’t been such a bad thing to be forced to come along with Trishia. Her head was still spinning with all the things that had happened that day, but a little voice in the back of her mind told her it was alright to let down her guard. Just a little. Enough to try and enjoy herself. Tomorrow would be another day.

  *

  “So, my friend, what’s the story? ” Jody asked Trishia when they found themselves alone in the kitchen, tossing a salad and slicing freshly baked Italian bread.

  “Do you want the long version or the short one?” Trishia joked, but Jody could hear the tension in her voice.

  “The short one will do, for now. The long one will come later, I’m sure.”

  “What did your mom tell you about Alice? “

  Jody finished arranging the slices of bread in a wicker basket, before turning around and facing Trishia. There was a thoughtful look in her clear green eyes. “Mom told me that for the last week or so, she’s been giving Alice food after she leaves work. She’s convinced the girl is homeless, probably a runaway. When I asked why she felt so strongly about wanting to help her, she said that there’s something about Alice that tugs on her heartstrings. She can’t explain what, but she’s sure she’ll find out, eventually.” Jody halted her movements and took a moment to collect her thoughts. “She told me about Alice’s response when she was touched. How she seemed to go catatonic.”

  Trishia nodded. She leaned her hip against the kitchen counter and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I’ve seen people react like that before, but it never gets any easier to watch it,” she said. “And Joan is right, there is something about Alice that touches me as well.” Trishia exhaled slowly. “She seems to suffer from amnesia. She doesn’t know her last name, nor where she comes from. Usually, it’s PTSD that brings on memory loss like that.”

  “You think she’s suffered a traumatic event?” There was sadness in Jody’s voice.

  “We don’t know yet,” Trishia answered with a grim expression. “But we think it’s possible she’s been abused. Physically and emotionally. At this point, we don’t even want to think about all the other forms of abuse.”

  “What can we do to help, Trish?” Jody asked.

  Trishia smiled and felt her heart warm when Jody used the word ‘we.’ She had been right not to underestimate the McDonnell family.

  “I hope that a peaceful, quiet environment will help her to relax. The kid is almost vibrating with stress. With a little luck, relaxing might trigger some memories. But most importantly, she seems to really need a place where she can feel safe and get some rest.”

  “And I assume a home or a shelter can’t provide that?” Jody paused and wiped some crumbs off the kitchen counter. “I can’t picture Alice in an environment like that. She’s like a trapped animal, with no chance to escape.”

  “That’s what I see, too, when I look at her.” Lucy’s voice sounded behind Jody. “Trish has offered to take her in for a while until we find another, more permanent solution. Or, in the best-case scenario, we’ll find out who she is and get her back with her family.”

  Jody whirled around. Her eyes were thoughtful when she looked from Lucy to Trishia. “But…that’s very sweet and honorable of you Trishia, but your apartment is so tiny. It’s barely big enough for two.”

  Lucy took a deep breath, and for a moment her gaze was caught by Trishia’s, who raised an eyebrow and almost imperceptibly nodded. Taking courage from the look of trust Trishia gave her, Lucy turned to Jody. She put her hands on both her shoulders and looked at her with a small smile. “I’ve been thinking about that, Pea,” she said. “And I came up with an idea. I—.”

  “I need to talk it over with Sam,” Jody interrupted.

  Her words took Lucy by surprise. “But….how—?”

  “I know you, Freckles.” Jody chuckled. “And I don’t mind the idea, but it’s not just my decision to make.”

  “I know, Jody,” Lucy answered. “And I do understand it’s a bit awkward. But the last thing I want is for you and Sam to think we’re dumping this on you because we bit off more than we can chew.”

  “It’s what’s best for Alice,” Jody said. “Besides, Mom will be here the next few days, and Alice seems to like her, so… I’ll talk to Sam after dinner. Okay?”

  “You’re the best.” Trishia wrapped her arms around Jody and pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you. “

  “No worries. ” Jody smiled and grabbed a bowl full of salad. ” Bring out the bread, Luce, will you? “

  “Um…yeah…sure—,” Lucy stammered, still at a loss for words by her sister’s response. Only when strong fingers teasingly tickled her neck, she was able to kick her brain back in gear. “Wow,” she said. “I already had a very high opinion of my big sister, but it just jumped a few notches. “

  Trishia smiled and wrapped her arms around Lucy. She buried her face in her hair and breathed in deeply, smiling when she felt Lu
cy relax. “You’re quite amazing yourself,” Trishia said. “In fact, your whole family is.”

  Lucy lifted her face, and a small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth when she saw the look in Trishia’s eyes. Trishia brought her face closer and captured Lucy’s lips. Lucy immediately responded by sliding her arms around Trishia and pulling her closer. The kiss rapidly became intense and passionate, and reluctantly, they withdrew. They looked at each other with a smile.

  “The bread,” Trishia gently reminded Lucy.

  “Bread? Oh, yes, the bread.” Lucy breathed. “I guess we’d better join the girls, before anyone wants a slice and gives us grief.”

  “Yes, since Fiona is around.”

  “Too late, you’ve already scarred me for life.” Fiona’s voice made Lucy jump, and Trishia let out a soft laugh.

  Lucy turned and looked at her youngest sister who was staring at her with a smug smile. She didn’t speak, but when she raised one eyebrow exactly the way Lucy did, Trishia laughed out loud.

  “You’re impossible, do you know that?” Lucy said, grabbing the basket with bread.

  “You should know,” Fiona quipped. “After all, I’m your clone.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Lucy muttered. She turned and walked toward the door, disappearing out of sight.

  Trishia looked at Fiona, whose eyes were dancing.

  “She’s so easy,” Fiona grinned. “But I’ve got to catch her at the right moment.” She glanced up at Trishia. “And that’s when she’s with you,” she added with a wink.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. She reacts like that because I catch her letting her guard down. And she mostly does that around you.” Fiona chuckled at the look of surprise on Trishia’s face and playfully punched her arm. “What kind of sleuth are you?”

  *

  Wide-eyed, Alice stared at the abundance of food in front of her. Despite the sandwich she ate at the police station, she could feel her stomach rumble. There were different types of salad, fruit, fresh bread and juicy steaks. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a meal like that, if ever. Nervously she looked at her companions, who were chatting and not in a hurry to start eating anytime soon. If only she knew how to compose herself. She didn’t want everyone to know she was starving, but she didn’t know how long she could resist the delicious meal in front of her either. Alice nervously played with the hem of her shirt and tried to ignore the food. When she finally looked up, it was straight into a pair of clear blue eyes, that viewed her with understanding. Sam winked at Alice and cleared her throat.

  “Ladies, I don’t know about you all, but I could eat a horse…or two.” She grinned, seeing Fiona’s annoyed look. “And we must go through dinner to get to that delicious dessert I produced, so, let’s dig in, okay?”

  “Very eloquently put, my love,” Jody said with a laugh.

  Alice felt her eyes widen at the term of endearment and knew Jody had noticed because she sent her a warm smile. Alice liked that smile. It was genuine. It made Jody’s green eyes sparkle and reminded Alice of someone. If only she could remember who that person was.

  “Before we start eating, though, I’d like to say how grateful I am to have everybody home safe. We all know things could have ended differently.” Jody’s gaze traveled around the table and settled on Alice. “Thank you, Alice.”

  Alice almost jumped and felt her face grow warm. She was filled with a mixture of embarrassment, pride and something she couldn’t define. It was confusing. She had been invisible for such a long time, and now she was sitting at a large table, with six other people who were openly happy to share their meal with her. Alice had to refrain from pinching herself. If this was a dream, she didn’t think she wanted to wake up.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Sam said with a grin. “Even though I’m very eloquent. There’s enough food, so don’t be shy.”

  Fiona snorted. “As if.” She speared a juicy piece of meat with her fork and dropped it on her plate. “This looks good, Sam. I might come and live here.”

  Jody laughed and handed Alice a bowl with potato salad, giving the girl an encouraging nod. “Try this,” she said. “Sam made it. She says it’s a secret Dutch recipe, so, we don’t know what she put in it, but it does taste great.”

  “Dutch? ” Alice asked, hearing the word leave her mouth and immediately feeling awkward about her response.

  “Sam’s from The Netherlands,” Fiona explained. “She came here because she’s afraid global warming will drown her country and she can’t swim.”

  “You’re hilarious, Red,” Sam replied. She sent Alice a wink. “Don’t believe everything she says, Alice. She is the Family Nut. “

  Alice looked at Sam with interest, and for a moment she forgot her reservations. “You don’t have an accent. Well, you do, but I thought you were a pom…I mean, British.”

  “My Dad is,” Sam said. “My mom is Dutch, and I grew up in The Netherlands. But I was raised bilingual. I guess my dad rubbed off on me.”

  Alice put down the bowl of potato salad and tried to remember what she had read about Sam’s country. It was hard because the few memories she did have, were safely locked away in a dark corner of her mind and she deliberately kept them there. But suddenly she knew. It had been in a magazine she had found a few months earlier, in a trash can in a park. There had been an article about Europe, and she remembered reading something about The Netherlands as well. Alice still felt very vulnerable and uneasy. For a moment, she battled with herself, but her curiosity won out. “I… that’s where the Deltaworks are, right?”

  Surprised, Sam looked up, and a big smile covered her face. “Yes! Wow, Alice, I’m impressed. Most people have never heard about that wonder of engineering.”

  “I… I read it in a magazine,” Alice mumbled, staring at her plate. “It was built because of a flood.”

  “You’re right,” Sam said. “In 1953 a large part of the Lowlands was flooded, and a lot of people drowned. Because twenty-six percent of the country is below sea level, they built a big dam that would keep the sea out. It has huge gates, and when there’s a big storm and a chance of flooding, they lower the gates and keep the sea out.”

  “Really?” Trishia asked with interest. “Twenty-six percent is below sea level?”

  “Yes, it is,” Sam answered. “And the country is densely populated. Another flood like the one in the fifties could be catastrophic.” Sam turned her attention back to Alice and smiled. “I have a book about it. If you’re interested, I’ll show it to you after dinner. “

  “Umm…thank you,” Alice stammered. “I am….interested, that is. “

  “Great.” Sam seemed to be genuinely pleased.

  “Do you have an interest in water management, Alice?” Joan asked.

  Feeling all eyes on her, Alice nervously fidgeted with a napkin. She felt a blush creep up and quickly cast down her eyes. At first, she didn’t know what to answer, but a tickling sensation in the back of her mind became more insistent, and finally, she looked up. “I’m interested in how things are built,” she answered, somehow knowing it to be the truth.

  Trishia’s eyes searched Lucy’s, and they exchanged a look. Things were going better than expected. True, Alice was skittish and withdrawn, but Jody, Sam, and Joan seemed to be able to involve the teenager in their conversation, and Alice’s responses were soft spoken and shy. But she responded. Alice appeared to relax a little.

  “If you want more food, just dig in, Alice,” Sam said. “Make sure to keep a spot for dessert.”

  “Sam’s famous Pavlova,” Fiona mumbled with a chuckle. “I have to admit it hasn’t killed me yet.”

  “Had that been the case, you’d be a talking corpse, little sister,” Lucy said dryly. “And probably not in need of any food at all, which would leave more for us. My goodness, girl, where do you put it?”

  Fiona smirked, piling another helping of potato salad and meat on her plate. “I’m a growing girl. Research shows that teenagers going
through a growth spurt need extra nutrition.”

  “And does that ‘nutrition’ also reach their brain?” Lucy asked with an innocent face. “Or is it just a filler for hollow arms and legs?”

  “I’m not even going to answer that.” Fiona looked at Lucy and raised an eyebrow. “My grades speak for themselves.”

  “I take that as a ‘no.’” Lucy grinned.

  Fiona rested her fork on her plate and shot Lucy an exasperated look. “When you ever….no, I’ll rephrase that, if you ever get some common sense, I will go crazy with happiness. But until that time comes, I’ll just suffer your discriminating insinuations with my usual dignity.”

  After those words, Lucy laughed heartily and playfully slapped Fiona on the back, almost causing her to spit out the mouthful of food she was chewing on. “Never lose that sharpness, Red, you’ll need it when you grow up. “

  Fiona snorted and feigned a long-suffering look, but everybody could see the twinkle in her eyes.

  Alice had listened to the conversation between the sisters, secretly pleased the attention had been drawn away from her. It had felt good not to feel invisible anymore, although it was overwhelming. Inwardly, she had cringed at Fiona’s sharp retort, and her muscles had tensed, expecting a fight to break out among the sisters. But a nervous look across the table had shown a relaxed grin on Sam’s face and slowly Alice had let out the breath she had been holding. A hand gently squeezed her shoulder, and when Alice looked up, she saw quiet compassion in a pair of green eyes.

  “Don’t mind them,” Jody said with a gentle smile. “They’re like that all the time. But when they’re apart, they miss each other.”

  The gentle eyes held her captive, and when Alice felt herself smile back, she shyly cast down her eyes, annoyed by the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks. She was assaulted by a whirlwind of emotions, and briefly, she closed her eyes, willing away the dark panic that was trying to get a hold of her. Its claws were scratching at her heart, desperately trying to block out any emotion that attempted to surface. Experience had taught her that the ability to feel, meant the risk of getting hurt. And she had only survived by suppressing anything that could make her vulnerable.