Amy had also brought over my new canvas prints, and she even had a new one in the stack. Ant had snapped a picture of the kids and I on top of the mountain where we left Brian’s box. Sam and I were in the middle, and the other four kids were hugging us and mugging for the camera. It looked great on canvas, and Isaiah had already hung it and the other prints in the kitchen. The ruined canvases were taken away by the police, and thankfully they were already replaced.
In addition, we had gone through Brian’s tools, and Isaiah refused to let any of them be given away.
“You have thousands of dollars worth of quality stuff here, J. I’ll ask around and see who wants to buy what.”
I just nodded. I trusted him. And the next day he presented me with a list of who wanted what and $3200!
“Are you kidding me?” I looked at the stack of cash with a few personal checks mingled in.
“Now, I already told the guys I know where they live. If those checks don’t clear, you let me know.”
“No, really. This is a lot of money!” I was amazed.
“And that is a lot of stuff,” Isaiah gently reminded me. “Good stuff. Brian worked with the best, and he kept his equipment clean. The guys will use them, but you shouldn’t give them away. And you can’t tell me that the money won’t come in handy.”
I already knew what I would do with some of the money. The lake house had a huge front yard. I would see about renting one of those big bouncy houses and invite everyone down for a big end-of-summer blow out. The rest of the money… who knows?
Those plans would have to wait until later. My day was already action packed. My new shower doors were ordered. I had picked out a new mirror, and it was scheduled to arrive later in the day. Also, Joe had called and told me he had a few flooring samples to show me, and he felt confident that one was a real contender.
After sifting through the mess, I only had a few pairs of short and T-shirts left that I could wear. Oh, and one black cocktail dress, but it wasn’t very comfortable anyway. So I was going to have to venture to the mall and replace what I’d lost.
Jessie had taken it upon herself to make me a list of things that I needed to get. The list was growing by the second.
Fortunately, Sam had the day off, so he was going to watch the girls for me. I could get my shopping done a lot quicker on my own. Carey was working, and Jimmy was, as usual, going to spend the day with Ant—though I think Anthony was taking them fishing again.
* * *
I struggled to climb out of Jimmy’s bottom bunk, and I shuffled into the Jack and Jill bathroom he shared with the girls. I had laid out a towel the previous night, and my shampoo had already taken up residence along with the kids’ stuff.
I turned the water on, just a little too hot, and climbed in. The heat soothed my sore muscles, and I mentally made a list of where I needed to go for the day. Patrick Henry Mall was the best place to get what I needed—plenty of stores, one location. Done. I thanked the powers that be that I didn’t need to replace all my shoes. I hated shoe shopping.
I turned to rinse the shampoo out of my hair, scrubbed my face—gently—with my face scrub, and used some Suave Strawberry body wash since I forgot to bring in my own stuff.
This doesn’t smell like any strawberries I’ve ever eaten, I thought, taking a whiff of the girls’ soap.
I rinsed off and jumped out. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around me. Then I stuck my head out the door and looked into the hallway.
No kids were in sight, so I made a run for my room. I shut the door behind me and took in the ruined floor and my empty bed—the mattress set would take another day to arrive. As tired as I was, I felt good. I felt like I was getting done what needed to be done. Brian would be proud.
* * *
I heard a knock on my door, and a little voice call out. “Mommy?”
“What’s up, Jessie?”
“Can I come in?” She asked as she was already opening the door.
“Sure,” I said dryly, though that was lost on her. “What’s up?”
“Here is the list of things you need to get today. Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” She was sure that I would come home with things that were not fashionable and might actually embarrass her.
“Honey, you stay here with Maggie and Sam, okay?” I told her as I slipped into my last clean pair of shorts, and a T-shirt that said “St. Thomas” across my chest. “I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
Jessie took in my shirt and made a pinched face. “No T-shirts with writing across your chest, Mommy. They make your boobies look too big.”
I just laughed and promised her I wouldn’t buy any shirts with writing across the chest area.
“I think you should go to Loft for most things. You look pretty in their stuff. Get your jeans at the Gap, and please go to Victoria’s Secret for new bras and panties, okay? No sports bras.”
Who was this little imp? Did she write down everything Amy said.
“Jessie, I think I can handle some clothes shopping.”
She looked at me, doubt etched on her face. “Ok… just promise me one thing?”
“Okay. What?” I was leery.
“Don’t get everything at Target.”
Dammit! She knew me too well. “Okay. I promise. And for your information, I wasn’t even going to go to Target today. I was going to Patrick Henry.”
“Umm… Hmm… if you say so.” Jessie looked around my room, and I saw the sadness that I felt on her young face. “Mommy, I’m sorry that someone messed up your room.”
“Oh, honey!” I crossed to our daughter and hugged her to me tightly. “Don’t you apologize for something you didn’t do.”
She nodded against me and slipped her thin arms around my waist. “I love you, Mommy. Now please go get some new clothes.”
I promised her I would do her proud.
* * *
I ran downstairs and almost crashed into Sam, who was coming in from a run.
“Hey, Mom. Nice shirt.” He smirked at me.
I smacked him lightly and told him to stuff it. “Okay. Carey’s got to be at work at 1. He can take my van. Jimmy’s going fishing with Ant, so it’s just you and the girls.”
He nodded. “Is it okay if Karie and I take them to Water Country USA?”
“Sure! That’d be great. Passes are on the bookshelf in the kitchen. Need some money?” I asked him, praying he would say no because I didn’t think I had any cash on me.
He didn’t disappoint me. “No, I got it. I figure we can just get something for lunch before we head to the park, so maybe just do a little snack there, something like that.”
“Okay, you guys make sure you watch them. Got it? Especially in the wave pool.”
Sam assured me that they would watch the girls, and I grabbed a granola bar and ran out the door. I was more comfortable driving the Charger, and I put the top down. It was a beautiful day and what a way to enjoy it!
* * *
I backed out of the garage and down the driveway. The mall was only about 15 minutes away, and I turned up the radio and sang along. For just a few minutes, all was forgotten.
The mall opened at 9, and I pulled into the parking lot at 9:15. I figured I could avoid the crowds—get in and get out. I parked in no man’s land—again. I put the car’s top up and made my way into the mall.
Loft, my first stop. I walked in to the brightly colored displays for shorts and T-shirts. A chipper young lady welcomed me and told me everything was forty percent off, except for sale items that is.
Nice!
A part of me was praying this could be a one stop shop. But, of course, they didn’t sell bras at Loft. They did sell shorts and T-shirts though! 8 pairs of shorts later, and let’s not forget the 12 tees I bought—none had writing across my boobs—I was feeling as if I had accomplished something. I added one lovely shift dress to the mix and let myself be talked into a maxi dress with a beautiful blue ikat print. Jessie had sent me a link to a cute striped T-shirt dre
ss, so I grabbed that as well—all 3 colors. Insurance had been very generous and assured me that I would have the money for repairs within 6 weeks at most, so I handed over my credit card and watched as the young lady packed up my purchases. I figured they must work on commission because she looked really happy.
My phone rang just as I was leaving the store. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mommy. Did you get the link I sent you?” Jessie chirped.
“I sure did!”
“Did you buy the dress? It’d look very nice on you.”
“I sure did! Three of them!”
“Cool,” Jessie squealed. “I can’t wait to see what you bought! Get your jeans at Gap!”
Bossy!
“Bye, Jessie! Love you!” I said as we hung up.
Gap it was—and yes I bought my jeans there. Two pairs of skinnies and one pair of trousers jeans. That should do it. A few T-shirts from American Eagle, some underwear and bras from Victoria’s Secret, and I was feeling good. It was so warm out, and most of the stores hadn’t started with the fall lines yet, so that stuff would have to wait.
I ventured into Hot Topic and found some cute shirts for the boys. I had gotten some really cute things for the girls at Old Navy, and I was laden with bags. I decided to run the stuff out to the car, and then come back in and hit Dick’s Sporting Goods and Barnes & Noble. Even though most of my workout clothes survived, I wanted to grab a new pair of running shoes. Running was one thing Brian and I often did together, and it felt like it was time to get back into it. I would run by myself occasionally, just enjoying the freedom, but I always enjoyed working out with Brian. I would fuss at him about waiting for me. I constantly told him he didn’t have to—to go on ahead. But he never did. And I hadn’t put on my running shoes since he died.
I also wanted to grab books for Jimmy and Carey since their reading lists for school had been mailed to us. The books always sold out so quickly.
Chapter 36
It was the first time he had gone into a crowded place. He had a pair of jeans that he stole from someone’s house, as well as a shirt and some boots. He fit in. Or so he hoped.
For the first time in many months, he had woken up that morning with no headache. He felt strong, healed. He had run over to her house, only to see her pulling out of the driveway. She waved to the young man standing on the porch, and he felt a wave of jealousy, but shook it off.
He stood for a moment, in the trees hidden from anyone that lived in the houses. He watched her drive off, and then followed her.
He sniffed the air as he ran. The Woman was not near. He didn’t know where she was, but at the moment, he didn’t care.
Chapter 37
Fern Abney was an imposing woman. She was taller than Ethan Jeffries, and he was 6’1”. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a severe bun, and her steel blue eyes were anything but welcoming. But over the years, Ethan had learned her weakness—caramel candies. And he brought her a tiny box of the good stuff—Godiva. He needed her help, and he wanted it quickly.
“Hey, Fern,” Ethan called as he entered her domain. The Records Branch was in the basement, and Fern ruled over it. If it was in there, she knew where it was.
She peered at him, her eyes not thawing. “Jeffries. What do you want?”
She was no-nonsense. He’d give her that.
“I have something for you.” He held out the tiny box with the gold lettering, and he saw a ghost of a smile light up her face. Why, she was almost pretty!
“A bribe. Must be serious.” She got up from her desk and sauntered over to the counter.
He handed her the box and dove in, “It is. Brian Klevan. Hit by a car, November 2012.”
She was nodding. “I remember the case. Pretty cut and dry, if I remember correctly. What do you want with that?”
“You sure it was cut and dry? Nothing hinky? Nothing weird?” Ethan pressed her.
She thought for a moment, and then took a bite of one of the caramels. She closed her eyes, savoring it. “Now that you mention it…”
She trailed off and went into one of the stacks.
“Now that I mention what? Seriously, Fern, you can’t leave me hanging here.” He leaned over, straining to get a look at what she was doing.
She came out and had a file in her hands. “Okay. Not sure if this is ’hinky’ or not, but for an accident like this, this is kind of weird.”
Ethan took the file from her.
Chapter 38
I decided to stop by Whole Foods and pick up some burgers for dinner. I had the kitchen back in order, and we still had some charcoal in the garage. I’m sure I could figure out how to get the grill going—that’s what the Internet was for.
Since it was a short trip from the mall to the grocery store, I just left the car’s top up. The engine’s growl was much more obvious without the wind noise. I pulled into the parking lot, opened the door, and stepped out.
What a beautiful day!
The sun was shining, not too muggy. Brian always said it was the humidity that sucked, and I tended to agree. I walked into the store, making a mental list of what we needed.
● Hamburgers. Better get 12. The boys might be hungry.
● Corn. If we get the grill going, might as well do some grilled corn on the cob.
● Baked potatoes. I’ll just throw them in the oven.
And while I was there, I would pick up some fruit for the kids. We had been eating takeout the past few days while the guys worked on the ceiling and cleaned up the mess. But now that I could get back in my kitchen, I felt like cooking. I figured we could do the burgers, and then the next day I would make a menu for the week, and we could run to Costco and Harris Teeters to get what we needed.
I grabbed a cart and just wandered the aisles for a little while. It wasn’t often that I got to go to the store by myself, and I was enjoying the peace and quiet.
Oh yeah! Burgers on sale! Gourmet patties for a dollar.
I grabbed 20 and had the butcher split them up into two packs of ten. I could always freeze one. I placed them in the cart, alongside the potatoes and corn I had already picked up. The girls loved watermelon, and the store had some nice ones, so I had picked up one of those for dessert as well. Yogurt went into the cart, as did some milk and hamburger buns.
I was sure there were other things we needed, but this assortment would do for now. I pushed my cart up to the self-checkout and rang up my purchases. I forgot my bags, so I had to use the brown paper bags. I packed up my stuff and paid. I pushed the little cart outside and fished my keys out of my purse.
Hmm… only 12 o’clock. Not too shabby.
Joe was bringing over the flooring samples at 2, so I had plenty of time to get home, put everything up, and maybe grab a sandwich. I put the food in my trunk, got in the car, and pulled out of the parking lot.
Chapter 39
No one paid any attention to him. He fit right in again. The early shoppers just moved around him, paying him no mind, and he made sure he could always see her.
The Woman had destroyed her bedroom, so she tried on clothes and bought new bras. He liked the black one she picked out.
She came out of a store once and looked up, and he thought she saw him, but she kept right on walking.
After a few hours, she finished her shopping, and he followed her out to the parking lot. He watched as she opened the trunk of her car and dropped her bags inside. She shut the trunk and lovingly ran her hand along the lines of the car.
He knelt behind a large SUV when she looked up. He was suddenly assaulted by visions. He saw her smiling in the passenger seat of the car, working frantically to put a scarf over her hair. A hand—his hand?—reached out and cupped her cheek, caressing her smooth skin. Her beautiful hair blew in the wind, and her laugh filled his head.
She drove away, and he moved to follow her.
He saw her pull into the parking lot of a grocery store. After making sure The Woman was nowhere near, he left her alone. He was getting tired. All
the running was taking its toll on his healing body, and he needed to rest. He took a moment to orient himself to his surroundings, and then took off toward his home.
Chapter 40
About 20 minutes later—I took the long way with the top down—I pulled into my garage. Sam and the girls were still out, so I unloaded my packages myself. After putting up the food, I lugged my bags full of clothes upstairs and started putting them away.
Hangers! Shoot!
Most of my hangers had also been destroyed, and I had completely forgotten about that. It was pushing 12:45, so I called Joe and asked if we could meet at 2:30 instead of 2. He said that actually worked better for him, so I grabbed my purse and headed off to Target. I was breaking my promise to Jessie, but in my defense, I hadn’t bought any of my new clothes at Target.
And 30 minutes later, that promise was completely broken. It was a really cute sundress though! And who couldn’t use new socks? I had gotten tons of new hangers, and I couldn’t resist—I picked up the new People magazine. Poor Amanda Bynes—she used to be so sweet.
10 minutes later, I was once again pulling into my garage. I was done for the day. If I’d forgotten something, it would just have to wait until the next day. I ran upstairs and spread out my purchases—shorts, T-shirts, a few casual dresses, some jeans. I was feeling good about my purchases. I’m sure my budding fashionista would find something to fault me with, but I was sure my wardrobe was on it’s way to being replenished.
I was listening to my iPod, and humming along to Bruno Mars when the doorbell rang, scaring me out of my reverie. Two thirty right on the dot. Joe had always been punctual, even in college when I was pretty sure he was drunk 75% of the time.
Lost Page 19
