Lillian settled on a navy blue percale shirtwaist, one with a sailor collar trimmed with white and bishop sleeves over a walking skirt, plain and severe in the same shade of blue. It looked neat and stylish but not too gaudy or so she hoped. Her fingers would not work when she tried to put up her...
Around four, just when she thought about wandering over to the student union for a soft drink and snack, Lauren Devlin-Marks tapped her on the shoulder. Gracie jumped, startled enough to drop her textbook to the floor. “Hi,” Lauren said. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m about to take a break ...
His head rested easy on something soft and a rose fragrance nearby soothed him. He rested easy in the chair surrounding him. The soft conversations around him didn’t disturb him but put him at ease. Something brushed his hand, light and silken. It tickled so he opened his eyes to see what it migh...
“Padilla.” “You’re a hard man to find these days.” Special Agent in Charge Martin’s voice remained level, making it hard to determine if he was pissed or professional. “Cell service is spotty here,” Daniel said. “Modern technology can’t always get through these hills. What’s up?” “I think it’s ti...
By her last stop, a drug rehab facility in lower Manhattan a few blocks from Church Street, Raine’s steps were dragging. She watched the clock worse than any student, willing it to move faster, and her sense of confinement increased until she could relate to the caged canary birds her grandmothe...
Neil refused to let her accompany him to see the VA doctor so Caroline waited, flipping through magazines about guns and hunting. When he emerged, his sober expression alarmed her. She stood up and met him. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” he said. “I’m h...
Whatever it was, she felt confident that they could discuss it and then put it away. He was not married, he could not be gay, but there were other possibilities, too many. Possibilities haunted her as she moved through the remainder of that first week of school. Maybe Darien had a love child, she...
Joshua figured if he tripped or lost his balance, he’d be dead within minutes. The braying and barking of the hounds sounded closer so he pushed harder, his calf muscles protesting as he increased speed. He failed to realize he had reached the railroad bridge until it was too late to turn around ...
The wind she’d felt earlier had stilled and the back of her neck, prickled with anticipation. More thunder boomed and a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens to earth. The heavy cloud bank advanced toward Celia and for the moment she felt no fear. Instead, a wild appreciation for the po...
She parked the car near his old truck and climbed out. “Hello!” she yelled. “Anybody home?” No sound but the hardwoods and the sweep of the wind through the tall cypress trees. A far-off cry from a loon echoed lonesome through the late morning and Nola twisted her lips into a frown. She shaded h...
She, wary under almost every circumstance, and shy around strangers, felt drawn to him, found she tended him in his illness like kin. He was very ill and despite her brave words, she was not at all sure he would survive. Johnny’s skin burned beneath her touch, hot and dry in a way that worried Sa...
Anne’s voice floated from the living room. “What happened?” “The storm must’ve knocked the power off,” he answered. “I’ll grab one of the oil lamps. Stay there and be warm, okay?” “I will. Did you get dressed?” He hadn’t so he took time to pull on his clothes. Then he got two oil lamps, one a ...
Otherwise, she’d be crawling the walls. Or she’d scream or maybe scratch her eyeballs out. Neither of the options appealed, so she paced the floor while Santiago lounged on the bed. “You’re going to wear out the carpet,” he said observantly after half an hour. She shot him a mean glare, but it...
Although the worst of evening rush hour ended an hour earlier, plenty of motorists were going about their routines. She sped up to keep pace and watched for the Truman Road exit. Once out of the worst traffic, her nerves eased as things felt more familiar. Deidre recognized supermarkets and disc...