Chapter 1
The first thing she heard was the buzz of a power saw. "Luis?" Her blue eyes were wide with panic.
"Sheridan. Sheridan! Wait." He followed her through the open front door and sighed in relief.
"Mom. Mom," Danielle squeaked. "I can't breathe."
"What happened? Why didn't you call us?"
"Mommy," Danielle smiled. Cupping her mother's face lovingly between the palms of her small hands. "I'm fine. Don't worry so much."
"Hey," he said softly. "I was worried, too." Feathering his fingers through his daughter's silky dark hair.
"Dad."
"Seriously.what happened?" He could hardly hear the sound of his own voice over the pounding upstairs.
Charity's blue eyes were solemn as she handed Sheridan a glass of water. "The storm," she said simply.
"That's all. A tree crashed through Tessa's window."
Luis's brown eyes connected with his younger brother's at the foot of the stairs. "That's all?"
Her uncle Miguel was stone-faced as he said, "Yeah. No one was hurt. It wasn't a big deal."
Sheridan saw the confusion in her daughter's blue eyes. "Thank God. Where's Tessa? I hope she wasn't too frightened. There you are," Sheridan gasped when the little girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. The sunlight streaming through the windows glinted off Tessa's yellow hair. And Sheridan laughed nervously. Blinking. The child was glowing. "You scared me," she whispered. Scooping Tessa's limp little body up in her arms.
"Tessa wasn't scared, Mom." But I was.
"Wow! You're such a brave little girl." Sheridan shivered as she looked into the child's piercing blue eyes. They were almost.hypnotic.
"Mom? Mom.did you hear me?"
"What?" she answered sluggishly. "I'm sorry, Baby," she apologized. "What did you say?"
Tessa slid easily from her aunt's hip and scampered away.
"Somebody was outside Tessa's window last night."
Miguel's glass thudded against the surface of the coffee table, and the stairs creaked under his weight.
"Who?" Luis asked.
"No one," Charity said quickly. Averting her blue eyes from Luis's penetrating stare.
"But Tessa saw the person, too. I swear." Why were they pretending it didn't happen?
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Beth watched the old woman with suspicious brown eyes. For as long as she could remember Tabitha-and Timmy-had been a fixture around Harmony. A strange claim to fame if you will.
"Beth. Sorry. Did I catch you daydreaming about me again?"
Beth's lips twisted into a smile. "And why would I be wasting my precious fantasies on you, Hank? I'm thinking more along the lines of Antonio Sabato, Jr. Nope. I'm not into the scruffy look at all."
Hank staggered backwards. A hand over his heart. "You wound me."
Beth's eyes sparkled. "What can I get you this morning?"
"The tallest cup of stiff black coffee you can brew."
She set the foam container on the counter and doled out Hank's change. "Hank.let me ask you something."
"Okay. Shoot," Hank grinned affably.
"Do you.do you have a thing for."
"Do I have a thing for what, Beth?"
Not what, Hank. Who.
The phone rang insistently in the background.
"Better get that," he grinned.
"No. Hank.wait. Tell Gwen I said 'hello'," she muttered.
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Oh god. Her head. She felt like an entire marching band had trampled on it. Her whole body ached.
The phone started to ring, and she dove under the mound of pillows with a groan.
"There is a God," she breathed. Silence.
"I'm not home, dammit!" she screamed when the demonic device started to trill again. She ripped the cord out of the wall and raised the contraption over her head.
"You're up," Hank grinned obnoxiously. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. Nodding his head at the phone AND answering machine in her hands.
She glared at him with icy blue eyes.
"Think of the crash it'll make. The sound of each tiny piece clattering to the floor. On second thought.go ahead. I never liked that particular phone anyway. You haven't gotten a new one in a long time. Maybe you should go with something more chic this time."
She moaned pitifully when he turned her bedside lamp on. "Do you enjoy torturing me?"
He jerked the comforter from her body. Hauling her kicking and screaming to the bathroom and twisting the shower tap. "You stink," he smirked as he shoved her under the icy spray and her shrieks resounded through the apartment.
"You're dead. I-I-I'm go-o-oing to k-k-k-ill you myself," she chattered.
"Is that right?"
She yanked the bottle of shampoo from his hands and instantly regretted the action. "You're so damn annoying, you know that," she grumbled. Holding her aching head. Almost falling out of the shower stall.
"Thank you. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"UGH! GET OUT! NOW!"
He laughed all the way to the door. "What the.nice. Real nice," he said. Tossing the pair of black panties over his shoulder.
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She raised her hand to knock on the door.
"Aunt Whitney!"
"Matthew! Don't! Oh, Whit. I'm so sorry. He just got all excited when he saw your car drive up. And he forgot. Didn't you, Matthew?"
Matthew's brown eyes welled up with tears as he held his sticky hands out to his mother. "I didn't mean to."
Whitney knelt down. Eye level with the little boy. Wiping away a smudge of cookie dough from his tanned cheek. "Chocolate chip? Matthew.how did you know these were my favorite?"
Theresa smiled at Whitney gratefully.
"Mommy told me," he said proudly.
"I can't wait to eat them. Matthew.have you been kissing Genie again?"
Matthew grinned at her bashfully. Hiding his face behind his hands. "No," he protested. Only he nodded his head 'yes'. Causing both women to burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked with a befuddled expression.
"You, kiddo," Theresa smiled. Ruffling his brown hair affectionately. "I bet Nana's getting awfully lonely in the kitchen."
"I should go help her," he said thoughtfully. "Aunt Whitney? Can you stay for supper? Maybe my dad will come home," he said innocently.
And the hope shining in his dark eyes broke Whitney's heart.
"Do you think so, Mommy?"
Theresa hugged her son close and kissed the top of his head. "For you? Of course."
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"Ethan," she cried. Holding him at arm's length. "It's so good to see you."
Ethan smiled at her fondly. Inspecting the diamond on her finger. "So he finally did it. Asked you to marry him. How did my.they take the news?"
Ivy sighed. Her blue green eyes dulling with the painful memory. "They hate me. All three of them. Just like your sisters and brother."
"That's not true, Mother."
Ethan was amazed at the transformation.
"Lauren.is that you?"
Hazel eyes twinkled at her, and pink lips curled upward in a smile. "This is bad. Really bad. Are you telling me you don't recognize your own daughter?"
Ivy's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Darling. I."
"Mother.I was teasing," Lauren laughed.
Ivy smiled back at her. Maybe things weren't so terrible after all.
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"Is Dr. Russell in?"
The nurse looked at him oddly. "No, Officer. I'm sorry. But a Dr. Russell doesn't work here. Is there arything else I can do for you?"
"Are you sure?" Sam asked. Running a hand through his hair in exasperation. This was a wild goose chase.
"I'm sure, Sir," the woman answered patiently.
"Dammit, Eve. What's going on here?" he muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me. But did you say 'Eve'? Eve Johnson works here."
"Thank you," Sam smiled. "Eve Johnson.I wasn't thinking. Could you tell me where she is?"
"She's with a patient right now, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you waited outside. Room 13."
Sam stalked down the dimly lit hall purposely. His footsteps echoing. Sounding too loud. He was sure a deaf man could hear the racket he was making. Room 13. Room 13. "Eve," he said. Startling her as she slipped the door shut behind her.
"Sam! Thank goodness you came."
"Why am I here, Eve?"
"Sam.I think you need to sit down. What I'm about to tell you."
Sam shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I'm fine. What is it? Tell me."
Inside room 13, the woman's hand fell gently from her waist. Blue eyes opened, and a smile fleeted across her lips as she whispered one word. "Sam."
The first thing she heard was the buzz of a power saw. "Luis?" Her blue eyes were wide with panic.
"Sheridan. Sheridan! Wait." He followed her through the open front door and sighed in relief.
"Mom. Mom," Danielle squeaked. "I can't breathe."
"What happened? Why didn't you call us?"
"Mommy," Danielle smiled. Cupping her mother's face lovingly between the palms of her small hands. "I'm fine. Don't worry so much."
"Hey," he said softly. "I was worried, too." Feathering his fingers through his daughter's silky dark hair.
"Dad."
"Seriously.what happened?" He could hardly hear the sound of his own voice over the pounding upstairs.
Charity's blue eyes were solemn as she handed Sheridan a glass of water. "The storm," she said simply.
"That's all. A tree crashed through Tessa's window."
Luis's brown eyes connected with his younger brother's at the foot of the stairs. "That's all?"
Her uncle Miguel was stone-faced as he said, "Yeah. No one was hurt. It wasn't a big deal."
Sheridan saw the confusion in her daughter's blue eyes. "Thank God. Where's Tessa? I hope she wasn't too frightened. There you are," Sheridan gasped when the little girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. The sunlight streaming through the windows glinted off Tessa's yellow hair. And Sheridan laughed nervously. Blinking. The child was glowing. "You scared me," she whispered. Scooping Tessa's limp little body up in her arms.
"Tessa wasn't scared, Mom." But I was.
"Wow! You're such a brave little girl." Sheridan shivered as she looked into the child's piercing blue eyes. They were almost.hypnotic.
"Mom? Mom.did you hear me?"
"What?" she answered sluggishly. "I'm sorry, Baby," she apologized. "What did you say?"
Tessa slid easily from her aunt's hip and scampered away.
"Somebody was outside Tessa's window last night."
Miguel's glass thudded against the surface of the coffee table, and the stairs creaked under his weight.
"Who?" Luis asked.
"No one," Charity said quickly. Averting her blue eyes from Luis's penetrating stare.
"But Tessa saw the person, too. I swear." Why were they pretending it didn't happen?
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Beth watched the old woman with suspicious brown eyes. For as long as she could remember Tabitha-and Timmy-had been a fixture around Harmony. A strange claim to fame if you will.
"Beth. Sorry. Did I catch you daydreaming about me again?"
Beth's lips twisted into a smile. "And why would I be wasting my precious fantasies on you, Hank? I'm thinking more along the lines of Antonio Sabato, Jr. Nope. I'm not into the scruffy look at all."
Hank staggered backwards. A hand over his heart. "You wound me."
Beth's eyes sparkled. "What can I get you this morning?"
"The tallest cup of stiff black coffee you can brew."
She set the foam container on the counter and doled out Hank's change. "Hank.let me ask you something."
"Okay. Shoot," Hank grinned affably.
"Do you.do you have a thing for."
"Do I have a thing for what, Beth?"
Not what, Hank. Who.
The phone rang insistently in the background.
"Better get that," he grinned.
"No. Hank.wait. Tell Gwen I said 'hello'," she muttered.
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Oh god. Her head. She felt like an entire marching band had trampled on it. Her whole body ached.
The phone started to ring, and she dove under the mound of pillows with a groan.
"There is a God," she breathed. Silence.
"I'm not home, dammit!" she screamed when the demonic device started to trill again. She ripped the cord out of the wall and raised the contraption over her head.
"You're up," Hank grinned obnoxiously. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. Nodding his head at the phone AND answering machine in her hands.
She glared at him with icy blue eyes.
"Think of the crash it'll make. The sound of each tiny piece clattering to the floor. On second thought.go ahead. I never liked that particular phone anyway. You haven't gotten a new one in a long time. Maybe you should go with something more chic this time."
She moaned pitifully when he turned her bedside lamp on. "Do you enjoy torturing me?"
He jerked the comforter from her body. Hauling her kicking and screaming to the bathroom and twisting the shower tap. "You stink," he smirked as he shoved her under the icy spray and her shrieks resounded through the apartment.
"You're dead. I-I-I'm go-o-oing to k-k-k-ill you myself," she chattered.
"Is that right?"
She yanked the bottle of shampoo from his hands and instantly regretted the action. "You're so damn annoying, you know that," she grumbled. Holding her aching head. Almost falling out of the shower stall.
"Thank you. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"UGH! GET OUT! NOW!"
He laughed all the way to the door. "What the.nice. Real nice," he said. Tossing the pair of black panties over his shoulder.
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She raised her hand to knock on the door.
"Aunt Whitney!"
"Matthew! Don't! Oh, Whit. I'm so sorry. He just got all excited when he saw your car drive up. And he forgot. Didn't you, Matthew?"
Matthew's brown eyes welled up with tears as he held his sticky hands out to his mother. "I didn't mean to."
Whitney knelt down. Eye level with the little boy. Wiping away a smudge of cookie dough from his tanned cheek. "Chocolate chip? Matthew.how did you know these were my favorite?"
Theresa smiled at Whitney gratefully.
"Mommy told me," he said proudly.
"I can't wait to eat them. Matthew.have you been kissing Genie again?"
Matthew grinned at her bashfully. Hiding his face behind his hands. "No," he protested. Only he nodded his head 'yes'. Causing both women to burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked with a befuddled expression.
"You, kiddo," Theresa smiled. Ruffling his brown hair affectionately. "I bet Nana's getting awfully lonely in the kitchen."
"I should go help her," he said thoughtfully. "Aunt Whitney? Can you stay for supper? Maybe my dad will come home," he said innocently.
And the hope shining in his dark eyes broke Whitney's heart.
"Do you think so, Mommy?"
Theresa hugged her son close and kissed the top of his head. "For you? Of course."
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"Ethan," she cried. Holding him at arm's length. "It's so good to see you."
Ethan smiled at her fondly. Inspecting the diamond on her finger. "So he finally did it. Asked you to marry him. How did my.they take the news?"
Ivy sighed. Her blue green eyes dulling with the painful memory. "They hate me. All three of them. Just like your sisters and brother."
"That's not true, Mother."
Ethan was amazed at the transformation.
"Lauren.is that you?"
Hazel eyes twinkled at her, and pink lips curled upward in a smile. "This is bad. Really bad. Are you telling me you don't recognize your own daughter?"
Ivy's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Darling. I."
"Mother.I was teasing," Lauren laughed.
Ivy smiled back at her. Maybe things weren't so terrible after all.
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"Is Dr. Russell in?"
The nurse looked at him oddly. "No, Officer. I'm sorry. But a Dr. Russell doesn't work here. Is there arything else I can do for you?"
"Are you sure?" Sam asked. Running a hand through his hair in exasperation. This was a wild goose chase.
"I'm sure, Sir," the woman answered patiently.
"Dammit, Eve. What's going on here?" he muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me. But did you say 'Eve'? Eve Johnson works here."
"Thank you," Sam smiled. "Eve Johnson.I wasn't thinking. Could you tell me where she is?"
"She's with a patient right now, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you waited outside. Room 13."
Sam stalked down the dimly lit hall purposely. His footsteps echoing. Sounding too loud. He was sure a deaf man could hear the racket he was making. Room 13. Room 13. "Eve," he said. Startling her as she slipped the door shut behind her.
"Sam! Thank goodness you came."
"Why am I here, Eve?"
"Sam.I think you need to sit down. What I'm about to tell you."
Sam shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I'm fine. What is it? Tell me."
Inside room 13, the woman's hand fell gently from her waist. Blue eyes opened, and a smile fleeted across her lips as she whispered one word. "Sam."