Dreamscape Read Online Free PDF

in their designated rooms, and the kitchen was clean and sparkling.
    Last on the list—the cellar. Ben’s preliminary run-through showed a monumental task ahead, one that was better-served when more hands freed up. It wasn’t a livable space, so there was no real hurry. His crew had been at it all day, clearing trash hidden in the grass and mowing with saw blade weed-whackers that made the first pass before the lawn mowers came. With plans to reseed the grass the next day, they were now hosing off and packing their tools. She’d met the brother-in-law plumbers Wally and Kenny, and Kenny’s brother Al who’d worked most of the day glazing new windows in the front parlor and would return on Monday to do the windows in the study and dining room.
    That morning, they came upon the two cedar chests filled with intricate handiwork. Ben mentioned the doily board he’d made for Janice and called his wife to tell her and she generously offered to wash and starch the lot.
    All in all it had been a very productive day.
    Jason had become obsessed by the black-haired beauty. By her side throughout the day, he’d followed her every move and listened in on every conversation she had with the workers and on the amazingly small gadget that could only be her telephone. He found her charming and quite competent overall with a ready wit and keen intelligence. When she put her hands on her hips and arched backwards, he recognized her back strain and fatigue. Poor little sweetheart. He recalled how Margaret’s mind was receptive to his thoughts when she was tired. So, partly for her own sake, and a partly because he so desired to feel her warmth again, he whispered to Lanie’s subconscious, “Rest, you should rest.”
    Lanie suddenly found herself just too tired to make dinner. Leafing through the ancient yellowed phone book, she knew the odds were slim she’d find anything listed there to still be in business. Giving up, she put the useless Yellow Pages in a box full of recyclables. Flexing her sore back, she tried to decide if she was too tired to even bother going to a drive-through for a burger. Noticing her pad of paper with the next day’s itinerary, an idea came to her. She dialed Ben. “Hey there, Ben, sorry to bother you...”
    “Hey, Lanie, what’s up?” asked the voice on the other end of the phone. “Did we leave the hose on?”
    “No, everything’s fine. The reason I’m calling… I don’t have a new phone book yet and I’m too tired to drive to McDonalds. You get around this part of town more than I do so I figured you might know where all the good delivery food is.”
    Ben chuckled. “Sure, hang on. Janice keeps a folder with takeout menus. Chinese okay? Peking House over on Center Street delivers. There’s pizza over at Brandino’s on Madison, that’s a good one. They do deep dish.”
    “Chinese sounds good. I’ll take the pizza number, too. I have the feeling I’ll be doing this again over the next few days.”
    “Brandino’s puts a menu in the bag with every order. Keep one, they have a lot more than pizza.” Ben gave her three more numbers then said, “As long as I have you on the phone…” He went on to explain that he’d placed an order for the plants and trees he needed. Familiar with other Victorian atriums in the area, he was pretty confident about what should be in there. The Victorians with their fancy roses and their gardening clubs often shared stock and cuttings. “I’ll be putting those in then flushing the entire thing with growth hormone. It’ll smell for a day, but that boost will get everything up and growing again.”
    “I leave it in your capable hands.” She smiled. “I can treat illnesses, but when it comes to plants, forget it. ” She held up her thumb as if he could see the act on his end of the line. “A green thumb I do not have.”
    An hour later, comfortably full of chicken lo mein, she put her leftovers away and lugged several pots of hot water upstairs for a