Ever Present Danger Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Kathy Herman
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Religious, Christian, Murder, Religious Fiction, Witnesses, Single mothers
passenger climbing out of the backseat.
“Ivy?” Carolyn stopped, unsure if she had said the name or merely breathed it.
Her daughter looked two decades older and thirty pounds thinner. Her face was pale and gaunt, her lips cracked. Her hair, which once fell past her shoulders in shiny blond tresses, had been cropped and appeared as dull and lifeless as broom bristles. Carolyn was thinking that if she had run into this person on the street, she wouldn’t have known it was her daughter.
Ivy’s gray eyes had the look of a frightened animal and moved from Carolyn to Elam and then back to Carolyn, as if to ask whether she was still welcome or if they’d had second thoughts.
Carolyn opened her arms, and Ivy ambled into her mother’s embrace, neither of them saying anything. In the next second, Elam’s hands were caressing Ivy’s back, and he seemed as unable to talk as they were. Carolyn wasn’t sure how much time passed before she realized a young man was talking.
“Hey, I’m done unloading your bags,” he said. “Unless you need me to do something else, we’re gonna head on to Purgatory, okay?”
Carolyn let go of Ivy and noticed a young man in a red ski jacket standing next to the driver’s door.
“Thanks, Rocco,” Ivy said. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”
“No problem. Be happy, okay?” He nodded at Carolyn and Elam, then got in the car and drove to the end of the circle drive and back down the driveway.
Carolyn didn’t ask why Ivy hadn’t introduced them. She felt a tug on the bottom of her sweater and looked down into a pair ofpuppy eyes that looked remarkably like Rusty’s.
“You must be Montana.”
The boy nodded and flashed an elfin smile, minus a few teeth. “Yes, ma’am. And this is my Gramma Lu.”
The woman extended her hand. “I’m Lucia Ramirez. I go by Lu.”
Ivy shook her head and apologized for being so absentminded and finally made the introductions.
“What should I call you?” Montana said to his grandparents.
Carolyn brushed the hair out of his eyes. “What would you like to call us?”
“Well, since—”
“I’d better get the suitcases into the house.” Elam walked over and picked up two tattered duffle bags and headed for the porch steps.
“I can help,” Montana said.
“Suit yourself.” Elam went up the steps and into the house.
Carolyn hoped her face didn’t give away her irritation. “Montana, why don’t you get a couple of the smaller bags and follow me.”
“I’m very strong,” he said. “Mom lets me carry the groceries all the time.”
Carolyn heard barking and looked up and saw Sasha racing full throttle up the snowy slope, her tail wagging, a cloud of white powder kicking up behind her. “Oh, no. I hope you like dogs.”
Two seconds later, the Siberian Husky’s front paws collided with Montana’s shoulders and knocked him on his behind, the dog’s tongue swiping his face.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetie—she doesn’t bite!” Carolyn exclaimed. “Sasha, back! Get back!”
The dog ran in circles, then sat in the snow and yelped, her eyes on Montana, her body posed to pounce.
“She’s rambunctious but she just wants to play,” Carolyn said. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Nope.” Montana sprang to his feet and brushed the snow off his jeans, then clapped his hands. “Come here, girl. Come here.”
Sasha bounded forward and then backwards, barking all the while, her tail swishing from side to side.
Montana laughed. “I think she likes me.”
“I thought you were bringing in those bags, boy.” Elam stood in the doorway, his arms folded.
“Oh, yeah.” Montana picked up the two largest bags and walked penguin-like over to the steps and up on the porch and went inside.
Ivy picked up the last bag and two sacks of clothes. “You go first, Lu. I’m right behind you.”
Carolyn followed them up on the porch and glared at Elam as she squeezed past
“Ivy?” Carolyn stopped, unsure if she had said the name or merely breathed it.
Her daughter looked two decades older and thirty pounds thinner. Her face was pale and gaunt, her lips cracked. Her hair, which once fell past her shoulders in shiny blond tresses, had been cropped and appeared as dull and lifeless as broom bristles. Carolyn was thinking that if she had run into this person on the street, she wouldn’t have known it was her daughter.
Ivy’s gray eyes had the look of a frightened animal and moved from Carolyn to Elam and then back to Carolyn, as if to ask whether she was still welcome or if they’d had second thoughts.
Carolyn opened her arms, and Ivy ambled into her mother’s embrace, neither of them saying anything. In the next second, Elam’s hands were caressing Ivy’s back, and he seemed as unable to talk as they were. Carolyn wasn’t sure how much time passed before she realized a young man was talking.
“Hey, I’m done unloading your bags,” he said. “Unless you need me to do something else, we’re gonna head on to Purgatory, okay?”
Carolyn let go of Ivy and noticed a young man in a red ski jacket standing next to the driver’s door.
“Thanks, Rocco,” Ivy said. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”
“No problem. Be happy, okay?” He nodded at Carolyn and Elam, then got in the car and drove to the end of the circle drive and back down the driveway.
Carolyn didn’t ask why Ivy hadn’t introduced them. She felt a tug on the bottom of her sweater and looked down into a pair ofpuppy eyes that looked remarkably like Rusty’s.
“You must be Montana.”
The boy nodded and flashed an elfin smile, minus a few teeth. “Yes, ma’am. And this is my Gramma Lu.”
The woman extended her hand. “I’m Lucia Ramirez. I go by Lu.”
Ivy shook her head and apologized for being so absentminded and finally made the introductions.
“What should I call you?” Montana said to his grandparents.
Carolyn brushed the hair out of his eyes. “What would you like to call us?”
“Well, since—”
“I’d better get the suitcases into the house.” Elam walked over and picked up two tattered duffle bags and headed for the porch steps.
“I can help,” Montana said.
“Suit yourself.” Elam went up the steps and into the house.
Carolyn hoped her face didn’t give away her irritation. “Montana, why don’t you get a couple of the smaller bags and follow me.”
“I’m very strong,” he said. “Mom lets me carry the groceries all the time.”
Carolyn heard barking and looked up and saw Sasha racing full throttle up the snowy slope, her tail wagging, a cloud of white powder kicking up behind her. “Oh, no. I hope you like dogs.”
Two seconds later, the Siberian Husky’s front paws collided with Montana’s shoulders and knocked him on his behind, the dog’s tongue swiping his face.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetie—she doesn’t bite!” Carolyn exclaimed. “Sasha, back! Get back!”
The dog ran in circles, then sat in the snow and yelped, her eyes on Montana, her body posed to pounce.
“She’s rambunctious but she just wants to play,” Carolyn said. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Nope.” Montana sprang to his feet and brushed the snow off his jeans, then clapped his hands. “Come here, girl. Come here.”
Sasha bounded forward and then backwards, barking all the while, her tail swishing from side to side.
Montana laughed. “I think she likes me.”
“I thought you were bringing in those bags, boy.” Elam stood in the doorway, his arms folded.
“Oh, yeah.” Montana picked up the two largest bags and walked penguin-like over to the steps and up on the porch and went inside.
Ivy picked up the last bag and two sacks of clothes. “You go first, Lu. I’m right behind you.”
Carolyn followed them up on the porch and glared at Elam as she squeezed past