JACK KILBORN ~ ENDURANCE Read Online Free PDF Page A

Kelly. “Babe, are you okay?”
    “ There was a man,” Kelly huffed and puffed. “His face was messed up. He had a gun.”
    Grandma coasted to a stop alongside them.
    “ Florence? What happened?”
    Mom hadn’t called Grandma Mom since Dad died.
    Grandma blew out a deep breath. “I’m not sure. Could have been a hunter. Could have been some hillbilly protecting his whiskey still. Scary-looking fellow, wasn’t he, Kelly?”
    “ Did he threaten you?” Mom asked.
    Grandma shook her head. “Kept his gun down. Didn’t say a word. Might not be used to talking, though. He had a severe harelip, probably a cleft palate. Talking would be difficult.”
    “ Should we call the police?”
    “ For having a gun in West Virginia? They’d laugh us off the phone.”
    “ Are you okay, Kelly?”
    Kelly felt like crying, and Mom showing concern made the emotion even stronger. But she sucked it in, got her breathing under control.
    I’m almost a teenager. Teenagers don’t cry.
    “ I’m fine.”
    “ Are you sure?”
    Grandma folded her arms. “She said she’s fine, Letti. Kelly’s almost a teenager. Quit treating her like a child.”
    Kelly matched Grandma’s pose, taking strength from it. “Yeah, Mom. Now can we get going?”
    Mom made a face, then looked at her watch. “We’ve got another forty minutes before we get to the bed and breakfast. Do you need to pee?”
    Kelly rolled her eyes. “No.”
    “ Are you sure?”
    “ Geez, Mom.” She walked over to the car and climbed into the backseat.
    Surprisingly, Grandma got in next to her.
    “ Let’s let JD ride shotgun. I’d like to see that game you’re playing on your iPod.”
    “ Uh, sure.”
    As Mom pulled back onto the road, Kelly showed Grandma Zombie Apocalypse.
    “ It’s really hard. I can’t get past level 65.”
    “ Sure you can,” Grandma said. “You just haven’t yet.”
    Kelly attacked the level with a frenzy. For some reason, more than anything, she wanted to prove Grandma right.
     
    # # #
     
    “ I’m sorry, Miss Novachek. All of our rooms are booked.”
    Deb Novachek kept her anger in check. She was an expert at that.
    “ But I have a reservation. I confirmed it yesterday.”
    The concierge looked pained. He was a tall, pasty man with a bad hairpiece that looked like an animal was perched on his head. His nametag read Franklin . “I realize that. And I humbly apologize for the inconvenience. We overbooked. Your room will be available tomorrow morning, and we’ll upgrade you to a suite at no extra cost.”
    “ That’s not good enough. Tomorrow is the pre-event briefing. I have to be there early.”
    Deb fleetingly considered playing the special needs card, but she knew she’d sleep in her car before she did that. Hell, she’d sleep on the street with a newspaper blanket before she asked for preferential treatment.
    “ I really wish there was something I could do. I’m very sorry.”
    “ I’d like to speak to the manager.”
    “ Miss Novachek, I am the manager. I’ll not only upgrade to a suite tomorrow, but we’d be happy to pay for it to make up for the inconvenience.”
    “ That doesn’t do me any good tonight.”
    Deb felt like crossing her arms, but resisted. It messed with her balance.
    “ Unfortunately, this seems to happen every year at triathlon time. Every hotel and motel in town is filled to capacity.”
    Deb frowned. “Could I room with another contestant staying here?”
    Franklin reached for the phone. “That would be up to them. If you give me a name, I can connect you.”
    “ I don’t know anyone here. This is my first time at Iron Woman .”
    “ I’m sorry. I can’t just start randomly calling guests.” He put the receiver down and tapped his pale chin, apparently thinking. “You know, there is a bed and breakfast, forty miles out of town. It’s so out of the way, it probably has some rooms available. Would you like me to check for you?”
    Deb took a deep breath, let it our slow. “Yes.