Just a Little Sincerity Read Online Free PDF

sounded as though he was speaking directly in my ear.
    “She’s not dead,” the woman retorted. “Look, she’s moving….”
    Though my head pounded as though I’d been beaten near to death, I managed to open my eyes. Three old faces stared down at me, and only then did it become apparent that I was looking up from a stranger’s couch.
    I sat up quickly, but two gentle hands fell on my shoulder. The hands belonged to the female—an elderly, graying woman, whose movements were smooth and purposeful. She had an elegant grace about her that was admirable, and I couldn’t help but feel assured by her touch. As I glanced up at the two men behind her, I instantly recognized one and jumped to my feet.
    “Bruno!” I said, throwing my arms around him. “What’s going on? Where are we?”
    Detective Bruno wrapped his arms around me and held me close to his chest.
    “Lonnie heard you screaming from the street,” he said. “He looked out the window just as you hit the ground, sweetheart.
    “Hit the ground?” I asked, feeling the back of my head. “I don’t remember—”
    “You had a nasty fall, little one,” the woman spoke up. “A limb fell from the old oak and struck you.”
    “Down like a sack of potatoes,” Lonnie added, clapping his hands together dramatically.
    The room was dark, only lit by the few candles strewn about on tables throughout the house. Detective Bruno loosened his grip and guided me back to the couch.
    “The cell towers are down,” he said. “No one can get calls in or out right now. The power’s been out for a few hours and Main Street is flooded. We can’t get across town. Last I spoke to Charlie, he’d picked up Matt from the restaurant. They were heading home to take cover.”
    “Are they safe?”
    “They should have made it home in plenty of time,” he assured me. “The wind was bad though. We lost contact.” I nodded as Bruno knelt down to meet my stare. “Why in the world were you out in that, Julie? You were supposed to be at the school. Charlie had sent… someone was supposed to pick you up.”
    “I didn’t want to wait,” I said. “I thought I could make it on my own.”
    “Well, look how that turned out.”
    “What about Lu—”
    “No word from him,” Detective Bruno said. “But I’m sure he’s fine.”
    “Do you want a snack or anything, kiddo?” Lonnie asked. “We’re all stocked up on goodies—”
    “No thanks,” I said. “I need to get home. Charlie’ll be worried sick—”
    “You’re not going anywhere,” the woman said. “Didn’t you hear? The streets are flooded. There’s no power. It’s pitch dark. It’s not safe for you out there.”
    “You can sleep upstairs,” Bruno said. “Grace will show you to your room.”
    “Where are you going?” I asked. “You’re not going to stay with me?”
    “I’ll be on the couch,” he said. “I won’t be far.”
    “Are you sure,” I started, but leaned closer to whisper so only he could hear me. “Are you sure we’re safe with these people?”
    Bruno glanced behind his shoulder and winked at the woman. “Grace is my sister,” he said, turning back to me. “And Lonnie is the poor schmuck she talked into marrying her.”
    I smiled up at Grace and Lonnie, both of them beaming from ear-to-ear.
    “It’s just one night,” Bruno assured me. “Tomorrow we’ll get you home.”
    Five minutes later—after listening to Lonnie relive an animated and exaggerated version of my fall—I followed Grace up the dark staircase. The family pictures on the wall were masked in all the darkness.
    “Watch your step here,” Grace said, pointing at the final step. “It’s creaky. I’ve been thinking it’s going to fall through for years, but it hasn’t given out yet. But you never know.”
    “Have you lived here a long time?” I asked, following her to the first door on the right.
    “Only five years,” she said. “It was Lonnie’s house before we were married.”
    “Ah, newlyweds?” I