Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 by Claudia Hall Christian Read Free Book Online Page B

Valerie’s Mustang. “We’ll spend
the school year with Sandy. But if Daddy can’t keep himself out of
prison, we’ll just spend our time with Sandy. Daddy’s fight in
prison made it so we don’t have a choice. We aren’t very happy
about it. In fact, I don’t like it at all. Nash either. But we
don’t have a choice. That’s what the Social Services lady
said.”
    “ Does Aden
know?”
    “ He’s asleep,” Sandy
shrugged. “I think Social Services will notify him. Our social
worker saw the news about Delphie. Since Delphie is one of the
kid’s guardians, and now she’s sick, they’re giving me custody. We
saw the Social Services lady on Saturday and again this morning.
They filed papers this morning.”
    “ Oh,” Valerie said. “I’m so
sorry Sandy. I can hear it in your voice… You’re really
suffering.”
    “ Right now, I’m suffering
with this check,” Sandy said. “If you cash it, I’ll give you five
percent.”
    “ Sandy, I…”
    “ Ten percent?”
    “ Sandy, Jake can help you
rent your apartment.”
    “ It’s my responsibility.
I’ll take care of it myself,” Sandy said.
    They drove a few more blocks in silence.
    “ Maybe it’s time to do
something new,” Valerie said. She pulled up at a stop
light.
    “ I’m doing a lot of new
things,” Sandy said.
    “ You’re doing new things .” Valerie placed
her hand over Sandy’s heart. “But not doing new things here . I did that for a
really, really long time. Hurts like hell.”
    Sandy squinted at Valerie.
    “ You’re in pain and you
have to trust someone.”
    “ I trust Jill,” Sandy said.
“But that doesn’t get my check cashed.”
    “ Fine,” Valerie said. “Is
this your bank?”
    Sandy nodded. Valerie pulled into the Bank
of Denver next to her condo building. While Sandy gawked, Valerie
flirted with the clerk until he released the funds for Sandy. Using
her credit card, Valerie even deposited ten thousand dollars into
Sandy’s savings account to cover the check. They were back in the
car before Sandy said a word.
    “ Thanks,” Sandy
whispered.
    “ Easy. Before you light a
torch to all these bridges, you need to think about what you
want.”
    “ I want to get my nails
done,” Noelle said.
    “ So do I,” Valerie said.
“Let’s get our nails done. After my doctor’s appointment, Sandy and
I will talk about what we really want.”
    Nodding at the confidence in Valerie’s
voice, Sandy wondered what she really wanted. Valerie pulled up in
front of the Woodhouse. Pushing away a tidal wave of sorrow, Sandy
followed Valerie and Noelle into the spa.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Monday afternoon — 3:15 P.M.
     
    “ Oooh don’t move too fast,”
Jill said when Aden jerked up from his hospital bed.
    “ Where am I?” Aden
asked.
    “ Canon City Hospital Ward,”
Jill said. “What do you remember?”
    “ Nothing.” Still waking up,
Aden moved his head back and forth. “I guess I remember the ride to
Canon City. How did I get in the hospital?”
    “ You and Pete were attacked
by your older brother the first night you were here.”
    “ Pete!” Aden looked around
the dormitory style room.
    “ He’s in the bed next to
you,” Jill said. “I visited him first. He’ll be okay. I left him
asleep.”
    “ You?”
    “ You don’t remember me
healing you?” Jill asked. “Most people have some memory or sense of
it.”
    Aden’s face twisted into a puzzled look and
then he nodded.
    “ How?” Aden
asked.
    “ It’s a long story,” Jill
said. “Listen, I woke you up to talk to you.”
    “ Where’s Sandy?” Aden
asked.
    “ That’s what I wanted to
talk to you about,” Jill said. “Sandy’s not coming. Not now and
probably never.”
    “ What do you
mean?”
    “ You and Sandy? You guys
are over,” Jill said. “At least that’s what she says.”
    “ She always says we’re
over,” Aden smiled at Jill. “She’s just like that.”
    “ Not this time,” Jill said.
“I’ve never seen her this angry.”
    “ She’ll