Laura's Big Win by Michelle Tschantre' Read Free Book Online Page B

now, had ordered closed up the “White
House” he and Mary had lived in, and moved back into the rooms they
had occupied before building the house, conveniently adjacent to
his office.
    Windmere had maintained time rights on
a private jet, but Ryan, ever the good businessman, seldom used it
for his own travel, preferring to use the local airport services.
It was more cost effective, but took its toll on his 6’3” frame. He
unwound his legs from the puddle jumper and went in to retrieve his
luggage and laptop from the baggage claim area, then strolled to
the parking lot to locate his tired Taurus. It was the car he and
Mary had purchased right after they were married, with the intent
to add at least a couple of kids along the way. But, it was never
to be; the children didn’t arrive, and Mary was gone now. He kept
the sedan anyway because of the familiarity, and because he
considered it unfair to his staff to make them wait on him at
airports, especially when it would be their normal time off. It was
a somewhat strange turn of events, but Ryan simply did not know how
much his staff appreciated him and would do anything for him,
especially now that they sensed his continuing sadness. Retrieving
the mile weary car, he headed for Windmere, food, and a night’s
rest before tackling the paperwork that always went with business
deals.
    Leaving the car in the drive, Ryan
dropped the luggage in his sleeping room, the laptop in the office,
and headed for the kitchen to see what Mrs. Cook had left him. That
was one of the job perks he did enjoy, having something ready for
him when he returned. Mrs. Cook pretty well knew his food
preferences, although now and then she would leave something new
for him to give a try; she had not disappointed him yet, and
tonight would be no exception. He retrieved the plate from the
refrigerator, added a cold Mexican beer he had come to enjoy, and
headed for the Great Room to catch up on the local scene. Normally
he would have retired to his own quarters, but there were no guests
just now, and the Great Room flat screen was one piece of
technology he did appreciate. With no remote in sight, he hit the
“On” button on the front of the unit, decided to watch whatever was
on, enjoy his meal, and find the remote later. The set lit up with
Channel 15, the local station, something he didn’t watch much since
his interests were more on the national level. But, it was on, and
he still didn’t see the remote; it wouldn’t hurt him to keep track
of the local scene, especially since most of his staff lived in
Conyerville.
    The commentator was talking to the
administrator about the loss of the cooling system in a local
homeless shelter, and the effect it was having on those the shelter
protected. It was a former hotel, somewhat rundown from its glory
years, but unquestionably better than living under a bridge or in a
cardboard box. As the camera panned around, the effect of the heat
and humidity and the distress it was imposing on the residents was
obvious. Most of them were now in the rec room area trying to get
some breeze from the floor fans, their rooms being far too hot to
be habitable. The panning hesitated for a moment or two on a young
woman holding an exhausted looking little girl with very sad eyes,
and an equally exhausted appearing little boy who looked like he
was standing guard to protect them and their remnants of some
former life. In that brief moment, Ryan saw in Laura’s face a look
of quiet desperation intermingled with a look that said “I don’t
belong here, but I’ll do whatever it takes to care for my
children.” It was a look that burned into his mind, and re-ignited
an interest he had long kept sequestered in his emotional
being.
    As quickly as the panning resumed, Ryan
hit the house intercom button before even thinking about the time.
It was well past 7 PM and the staff had retired for the night.
Slightly embarrassed with himself for this unexplained lapse of
judgment, Ryan