My Sister's Keeper by Brenda Chapman Read Free Book Online

around six.”
    “The pork chops will be soaking in sauce and ready to grill.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    I hid out in Cheri’s house the entire day and night. It felt like a police stakeout, something I hated more than handing out parking tickets. The time went slowly without incident. No late night phone call. No threatening emails. I began to think Jimmy might have been right. Cheri had made up a crisis to get attention.
    When Cheri came home the next evening at seven, I was going stir crazy.
    “Will you be okay if I go for a jog before dinner?” I asked.
    “Go ahead. I’m going to have a shower. Then I’ll pour a glass of wine and work until you get home. What smells so good?”
    “I’ve made a lamb stew in the slow cooker. It will be ready when we want to eat.”
    “I had a late lunch with Jimmy and Evan. I’m not hungry yet.” She smiled. “They’re moving back home on Saturday.”
    “That’s two days from now. That’s quick.”
    “I told Jimmy I wouldn’t work as many hours. We have three new lawyers so my workload is lifting. And I promised to take a family holiday now that my promotion is final.”
    “Did you tell him I’m still here?”
    Cheri shook her head. “I haven’t told anybody.”
    “I’ll book my flight when I get back from my run. I’ll catch a flight Saturday morning.”
    Cheri took off her suit jacket. She dropped it on the back of a chair. “Did Dad tell you anything about his health?”
    “No. Is something going on?”
    “He’ll be angry if I say anything.” She started walking out of the kitchen. She unbuttoned her shirt as she went. I followed her down the hall into her bedroom.
    “You can’t just say something like that and leave me hanging. Is Dad sick?”
    “The doctors are running tests. Nothing is certain yet.”
    My heart felt like it was being squeezed. “He never said anything about not feeling well.”
    “You know Dad—a soldier to the end. He really will be angry if he knows I told you anything.”
    “Well, thanks . . . I think.”
    I left Cheri and went into the spare bedroom. I pulled on some shorts, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, then tied up my runners. At the last minute, I grabbed a baseball cap and tucked my hair up underneath. I pulled the hood over top. Darkness was setting in. Still, I wanted to make sure nobody could recognize me. Pretending Cheri was living alone probably didn’t matter. But I’d give my plan two more nights.
    “I’ll lock the back door,” I called to Cheri. She was just getting into the shower. “Back in about an hour.”
    “Take your time,” she called.
    I stepped onto the deck and locked the back door. Already the air was cooling down. A breeze had blown in clouds from the west. I looked into the sky and sniffed the air. Rain was coming but a ways off yet. I should have lots of time to get in my run.
    I stretched on the lawn in the shadows. I slipped out the side gate and ran down Maple Street, past the park toward Prince of Wales Drive. Manotick was a growing town trying to hang on to its village charm. I followed the side streets at a slow pace, taking time to look at yards and late-summer gardens. Old oak and maple trees lined the roads. Hardly any cars passed me and I enjoyed the silence. A cool wind pushed me along, making the jog easy. My body felt lighter just being outdoors in the fresh air.
    I used to run marathons and work out in the gym. After leaving Ottawa, I stopped running and working out. I stopped just about everything, including keeping in contact with my family and friends.
    My father had always seemed like a rock. I wasn’t sure how I felt hearing that he might be sick. The idea that he might even die was too much to swallow. I picked up my pace.
    A man walking his collie came toward me. I’d never seen him before and nodded as we passed each other. Another block further on, I checked my watch. I’d been running just over half an hour. The shadows had been replaced by complete darkness. I took the next