No Plans for Love by Ruth Ann Hixson Read Free Book Online Page A

leaned in to get her clothes basket, a bullet came through the garage door window and zinged over her head. She ducked down unsure what she should do to protect herself. If she hid in front of the car she could be seen through the side windows. She pushed the clothes basket aside and crouched on the back floor board.
    But other eyes saw and other ears heard the gunshot. Mark rapped on the bathroom door as he passed. "Hurry up, old man. Sherry's in trouble!"
    "Holy cow! I don't have any clothes on," came Frank's reply but Mark was already on his way down the stairs. Frank pulled on his dirty clothes and headed for the bedroom to slip his bare feet into his sneakers. Then he ran down the stairs and out the front door. Mark had the truck turned around but stopped to wait for him.
    "What's going on?" he asked as soon as he was in.
    "Elena followed Sherry home again. She pulled right in the driveway behind her. I'm sure I heard a gunshot."
    "Why did you ever teach her to shoot?" Frank demanded. The car parked in Sherry's driveway backed up and turned away from them but they could plainly see the vanity plate: ELENA.
    From where she was crouched on the floor, Sherry could not see through the garage windows but she could see the light from the Lexus' headlamps. Even though the light disappeared, she was cautious when she slowly got up and stood beside her car. The flash of other headlights made her dive for cover again. She heard two vehicle doors close. Then she heard a male voice calling her name. She couldn't tell if it was Frank or Mark but she was glad they were there. She unlocked the door to the breezeway and ran to unlock the outside door.
    "Sherry! Sherry!" Mark rang the door buzzer and pounded on the glass of the locked storm door.
    "Don't break the glass!" she yelled back as she unlocked the door.
    As soon as he stepped across the threshold, Mark pulled her into his arms and gently held her head against his chest. She could hear his heart pounding.
    Now that Mark and Frank were there, Sherry began to recover from her ordeal. "Thank you so much for coming." She pulled back from Mark's arms. "How did you know?"
    "I just happened to look out the window," Mark answered. "I heard the gunshot. There was a gunshot, wasn't there?"
    "Will you move out of the way so I can come in?" Frank entered the breezeway after his son stepped aside. "Are you all right, Sherry?"
    She grinned at him. "No, I'm half left."
    Frank laughed. "Are you okay?"
    "I was scared spitless but I'm getting over it now. That bullet almost hit me."
    "Show me," Frank said. In order to turn on the light she reached inside the garage and pushed the button to the garage door opener. Before the lights went out she showed them the bullet hole in the window and where she was standing. She pulled her clothes basket to her and lifted it out of the car.
    "I'll carry that," Mark offered and took the basket of wet clothes while she got her bag with her laundry needs and the other one with the clothespins and two more packs of light bulbs.
    "We need to call the cops," Frank said. "I don't have my cell phone."
    "There's a phone on the table." She unlocked the door to the kitchen. She handed Mark one of the light bulb packs. "Will you please put one in the back porch light so I can see to hang up these clothes?"
    Sherry could hear Frank talking on the phone. He came out the door. "The cops are on the way. Where's Mark?"
    "Putting a bulb in the porch light."
    Frank opened the back door. "If you're going with me, come on. I want to get to bed so I can get up in the morning."
    "I'll stay till the cops get here. Maybe I'll just stay the night."
    "Oh, no!" Sherry shot back. "I only have one bed and that's mine. You are not sleeping with me."
    Mark followed his father back inside. "If the cop won't bring me home, I'll walk. I'll help Sherry hang up her clothes." He picked up the basket and carried it to the porch.
    "They're not sorted," she said as she used a clothespin to fasten the