Page 49 of Mail Order Splash

“I’m not dirty, I showered off while you were putting sheets on the bed. I’m not a girl that takes thirty minutes.”

“I don’t take thirty minutes.” I sat on the cot across from him. “This feels strange.”

“We sleep here all the time,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, but it was temporary and we had a living creature to care for. Now the water is empty.”

“Go to bed, Kleine. Put on one of those apps with whale sounds that you like so much.”

“Fine, I’ll try that. Goodnight.” I clicked off the lights and went to my new room.

What did I do? I can’t sleep in here, not with you looking at me like that.

I took my granddad’s picture off the wall. I’d thought it would give me comfort, but it only scolded me from beyond.

“You want me to bring my cot in here?” Josh yawned from the doorway.

“Would I be weak if I said yes?”

“Nah, I didn’t like being out there alone either. Maybe we’re both weak.” He pulled the cot he’d already brough with him from the hallway. “I knew the answer before I asked.”

Sleep came pretty slow, even with Josh in the same room. Thoughts of what if and what next filled my mind. At some point I drifted off before the sun brought a fresh new start. Josh was still asleep so I tiptoed out, put on my sneakers, and went for a walk along the water with all the other joggers and walkers. Looking across the water to the marina where Dalton’s yacht floated gently next to the dock, it crossed my mind yet again how very different life must be for people with money and people without it. A lady with two bassett hounds drew me out of my thoughts when they surrounded me with leg licks.

“Hello there, cuties. Do I taste that good?” I knelt to pet them.

“Sorry, they think everyone is a friend.”

“I am a friend. What are their names?”

“Moose and Olli, brothers from the same litter. The other three are back at the house.”

“Goodness, five of them? You must never know who to cuddle with.”

“We have plenty of cuddle sessions with all five.” She waved to another dog-walker going by. “I’m Annie.”

“Hi, Annie, I’m Kleine. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I would have remembered these guys.”

“We moved in down the street a week ago. These guys don’t walk very far. It’s more about smelling every inch around them than walking.”

“Can you blame them? Just imagine what delights they find. Be careful for hooks. We get a lot of fishermen out here during the day.”

“Thanks for the warning,” she said, being pulled away. “Nice meeting you. We’re out every morning.”

What’s going to happen next? Where will I go if the Hawthornes can’t help me?

I could hear the old church bell ringing eight ‘clock, alerting me that I had been out for some time. I reached for my cell to let Josh know but it wasn’t in my pocket. I did have my wallet to buy coffee and bagels, then hurried back.

“I was hoping you would return with sustenance.” Josh held my cell out to me. “It’s been ringing for an hour.”

“Who would be calling me that much?” I sat the food down. “It wasn’t Tony, was it?”

“I don’t know that number. It appears to be a New York area code, but you have like five messages.”

“It must be Dalton. Could he possibly have information already?” I held my finger over the first message. “Do I want to know?”

“Not before coffee. Sit, let’s chat.”

“What if he tells me it’s a lost cause? What if they made it worse by inquiring? What if…”

---