Page 26 of Stranger Gifts

“He seemed to forget to put that in the notes,” said Kat frowning at Kari. “I’ll get with him and see what I can find out.”

“What do I do?” asked Jenna.

“You stay here and stay safe. Do you have everything you need? Can we get anything for you? Would you like to visit the Sisters at the convent?”

“No. No, I don’t want to see them. They made me feel different afterwards.”

“Honey, they might not have known what to say or what to do for you. I’m sure it was difficult for them to see you in such pain,” said Kari.

“M-maybe. I just can’t do that right now. As for needing anything, I can’t think of one thing I would need. You all have shown such kindness to me. Winter gave me a make-over earlier today. It’s the first time anyone has ever done that for me.”

“Your hair looks lovely,” said Kat. “Did she color it?”

“Yes. Is that vain?”

“If it is, we’re all guilty,” smiled Kari. “It’s beautiful and suits your skin tone. I like the cut she gave you as well. It’s very sleek. Not quite as severe as your previous cut.”

“Yes, well, the convent had pretty strict regulations on how your hair should look. I never understood that. God surely doesn’t concern himself with the hair length of his nuns. She gave me all this new skincare stuff and I have to confess, I’m a bit lost.”

“Well,” laughed Kari, “if you need any advice they’ll be there for you and so will Avery. I’m guessing the products are from her line.”

Jenna nodded again, turning her face toward the sun and the docks at the end of the tree-lined walk. She was nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Is there anything else, honey?” asked Kat.

“I’m not sure. Were either of you, did anyone ever…”

“No,” they said in unison.

“No, but someone was trying to kill me,” said Kari. “Pierre, my husband, they call him Miller, he was the man sent to guard me and we fell in love.”

“That’s wonderful,” she said with a sad smile. She looked at Kat.

“No. My story is similar. Someone wanted to arrange a marriage as a sort of business arrangement. I refused and they tried to come after me. Nathan saved me.”

“The ghost?” frowned Jenna.

“No,” laughed Kat. “Nathan is his great-grandson. We had been dating, seeing one another before then.”

“I know, I know that Hiro fell in love with Winter after what she went through. I know it can happen but it doesn’t feel real to me.”

“It doesn’t feel real because it’s too soon, Jenna. Listen, honey. You’ve been through a lot. You’ve had someone take something very precious from you, abuse your body, and because of that, you left your profession, your passion.”

“It wasn’t my passion,” she whispered. Kat and Kari stared at one another, then the woman. “I might go to hell for that. It wasn’t my passion. It was my only choice to help my family. After a while, I realized it was comfortable. I was comfortable.”

“First off, you’re not going to hell for telling the truth. You served the church with faith and honor. God won’t hate you for that and if you want a professional opinion, ask Irene.” The women all smiled at one another, nodding in agreement.

A cool breeze blew across the property, causing Kari to look up to see if rain was coming. But the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She noticed that Jenna had closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Kari looked around them to see if Irene or Matthew were near. She wasn’t sure why, she just felt certain that the breeze was from them.

“I’m going to take a walk,” said Jenna. “Can I let you know later whether or not I want to proceed with this?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need,” said Kat. They watched as the woman walked away from them, headed toward the water.

“I worry every damn time that she’s going to jump in and not come up,” said Kari. “I cannot imagine what she went through and the moral dilemma she is running through her head. Forgiveness. Not forgiveness. Virginity. No virginity. I don’t know what I would do if I were her.”

“Me either,” said Kat. “I know one thing for sure. I’d be damn happy that Weaver Crup is dead and I’d be worried sick about what his father is going to do.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

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