One nurse asked the other, “Are we using pine cleaner now?”
Worried she was still too shaky, Stacy, a young, pretty blonde nurse helped Annamarie hold the baby. Lynn, the second nurse, went to call Dr. Fox and Paula.
“Dreaming your baby is gone is quite common,” explained Stacy. “You’ve carried her for nine months and suddenly she’s not right there with you. You were groggy from the sedative and may have gotten confused.”
Annamarie appreciated Stacy’s help and kindness, but she knew she had dreamed about Daniel. The pine scent confirmed it. The nurses noticed it, too. Magdalena had been here to protect them from Daniel, but she thought Daniel was banished. Wasn’t Josef going to keep him away? How could she explain this to anyone?
Annamarie said, “Thank you for helping me. I feel better with her here with me and I didn’t know about the dreams. It does make sense.”
“Your mom is on the way and Dr. Fox will be here soon to check on you. You’ll be fine, hon. Giving birth is hard. It wears a body out and makes a woman quite emotional. Some cry non-stop, some refuse to allow their babies to go back to the nursery, and some have bad dreams. It happens. I doubt it’ll happen again.”
Dr. Fox had been standing in the doorway, listening to Stacy’s explanation. He walked in and said, “She’s absolutely right. I think since you are calm now that it was a bad dream and nothing more. If you do begin to feel anxious, let the nurses know. I’ll leave orders for a mild sedative.”
“Thank you, doctor. I’m sorry for causing a problem.”
“Not at all.” He smiled as he left the room.
Paula nearly collided into him when she rushed into the room. Stacy said she would take the baby back to the nursery now since her mom was there, but she could get out of bed soon and walk down to see her anytime she wished.
“Annamarie, are you sure you’re all right?” asked a concerned Paula.
“Yes, Mom, but the nightmare was horrible. I saw Daniel on his motorcycle and he was going to take the baby with him into the pines.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks and she couldn’t stop them this time. She laid her head on the pillow and sobbed. “I was so scared.”
“You know it was only a dream, dear—-a nightmare. The nurse told me it happens a lot. You’re safe. I know it’s hard with Daniel gone, but we’ll get through this. You have a lot of help. Carl and Bonnie send their love, and look at the flowers in the room. Everyone loves you and will help.”
Annamarie hadn’t noticed, but her room looked like a flower shop. “Where did they all come from?”
Paula walked over to the biggest arrangement with two dozen pink baby roses. “These are from Maureen and George.”
“I would have guessed that.”
Paula, glancing at cards said, “Deb and Steve, Father Mueller and the Ladies’ Church Auxiliary, Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, Don and Brenda, Elaine, Greta, Sheriff Richardson, Ray and his employees, Tim, Sam and Paul from the mechanic’s shop, and this other huge assortment is from . . . wow, the Logan name must be important.”
“Why, Mom, who are they from?”
“The Mayor and the residents of Timmus Woods.”
“The whole town.” She laughed.
“Looks like it. You’re a popular girl.”
A quiet knock at the door brought Annamarie’s attention from the flowers to Maureen and George standing there.
“Come in, please.”
Maureen was gushing, “She’s so beautiful and she looks like you and Daniel.” She hugged Annamarie and kissed her on the forehead. George nodded in agreement while tears formed in his eyes.
“Thank you for the lovely roses,” Annamarie said. “They remind me of our wedding and now we have a baby girl. I wish Daniel was here.”
“So do we dear, but we’ll be sure Magdalena knows her father loves her even if he’s gone. Where did you ever find such a beautiful name?”
“It was my great-grandmother’s name and Daniel said it was a cool name. We were discussing relatives. Since it was the only name we ever spoke of and was pretty, I decided it was perfect. Had she been a boy I would have named him Michael for Grandpa.”
George’s tears flowed and he hugged her. “It’s beautiful and a perfect name.”
If they only knew the truth Annamarie thought, they’d lock me up. I know there are two Magdalenas and one will always keep the other safe.
* * *
The next six weeks passed quickly. Annamarie and Paula took turns watching over baby “Lena.” She was a good baby. Elections had been held. The ballet was simple: a choice for sheriff, and as much as Annamarie disliked Sheriff Richardson, she knew Magdalena was right; he had to win. There was a congressman running for reelection and a referendum to place fire hydrants in crucial areas around town. The sheriff and congressman were reelected and the referendum failed. It was what everyone in town expected. Annamarie was ready to move back to the newly remodeled Logan house and go back to work.
Paula said, “I’m going to miss you terribly.”
Annamarie made it clear she could visit anytime. “You can spend all day with Elaine and Lena if you want while I’m at work.” Paula reluctantly agreed.
Moving home and heading back to work a week later was her plan. Mr. Hanson was thrilled to hear she was planning to return to work soon.
Annamarie enjoyed the week getting settled in her new home, but anxiously awaited the morning she could return to work. She kissed Lena and waved at Elaine as she drove down the long drive toward Prairie Road.
Passing the mechanic’s shop, she saw Sam busy at work and beeped her car’s horn. His grin and huge wave told her all she needed to know. He had missed her and she had missed him. Annamarie had decided it was time for the Chevy’s tune-up. She knew it was too early to begin a relationship with Sam. Daniel had only been gone nine months, but they could be friends. Friends, Annamarie sighed, hoping it would become more.
* * *
Practically the entire plant was in the front office to welcome Annamarie back to work. There was a huge cake and coffee set up in a corner of the office. Even Tim managed to drop in and see her. Still in a wheelchair, he smiled at her and welcomed her back to work. He told her it was doubtful he would ever work at the dairy again. Annamarie shuddered, thinking it was possible his accident was Daniel’s doing.
After thirty minutes of cake, coffee, and excitement, everyone scattered back to their jobs. Mrs. Hanson hugged Annamarie and said she was glad she decided to come back to work.
“John was a little lost without you, dear, even with the temporary help.”
“He does have his ways of doing things. It takes a while to get used to him. How are both of you doing?”
“We still hurt from Ben’s loss, but we’re muddling through each day. You have your own loss to deal with, but I’m sure Magdalena helps.”
“She does, but we call her ‘Lena.’”
“How sweet,” Mrs. Hanson said, “I’ll have to drop by some weekend and see her.”
“Anytime,” Annamarie replied and sat at her desk wondering where to begin after being gone for over two months.
* * *
It was a warm, sunny morning and George and Maureen drove to see how their new home was coming along. The mild winter had allowed the builders to be a bit ahead of schedule and the frame was up. It gave them the idea of how the finished house would look.
Maureen said, “I can tell where each room will be.” She pointed. “Look, that is where the nursery will be.”
“I can envision it,” replied George.
“I had a dream last night about Daniel and he told me Annamarie wasn’t caring for Magdalena properly. I wonder if it’s true. Do you think we should hire an investigator to see what he can find?”
“Maureen, are you serious? You know she’s a good mother and has never denied us access to the baby.”
“I’m not sure. The dream was so vivid, like a warning. I think the baby might be better off with us. I’m going to loo
k into it. Hmm, I think the wind has changed, I can smell the pines.”
Maureen took a step back to get a better look at the room and fell off the edge of the flooring into the window well. She shrieked as she fell.
George spun around when she disappeared from view. Running to the edge of the house, he saw her in the ditch dug next to the window well. She was crying and visibly in pain.
Two construction workers ran to her aid along with George. They were able to lift her out of the ditch and get her into George’s car. They laid her on the back seat and George drove to the hospital quickly. Maureen was mumbling in her pain about another migraine because she could smell the pine cleaner again in George’s car.
After an hour of exams and x-rays, Dr. Norse told them she had broken her ankle and severely twisted her knee. She would have to be in a cast from her hip to her foot for at least two months and with her arthritic shoulder, she wouldn’t be able to use crutches. A wheelchair was in her future. Maureen moaned at the thought.
“You’ll have to stay off of your leg as much as possible,” Dr. Norse said. “I hope you have an assistant to help with showing homes because you won’t be doing much until you heal.”
He disappeared down the hall.
“Damn,” Maureen muttered. “How will I take care of Magdalena like this? No judge will give her to us now.”
George thought to himself that it was a good thing. He knew the baby belonged with Annamarie.
* * *
Paula phoned Annamarie to let her know about Maureen’s accident.
“Oh no,” said Annamarie. “How did she get hurt?”
“George thinks she may have had another migraine and fell off the edge of the flooring at the new house.”
“Poor Maureen, her migraines must be terrible. I wonder why she gets them.”
“I don’t know, but she was talking about pine cleaner again in George’s car. It made Dr. Norse think it might be another migraine and that she became dizzy and fell.”
A chill ran down Annamarie’s spine when she remembered Daniel’s words about having his mother take the baby. Was that what Maureen was thinking? Could Magdalena have caused her fall? She certainly can’t care for Lena now. How will I ever trust Maureen again?
* * *
Eddie and Denise settled into a cute apartment near the diner and the construction site. They talked about buying one of the new homes that was being built. Being a member of the construction crew, Eddie would be able to buy one at a low interest rate without a down payment. They discussed having a baby. Their entire lives spread out in front of them. Eddie would be due for a vacation in August and since Arizona is stifling in August, they decided to take his two weeks off and visit his brother. Eddie could show Denise where he grew up.
* * *
Annamarie was near panic when she called Mr. Townsend and told him she believed Maureen was going to try and take Lena from her. Mr. Townsend assured her it was difficult to remove a child from its home. You need proof of child endangerment and Maureen certainly couldn’t prove it. To ease Annamarie’s mind, he gave her the name and number of an attorney in Oaklin specializing in child custody cases. Annamarie thanked him and called the attorney.
Chapter Thirteen: More Fear
The child custody attorney assured Annamarie she had nothing to worry about.
“You’re a solid, upstanding citizen with a good income and no complaints against you. Regardless of the Logan’s position in society, they could never take Lena from you. Remember, you’re also a Logan and with Maureen’s recent medical incidents, a judge would never consider her a fit guardian.”
Feeling relief, Annamarie headed home still wondering if Magdalena was responsible for Maureen’s fall. Part of her didn’t care that Maureen fell if she was planning on taking Lena. It served her right, she thought.
* * *
George was worried about his wife. He didn’t think a migraine caused her to fall. She hadn’t mentioned a headache. It was only after the fall that she began to mumble about pine cleaner. Perhaps she had a neurological problem. He was going to be sure to make an appointment with a neurologist as soon as possible. He didn’t care what Dr. Norse thought.
* * *
Spring rolled into summer and life continued on in Timmus Woods. Annamarie continued to wave at Sam each time she saw him and took her car in often, but tried to have realistic concerns about it. She didn’t want their small town to gossip about the widow and the new guy in town. Each time she saw him she felt closer to him and genuine warmth from him and for him.
* * *
The neurologist said the x-rays showed a tiny black spot on Maureen’s brain and he had no idea what it was. At George’s insistence, her x-rays were studied by the best physicians in their fields and they all agreed—they had no idea what it was. It was inoperable and all they could do was watch it. Maureen should remain stress-free if possible. Maureen told George she dreamed the black spot was a punishment for her actions. If she hurt anyone, she would die. She gave up the idea of taking Lena from Annamarie. No judge would allow it and she couldn’t take the stress. Annamarie felt both pity and glee over Maureen’s plight. She didn’t wish her ill, but she didn’t want to lose her child.
* * *
Annamarie remembered her dream. Magdalena stood at the edge of the pines, saying Maureen would never cause her pain again. Maureen had been warned and she believed the warning. Could Magdalena control Maureen’s health? She thought a spirit could only enter her dreams. Were they getting stronger? Regardless, they would not hurt her and would keep Lena safe. Nothing else mattered.
* * *
Eddie and Denise decided to travel to Oaklin in early September. They didn’t mention anything to Eddie’s brother. Eddie was excited to surprise him.
Eddie’s heart beat harder when he knocked on Kevin’s door. The look on Kevin’s face told Eddie all he needed to know. They embraced and while Kevin was telling Eddie how much he had missed him, he noticed Denise.
“Who’s this beautiful young woman, Bulk?”
“It’s Eddie now and this is my wife, Denise.”
“You’re wife? How wonderful! Please, both of you, come in.”
They had a wonderful reunion and their talk eventually came around to the incidents that occurred before Eddie left town. Kevin looked at Eddie and said, “There’s something you need to know.”
“Oh no, something else bad?” asked Eddie. Denise took his hand.
“Yes, I’m sorry to say. The man who was in business with Garret went to Timmus Woods and fought with Daniel in the pines. They both fell off the bluff. Daniel died. I don’t know any other details. I’m sorry, Eddie.”
“They’re all gone. All my friends are gone. I’m so glad I have you.” He threw his arms around Denise and held her tight. They both cried together--Eddie for his lost friends and Denise for her heart-broken husband.
The first night, Eddie dreamed of Daniel and Garret and all the good times they had. The second night he dreamed Daniel was coming to get him to join them in the woods. He heard Daniel’s voice calling him to the pines. The spirits would help him become a spirit, too. He woke in terror, knowing the spirits were still there and now he was sure they wanted him, too. His fear for Denise’s safety was palatable.
Eddie and Denise were only able to visit Kevin for three days. Each day, Eddie’s anxiety grew more intense, but he did his best to hide it. He knew the spirits had taken all his friends and he had to leave soon before they took Denise from him, too. Kevin promised to visit them in Arizona soon.
Eddie breathed a sigh of relief when the bus pulled away from Oaklin. He loved his brother, but secretly vowed never to return. His dreams had convinced him the entire area was cursed.
* * *
Summer gave way to autumn and soon winter was upon the little town of Timmus Woods. Annamarie dealt quietly and privately with the first anniversary of Daniel’s passing. Maureen was barely speaking to her. George would stop by on Saturday af
ternoons for a few hours to visit Lena. He brought her gifts and treats and tried to get her to say “Grandpa,” but she only babbled and giggled when he walked in the door.
The holidays were spent with her family. Maureen decided she didn’t want to participate in any Christmas festivities. George dropped by for a short visit on Christmas Eve with a pile of gifts for Lena.
Annamarie said, “Mom, would you please watch Lena on New Year’s Eve?”
“You’re first New Year’s Eve with her? What do you want to do instead?”
“Mom, she’s asleep by eight and I have a chance to go out for a change and enjoy some grownup time.” She smiled at her mom.
“Okay, tell me where you’re going.”
Annamarie took a deep breath and said, “Sam asked me to go out to supper, a movie, and bring in the New Year at the Oaklin River Front Park. They’re going to have fireworks.”
Paula was a bit surprised, but was also pleased Annamarie was moving forward with her life. At twenty, she was too young to stay home and work all the time.
“Of course, I’ll watch her. You have a good time.”
* * *
Sam picked Annamarie up at precisely seven, New Year’s Eve. She thought a man who was on time could be trusted. He walked her to his car and held the door open for her. Once inside, he asked if there was any radio station she preferred. Annamarie enjoyed the pampering.
He drove to Oaklin and parked near the river walk. They walked to a lovely candlelit restaurant where Sam had made reservations. Their conversation was light and carefree over supper. After supper, they strolled through many of the small shops that stayed open past midnight to celebrate the holiday. Somewhere between the coffee shop and the bookstore, he took her hand. She didn’t pull away. Ready for dessert at eleven, they sat inside the quaint chocolate shop and enjoyed seven-layer chocolate cake and hot cocoa. A few minutes before midnight, they strolled back outside to watch the fireworks.
Sam asked, “Would you like a glass of champagne?”
“I don’t care for champagne.”
He smiled and walked off toward the Oaklin Brewery Pub.
Annamarie and Magdalena (Gypsy Spirits Book 2) Page 17