Anna's Way (Ditch Lane Diaries Book 2)

by D. F. Jones

  Once inside her Corvette, Sandy said, “You look a little squashed. Let me show you where the lever is so you can push the seat back, and you’ll have a little more leg room.” She leaned across him and reached down for the lever. “Touch my fingers, see? This lever pulls up and then just scoot back.”

  Baldric tensed when she intentionally pressed her breasts against his arm. The smell of her shampoo and the caress of her hand made him light-headed. He lifted the lever and pushed back. “Thanks.”

  Sandy quirked a smile. “No problem, big guy. I want us to be friends, Baldric. You meant so much to me when I was a little girl. I’m glad you’re back.”

  Baldric grinned and remembered the little, fun-loving girl. Yeah, he could do the friend thing. Sure, why not?

  Sandy laughed and teased, “Hey, Rudolph, can you turn down that glow?”

  Baldric bellowed with laughter. “Sure, Santa.”

  * * *

  Ruby and Reed pulled into Jerry and Anna’s driveway. Ruby was thirty-seven weeks pregnant and ready to have this baby, sooner rather than later. Ruby said, “After leaving my OB today, I meant to tell you Susan Hopkins was induced last week. You used to play softball with her husband back in college.”

  Reed glanced at her and said, “Yeah, how did that go?”

  Ruby shifted uncomfortably in the seat. “Her doctor induced her at thirty-eight weeks. I wonder if my doctor will induce? I keep having Braxton Hicks. I know she said the baby is fine. It just makes me nervous our baby’s movement has nearly stopped.”

  Reed had been wonderful to her. He rubbed her feet every night after work and her lower back while she tried to sleep. He loved holding and rubbing her belly while they lay in bed at night and in the morning before they got out of bed. Reed never once mentioned anything about how fat she had gotten. Ruby knew she was pregnant, but she’d gained nearly fifty pounds. He said, “Honey, your doctor is the best OB in the ’Boro. I trust her. You have to trust her, too.”

  “Of course, you’re right.” Ruby was excited about seeing everyone at the party. She just hoped she could last until it was over. She stayed so dad-blamed tired all the time. “Reed, do I look really fat?”

  Reed chuckled and said, “That’s a loaded question. Princess, you’re more beautiful to me right now than you were the first day I saw you.”

  Ruby rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, honey. You make me happy, even though I know I look like a walrus.”

  Reed rubbed her thigh and said, “You do not look like a walrus. I like my woman with a little meat on her bones. Hey, look. Jerry has lights strung all the way down the fencerow. It’s surreal they bought the old place right beside Ditch Lane. You know, my friend from the county road commission said they’re opening Ditch Lane up—all the way to Highway 99.”

  Ruby’s eyes widened with surprise. “Aw, naw, an end to an era. Well, at least we have our memories. Man, it’s packed. I love what they did to the place. It’s like something you’d see in a Norman Rockwell painting.” Ruby twisted in the seat and arched her back.

  Reed stopped the car and turned to face her. “Don’t overdo it tonight. If you get tired, come and get me. I’ll take you home. Everyone will understand.”

  “I promise, Daddy.”

  * * *

  Anna was thrilled. Nearly everyone invited to the party had shown up. All of their families and friends were mingling with each other in the festive spirit of the deck-the-halls kind of merriment. Ruby looked like a picture-perfect healthy mom-to-be in a long red velvet empire dress. Ruby’s cheeks were rosy from all of the attention everyone lavished on her. Anna did make a mental note to check Ruby’s blood pressure before the night was over.

  Christine and Sandy made sure everyone had drinks and kept the dining room table stocked with hors d’oeuvres and holiday treats. Anna’s dad, David, helped Lee and Harry stack the gifts for the baby, piling them next to the Christmas tree. The wall of windows in the great room gave everyone an incredible view of the big fat snowflakes falling in the backyard.

  Jerry, Reed, Brent, and George had stepped outside in the breezeway to smoke cigars in celebration of the coming birth. Anna giggled when she stuck her ear to the door to listen to the advice they were giving Reed, more myth than fact.

  Anna glanced around the room and caught sight of the guardians, who seemed to be laughing at Baldric about something. Ralph and Luwenia seemed to be cozying up to each other nicely. She had noticed how Baldric kept staring at Sandy all night. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say Baldric was in love. Hmmm, another question for Ralph. Anna wondered what the good folk of Everglade would think if they knew an elite force of warrior angels was among the partygoers tonight.

  The conversations filtering around the room were light and fun. Lizzie sat down at Anna’s upright piano and began to play “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Anna went over to the stereo and turned down the volume and joined George at the piano. They began to sing. Sandy and Ruby walked over to the piano. Jerry, Reed, and Brent walked inside. The old gang gathered in a circle. They sang, and Anna’s heart filled with such joy. The entire room glowed with love. Suddenly, the rest of the partygoers joined in their impromptu Christmas caroling. It was a memory Anna would not soon forget.

  At the end of the song, Ruby leaned over to Anna and said, “Do you mind if I go to your room and rest for a minute?”

  Anna placed Ruby’s hand in the crook of her arm. “Of course not. I’ll go with you. I just want to take your blood pressure. You look flushed.”

  Ruby sighed and walked slowly up the stairs with Anna. “I’m having fun. I just probably ate or drank something with too much sodium. I’m so happy for you and Jerry. I love your home. It’s perfect. I wish Sandy could fall in love. Not because she needs a man, mind you, but to know what it feels like to be in love. Good times and bad times and happy and sad times, I wouldn’t trade my life with Reed for all the tea in the freaking world.”

  “Me either, Well, with Jerry, not Reed.” Anna and Ruby both laughed.

  Ruby and Anna walked down the hall to the master bedroom. Ruby stopped before walking in the master bathroom. “Let me pee first and then you can take my blood pressure.”

  Anna grabbed her medical bag from her closet. Ruby screamed, and Anna ran into the bathroom. Ruby’s face turned white as a sheet of paper. Anna looked down and smiled. “Honey, your water broke. You’ve been having contractions?”

  Ruby nodded. “Yeah, but they’re not close, and I didn’t want to spoil the party.”

  Anna hugged her. “Spoil the party? Silly goose, everyone’s going to talk about this party for years.”

  Anna helped Ruby get cleaned up and then they went downstairs to the great room. She grabbed Sandy and asked her to whistle. Sandy had a whistle that would make dogs bark. Anna said, “May I have everyone’s attention, please? Please, everyone, I need your undivided attention.” Anna asked Sandy, “Do we happen to know where the guys are?”

  Lee walked over and smiled at Ruby and looked over to Anna. She said, “They’re doing shots in the breezeway. You want me to get them?” But the guys walked back inside, laughing and smacking each other on the back. Reed looked over at Ruby and paled.

  Anna waved her hand over her head and excitedly said, “I have great news, everyone. Ruby is in labor.” The room erupted in an uproar of shouts and whistles, and Reed fell backward, but Jerry caught him.

  Reed ran to Ruby. “Do we, do you, do we need to go? I mean to the hospital?”

  Anna placed her hand on Reed’s shoulder and smiled. “It’s okay, Reed. Ruby’s contractions are about fifteen to twenty minutes apart.” Anna turned to Lee and said, “Lee, could you and Harry go to her house and get her suitcase? I’ve not been drinking, so I can drive her to the hospital in my suburban. It holds six people comfortably.” Anna turned to her guests. “The rest of you, please stay, eat, drink, and be merry. And if you need to spend the night, make yourselves at home. I’ll call Mom when I have some ne
ws.”

  Sandy brought her forefinger and thumb to her lips and whistled again. “Hot damn, Ruby Jane. You’ve always known how to get attention at a party.”

  * * *

  Lee Glenn was ecstatically happy. December 8, 1985, at 2:05 a.m, her baby girl delivered a beautiful baby boy named Joseph Lee Jackson. In Ruby’s birthing room, Lee held the baby boy in her arms while Anna, Sandy, and Ruby stared at the little red-haired miracle. Jerry had taken Reed and his parents, along with Harry, to the Waffle House for breakfast, and George and Lizzie had gone home after the baby was born.

  In the quiet stillness of the room, Lee sang softly to little Joe while she rocked the baby boy back and forth in her arms. “Hush, be still like a mouse, there’s a baby in our house. Not a dolly, not a toy, just our precious baby boy.” Ruby and the girls had happy grins on their faces when Lee looked down at Ruby and said, “So, I wonder what power Joe will have?”

  The three girls said in chorus, “What?”

  Lee looked over at the girls and smiled, then looked back at Ruby. “Yes, my darlings, I’ve always known. See, I’m a ward, too.”

  Ruby squealed with delight. “Mom. Why haven’t you ever said anything?”

  Lee bounced Joe and patted his bottom. “There’s been a ward in every family that’s ever lived on Campbell Ridge. Your granddaddy told me pretty much the same way I’m telling you now. He knew about all four of you, too. He was the only ward in his generation, and I’m the only one in mine. But you all are the first ward grouping from Campbell Ridge.” She looked at Anna. “You know, I almost interfered when Jerry was going to marry that loud-mouth woman.” Lee laid the baby boy down in his bassinet. “Aw, he’s asleep. He is precious, darling girl.”

  A nurse came into the room and walked over to the bassinet to check Joe, and Lee tensed. Lee said, “Ruby, dear, I need to run down the hall to the vending machine and get a drink. Does anyone need anything?” The girls replied no. Lee made eye contact with the nurse and frowned. The nurse walked out, and Lee followed and shut the door.

  Ruby’s room was located at the end of a corridor. In the hall, the nurse who had been in Ruby’s room instantly changed with a brilliant flash of light into Luc. He wore a black leather trench coat with a black turtleneck, blue jeans, and black boots. He said, “Lee Campbell, you’ve grown into a lovely woman, and you’re still too perceptive for your own good.”

  Lee’s guardian angel, Erinelle, materialized by Lee. The female angel had weapons strapped on her back and a sword aimed at Luc, poised for battle. Lee said, “Luc, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, leave my family now. I will not hesitate to command every angel available from here to the in-between to bind you from my family!”

  Luc threw hands up in mock surrender. “Take a chill pill, Lee. I was merely checking out the new ward. He’s going to look like his mother. Don’t you agree, Erinelle?”

  Erinelle never faltered from her battle stance; her wings spanned the width of the hall corridor. “Dragon, you aren’t welcome here. Begone or I’ll beckon the Prince.”

  Luc chuckled and stuck his hand in his pocket. “Dragon—so that’s what they’ve been calling me. Cool, I love it.” Luc gave them a deep bow. “Ladies, until we meet again.” He vanished in a blink.

  Lee looked at Erinelle and sighed. “Thank you for always having my back.” Erinelle nodded and dematerialized. Lee walked back inside Ruby’s room.

  “Oh, shucks, the machine needs exact change. Oh, well, is our baby boy still sleeping?” Lee asked.

  Ruby yawned and said, “Yes, he is still sleeping, and I’m not far behind. Mom, why didn’t you tell me about being a ward?”

  Lee had told Ruby and Anna when they were little girls, but Erinelle made her wipe the memory of the story. Lee held Ruby’s hand and kissed it. “My darling, I wasn’t allowed. It wasn’t my time to tell you until a new generation was born. Now, Joe is here.”

  Ruby’s eyes widened in fear. “Joe will go to the cave? He’ll find a stone and receive power?”

  Lee smiled at Ruby and rubbed her hand. “Yes, my love. Never fear. We’re the chosen, and we’re making a difference.” Lee looked at Anna and Sandy. “Anna and Sandy will have children, too. Wards work for the good of mankind, and now the legacy continues.”

  Sandy placed a hand on her right hip. “Well, Jerry and Anna may have children, but for me, it’s gonna be a little harder unless I have a test tube baby.” Anna held Sandy’s hand, and Sandy held Ruby’s.

  Unbeknownst to the humans, five guardians appeared in the hospital room. Seneca placed an invisible veil over the women and nodded. A warrior angel stepped forward to the bassinet and placed the baby boy in his arms. He said, “I’m Thane, son of Ahgard, Guardian of Campbell Ridge. I pledge my life to guard and protect you, Joseph Lee Jackson. And while you walk this world, I will walk with you until you cross over to the next one.”

  The Guardians of Campbell Ridge clasped their hands around each other’s wrists to join in a circle, forming a protective shield over their newest ward, Joe. The guardians’ shimmering wings spanned out and upward and they sang in chorus, “May love light the way.”

  Acknowledgements

  I’m fortunate to have a core group of friends. They’re always there for me. Most of these women are also my beta readers. I want to thank Kristi, Erin, Tammy, Ashleigh, Debby, Bettina and Denise for taking your time to read Anna’s Way.

  My husband, for encouraging me to follow my dreams. He is my rock. My sons, for when they ask me how my writing is going, and I go into a spiel about the storyline, and they stare at me like I’ve lost my bananas. Thank you to my parents, for listening while I read Anna’s Way aloud to them. Okay, so I didn’t read the steamy parts to my dad, but my mom loved it.

  A big shout out to Alicia, my editor and Jody, my proofreader. After working in advertising for years, I need creative individuals to give me feedback. Both women offer constructive suggestions and comments, helping me grow as a writer. Thank you, Amanda, for designing my cover and marketing materials. You always make me look great.

  And most importantly, to my readers, thank you for reading and supporting Ruby’s Choice, book one in the Ditch Lane Diaries, and my short, “Antique Mirror,” which hit number three in Romance and number six in Time Travel, under Amazon’s Best Seller forty-five-minute reads, January 2016. Your support, messages, and comments are always wonderful. You share with other readers, and that makes me ecstatically happy. Anna’s Way is for you. I trust you will love Anna’s Way as much as I do. I love my characters in the Ditch Lane Diaries and can’t wait for you to read the continuing story. Sandy’s Story is the third book in the Ditch Lane Diaries and currently underway.

  About the Author

  After years of developing creative advertising for my clients through my media company, I had the compelling desire to write something for myself. If you love to read and get immersed in the characters of a book, then you will catch a small drift of how incredible it is to write your characters and breathe them into life. I fell in love with writing and trust you will enjoy my books.

  I’m happily married to the love of my life and my best friend, KJ. We have two gorgeous sons whom I love and adore more than life itself. I love to laugh, and my husband keeps me in stitches.

  D.F. Jones

  Books by D.F. Jones

  Ruby’s Choice

  Ditch Lane Diaries, vol. 1

  Anna’s Way

  Ditch Lane Diaries, vol. 2

  Sandy’s Story

  Ditch Lane Diaries, vol. 3

  coming soon

  Antique Mirror

  a short story

  For all buy links, please go to

  http://dfjonesauthor.com/buy-the-book/

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  Excerpt from

  Ruby’s Choice

  Ditch Lane Diaries 1

  by D. F. Jones

  Prologue

  Campbell Ridge Cave, 1972

  Ruby, Anna, and Sandy had their backpacks filled with water, extra flashlights, and batteries for spelunking the cave on Campbell Ridge. Ruby had discovered the entrance to the cave with her brother, George, five years ago when they were looking for Indian arrowheads. George had told her never under any circumstances to go inside the cave. But today, Ruby and her best friends, Anna and Sandy, were looking for new adventures.

  The girls were deep inside the cave, surrounded by complete darkness with only their flashlights to illuminate the interior walls. The limestone cave had beautiful rock formations, crystals, and stalactites. The cave underground seemed alien, almost unworldly. The air smelled of the dank earth, and the only sound was running water from the stream that ran through the cave.

  Ruby was forced to climb over a boulder on her belly to squeeze through a narrow pass. The boulder opened up into a hidden room. Ruby was still hanging onto the rock when she yelled back at the girls, “Hey, guys, you have to see this.” And then she slid down the rock into the room.

  Anna and Sandy scrambled up and over the boulder, shining their lights into the hidden room. Anna slid down the boulder and entered with Sandy right behind her. The hidden room was roughly the size of a bedroom. “Holy cow, there are ancient drawing’s on the wall.”

  Thousands of years of groundwater had caused the rocks on one side of the cave to drop down, forming large stalactites the size of a pickup truck. The large drawings revealed intricate details of each person etched in the stone wall. Sandy inspected the drawings closer as she walked down the length of the wall. “It’s a story. I read about ancient drawings like these in one of my National Geographic magazines. This is far out.”