“All four of us ended up in the same literature class,” Kyle told her. “You should have seen the look on the teacher’s face.”
“They wanted to separate all of us into different classes, but we promised to be extra, extra good,” Kayla said, and with her hands folded, she looked up at her mother like an innocent little girl, and then giggled.
The three of them laughed and Mandy danced around them, happy to have all of her best friends back home again.
*
“The four days went by too fast, Shannon.”
“I know, but at least Christmas is only a month away.” After pouring two cups of coffee, Shannon brought them over to the table, slid one cup to Cassandra, and pushed a bowl of sugar cubes toward her. She sat across from her and rested her chin in her hand.
Cassandra licked the sugar from her thumb and forefinger then glanced at Shannon. “I’ve decided to put Auntie Em’s house up for sale. I thought about moving out there myself. The house is just the right size, and the lot is so beautiful, but I didn’t want to be so far away from you and Dan. I don’t believe the kids, all four of them, for that matter, would have appreciated being that far apart when they’re home.”
“They are pretty inseparable, aren’t they? You’d think they’d be getting tired of each other by now, but they treat each other like brothers and sisters.”
“Yes, they do. Well anyway, I’m going to speak with a realtor in the morning. There’s really no point in keeping the house. I thought that maybe one of the twins might want it after they’ve completed college, but that’s four years away; too long to leave a house sitting empty. They can always use the money from the sale, to purchase another one.”
“Or you could rent it out; just a suggestion.”
“No, I don’t want to hassle with that. I don’t think Auntie Em would have wanted that, either. She put so much time and work into remodeling that house. I don’t believe she would have wanted it rented out.”
“Talking about purchases, are you ready to start our Christmas shopping?” They decided to go the mall together and try to complete their shopping, before the kids returned home for their Christmas break.
Cassandra nodded and swallowed the remaining swig of coffee. “Did I tell you that Sean and I are going out tomorrow night? He’s taking me to A Scandinavian Christmas with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall. I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to hear the Minnesota Orchestra. I’d never been able to get Jeff to take me to anything like that.”
“That does sound like fun. You’ll have to tell me all about it. I’d like to hear them sometime.”
*
“I still haven’t even finished half of my Christmas shopping,” Cassandra said, when they hauled their bags out to the car.
“I haven’t either, and Adam and Sherry emailed a long list last week.”
“So did the twins.”
When Shannon pulled into her driveway, Cassandra came up with a suggestion. “Since both Sean and Dan are working tonight, would you like to come over and share a pizza with me?”
“Sure, just let me go home and unload my bags. I’ll be right back.”
She sat for a minute and looked around the yard. “I wonder if we’ll get any snow in time for Christmas. It doesn’t look like it.” She shook her head. “The kids said they have too much snow in Colorado Springs. Well, I’ll be over in a few,” she said when Cassandra grabbed her bags from the back seat, then turned and pushed the door closed with her backside.
Inside, she pulled off her parka, and Mandy came running to greet her. After she let the dog out, she took her bags into the bedroom, then returned to the kitchen and gathered the items for the pizza. She reached for the cutting board to slice the pepperoni, when the doorbell rang. She passed by the living room window and noticed a van with the words Pink Lady Floral painted on the side. On the porch stood a teenager, hidden behind a large box covered with green wrapping paper. When he handed the package to her, she noticed that he had a Pink Lady Flower Shop emblem on the pocket of his jacket.
“Just one moment,” she said, and walked into the dining room, set the package on the table, then reached for her purse. She returned to the door and placed a tip in his hand. He nodded and thanked her before he stepped down.
She tore open the green paper and discovered two dozen yellow roses. She found a card tucked into the rose stems and quickly opened it. “To the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” she read, then smiled as she arranged the flowers in the vase. Sean was such a sweetheart. Jeff had never given her flowers, let alone roses.
She’d just finished adding the extras to the pizza when Shannon knocked, and entered through the back door.
“Who was here?” she asked. “I noticed the van parked out front.”
Cassandra grinned and nodded toward the dining room. Shannon walked through the open doorway and smiled, as she looked them over.
“Oh, they’re beautiful! I’m assuming these are from Sean?”
“Yes, and I just put the pizza in the oven. It should be done in twenty minutes.” She handed Shannon the card that came with the flowers, when the phone rang.
“Hi Sean,” she said, and the warmth of her smile echoed in her voice.
“Did you just get home? I called earlier,” he was saying, when she interrupted him.
“Thank you for the beautiful roses.”
“Roses? I didn’t send any roses, honey. I’ve been busy here at work. I wish I had, but I haven’t even had time to take a break until now. I just called to say hello and to tell you that I love you.”
She stood staring at the flowers. “It must have been the twins then,” she said with a grin.
“Okay, well I’d better get back to work. I just wanted to say hello. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When Shannon returned to the kitchen, Cassandra was back on the phone and quickly dialed a number, then held up her forefinger. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Hi, Kayla, I’m glad you’re home. I wanted to call and thank you and Kyle for the roses.”
“Wow, Mom, you got some roses?”
“Yes, two dozen; you and Kyle didn’t send them?”
“No, Mom, but I wish we had. It must have been Sean.”
Puzzlement turning to slight concern, she whispered, “Yes, honey, it must have been. Well, I’ll let you go, and I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you. Say hello to Kyle for me when you see him.”
She hung up and turned to Shannon, then looked at the card again. She chewed on her lower lip.
“What’s wrong? They weren’t from the twins either?”
“No. Who could have sent me two dozen roses?”
At that moment, the phone rang and when she picked up the receiver and said hello, there was no answer. “Hello…” she said again, and she bit her lip nervously. She heard a noise as if someone was blowing cigarette smoke. She quickly hung up the phone and looked at Shannon. No caller ID, either. She shivered with uneasiness.
“Honey, what’s wrong? Come over here and sit down. Your face is white as a ghost.”
Chapter Thirty-eight
“Are you okay, honey?” Shannon slipped her arm around Cassandra’s shoulders. “Here, sit down.” She guided her to a kitchen chair. “Who called?”
Cassandra sat and slowly shook her head back and forth. “I don’t know. I have no idea. I wish I did.”
“Well, what did he say? I’m assuming it was a male. The voice didn’t sound at all familiar?”
“I’m not sure if it was a man or a woman, or even just some kids making a prank call. Whoever it was, he didn’t say anything. After I said hello the second time, all I could hear was a person smoking, taking a long drag on a cigarette and blowing the smoke into the phone. At least that was what it sounded like. That’s when I hung up.”
“Would you like to stay over at our house tonight? All of a sudden, I don’t like the idea of you being alone.”
“No, I’ll be okay. I’m sure it was just some kids p
ulling a prank. This is Friday night, you know.”
“Well from this point on, make sure you look at the caller I.D., and if you don’t know who it is, don’t answer it.”
“Okay, I promise. Now let’s eat the pizza. It should be about done.” She stood and reached into the cupboard for two plates while Shannon removed the pizza from the oven.
“I still think you should come home with me,” Shannon said as they cut into the pizza. “Why should we both be home alone all night? Dan has to stay at the hospital, so I’ll be by myself too.”
“Well, I have Mandy.” After they’d eaten, Cassandra said, “You could spend the night with us. Mandy will protect us from the boogeyman. We can pretend we’re young again and have a slumber party.”
They both laughed, and together they cleared off the table. “Okay, let’s both go over to my place, pick up a few things, and we’ll come back here. Will you protect us, girl?” Shannon asked the dog, and handed her a piece of pizza crust. Mandy let out a bark and wagged her tail while she enjoyed the treat.
On their way back, they stopped at a video store and picked up a comedy to help lift their spirits. They both agreed that You’ve Got Mail ought to do the trick. Once they got home, Cassandra decided to throw the roses away. They gave her an eerie feeling, and not knowing where they came from, she had no desire to look at them. She put them outside and buried them deep down into the garbage can.
Sitting on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, giggling like teenagers, they’d just become deeply involved in the movie, when suddenly they both jumped, startled at the loud ring of the telephone. They looked at each other in surprise and sat very still, then rushed over to see whose name appeared on the caller I.D.
Cassandra took in a quick breath when she saw that no name appeared. They counted the number of times the phone rang. It rang ten times before it finally came to a halt.
“See? It was just some kids playing around.”
“I hope you’re right.” Shannon sat with a puzzled look on her face.
Despite the humor of the movie, they didn’t laugh much after that interruption. When the movie ended, Cassandra glanced at the clock. “It’s already two o’clock and I don’t feel quite so young any more. When was the last time you stayed up this late?”
“I don’t even remember.”
“I’m sure it was way back when you were still young,” Cassandra teased.
“Speak for yourself,” she said and threw a pillow at her.
Mandy thought this was a very exciting game, and jumped in mid-air, caught the pillow, then ran around them, dodging the furniture. When she finally settled down, and their laughter came to a halt, all three of them curled up under their blankets and fell into a deep sleep.
Cassandra had placed the phone on the coffee table before settling down for the night. It was four twenty-five a.m. when the phone woke them. She reached for the receiver and answered it automatically, without thinking.
“Hello,” she mumbled into the phone, her voice groggy from sleep. She cleared her throat and said “hello” again. Shannon had awakened and sat up next to her. She looked at Cassandra.
“Hang up,” Shannon said in a whisper.
Cassandra motioned for her to come close to the receiver to listen, and then moved the phone from her ear, far enough for Shannon to hear the caller also.
She swallowed with difficulty and found her voice.
“Who is this?”
“Don’t you remember me, sweetheart? Oh yes, that’s right. I’m sure you don’t,” he said, his voice muffled in a rough whisper. “I hope you received the roses, because they came straight from my heart, sugar. I’ll see you soon, honey. I’ll see you real soon… ”
*
Sean arrived at four-fifteen the following afternoon. He wore a tuxedo, and she was dressed in a teal blue evening gown. She wore her hair in waves at shoulder length, the sides pulled back with a matching teal blue ribbon. They were going out to dinner on the way to the Orchestra Hall. Despite her fears from the night before, she was excited to have the experience of hearing the Minnesota Orchestra.
Halfway through her dinner of prime rib and double-baked potato, she looked up at Sean.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with your dinner?”
“No, it’s delicious.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin then told him about the phone call. “I ended up throwing the roses away. I don’t know who this man is, but he told me that he hoped I had received the roses.”
“Maybe you should have your phone number changed. I’ll be worried about you.”
“I’d been thinking the same thing. I’ll look into it on Monday,” she said.
“Well, try to get it off your mind for now. We’re going to have a big night.”
“Yes, and my meal was heavenly, Sean. Thank you.”
“Your welcome, sweetheart. My lobster was exquisite. We’ll have to come here more often.”
They’d just finished their coffee when he glanced at his watch. “I don’t think we have time for dessert. Are you ready to leave?” She nodded and stood. He helped her with her coat.
*
“That was such beautiful music, thank you for bringing me,” she said. They were on their way home, both quiet and content.
“That really was quite a performance, wasn’t it? You know, I was just thinking, Cass. We could stay at your house tonight and if the stranger calls, I could answer the phone. That might be a good idea. Whoever this person might be, he’d think we’re married, and stop bothering you. Or, if you’d rather, we could pick up Mandy and stay at my place tonight. It would calm your nerves and bring a quiet and relaxing end to a wonderful evening.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Let’s do that. I’d feel much better just being away from home tonight.”
They sat and relaxed on the loveseat, facing the living room window. Sean had dimmed the lights and they were able to enjoy the outdoor view. They appreciated the warmth indoors, as they watched the tree branches sway in the cold brisk wind. The moon glowed brightly, causing the frost to glimmer upon the grass.
Sean placed his arm around Cassandra’s shoulders and she sighed softly. “What a captivating scene,” she said. “If only it would begin to snow; it would make a perfect picture. This is so romantic with the music in the background.”
Sean had purchased a CD of tonight’s symphony and played it softly while they admired the view. He leaned his cheek against her temple then hugged her gently. “It really is something, isn’t it?”
When the music ended, Sean stood and took her hand. “We’d better call it a night, my love.” He lightly pulled her up from the loveseat and led her to the bedroom.
After making quiet, sensual love, Cassandra was too emotion-filled to speak. A golden wave of passion flowed between them.
“I love you Cassie.”
“I love you too, Sean.”
After an evening filled with enchantment, they snuggled into each other’s arms and drifted into a deep sleep.
*
Sean had to leave for work by noon on Sunday. He brought her and Mandy back home and came in to check every room in the house, to make sure everything was okay, both upstairs and down.
“Everything looks good, honey. I hate to go, but I’m glad you have Mandy here with you. She’ll take good care of you, won’t you, girl,” he said, and looked down as her tail thumped against his leg.
They stood at the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she buried her face against his chest. Gently, he rocked her back and forth. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you here,” he said, and shook his head regretfully.
“We’ll be okay.” She tipped her head back, and smiled at him.
He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. “God, you’re beautiful. I love you, Cassie. I’ll call you when I have a break.”
“Okay, if I go anywhere, I’ll have my cell phone with me.”
When he stepped out the door and headed for h
is car, she stared at him with longing. Every day her love for him deepened and intensified. She stood and watched until his car was out of sight then closed and locked the door.
After she called and checked in with Shannon, she phoned Kayla to say hello. Kayla told her she was at work, and that she’d call her when she got home. She then tried to reach Kyle, but there was no answer. She gave up, threw her hands in the air, and called the dog. “Come on, Mandy, we’ll go for a walk. We could both use one.”
It was quite cold out today, so she threw on her jacket with a parka, pulled on her warm hiking boots and a pair of mittens.
They headed down the sidewalk along Silver Lake Boulevard, toward the Silver Bullet Plaza. The thick, gray clouds were gathering heavily, and it felt as though it might snow. Her boots crunched in the ice along the edge of the sidewalk, and the wind picked up, blowing a twig in front of her feet. As she stepped over it, she looked down the small hill along the edge of the walkway, which led to the frozen creek. She noticed a man as he hurried along the sidewalk in her direction, covering his head with the hood from his jacket. She was unable to see his hair color. He also had a scarf wrapped across his face, making it impossible to see what he looked like.
She thought nothing of it, and kept walking. They turned the next corner and began the stretch back home. The brisk cold air caused her breath to steam when she exhaled, and they sped up their pace.
When they approached the corner of her street, she looked back when Mandy let out a low growl. The man with the hood and scarf had been following, and he was now only a short distance away. She pulled on Mandy’s leash and hurried up the first driveway she came to. Rather than going up to the neighbor’s door, they took off between the houses and hightailed across the backyards.
When they arrived at Shannon’s back door, she knocked hard. There was no answer, and she turned around to look in the garage window. Both vehicles were gone.
She pulled hard on Mandy’s leash, cut across the backyard, then darted down the alley, keeping a close watch between the houses as they ran. Mandy seemed to be enjoying the light jog. Cassandra didn’t and was soon breathless. She saw no sign of the man when they entered her own yard.
The Sunny Side of the Mountain Page 20