Read Persuasive Lips Online

Authors: Sherry Silver

Tags: #historical fiction, #romantic comedy, #short story, #espionage, #war, #new, #wwii, #historical romance, #romance novel, #fiction novel

Persuasive Lips (13 page)

BOOK: Persuasive Lips
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S
hh

Ca
l
m
dow
n
,
n
ow
just
calm
down
d
arli
n
’.
Y
a
k
n
ow
I’ll
do
ya
r
ig
h
t.”
T
h
e landlady
pulled
Chl
o
e
to
her
b
o
som
and
str
o
ked
the
towel
on
her
hair.

T
here
there now. Ever
y
thing w
i
ll be all right.”


Ouch!
You’re hurting me.”

Mrs.
Grogan let go. “I

m so sorry, sweetness.
Forgive—” “No, I’m sorry, Mrs. G. I mean…”

“Shh-shh-shh.
Hush
c
h
ild.

She
tenderly
ran
a
finger
along
Ch
lo
e’s
cheek.
“I’ll
be
back
in a moment.” The landlady waddled off with purpose.

Chloe
located
her
big
suitcase,
w
edged
in
t
h
e
tiny
cl
o
set.
Determined
to
e
x
tract
the luggage,
she
inhaled
and
heav
e
d
to
the
le
f
t.
The
suitcase
dislodged,
propelling
a
wire hanger
wi
t
h
a
pink
cotton
blouse.
The
hanger
stung
h
e
r
chest.
T
h
e
blouse
c
o
vered
her face.
She
sneezed
and
dropped
the
suitcase
as
she
grabbed
her
ribs.
Dear
God
and
Jesus in
heaven.
Please
let
me
feel
bett
e
r.
Please
let
me
wake
up
in
North
Carolina.
Forgive
me
of
m
y sins. Amen.

She
heard
panting
as
Mrs.
Grogan
swept
aside
the
makeup
and
curlers
on
the dresser
and
deposited
an
aluminum
tray.
A
waffle-sized
powder
puff
fell
to
the
floor. Chloe
held
in
another
sneeze
a
n
d
picked
up
the
suitcase.
Mrs. Gr
o
gan
be
n
t
down
with
a groan
and
plucked
up
the
puff,
tossing
it
onto
the
dresser.
She
t
u
gged
on
the
suitcase but was u
n
able to release it from Chloe’s grip.


Where
do
ya
think
you’re
going
on
such
a
treacherous
night?
Young
lady,
ya
just put
that
th
i
ng
away
a
nd
get
un
d
er
the
cov
e
rs.
Here’s
some
warm
eggnog
and
a
couple of chloral hydrate capsules to help ya sleep.”


No!
I
have
to
get
out
of
here,
now
l
e
ave
me
alone!
I’ve
messed
everything
up. What
d
o
n’t
you
unde
r
stand?
I
c
a
n’t
stay
i
n
Washingt
o
n.
I
have
to
disappear
before
it’s too late!”


Why?
Just call the M
e
tropolit
a
n Police on the beast!”


No,
you
don’t
understand
an
d
…I…I
can’t
explain
it.
I
have
to
leave!
Believe
me and
don’t
ask
anything!
Please?”
How
much
time
do
I
have
bef
o
re
they
find
o
u
t?
What
wi
l
l they do to me?

With
a
look
of
uneasy
puzzlement,
Mrs.
G
r
ogan
questioned,
“But
where
will
ya
go? Back home to your Mam in Carolina? Do ya want me to call her for ya?”

Chloe
dropped the suitcase onto the tap
e
stry area rug, grabbed Mrs. Grogan’s chubby
arms
and
stared
dead
into
her
chocolate
eyes.
“I
can
never
go
back
to
North Carolina
now.
Not
in
this—oh,
I’ve
said
t
o
o
much!
All
right…
You
have
to
help
me. Please, Mrs. G?”

Mrs.
Grogan
embraced
her
favorite
tenant
and
affi
rm
ed,
“I
will
help
ya
darlin

. Always. Now what is it that ya need?”

Chloe
paced
the
room.
As
she
passed
by
the
wobbly-legged
desk,
she
b
r
ushed against
an
old
tin
of
pennies,
knocking
it
over.
They
tinkled
like
a
gentle
metallic waterfall
puddling
o
n
the
har
d
wood
floor.
The
two
women
bumped
heads
as
they squatted to pick up the coins.


Can
you
get
my
paycheck
from
the
Bureau
next
Friday?
And
deposit
it
in
my checking
a
ccount? I’ll call in on Monday
m
orning
a
n
d
tell them…oh, something!”


How
‘bout
that
your
sister’s
b
a
by
has
come
early
and
ya
have
to
go
to
Balt
i
more
to help out with her old
e
r ones?”

Chloe’s
stomach
felt
like
it
jumped
to
h
e
r
throat.
She
knew
she
h
a
d
to
keep
up
the charade
f
o
r
Mrs.
Gr
o
gan
of
having
a
sister.
“No!
Not
that!
I’ll
tell
them
my
Momma took
ill
an
d
I
have
to
go
and
look
after
her.”
Chloe
reached
the
last
two
pennies
and plunked them into the
can.

Mrs.
Grogan
put
a
stubby
finger
on
h
e
r
fleshy
cheek
and
b
e
gan
ta
p
ping.
“But where
will
ya
go?
To
make
a
new
beginning.
Hollywood?
New
York?
Io
w
a?
No,
not Iowa…” Mrs. Grogan clambered to her feet. “I know! Miami Beach!”


Miami
Beach?”


Yes
darlin’,
of
course
Miami
Beach.
It’s
eighty
degr
e
es
down
there
now
don’t
ya know.
I’ll
c
all
Paddy
a
n
d
let
him
know
to
exp
e
ct
ya.
He’s
my
late
husband’s
cousin.
He owns
a
bakery,
finest
in
southern
Florida.
He
rents
rooms
out
over
top
of
the
place.
I’ll make sure he has a vacancy and if he doe
s
n’t, then he’ll just have to make one.”

BOOK: Persuasive Lips
3.44Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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