Humidity Rising
By Amelia Rose
4/5
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About this ebook
Kristi’s life is changing fast. An unfortunate accident has her raising her niece, then she meets Wes—a man she can’t help falling for. Everything seemed to be going wonderfully. Until his crazy ex-girlfriend decides she can’t let go. Liza wasn’t supposed to be part of the deal, but in her mind Kristi and her niece are in the way and need to be eliminated. Though it’s a difficult decision, Wes and Kristi put their relationship on hold to avoid problems with his ex. It doesn’t last long. Liza is convinced that once she gets him back, he’ll cheat on her like the men in her past had done. The other woman has to go. She’s not sure what to do, but she talks to someone named Andy. He helps her—has always helped her. They come up with a plan, and late one night Kristi’s house is broken into by a maniac wielding a butcher knife.
Amelia Rose
Amelia Rose holds a PhD in Literature and Language; she specializes in teaching positive, self-reliant principles to children and adults of all ages. Dr. Rose lives with her husband and three children in the Hudson Valley, New York area, where she enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family and friends. Matthew Maley is an artist with nearly twenty-five years in the fields of Illustration and Design. His work has appeared in publications such as Archie Comics, Marvel, Disney, Nickelodeon, and Children’s Television Workshop. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, daughter, and a variety of animals.
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Humidity Rising - Amelia Rose
Humidity Rising
By Amelia Rose
~~~
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2013 by Amelia Rose
Visit www.ameliarose.info
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
DEDICATION
To YOU, The reader.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you for your emails.
Thank you for your reviews.
Thank you for reading and joining me on this road.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Copyright
Chapter One
Life had a way of changing in a hurry. Funny how things could happen in such a way that they turned the world so far around, it couldn’t ever look the same again. One minute Kristi Lloyd was a single woman living on her own and the next thing she knew, her niece was in her custody. She wouldn’t give Janie up for anything on the planet, and she was determined the girl wouldn’t end up in foster care. Not if she had anything to say about it—and she’d said plenty.
Jacksonville, Florida wasn’t the best place to be raising a kid these days. Then again, it was a whole sight better than Miami, where Janie was born. Kristi was determined not to live in that nasty, noisy, crowded place. She had a great job as a nurse in one of the best hospitals in town, so bringing her niece here was the only choice she really had.
Aunt Kristi!
Janie called from her bedroom. I can’t find my socks.
They’re in the middle drawer of the dresser.
She knew Janie was aware of where her things were—the girl had been here for more than a month—but she let it slide for now.
I want the ones Mommy made for me. The purple ones.
Kristi’s younger sister, Laurie, had been quite the knitter. She’d made several pairs of hand knit socks for everyone each Christmas, and they were always a big hit. Kristi had a good collection of them herself.
She set the pan of scrambled eggs aside and went down the hallway of her two bedroom house, stopping in the doorway of Janie’s room. The little seven-year-old was nearly frantic as she looked for what she wanted.
They were dirty, sweetie.
She spoke softly. I put them in the wash pile, but I promise I’ll wash them when I get home from work today.
Janie stopped rummaging through her clothes and sat down hard on the floor. I want them now!
Before Kristi could react, the child burst into tears. I want my Mom!
As her heart broke into millions of tiny shards once again, Kristi went to her niece, sat on the floor next to her, and folded the child into her arms.
I want her back, too.
Her voice wavered as tears slid down her cheeks. She knew it wasn’t possible for her sister and brother-in-law, Laurie and Ken Ryan, to ever come back.
It had taken a few days for Kristi to get the entire story from the police and a few others, but what she learned was that the couple had been out on their boat for an afternoon sail one sunny weekend and as they were coming back to the docks, some drunk on a speed boat wasn’t watching where he was going and smashed into them. He’d hit them so hard, Laurie and Ken were thrown from their boat, both of them likely unconscious before they even hit the water. They didn’t come up alive.
Knowing what happened didn’t change how she felt. Empty and abandoned for sure but she mostly felt cheated out of all the times that could have been, if this hadn’t happened. All because someone, who was now in jail and could rot there for all she cared, was more interested in having a drunken good time in a boat.
However, she knew she must put this behind her. She now had a child to raise, and the little girl needed her to be strong.
Come on,
she whispered into Janie’s ear, let’s go have some bacon and eggs.
I’m not hungry.
The poor kid was still crying.
Well, I am, so I’ll be in the kitchen. Find some other socks to wear today, okay?
Wiping her tears defiantly, Janie replied, Okay, but I want my purple ones tomorrow.
Kristi held back a giggle. This child was just like her mother.
I’ll make sure they’re washed and ready for you.
She wiped her eyes, stood, and headed for the door. Turning for a moment, she added, If you want, I’ll let you have some shredded cheese on your eggs this morning.
That was just the thing needed to perk the girl up and get her moving. Janie jumped up, opened her sock drawer, and pulled out the first pair she could get her hands on.
Smiling, Kristi turned and made her way back to the kitchen to finish making breakfast. Toast was all she needed to make as everything else was keeping warm on the stove.
By the time she began to spread butter on the first slice, Janie came in, grinning and looking for her plate.
* * * * *
A pediatric dentist’s office wasn’t the kind of place Wesley Chandler frequented, but he was doing a favor for his sister. Cheryl had brought her son, Anthony, to his appointment but she’d had an important errand to attend. She’d asked Wes to come and wait for the boy then bring him home. He’d agreed only because he adored the eight-year-old boy. One day, he’d love to have a few of his own, but finding the