Short Stories for Short Breaks

By Ruth Crichton Hodges

Offering a break from this hectic, media-driven world, author Ruth Crichton Hodges presents a collection of short stories.

The Battled Burglar tells the story of Melody McCabe who enjoys living alone. But for the last several days, shes been unable to shake the unsettling feeling shes being watched. She awakes from a nap to discover theres an intruder in her house, and a battle ensues.

In The Blue Thief of the Forest, Anna Redmon, her husband, Charles; and their two children are settling in at their campground in Tennessee after the drive from their home in Illinois. Anna removes her diamond ring and leaves it in the middle of the picnic table while the family prepares their site. When the ring disappears, a search begins, and a most unlikely culprit is identified.

In Angel on the Waterfront, its Saturday morning in the heart of San Francisco and Chad Devlin is alone. He feels pained because, as a doctor, he was unable to save his wifes life. Hes just about to take a final step to end his own, when fate intervenes.

Hodges narratives in Short Stories for Short Breaks reflect a time when life was simpler, and relationships were key.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973637691

Ruth Crichton Hodges

Ruth Crichton Hodges was born and raised in a Christian home in the southern hills of Virginia. Having given her life to the Lord at an early age, she spent her childhood learning to trust God and focusing on his many blessings. She and her husband raised five children. Hodges enjoys reading, writing, painting, and taking care of her husband and Cocoa, their schnauzer.

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Copyright © 2018 Ruth Crichton Hodges.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3768-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3769-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910012

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/29/2018

Contents

1    The Baffled Burglar

2    The Blue Thief of the Forest

3    Angel on the Waterfront

4    Jamie’s Double Miracle

5    The Lively Ghost

6    The Rumble Seat

7    Five T-Bones, Please

8    Wishbone

9    Me and Weekly

The Baffled Burglar

T he petite blonde woman inserted her key in the lock and spun around to search the avenue behind her. The abandoned street, though brightly illuminated by a mercury vapor, did nothing to dispel her sense of being watched. Fear produced an adrenaline surge as she slipped into the house and slammed the door behind her.

Please, Lord, she prayed as she leaned limply against the door. Please help me trust you as you care for me. Still, she couldn’t help wondering, Why would anyone be stalking me?

Melody McCabe enjoyed living alone but for several days had been unable to shake the unsettling feeling that she was being watched. She had checked all the locks on doors and windows that morning and struggled to convince herself that her fears were ungrounded. It was unlike her to be so paranoid. She entered the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

The long day at work and the unaccustomed fear had exhausted her, and she took a cup of coffee into the living room to relax. With stocking-clad feet propped on the coffee table, she sipped her coffee and tried to calm down. Fatigue soon won out over unease, and she rested her head on the sofa back.

Lulled by the quiet room and the comfort of her sofa, she soon found herself drifting in and out of sleep. She had no idea how long she had been dozing when a noise woke her. Panic bloomed, and she picked up a small bronze statue from the coffee table and crept into the kitchen. The back door was slightly ajar. She knew it had been closed when she left the room. Someone was in the house.

Melody saw a slit of light coming from beneath the door of her home office; she tiptoed to the kitchen wall phone and dialed in 911.

There’s a burglar in my house, she whispered to the operator. She gave her address and was assured that officers in the area would be dispatched immediately. Melody tiptoed back to the office, said a small prayer, and pressed her ear to the closed door. She heard desk drawers opening. Suddenly, her fear turned to outrage at the intruder’s invasion of her privacy, and the emotion dispelled all reason. Fueled by fury, she clutched the bronze statue tightly and swung the door open.

She found herself staring into a pair of washed-out blue eyes and a small mouth that was set in a sneer, giving the man a menacing look. Her knees threatened to buckle when the reality hit her that she was truly facing a prowler.

Adrenaline surged in her veins, and she screamed at him, Who are you, and how dare you invade my home? Drawers in the file cabinet stood open, and papers were strewn about the floor. She raised her arm to hurl the heavy statue at him, but he caught her wrist and with a painful twist forced her to surrender the makeshift weapon. As it was wrenched from her hand, the sharp edge at the top grazed the man’s arm, inflicting pain and causing him to growl through clenched teeth as he clutched the injury.

While he was caught off guard by the pain, Melody quickly raised her right knee and landed a well-placed kick. The intruder bent double with a loud groan and then sank to his knees. Melody took advantage of his indisposition to dash for the open door. But the thief recovered quickly and lunged from his crouched position. He caught her by the left sleeve of her blouse, tearing the fabric. Her sleeve pulled away from her blouse, but he was still able to catch her wrist as his hand closed around her watchband. With a hard jerk, she pulled her arm out of his grasp and left him holding the watch; then she spun around and rushed through the door. The flabbergasted man sprang at her again, but the slamming door struck him across the nose. He howled in pain as he opened the door to follow.

Melody dashed toward the kitchen with the intruder right behind her. Reaching the kitchen island near the sink, she grabbed a heavy chrome skillet that hung from the overhead pot rack. Wielding it like a bat, she turned and swung the skillet with all her might. His already wounded nose and open mouth caught the blow, and again, he howled in pain and fury. His tooth hit the floor with a pop.

The blow knocked him off balance, and he backed up several steps, arms twirling wildly, trying to remain on his feet. He regained his balance and dived at her, bumping into the table and knocking over a chair. His flailing feet caught in the chair rung, and he tripped. Momentum sent him sprawling into the floor, and Melody scampered out of the enraged man’s reach.

Circling the island, she looked around wildly for something else to use as a weapon. When he stood shakily and paused momentarily to get his bearings, she grabbed the coffee carafe from the burner. Loosening the top of the carafe, she drew the container behind her for the element of surprise and waited.

Before she could hurl the carafe at her attacker, however, the back door was wrenched open, and a police officer charged through the entry. His eyes quickly took in the scene before him and the two people, posed at either end of the island like a couple of fighting cats preparing to pounce.

One looked like he had been caught in the middle of a brawl, and the other was a small woman standing with feet apart and torn sleeve dangling from her wrist; her hands were braced on the counter, and she seemed prepared to sprint in either direction.

Okay, buddy, the officer said, fun’s over for tonight. The police officer crossed the kitchen and clamped handcuffs on the would-be robber.

Melody was gasping for breath and fighting back tears of fright and anger. This man was going through my desk when I surprised him. I had already called 911, but I let my anger get the best of me and, probably very foolishly, confronted him.

A second police officer gently led the exhausted woman to a chair.

The first officer held onto his prisoner as he struggled not to laugh at the scene before him. Looks like you did a really good job of protecting yourself, Ms. McCabe, he said. Do you know this man? And he took the injured man by the hair and raised his face for Melody to identify.

Good grief, she stammered as she clutched her aching wrist. He’s the man who repaired my car last week.

Did you leave your keys with him while he made the repairs? asked the officer.

Yes, I did, said the astonished woman. It never occurred to me I shouldn’t. I tend to trust people too much, I guess. He had my door key copied so he could enter my house at will. Feeling foolish, Melody was so incensed that she lunged toward the shackled man.

The burglar jumped back, attempting to hide behind the officer and keep the furious woman from reaching him. Keep her away from me, the man whimpered like an injured puppy, peering from an already swelling eye. I need a hospital thanks to that crazy woman. Just look what she did to me.

Don’t worry, buddy, said the cop. After we get you downtown to a nice, warm cell, you’ll have plenty of time to recover from your injuries.

Let’s see, now, said the second officer as he scribbled charges in a small notebook. Wonder what the sentence will be for breaking and entering, attempted robbery, assault, and battery?

What assault and battery? yelled the outraged burglar. She’s the one did the assault and battery. She needs to be jailed for doing bodily harm to me. Get me away from that wild woman before she kills me. He was still whimpering softly as the police officer led him through the back door to the waiting patrol car, where the infuriated woman couldn’t get to him.

The remaining officer laughed quietly as he surveyed the damage in Melody’s kitchen. "Ma’am, we don’t