Spirit Eyes Read Free

actually, and she loved him passionately. However, no matter how serious father and oldest daughter’s outlook, they did express amusement at Pearl’s antics. But who wouldn’t? Pearl was a most precocious child, cheeky and clever. Parenting such a willful youngster was no easy task, and considering the kid was in trouble more often than she blinked, Paul was the busy disciplinarian.
     
    “Close the gate,” Ruth yelled through car keys gripped firmly in her teeth. Balancing a cup of coffee and the box of cupcakes, she hurried to the garage. She threw Pearl an impatient glance. “Make sure it’s closed all the way. Puddles keeps getting out.”
    Pearl reached up and hooked the latch, turned and stopped. Her intent gaze locked onto something in the driveway.
    “Come on, kiddo, get in. We don’t have all day.” Ruth leaned her hip against the car and placed the box of cupcakes on the roof of the van, then took the keys from her mouth and unlocked the driver side door. “Pearl, are you going to stand there all day? Come on.”
    Pearl’s almond shaped eyes slowly turned toward her mother, and the exuberance she’d been displaying all morning disappeared. Whatever had transfixed her let her gaze escape and she ran to the garage, opened the back car door and quickly hustled into the seat.
    Ruth started the engine and jumped as Paul’s classic rock music blared out. He’d dropped Lotus off earlier and liked his music loud. She flipped the radio off and turned to gaze over the seat. “What’s wrong, hon? Why so sad, suddenly?”
    Pearl played with the mini decorations attached to her backpack.
    “Earth to Pearl.”
    Quietly, she turned her focus to her mother. “Why does he just stand there staring at me?”
    Ruth studied her daughter. “Who?”
    “That man in our driveway.”
    “What man?”
    Pearl looked out the back window and pointed her index finger. “He was standing right there.”
    Long and curving, their driveway led to Rural Route Six, which twisted and turned until it intersected with the downtown section of Eberstark.
    “Honey, I didn’t see anyone. Are you sure?”
    She nodded her head.
    “What did he look like?”
    “He…um, he looked sorta mad.”
    “Mad?”
    “Yeah. And he wears a gray suit.”
    “Okay.” Ruth felt the color drain from her face. “Maybe you dreamed him.”
    “Mommy, I was wide awake in the driveway?”
    The hair on Ruth’s arms rose.
    “He’s mad, Mom. He’s really, really mad.” Pearl’s sweet face winced.
    “Why? Why is he mad?” This conversation, so foreign to any she’d ever had with Pearl, caused her throat to tighten up.
    “I don’t know, but he is. I don’t think he likes you.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Sometimes he smiles at me. His teeth are crooked looking. But then he looks at you, or if I’m with Dad, he looks at him and his face gets—I don’t know, kinda mean.”
    “You see this man with Daddy, too?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Did you ever tell Daddy?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    She shrugged, her eyes wandering out the car window.
    Her heart racing, her body cold, Ruth asked, “Do you see him, now?”
    Pearl’s glance reverted quickly back to her mom and she shook her head, no .
    Her back rigid, Ruth attempted to relax. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, just as she’d learned in her yoga class. Not liking the present conversation, she didn’t understand where it was coming from. Their big house on the hill sat far back from the road and was completely isolated from neighbors by a thick patch of trees on either side. Far off, behind their backyard, a bird sanctuary existed, no neighbors at all. Maybe she saw a man from the sanctuary?
    “Well,” she said in hopes of turning her world back to normal, “we’ve got some cupcakes to deliver to someone’s class now, don’t we?” Her voice chipper, she forced a smile and turned forward. “And I don’t think your friends want us to be late, so let’s get