Winter Chill Read Free Page B

silent. At least she was listening to him now.
    “She’d be disappointed in you, Marian. I know she would. And I believe that Laura’s there somewhere, listening to every word we say. She isn’t gone forever, Marian. I can’t believe that. She’s just in another place, waiting for us to join her someday. You don’t want Laura to be sad, do you, Marian?”
    It was a full minute before Marian spoke. Then her voice was shaking and full of doubt.
    “Do you really believe that, Dan? That Laura can hear us now?”
    “I believe it, honey.” Dan’s arm tightened around her, and he sighed deeply. “And you can believe it, too, if you let yourself. Try it, Marian. Try to believe. Will you try it for me?”
    “If only I could, Dan.” Her voice was a whisper. “Yes. Darling . . . I’ll try.”
    The words still echoed in his mind long after she’d dropped off into an exhausted sleep. Had he deliberately misled her? Dan wasn’t sure if he believed in an afterlife or not. But believing in life after death certainly couldn’t hurt Marian. She had to have something to hold on to, something to pull her out of her terrible depression and make her want to live again. He hoped he had given her that much, at least.
     
     
    The phone rang again as Marian was making a fresh pot of coffee. She wiped her hands on a towel and hurried to answer it.
    “Is there anything Ronnie and I can do to help?” Sally’s voice was anxious, and Marian winced. What could she say? There was nothing anyone could do.
    “I don’t think so, Sally. I guess Dan and I will just have to struggle through somehow.”
    “So when are you coming back to work?” Now there was a deliberate cheerfulness in Sally’s tone. “Your class is going crazy without you. The first thing Ricky asks every morning is when you’re coming back.”
    A smile flickered across Marian’s face. Ricky Owens, the terror of the second grade. The substitute must be making him toe the line.
    “Soon, I think. I haven’t really discussed it with Dan yet. I still have two weeks of sick leave coming, Sally.”
    “Oh, don’t make it that long!” Sally sounded distressed. “Your kids miss you, and I miss you, too. Edith makes lousy coffee.”
    “I’ll let you know just as soon as I decide,” Marian promised. “I have to get back to Dan now. Dr. Hinkley’s with him.”
    She sighed as she hung up the phone. Three calls today, one from Harvey, one from Edith, and now the call from Sally. And all three of them wanted to know when she was coming back to work.
    Dr. Hinkley smiled as she came into the den. “Well, Marian. You look chipper. Getting ready to go back to that class of yours?”
    They were ganging up on her! Dr. Hinkley meant well, but couldn’t he see that she just wasn’t ready yet?
    “I’m trying to talk her into going back on Monday. I don’t think it’s good for her to stay in the house like this, do you, Dr. Hinkley?”
    And now Dan was getting into the act. For a moment Marian had the urge to scream. Her baby was dead! Couldn’t they see she wasn’t ready to go back? She might never be ready to go back!
    “Why don’t you try it for a half day on Monday, honey? The substitute can take the morning, and you go in for the afternoon. Just see how you feel, say hello to the kids again. If it doesn’t work out, everyone’ll understand.”
    She was just too tired to fight with all of them. Marian sighed and gave up. They were making her decisions for her, and she guessed she’d have to go along with them.

CHAPTER 3
    It was Saturday morning, and Marian was washing dishes. She was in good spirits this morning. Perhaps Dan was right. She needed something to believe in.
    She wiped the last of the plates in the drainer and bent over to get Muffy’s bowl, next to the refrigerator. It was still full. Marian stopped, puzzled. Poor Muffy had eaten practically nothing last week.
    There was a slice of cold roast beef in the refrigerator. Marian took it out and cut it