Free It Never Rhines but It Pours by Erin Evans Page A

hours we would be able to feel our brains boiling inside our heads in direct sunlight. Cecily was back in her dark shades and wide brimmed hat. In addition to not crying, it looked like vampires didn’t sweat either. Lucky them. If we stood out here much longer I was going to need another shower and a change of clothes. Barring that I could just jump in someone’s pool. I couldn’t possible get any wetter.
    A dog barked down the street and I heard the sound of a lawn mower. I knocked again. All was quiet. I rang the doorbell a couple times and gave the door a few heavy bangs. Still no answer. Cecily cocked her head and closed her eyes.
    “I don’t hear anything,” she said. Her eyes opened wide, “Nothing at all.” She drew the Sword of Justice and crept around the side of the house. Sarah and I watched her go. It was too hot to go crawling around in a backyard. Besides, if she ran into trouble what good would we be? Better to stay put in the front porch shade.
    I heard footsteps finally approaching the front door from inside. “Cecily!” I hissed. “He’s here!”
    The door opened. It was Cecily. “He’s not here,” she corrected.
    I pushed past her, “How did you get in?”
    She shrugged, “The sliding glass door was broken.”
    I stared, “You didn’t!”
    She gave me a wide eyed look. Sarah laughed.
    I made a face at her and made a visual sweep of the living room. It could have been my neighbor’s living room. Nothing screamed “a goat worshipper lives here!” Cecily disappeared down the hallway.
    “Piper!” she called.
    I joined her in the master bedroom. It was a wreck. Someone had thrown clothes all about. Drawers were left hanging open and the closet doors were ajar. I checked the shoes, there were spots for missing ones. And an empty place on the shelf that would have been the perfect size for a suitcase.
    “Drat,” I cursed. “He’s gone.”

 
    Chapter Nine:
    Diapers, Santa, and Visiting Relatives
     
    “Mommy’s home! Mommy’s home!” my gleeful daughters cheered. It was nice to be missed and loved.
    “What did you bring us?” Megan, the oldest, wanted to know.
    “What bring? What bring?” Cassidy echoed.
    I swept them up in a big hug and pretended that the warm welcome had been for me, and not for the presents they were hoping I had brought.
    “I brought me!” I said brightly.
    Mark was standing a few feet back, waiting his turn for a hug. He snorted. I glared at him. “Well,” he said, “that’s good enough for Daddy ,” he wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way. “But probably not for the little materialists.”
    “You had to bring us something ,” Megan added, placing her little hands on her hips and giving me the eye. “You were gone forever.”
    “What do you think I was doing while I was gone?” I asked.
    “Shopping for presents?” she guessed.
    I hid a smile. “Who would I be getting a present for?”
    “Me!” Cassidy cheered.
    I kissed the top of her head. “What if the present is having Mommy home?”
    The girls looked at each other. They had to confer. Cassidy shook her head. Megan answered for them both. “That’s a nice present, Mommy. But a real present is even nicer. Where is the real present?”
    I smacked her bottom and caved. “It’s in my suitcase—” I was drowned out by the screaming stampede to my bag. A fight quickly broke out.
    “I open! I open!” Cassidy yelled pulling on the handle.
    “No! I’ll open it. You’re too little!” Megan tried to shove her little sister out of the way.
    “ No one will open it if you don’t stop your rotten attitudes now! ” I said in my best mother voice.
    There was instant silence and they both quickly sat and placed their hands in their laps. “That’s better,” I said in a quieter voice. “Now, I will open the suitcase and give you your presents.”
    “I need to practice that tone of voice,” Mark commented. “I got walked all over this weekend.”
    I kissed his cheek in passing.