Larkspur Read online

  Larkspur

  Denver Cereal, Volume Nine

  Claudia Hall Christian

  Cook Street Publishing

  Denver, CO

  by

  Claudia Hall Christian

  StoriesbyClaudia.com

  The Denver Cereal

  The Denver Cereal

  Celia’s Puppies

  Cascade

  Cimarron

  Black Forest

  Fairplay

  Gold Hill

  Silt

  Larkspur

  Alex the Fey Thrillers

  The Fey

  Learning to Stand

  Who I am

  Lean on Me

  In the Grey

  Finding North

  The Queen of Cool

  The Queen of Cool

  Seth and Ava Mysteries

  Tax Assassin

  Carving Knife

  Originally published at DenverCereal.com

  March 2013 — September 2013

  copyright © Claudia Hall Christian

  Licensed under the Creative Commons License:

  Attribution–NonCommercial–Share Alike 3.0

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  ISBN (13 digits) : 978-1-938057-19-9 (digital)

  Library of Congress : 2014933147

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  First edition © April, 2014

  Cook Street Publishing

  PO Box 18217

  Denver, CO 80218

  For my Aunt Mary Ellen Hall Thomas,

  who never let facts get in the way of

  a good story.

  Table of Contents

  What’s happened so far

  Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-nine

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-one

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-two

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-three

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-four

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-five

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-six

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-seven

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-eight

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-nine

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-one

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-two

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-three

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-four

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-five

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-six

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-seven

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-eight

  Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-nine

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-one

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-two

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-three

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-four

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-five

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-six

  Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-seven

  Glossary of Characters

  What’s happened so Far

  Denver Cereal is an addicting, sweet and crunchy serial fiction filled with the tension, drama, and love of urban life.

  The Denver Cereal

  In the Denver Cereal, we meet Jillian Roper when she pulls on her thigh high leather boots and crashes her abusive ex-husband Trevor’s engagement party. At the party, she meets her dream man, Jacob Marlowe. Jill and Jacob begin a crash course through grave injury and illness, to find love. Along the way, we meet Jacob’s movie star sister, Valerie, and learn of her struggles to have her own dreams and share a life with her husband Mike. Jill’s best friends — Sandy, Heather, and Tanesha — begin new courses in their life that take them to confront their greatest fears and deepest longings.

  Celia’s Puppies, Denver Cereal, Volume 2

  Jacob and Valerie’s mother, Celia, had a habit of helping lost people, called Celia’s Puppies. In this second volume of the Denver Cereal, Celia’s puppies come to the forefront. We meet Jacob’s noble step-sister Honey, we learn more about Jacob’s ‘cousin’ Blane, and, via Oprah Winfrey, Valerie learns of Mike’s terrifying time away from her. Trevor and his fiancé attempt to kidnap Jill’s daughter Katy and her best friend Paddie at a holiday party. The fiancé all but kills Honey. She is saved by her childhood sweetheart MJ and they reorient their lives and love. Jill and Jacob dance around getting married and, in the very end, they marry in the Castle Chapel.

  Cascade, Denver Cereal, Volume 3

  Peace comes to Denver Cereal, but demons from the past refuse to stay in the past. We learn of Sandy’s horrific childhood and her boyfriend Aden responds with violence. His violent act ends with Sandy getting shot by her pedophile father and Aden lands in jail. Jill, her mother, and father tell the story that was never to be told and her family begins to heal. With the help of Heather, now his wife, Blane confronts his past loves and battles Hepatitis C. Beloved Delphie must confront a demon from her past. When he arrives to kill her and everyone else, he meets what he could never expect. Delphie’s family battles for her. In the end, Delphie survives a life

  Cimarron, Denver Cereal, Volume 4

  In Cimarron, the characters of Denver Cereal grapple with the consequences of their actions to restart their lives. Aden heals and continues his jail sentence. Delphie has to come to terms with almost dying to start her life again. Valerie launches herself as a movie actress while Mike’s painting career flourishes. Jill and Jacob face their first relationship challenge. Sandy becomes gravely ill and her child, Rachel, is born 2 months early. They fight their way through the problems to come together as a family. And just in time! Six pairs of human remains under the Castle Chapel draw everyone into a dark murder mystery.

  Black Forest, Denver Cereal, Volume 5

  The Denver Cereal takes off into the wild, action packed pursuit of the child killer, Saint Jude. Danger lurks and evil’s host threatens to destroy the lives of those we live. Friends are murdered and even with Jacob and Delphie’s abilities, Saint Jude continues to rampage against the children of the city and even tries to steal Rachel. When all hope is lost, the bond between the women and children triumph over the serial killer and the evil that drives him.

  Fairplay, Denver Cereal, Volume 6

  Why is life so unfair? Charlie’s question permeates the Denver Cereal as his mother rejects her children to embrace her greed; Seth’s greatest love falls to her death; Jill fights to protect Katy; Blane’s health deteriorates; and a true love, broken by betrayal, reignites for Tanesha. Through their individual losses, the friends and family embrace the wealth and power available within their circle. In the end, Charlie’s pursuit of life’s fairness carries the Denver Cereal back into the grace and bounty of present life.

  Gold Hill, Denver Cereal, Volume 7

  Tanesha’s plans are shaken when true love returns with a truck load of baggage in the form of Jeraine Wilson. The sparks from their struggle ignites a firestorm that illuminates their private pain and burns away the injustice in Tanesha’s past. Tanesha’s beautiful mother, Yvonne, tries to break free from her life as a sex slave and return to Tanesha’s father, Rodney. A powerful love story unfolds and an unbroken vow is reforged. In the end, the past is swept away to reveal the truth that love is more precious than gold.

  Silt, Denver Cereal, Volume 8

  Charlie only wants to kiss his girlfriend, Tink, but dating Tink dumps him right in the middle of a ring of high school rapists brutalizing his school. In no time, Charlie finds himself in an interrogation room at
the Denver Police Department. Following Nash and Teddy’s ingenious plan, Charlie uses his past as a street kid to take on the rape ring. The pressure heats up when Jacob discovers deep fissures under the site of their first big project, and Lipson Construction transitions to employee ownership. In the dramatic conclusion, Jacob steps up to take on the rapists with the help of a few friends, including a dragon. His experience gives him the resolve to head Lipson Construction through their most troubling times.

  Confused? Download the Denver Cereal, Volume 1 from anywhere you purchase books. You’ll find all Denver Cereal books in every electronic format and paperback.

  Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-nine

  Special day

  Five days later

  Saturday — 4:45 a.m.

  Katy opened her eyes when the door to their loft closed. She scowled. That sounded like her Daddy leaving for work. But her daddy wouldn’t work on today of all days.

  Would he?

  She closed her eyes and stretched out her mind to see if she could find him. He was listening to the news in his truck and . . . going to work!

  Katy’s eyes welled up.

  Why would he go to work on today of all days?

  Didn’t he remember what today was? She’d reminded him last night.

  She wasn’t direct about it. When he was tucking her in, she’d just said that she was excited to spend another year with him. He’d smiled and kissed her cheek. How could he forget from last night to this morning?

  Katy stared at the starry ceiling above her. Mommy had said that each of the little lights would remind her that she and Daddy love her. Well, she didn’t feel very loved right at this moment. She stared at the ceiling until she heard Mommy moving around.

  This is what it was like to be an older sister.

  She had better get used to it because pretty soon there would be two little brothers for her mommy to take care of. Not that Katy wouldn’t matter anymore, she’d just matter less.

  This was an example of Katy mattering less.

  Katy nodded to herself.

  She got out of bed and went to the bathroom by herself. After all, she was five years old today. She could go to the bathroom by herself. She did it at school. She just usually liked to have Mommy there to tell her about the dreams she had last night. But today, she could take care of it herself.

  She could even dress herself. She’d never done it before, but she was five today, and an older sister soon. She went to her closet and looked.

  “Katy, honey?” Jill peaked in her room. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m picking out my clothes. After all I’m FIVE.” When Jill didn’t respond, Katy added, “Today.”

  “Ok, well, hurry along,” Jill said. “We have a busy day getting ready for your party tomorrow.”

  Her mommy pulled the door closed. Katy was so surprised that she stood in front of the closed door with her mouth open. She stretched out to read her mommy’s mind.

  Katy found Jill’s mind full of lists — things to buy for the party, things to get done before the babies come, and more lists of grown up stuff.

  Disgusted, Katy sat on the corner of her bed.

  She wasn’t going to like being an older sister very much.

  “MOMMY!” Katy yelled.

  Jill stuck her head in.

  “Why aren’t you dressed?” Jill asked.

  Jill came in the room and began pulling things out of the closet for Katy to wear. She stacked them next to Katy on the bed.

  “Get dressed,” Jill said.

  Katy glared at her. Jill smiled and left the room.

  “MOMMY!” Katy yelled.

  Jill stuck her head in the room.

  “Can we send the babies back?” Katy asked. “I don’t want to be an older sister anymore.”

  “You’re so silly,” Jill smiled. “Come on, let’s get dressed. We have a full day!”

  Katy scowled at the door for a while. She glanced at what Jill had set out. These were new clothes. Mommy and Auntie Sandy had gone shopping on Friday and come home with some cute clothes for Katy and Noelle. Katy liked it when Mommy bought stuff for her.

  A generally cheerful child, Katy couldn’t stay grumpy for very long. Especially when she had these cute things to wear. Katy put on her new jeans that looked like Daddy’s and pulled on her new purple-the-color-of-psychics top. She stepped into her just-like-a-real-cowboy boots and went out to have Mommy do her hair. Mommy gently combed Katy’s long hair and braided it into two low braids.

  “Where is Paddie today?” Katy asked.

  “Gosh sweetie, I don’t know,” Jill asked. “I know you’ve asked a few times. His Daddy said he just couldn’t play with us today. That’s why we’re having your birthday party tomorrow. Remember, you wanted Paddie to be there.”

  “But . . .” Katy started but Mommy was on to something else.

  She went to the kitchen counter where Mommy had laid out her not-very-special breakfast. Katy felt like she was going to cry.

  Where were the “I don’t recognize you because you’re five now”? They’d done those every every every year since she could remember.

  Where were presents?

  What about birthday cake?

  “MOMMY!” Katy yelled.

  Jill stuck her head out of the bedroom.

  “Um,” Katy said.

  She saw how tired her mommy looked and she decided not to ask about birthday cake. Jill smiled and went back into the bedroom. Katy moped through her regular oatmeal and regular fruit and regular milk. Because she was a big sister now, she put her plate in the sink instead of waiting for Mommy to do it.

  Plus, they lived with lots of people. Katy smiled. She bet people were downstairs waiting for her and Mommy was just faking.

  “Thanks putting your dishes in the sink, sweetie,” Jill kissed her head. “Ready?”

  Katy nodded. They went down the stairwell to the kitchen.

  The kitchen was dark and silent.

  “Where is everyone?” Katy asked.

  “Let’s see,” Jill said. “Daddy, Mr. Aden, Mrs. Honey, and Mr. Sam went to work. Aunt Val and Uncle Mike are in LA.”

  “Oh,” Katy shuffled through the kitchen.

  “Noelle, Charlie, Tink, Ivy, oh gosh, all of them are at the police station today,” Jill said.

  “Again?” Katy asked.

  “Wanda just got out of the hospital,” Jill said. “They want all of them together when they look at the boys they arrested. I think Auntie Heather took Tink and Ivy there too. Of course, Delphie is with Ivy.”

  “Oh,” Katy had forgotten about Delphie. Hearing Delphie’s name, Katy felt a wave of sorrow. Even Delphie, her favorite adult in the entire world, had forgotten that this was her big day. “And the rest?”

  Jill looked down to see Katy crying. She knelt down to hug her. Katy sobbed against her mommy’s shoulder. Mommy didn’t ask any questions. Her mommy rubbed her back and whispered that she loved her. Hearing Katy’s sorrow, Scooter appeared out of nowhere to nudge Katy from the other side.

  “I’m afraid it’s just you and me, baby-girl,” Jill said. “I’m glad to have the chance to spend time with my baby.”

  “Big girl,” Katy said automatically, but she liked that Mommy still called her “baby-girl.”

  “You’ll always be my baby-girl, I’m afraid,” Jill said.

  “What if you have a bunch of girls after the boys?” Katy asked.

  “You’ll still be my baby-girl,” Jill said. “Even when you’re ancient like me and have a pack of kids of your own.”

  Katy smiled.

  “I love you, big-girl,” Jill said.

  “Love you, Mommy,” Katy said.

  “Why don’t we take Scooter with us?” Jill asked. “Would that be nice?”

  Katy nodded. Mommy helped her blow her nose and they went out to their new, huge, ready for the stupid-should-be-returned twins, SUV. Mommy helped her into the back seat. Katy got into her car seat and let Mommy buckle her in
.

  “Paddie doesn’t have a car seat anymore,” Katy said for the umpteenth time.

  “Paddie is quite a bit bigger than you,” Jill said.

  “I’m getting bigger,” Katy said.

  “You’ll be in a new car seat soon enough,” Jill smiled. “Remember, we bought a booster already.”

  Katy gave a solemn nod.

  “I thought I’d have it today.” Hoping Mommy would remember, Katy emphasized the today.

  Jill smiled and went to the driver’s seat. Katy waited while Mommy got situated.

  “Boy, I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to drive,” Jill said and started the car. “It’s pretty tight here.”

  They started driving down their street. They turned on the bigger street.

  “Boy, look at that rising sun,” Jill said. “It’s pretty like you, Katy-baby.”

  “Very pretty,” Katy said to the back of Jill’s driver seat.

  The drove up the big street past the park. Katy saw Sissy’s school and remembered Mommy hadn’t said where she was. Maybe Sissy was planning something special for Katy.

  “Where’s Sissy today?” Katy asked.

  “I think she’s doing ballet,” Jill said. “Or she’s with Wanda. No Wanda’s at the police station. Gosh, Katy, I don’t know. Everything is a little weird since Monday.”

  “Noelle’s home,” Katy said.

  “Right, both Noelle and Wanda were able to go home from the hospital,” Jill said. “You know, I think Wanda’s with her friend Frankie. That’s it. He’s moving into Denver Children’s Home today. Wanda and her dad are there to help him get settled, and then they go to the police station. Or maybe they go to the police station first.”

  “Auntie Sandy? Rachel?” Katy held out hope that someone who loved her remembered that today was her special day. “Auntie Tanesha?”