Siren's Call Read Online Free

nary a cloud, he fancied he heard the rumble of thunder preceding a rain redoubling its angry assault on the earth. He vaguely recalled the wind kicking up, slashing at his bare skin. The chill was painful, penetrating all the way to the bone . . .
    With more than a little relief, Kenneth released the breath he’d been holding. For once the cells in his shortcircuited brain were beginning to spark, the soggy mass of gray matter finally assuming coherent shape.
    The presence is here . He definitely felt it. Her.
    Relief mingled with a tinge of anxiety. Most of the memories were still a blur, the details yet to be clarified. Despite the signs warning strangers away, he hoped Tessa Lonike would give him a few minutes of her time. All he wanted was information, enough to fill in the blanks. Once his need was satisfied, it would be time to close the door on the past and move on.
    The skipper gave him a hard poke. “You going to stand there all day?” he demanded irritably. “I ain’t got all day to be foolin’ around here.”
    Jarred out of his thoughts, Kenneth refocused on the matter at hand. The skipper thought he was here to work. Best to get a move on and get going. “Just tell me what to do.” Being agreeable was the best way to get along with people, especially strangers. The small community was a tight- knit one, where everybody knew everyone else’s business. The best way for an outsider to gain acceptance was simply to go with the flow.
    The old man made a sound just this side of a deep hack before spitting a wad of phlegm into the water. “You’ll have a better chance of getting on Tessa’s good side if you make yourself useful.” He pointed to one of the parcels he’d unloaded onto the dock. “She’s waitin’ on a new motor for the swamp cooler. The sooner you get it in, the happier she will be.”
    Kenneth picked up the part, tucking it under one arm. “Can do.”
    “Just go on around back,” the old man continued, pointing out a path leading toward the house. “I’ll finish unloading the supplies. Once you’re done there, we’ll carry it all up to the house. I’d like to be home for supper before sundown, so get a move on.”
    Kenneth blew out his cheeks in a sigh. “Whatever you say, boss.”
    The trail leading from the dock to the house was made up of half-buried stepping-stones zigzagging over soil eroded from continual assault of water driven by furious winds. One wrong step would twist an ankle, or worse, break a bone. The walkway could clearly use improvements.
    Leaving the rocky path behind, Kenneth stepped onto an overgrown lawn. Up close the place wasn’t as picturesque as it appeared from a distance. Grass curled around his ankles, thick and squishy underfoot from recent rains. The thick, loamy scent of pine nettles and decaying leaves from trees clustered around the house filled his nostrils. They needed to be clipped and thinned, as did the low hedges edging both sides of the house. The house also needed a lot of work. The roof had lost more than its share of shingles to high winds. The white paint covering its walls had faded, cracking and slowly peeling away. Plywood nailed over a broken corner window lent the house a sad, neglected air.
    It looked picture- perfect when viewed from a distance. However, the fairy-tale allure faded as perspective changed. The enchantment had long ago faded away.
    “Needs a lot of work,” Kenneth muttered under his breath. Despite the neglect, he recognized a lot of potential in the property. The house clearly had a solid foundation. Why the owner had let the place go when repairs would be so easy to make was beyond him.
    He eyed the house, making a mental note here and there. “It could be fixed up.” A new roof and a fresh coat of paint would go a long way toward restoring it to its former glory.
    Closer now, the sound of angry voices drifted around the corner of the house.
    Kenneth cocked his head, straining to hear the words. Though he