Wheels of Steel, Book 1 Read Online Free Page B
Author: Pepper Pace
plastic. She tried to watch TV with Miss Lucille but it, more than anything else, made her sleepy. She thought about making small talk but the woman seemed very preoccupied with her show so Robin didn’t want to interrupt her. She picked up the book and began reading.
“What is that?” Miss Lucille was trying to see the cover. She reached out her hand for the book.
“It’s a story about a world where witches and vampires exist alongside of humans.”
Miss Lucille scowled. “That’s blasphemy!”
“Huh?”
Miss Lucille looked at the cover with disgust. “It’s probably all about sex; vile sex with devils.”
“No! Not at all.” She slipped the book out of the older women’s hands. “It’s just a story about a nice girl who was born a witch.”
“Hmph!” Miss Lucille snorted. Robin sighed and checked her watch. Just another half an hour .
Chapter 4
The next day when she went to Miss Lucille’s she carried a bag containing butter substitute and no sugar added jam. She spread butter and jam onto her morning toast and set the tray along with the two soft boiled eggs and coffee with sugar and cream. The tray went in front of the elderly woman before Robin hurried out of the room to make the bed.
When she returned, every bit of the toast had been eaten. Robin picked up the tray to carry into the kitchen to wash and Miss Lucille’s eyes moved from the television screen to stare at the young woman.
“Did my son bring that butter and jam?”
Robin paused. “I guess...”
Robin fell into her routine easily, despite the fact that she now had to eek out her sleep time during the part of the day when neighbors ran their vacuum cleaners and babies cried for breakfast and toddlers watched the same episode of Spongebob Square pants until she thought she’d jam a pencil into her ears if she had to hear that damned song one more time!
She went to Pinnacle each day to pick up her wages and when her bank account actually showed an amount that contained two zeroes instead of one, Robin did a happy dance. Nothing could put a damper on her mood except one person; Mama.
The two women met for church each Sunday. It was a routine that was solidified after Daddy’s death. Mama wouldn’t have to keep hinting that she didn’t come by enough and Robin was undoubtedly saving her immortal soul each Sunday so it was killing two birds with one stone.
After the service, they went to brunch. Mama always treated so she always chose the location. “I’m planning a cruise to Jamaica this winter. I can use a vacation.” Betty spoke as she sliced into her Belgium waffles.
“That sounds like fun, Mom. You haven’t had a vacation in years.”
“Well, I want you to come with me.” Robin looked up in surprise. “I want to make it for seven days. I’ll pay, I just want us to…have some time together.” Her mother smiled nervously.
Robin’s food stayed frozen in her mouth. She didn’t want to be alone with her Mom for seven days.
“Take off work for seven days?”
“Well it will be months from now. If you ask now then I’m sure they will be able to accommodate you.”
“Well I just picked up a second, part time job.” She lied about it being part-time...and about it being ‘just’.
“Oh?” Betty picked up her glass of water and sipped while waiting with interest for her to continue.
“Yes, I started working at a home health care service; night shifts. But they are awfully short staffed-”
“Home healthcare?” She gave Robin a confused look. “You want to be a nurse?”
“No, no, not at all. All I do is monitor people in their homes-”
Betty sucked in a loud breath. “Are you telling me that you are going to people’s homes, taking care of them?”
Robin gave her a
“What is that?” Miss Lucille was trying to see the cover. She reached out her hand for the book.
“It’s a story about a world where witches and vampires exist alongside of humans.”
Miss Lucille scowled. “That’s blasphemy!”
“Huh?”
Miss Lucille looked at the cover with disgust. “It’s probably all about sex; vile sex with devils.”
“No! Not at all.” She slipped the book out of the older women’s hands. “It’s just a story about a nice girl who was born a witch.”
“Hmph!” Miss Lucille snorted. Robin sighed and checked her watch. Just another half an hour .
Chapter 4
The next day when she went to Miss Lucille’s she carried a bag containing butter substitute and no sugar added jam. She spread butter and jam onto her morning toast and set the tray along with the two soft boiled eggs and coffee with sugar and cream. The tray went in front of the elderly woman before Robin hurried out of the room to make the bed.
When she returned, every bit of the toast had been eaten. Robin picked up the tray to carry into the kitchen to wash and Miss Lucille’s eyes moved from the television screen to stare at the young woman.
“Did my son bring that butter and jam?”
Robin paused. “I guess...”
Robin fell into her routine easily, despite the fact that she now had to eek out her sleep time during the part of the day when neighbors ran their vacuum cleaners and babies cried for breakfast and toddlers watched the same episode of Spongebob Square pants until she thought she’d jam a pencil into her ears if she had to hear that damned song one more time!
She went to Pinnacle each day to pick up her wages and when her bank account actually showed an amount that contained two zeroes instead of one, Robin did a happy dance. Nothing could put a damper on her mood except one person; Mama.
The two women met for church each Sunday. It was a routine that was solidified after Daddy’s death. Mama wouldn’t have to keep hinting that she didn’t come by enough and Robin was undoubtedly saving her immortal soul each Sunday so it was killing two birds with one stone.
After the service, they went to brunch. Mama always treated so she always chose the location. “I’m planning a cruise to Jamaica this winter. I can use a vacation.” Betty spoke as she sliced into her Belgium waffles.
“That sounds like fun, Mom. You haven’t had a vacation in years.”
“Well, I want you to come with me.” Robin looked up in surprise. “I want to make it for seven days. I’ll pay, I just want us to…have some time together.” Her mother smiled nervously.
Robin’s food stayed frozen in her mouth. She didn’t want to be alone with her Mom for seven days.
“Take off work for seven days?”
“Well it will be months from now. If you ask now then I’m sure they will be able to accommodate you.”
“Well I just picked up a second, part time job.” She lied about it being part-time...and about it being ‘just’.
“Oh?” Betty picked up her glass of water and sipped while waiting with interest for her to continue.
“Yes, I started working at a home health care service; night shifts. But they are awfully short staffed-”
“Home healthcare?” She gave Robin a confused look. “You want to be a nurse?”
“No, no, not at all. All I do is monitor people in their homes-”
Betty sucked in a loud breath. “Are you telling me that you are going to people’s homes, taking care of them?”
Robin gave her a
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