Whisper (first two chapters)

Chapter 1

Sofia stared over the head springs, the water misty with a morning haze. Her tears mingled with the raindrops and landed in the waters of Itori Springs in the heart of central Florida. A gator glided across the surface without a sound as cormorant cries echoed along the banks of the river. Time seeped by as she searched for the same answers that she would never find. Maybe the pain will stop if I jump in and never surface.

The slow drizzle strengthened so she sank into a chair and listened to the ping against the roof of the covered deck. The rhythmic beat put Sofia in a trance, her eyes wide open yet not seeing a thing.

The accident had changed it all, taking away her love, her future… almost her life.

A voice interrupted her reverie. “You doing okay this morning, ma’am?”

“I’m fine.”

The park ranger glanced toward the sky. “This rain’s supposed to get worse before it gets any better.”

An awkward silence ensued. Sofia ignored him until he finally walked away. He glanced back at her before driving off in his golf cart.

Her fingers traced the inscription on the railing next to her. ‘Release, Receive’. The short and simple motto of the springs.

What good is it if it never comes true? I’ve released thousands of tears into this spring and received nothing.

A rustle in the bushes caused her to turn in time to see a big white dog burst out of the bushes, dragging a leash attached to its collar. A white pit bull, with black scattered across its face and back like chocolate chips, headed straight toward the bank along the water.

“Uh oh.” Sofia jumped up out of her chair and took a look behind the dog. Several people ran in the dog’s direction, but they were still a long ways off.

SPLASH!

“Holy hell!” She ran to the edge of dock to see a white head bobbing in the water, chasing one of the water birds. Sofia looked to where the park ranger had driven off. Typical. Nowhere around when I actually need him.

She ran to the bank, hollering for the dog. She cussed as she sank in the thick mud along the shore. “And this is why I mind my own business.” A huge sucking sound mocked her as she lifted her foot. “Nice. Real friggin nice. At least I didn’t lose my shoe.” She watched the dog as it paddled around as if on a normal, everyday swim. “Dog! Can you get back over here?”

It turned, but suddenly went under. Sofia’s heart thudded in her chest as she fought to breathe. Terror clawed its way up her spine as she remembered the alligator. The dog surfaced with the leash taut on its collar. It thrashed wildly before going under again. In the clear water, Sofia saw the leash tangled around a fallen tree.

Where’s help? With a final glance behind her and seeing no one, Sofia sucked in her breath. I can’t just watch you die. She pulled her feet free and half belly flopped, half dove in, visions of the large gator circling through her mind. She swam to the dog and grabbed it from behind as it surfaced again.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.” She grabbed the leash and pulled, but it didn’t budge. The dog was yanked from her grasp as the current pulled it under again.

“Shit!”

Sofia dove under, this time aiming for the dog’s neck. She managed to get the leash unclipped from the collar and helped propel the dog to the surface. She spit and sputtered as wet fur and a warm tongue attacked her face as she struggled to catch her breath.

“Get off me, ya drowned rat.” She put her hand in front of her face and flat palmed the dog’s nose. “Come on or we’re both gator bait.” With her arm around the dog’s torso in a semi-bear hug, they swam back to the bank.

“Phoebe!”

A woman sank in the mud as she tried to reach for the dog. Sofia slid her hand between collar and dog and curled her fingers around the purple leather. She and Phoebe struggled through the mud. The woman also grabbed the collar, and the three stumbled up into the grass where others waited.

"I'm so sorry," the lady apologized as she pushed a strand of gray hair out of her face, "that you had to play lifeguard. Thank you so much for saving her! Phoebe ran off when Kady let go of her leash." She let go of the collar so the dog could lie down.

Sofia flipped her wet hair out of her face as she sank to the ground. She wiped the trickling water from her face with her free hand. "Kady sick of taking care of her dog?" Sofia asked snarkier than she intended. She watched the tall, plump woman tuck the errant strand into the dark bun on the back of her head.

The lady raised a brow, her deep brown eyes piercing Sofia. "Phoebe is a shelter dog. I'm Linda, the shelter manager. We bring a load of dogs from the facility on Sundays and volunteers walk them for a couple hours. Our bus is staged on the other side of the park." She pulled another leash from her fanny pack and clipped it to Phoebe’s collar, then handed it to Sofia.

Locked in a cage, unable to escape, just like me. Her fingers ruffled Phoebe's fur. And I’m not about to admit that I never leave this dock so I have no idea what she’s talking about.

Sofia’s attitude preceded her. “Well if she’s just going to let the dog run free, maybe Kady should give up volunteering.” She fidgeted with the leash, already exhausted from the mere interaction.

“Kady’s only six years old,” Linda replied with some attitude of her own. “And she’s…. special… so she walks this particular dog. Phoebe understands Kady and has never run off like that.”

Sofia softened at the mention of a child. “Maybe six is a little young to be responsible for a full-size dog?”

“You’d have to understand the circumstances.”

Not my circus, not my monkeys. Just hand over the leash, pat the dog, and walk away. She stood and wiggled her wrist, entangled in the leash.

Phoebe had other ideas. She sauntered away from the women, pulling enough that the leash stayed taut so Sofia couldn't free herself.

As her clothes and shoes squished and squashed with each step, Sofia almost jogged to keep up with the dog’s pace as they headed to the staging area. A Neuter Commuter bus used for transportation sat off to the side.

People milled around with all kinds of dogs who pulled and jumped in their excitement to be out of their cages.

A petite little girl with blond pony tails sat by herself at a picnic table near the sign-in table, a large umbrella semi-protecting her from the rain. Two park rangers stood nearby. Phoebe went straight to the table and put her head in a little girl’s lap, who bent down to rest her face against the top of the wet dog’s head.

“I guess you’re Kady.”

No response. The little girl didn’t even acknowledge her. She snuggled deeper, her long hair cascading over the dog’s face like a wig.

“You really should be more careful with dogs. You can’t just let them go.” Sofia undid a final tangle and got the leash off her wrist.

Not even a flicker of acknowledgment.

Annoyance rose. “I’m Sofia. I had to jump in the springs and save Phoebe after she chased a duck.”

At that, Kady peeked at her, almost in surprise. The girl’s bright blue eyes matched her own. They assessed her soggy appearance in a second before she looked back at her hands.

“Keep a hold of it so she doesn’t run off again.” Since the girl’s head stayed down, Sofia fit the leash over the girl’s tiny wrist. Kady’s fingers curled around it, but otherwise, she didn’t move.

A park ranger approached and handed Sofia a towel. “Great job saving the dog.”

With a slight smile, Sofia dried herself. “I’ve always wanted to swim in the springs.” And I’ve already talked to more people in the last fifteen minutes than I have in the last year. She turned and headed back toward the dock. “I’ll bring your towel back to you.”

Sofia hadn't made it far when she heard Linda. “You know, if you can’t control the dog, you shouldn’t hold the leash. She dragged you all the way across the park.”

“Touché, sarcastic comment duly noted.”

“Would you be interested in walking a dog?" Linda gestured toward the bus.

“No thanks. Besides – it’s pouring down rain. And while I’m already soaking wet, why are you all out here?”

“These dogs anticipate this time outside their cages all week. Rain or shine, they don’t care.”

Sofia scoffed. "I'm as damaged as they are. Not much to look forward to soo.... no, this misery doesn't need company."

Linda smiled gently. "At least the dogs still have hope and an immeasurable amount of love to give."

"Well, I don't, and I'd hate to depress them. So again, no thank you." She headed back to the dock. Keep your pity away from me.

Chapter 2

Sofia stopped on the dock and shook her head as she saw her sister walk toward her. Frannie twirled a large umbrella, her pixie cut hair floating with each gust of wind, like a character out of Singing in the Rain.

So much for going straight home and getting dry. Annoyed by her inability to escape people, Sofia sank into a chair and waited for the inquisition.

“Hey, sis!” Frannie had moved from their hometown of Pine Bluff in New York a couple weeks earlier to be closer and offer unsolicited moral support. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Oh joy, my stalker’s awake early. And observant even.” Sofia swiped the towel across her head. “I decided to take aqua-aerobics early today.”

“Ouch, such sarcasm. One, it’s almost noon,” Frannie sat in one of the dock’s rocking chairs, “two, if I were a stalker, you wouldn’t see me, and three, even I know you’re not allowed to swim in the springs.”

“So very observant…” She wrapped her long hair in the towel, then rolled her eyes at Frannie’s questioning look. “A dog named Phoebe decided to take a dip and needed rescuing. If you must know.” In as few words as possible, Sofia reiterated the recent events, including the encounter with Kady.

Frannie stuck her tongue out. “So the hermit cares about four legged creatures and little girls. Now if we could just get you to interact with the two-legged adult variety instead of disappearing to this place all the time, which is gorgeous even with the rain.”

“I don’t disappear. I know exactly where I am.”

“Unfortunately, our crystal balls didn’t work in New York so we never knew. You won’t even carry your cell phone with you.”

Sofia sighed and bowed her head. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“No, ma’am. Right here if you need to talk.”

“I don’t.”

They listened to the rain. After a few minutes, Frannie couldn’t keep quiet. “It’s peaceful here, I’ll give you that. Even with the rain.”

“This is where Phillip proposed.”

Frannie softened. “So, you come here every day to remember the happy.”

Tears sparkled as Sofia observed at her sister. “I can’t remember happy. I can barely remember Phillip. It’s like every day he fades just a little more and I can’t stop it. I come here, wait for the pain to go away, and see the Park Rangers stare and whisper. Every day they greet me and I wait for one of them to trot on over and say ‘hey, we’re curious, what’s your story?’ Nothing ever changes.”

“It’s their job to be friendly.”

Heat flooded Sofia’s face. “Their job is to make sure I’m not swimming in the springs or feeding the gators.” She scrutinized her clothes. “Or make sure I’m not food for the gators. Their job is to mow the grass and trim the bushes, not play shrink to the psycho lady who sits on the dock.”

“Maybe you’re overreacting.”

“And maybe you should just go back to Pine Bluff.”

“Sof, you can’t blame yourself because you survived and Phillip didn’t.”

Sofia felt like an ice truck had just slammed into her. “How dare you.”

Frannie straightened her shoulders. “I dare because while you have survivor guilt, I have guilt for going back north after taking you home from rehab. I never should have left you then but I thought you were okay. You have avoided anything that resembles human interaction since your release. You can’t shut everyone out forever because of what happened – your life didn’t end and Phillip would not want you like this.”

“So you’re here because you’re guilty? And don’t you dare tell me what Phillip would want. Go home. I don’t want you here.”

Frannie’s face crumpled. “I was just tryi—“

New tears flowed as Sofia rubbed her eyes. “Quit trying. I don’t have it in me to be nice.”

“I’m your sister, it’s okay.”

“He died,” Sofia whispered, “he died and left me. He was always supposed to be there for me.”

They headed home, windows down, radio loud, warm breeze against their sun-tanned skin. They wore the afterglow of a happy honeymoon and their first two weeks of marriage.

Phillip sang along to the radio, his off-key voice making the song his own. His sunglasses gave him a Hollywood superstar look. “You be my glass of tea, I’ll take you to the sea…”

Sofia joined in. “You’ll be my sugar bear, I’ll wear your underwear….”

Phillip turned down the volume. “You already do.”

“As long as you don’t wear mine.”

“Do you know how much I love you, my wife?”

Sofia beamed. “I love you more, my….. PHILLIP!”

A bear stood on the highway. Phillip yanked the wheel toward the shoulder of the road. The front tire caught the edge of the road and the car rolled.

Metal screeched and tore away, their bodies jolted, tree branches cracked and popped. A horrendous thud.

Silence.

A group of dog walkers came down the sidewalk behind the dock. The dogs sniffed and pulled and their walkers laughed and got dragged along in their rain ponchos. She didn’t see Phoebe.

One of the walkers turned toward the others and a gust of wind blew the hood back. Sofia straightened in her chair as a pang of recognition jolted through her before he turned away.

Is that -- ? Her heart caught a beat of dusty emotion as the memory of a lost love stirred.

“What are you staring at?” Frannie craned her neck.

“That guy looks like… no it couldn’t be.” Sofia settled back into her chair.

“Like who?”

“Do you remember Brandon, my friend from high school?”

Frannie laughed. “How could I forget him. Dad hated him.”

Sofia frowned. “Yeah, and I still have no idea why.”

“You two were pretty hot and heavy from what I remember.”

Guilt knifed its way through Sofia’s heart. “Well, anyways, there’s no way it could have been.”

“Maybe you should go check.”

Sofia snarled. “My husband died. I really don’t need to be sitting here reminiscing about an old boyfriend from a hundred years ago.”

“Phillip died, Sofia. Not you. And it’s been almost two years.”

“Let it go.”

Frannie rose and stretched. “Fine. Can we go get lunch now?”

With a final impulsive peek at the walker’s back, aggravation propelled Sofia out of her chair. “Fine! Whatever. We’ll go get lunch. I need to take a shower anyhow.”

Frannie threw her arms up in surrender. “Whoa, don’t give me attitude. I gave you your time but I’m hungry.”

“Oh, I forget that we’re obviously on your schedule now. What I want is irrelevant.”

Unscathed, Frannie hugged her. “You come down here, day in and day out. You need to go back to work, read a book, start painting again – find something better to do. Phillip’s insurance left you financially secure and your house was already paid off.”

Tears rolled down Sofia’s cheeks. “Phillip never even got to live in that house. I told him that we didn’t have to wait until after the wedding, but he insisted.”

“It’s okay to be sad, Sofia. You just can’t make living in regret a lifestyle. Take advantage of the blessing that Phillip helped create and do whatever you want.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You can’t just mope down here all day.”

“I know you’re my sister and it’s your job to be a pain in the ass, but watch how hard you push.”

Frannie spun around and marched away. “Forget it. Sit here in your wet clothes and pout.”

Great. Now I pissed her off. Sofia followed her sister’s retreating form. Why can’t they all just leave me alone? She resisted the urge to check the dog bus area again.

                                                        ###

Sofia groaned when she stepped out of the shower and heard Frannie on the phone. Sure enough, the phone was thrust in her face when she came down the hall.

"No, Mom, I'm not coming back to New York." Sofia glared at her sister and resisted the urge to throw the phone out the front door.

"But honey, you could help us out with Pine Bluff. You know you like getting your hands dirty."

She would use the family business as a motivator.

Helen and Giovanni Santini started ‘Sprouts’ long before Sofia’s birth and had worked it into its current success. Helen knew Sofia loved the nursery and greenhouse as much as they did, and they had hoped to pass the business down to her one day. Sofia’s decision to attend college in Florida devastated them, especially after she met Phillip and planted roots.

"Maybe so, but I'm not leaving my home to come up there now. Why don't you and dad come here? Hey, I know! Why don't you come down for six weeks or so and stay with Frannie? I'm sure she can use the help to arrange her new apartment."

You bitch! Frannie mouthed at her as she sat on the couch with the remote, flipping through the channels with the television on mute.

Her mother droned on and on about things that could make her happy. Sofia fought to pay attention. She paced, but froze as she caught sight of the television where Frannie had stopped on a television movie classic.

Brandon had rolled his eyes at her as he saw Dirty Dancing on the television for the umpteenth time as they hung out for the afternoon at a friend’s house. Sofia raised her brow in silent question, popcorn midway to her mouth.

“How many times are you going to watch the same movie?” he mocked her.

“Until I know it by heart…oh wait, I already do.” Sofia rose from the couch and pirouetted across the room. She stopped to bat her eyelashes as him.

Brandon grabbed her arms. “Spaghetti arms.” He poked her arm. “Straighten that back. You need to be a picture frame.”

She laughed at his intentional screw up of the dialog and snapped to attention in a tight manner. “Yes, Sir. Forgive me, Sir.”

Brandon pushed her two steps back and yanked her three steps forward to make the dance into a game. Sofia giggled and let her arms go limp so she could stagger into him. She kissed him on the cheek and once again straightened her frame.

Sofia stumbled as Brandon let go of her mid-swing so he could sashay in an exaggerated solo. She giggled as he turned his back to her and wiggled his butt before pointing at her and using his finger to motion her over.

“Get over here, my dancing queen.”

She fanned her face in mock modesty and curtsied before she flew into his arms.

Giving her a twirl, Brandon pulled her close and dipped her low. As he pulled her up, their lips met.

“Sofia!”

Startled, Sofia dropped the phone. It clattered to the floor and her mother squealed.

“I need… to… go...” Sofia raced down the hallway and slammed her bedroom door before the threatened tears spilled over. Her back against the door, she sank to the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees. Where the hell did that come from? Why would I even think about Brandon?

“Sorry, Mom, I don’t know what happened other than Sofia dropped the phone. One minute she’s talking to you, the next minute she’s a million miles away.”

Frannie’s muted voices grated on Sofia’s nerves. She crawled up on her bed where her pillow offered sanctuary from the unwanted noise. Going back to New York was not an option.

Sofia pulled the comforter over her head when she heard ‘goodbye’.

Frannie barged in and flopped down next to her. “Mom said you should help me with my apartment because they can’t come down right now.”

Can I suffocate myself with my own pillow?

“And, Dad says you’ve had enough time to get your shit together or he’ll come down here to personally kick your ass.”

A ghost of a grin haunted Sofia’s lips from within her bed linen tomb. Being a man of action in his sixties, Sofia believed he would do exactly as he threatened.

“If that’s the case, then I still have the time it takes super dad to fly into town.”

Frannie pulled at the blanket. “What made you freak out there?”

Sofia closed her eyes and held the covers tight. “You stopped on Dirty Dancing. That was always mine and Brandon’s movie back in the day.”

“Wow, you really are thinking about him.”

“It’s weird. I haven’t thought about him since I moved to Florida. Then one guy who resembled him brings back all these memories.” Is that true? Have I ever really not thought about Brandon? Sofia squeezed her eyes tight.

“It’s not the end of the world, you know. Come on, Sof, cheer up a little bit and have a heart. I’m bored.”

With a huge exaggerated sigh, Sofia strong armed her blankets to her side and sent her pillow flying. “Fine, you little brat. What do you want to do?”

“Woo hoo, I win. Let’s go shopping.”

Sofia wondered how she had never killed her little sister. Almost five years apart, Frannie idolized her big sister. They had grown up working together in the nursery, which gave the girls a lot of together time.

Two hours later, Sofia reached into her purse for the Excedrin bottle. Although exhausted, overwhelmed, and defeated, she plastered on a happy face and played along to the tune of a good time.

To make Frannie happy, or so the report back to mom and dad is that I enjoyed myself?

In reality, she couldn’t wait to escape and retreat back into her safe little world.

                                           ~~~to be continued~~~

Title: Whisper

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Range: 16 - 116

Word Count: Approximately 82,500

My project is a good fit because it doesn’t follow the basic format of romance, which tends to be “those fighting at the beginning end up together at the end”.

Hook: Bad experiences do not create a bad life. The heart is regenerative in spirit and needs to remain open to love. My daughter says my stories are reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks, complete with the tears.

Brief Synopsis: An escaped shelter dog leads an emotionally reclusive woman to an equally damaged little girl living in foster care, and nothing can prepare either of them for the changes they are about to embark upon. When an unknown assailant tries to destroy their blossoming happiness, a detective - who happens to be an unrequited love from the past - must keep them safe. How far will a woman go to protect a child, and can a detective and four legged heroes save their dreams of becoming a family?

Target audience: Those who want to escape into a story and let the world pass them by for a bit.

Bio: Lorah Jaiyn started to focus on her writing career after developing a nasty case of empty nest syndrome. Her fiction has appeared online in various e-zines and in several print anthologies. Lorah has novels-in-progress that cover multiple genres, each blended with a romantic element. She spends her days behind a desk, and writes in the evenings while entertained by her muse and greatest distraction, Cena, her Jack Russell terrier. She enjoys hiking and exploring the great outdoors, being a mom and Gramma, and is a total Hallmark Channel addict. Lorah can be found on facebook.com/lorahjaiyn and Twitter @writerlorahj.

Platform: Personal appearances wherever possible, including art shows, Comic Cons, canine events, and local and regional bookstores. I have a very active group on Facebook, Lorah’s Lair, that expands to include the audiences of other artists and writers.

Education: While I don’t have a great deal of formal education, I do have a lifetime of real life experience, which my stories and characters reflect accurately. I am 48 years old from Jamestown, NY, and ‘Whisper’ is my first full length novel, but it will not be my last. I have several already in various stages of completion. I am a very sociable, friendly person who enjoys creating an escape from the drabs of real life for readers.