Page 321 of Under Her Skin

“Of course,” I say. “Add two more to the dinner plan. We’ll be in the main living area. When it’s ready, would you let usknow?”

“I will,” she says, then hurries away to let the cook know plans havechanged.

Going straight to the bar at the back of the living room, I get out a short glass and fill it with ice. “Feel free to make yourselves whatever youwant.”

Delaney picks up a wine glass and grabs a bottle of red wine out of the wine chiller. “Care to join me in this bottle,Kate?”

My sister nods, and Delaney fills two glasses and tucks the bottle under her arm. Picking up the glasses, half full of the red liquid, she makes her way to sit across from Kate. “Thank you, Delaney. So how did the visit to the hospital gotoday?”

“Great, except for one monkey wrench one of the patient’s fathers is throwing at Blaine. That man is a real menace.” I watch Delaney take a long drink of the wine, as if she’s really needing something to ease hertension.

“What’s he doing?” Kateasks.

I take a seat next to Delaney while my brother mixes himself up some kind of a fancy cocktail. I merely filled my glass with Scotch, not looking for anything more than little settle-me-downdrink.

Electricity is coursing through my veins with excitement. I lean forward as Kent sits down at the opposite end of the sofa from Kate and tell them, “There’s a little girl in the hospital who is very sick—near-death sick. Her mother came to us and told me the little girl has a message for me from someone namedCrystal.”

Kate nearly spits out the wine she's just drunk, and Kent’s eyes go wider than I’ve ever seen them go before as he says, “Noway!”

Delaney clears her throat. “Yes, that’s what the little girl’s mother said. But let me tell you, as a person who has been around quite a few people who have been close to death, things aren’t always what they seem tobe.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kate asks as she attempts to take another sip of herwine.

The cook’s assistant, Maggie, comes in with a tray of appetizers and places them on the table. “Chef Roxy said to let you know dinner will be ready in an hour. Salads will be served in forty-five minutes in the small dining room, if that’s all right with you, MissRichards.”

“It will be fine with me,” Delaney answers, already taking well to the running of the place. “And I’d love it if I could have some iced tea in a pitcher on the table too. I’ve been craving some sweet tea allday.”

“I’ll make sure it’s there,” Maggie says, then leaves us with the tray of cheese and appleslices.

Kent picks up a piece of cheese, then asks, “So what do you mean by that,Delaney?”

She settles in, kicking off her heels and pulling her feet under her as she leans against my side. “You see, the neurons in the human brain begin to fire in odd ways as the body begins to die. Things start shutting down and it affects the brain. Dreams can occur while they’re in a semi-awake state. Lucid dreaming is one way of describing how itworks.”

“This little girl,” Kate asks. “Is she on a lot of pain medication? You know, is she maybehallucinating?”

“Could be,” Delaney says. “She is on pain medication. She’s also in the final stage of herillness.”

“Is there any hope for her at all?” Kent asks as he lookssad.

“Of course,” Delaney says, then smiles at us all. “I have seen things happen many times. I’ve seen people beginning to make funeral arrangements for their family members only to have to cancel them when the person came back around. The human body is amazing. Some believe it’s divine intervention that brings them back to ourworld.”

“God?” I ask as I feel another cold chill move through mybody.

Delaney’s eyes settle on mine. “Yes, God,Blaine.”

And it really hits me. Meagan may show me what I have been searching for my whole life.Thetruth!

Chapter4

DELANEY

I can see it, there in his light-brown eyes—the flicker of hope. The idea that what that little girl might say will have the ability to cement a faith in him that he’slacked.

Blaine and I have had a few discussions about his beliefs. He’s shaky, at best. With the pain of having a mother who left them one afternoon with the promise of arriving back home the next day with a new addition to their family only to never come back, Blaine holds a lot inside of himself. He has little faith in the world or in there being anything real that is watching overus.

“I have to let you know that you could be in for a real disappointment, Blaine, if you go through with your plan,” I tellhim.

“You have a plan?” Kent asks as he looks intrigued. “If it’s anything to do with the woman I never got to meet, can I be a part of it, too,Blaine?”