Withholding Secrets (36 page)

Ethel’s Secret

Tugging the long blonde strands of hair, she checked the ends for splits again. None. This was a great color this time. Blonde. A beautiful sunshine color, like a golden ray that came down from a perfect day. Except for the dark mocha that was coloring the underneath layer of her hair. When she told the hairdresser she wanted something young and fresh, didn’t care what, and absolutely no red at all, this was what she opened her eyes to see.

What was her original hair color? Not a color she wanted to think about again and whatever color it had been, she really didn’t care for it. She didn’t care for a lot before she came into the world of constantly changing her looks, her name, and her duties. Even when she had to work undercover as a sewage worker, it was better than what she came from.

Headlights coming down the road kicked her heart up a notch in the beating rhythm. This had to be the guy she had been waiting for. And why in the hell would her boss set her up with someone he knew from college?

A little resort in the Caribbean where she could relax and enjoy what was left of her life would have been the better choice.
But no
. Matt sent her in this little town of Melrose, Wisconsin; right smack dab in the middle of
Cow-Polk Country, U.S.A
where the last hundred or so miles, she had to keep the windows up and sealed to blockage the stench of farms passing by. Another idea Matt must be cozying up in his office, laughing about. 

A vehicle finally turned onto the street, reflecting the lights in her side mirror. A pickup truck. Nothing like a
northern hillbilly
,
roughneck
,
good ol’ boy
to be staying with until she was free and clear from the past assignment.

As the black truck pulled into the drive of the older two-story farm looking house on the very south end of town, her heart sank into the empty vat of stomach. This was not her idea of fun what so ever.

Waiting was not her idea of fun, but there she sat for the past two hours waiting … and waiting … and waiting. Recalling what Matt told her about her
cover
, he sounded like a big dipshit and she knew she wasn’t going to get along with him anyway. Who went strictly by the book anymore anyway?

This guy did. Everything was by the book, Matt told her over and over. Everything was
by-the-book. Page-by-page. Word-by-word
.

Using her shoulder, she shoved the creaky door open and grumbled under her breath. As she walked up the sidewalk, through the broken slab of concrete, the grass was climbing out for a touch of sun and the lawn was as wild as the grasslands of Africa. Nothing to make the home look anything like a home. Not even a cheap plastic pink flamingo that could turn a broken down pull-behind trailer into a place that looked somewhat inviting with the comforts of a welcome.

Still, this place was far from being anything like that nightmare she spent seventeen years of her life in. This place had a little more potential, but she wasn’t going to be there very long anyway to even care to find out what that potential was.

Her vacation was coming up and as soon as Matt got off his ass and clear her from this case, she would be on her way to that little island paradise where she can just relax for once. And nothing was going to stop her from heading down to paradise as soon as the assignment was over with. Not a damn thing.

Books by Diana Fisher

Emmerson’s Heart

Set My Soul Free

Love, Lies, and Dog Tags

What Lies on the Edge

I am from Wisconsin, the southeastern and Midwest part of the state. I have been writing since I could remember, but back in those days, I was carrying around a notebook and a pen. These days, however, I carry around my laptop all the time.

I love to write and create stories. It is such a release from the everyday stress and complications life brings on. There is nothing like breaking free and creating something that could have a happy ending...or not. I didn't think I would actually ever publish...that is until the wonderful
Amazon.com
had given us the
Kindle
. With the advancement of the e-readers, it opened a world to authors who wanted to get their work out there no matter what.

I did enlist in the Air Force when I was twenty-five and served a wonderful five years. After my service, I went on to school where I received an Associates in Medical Administration and, I just graduated with my Bachelors in Business Information Technology. I live in a small town in North Dakota for the time being and I love the winter aspect, but not the cold. Someday, I might plan to move back to Wisconsin, but as for now, I love writing about it.

If you enjoy my writing, please feel free to check on my website at
authordianafisher.weebly.com
. I hope you enjoy!