After testing the chilly, clear water, I chose to sit on the blanket Nana had spread on the sand. It was the perfect spot to keep an eye on the boys. Jim and Emmitt didn’t hesitate to join my brothers in the water. I overheard Emmitt explaining the game of chicken to Liam. He had Aden’s attention, too.
The sunglasses hid my wandering eyes as I watched water run down Emmitt’s chest. I rationalized away my guilt over my pathetic eye groping. After all, Blake could catch me at any moment and shove me back into my prison. Was it so bad to create a few happy memories before that happened? My tiny, rational voice insisted it was, and that I shouldn’t be wasting mental resources gazing at Emmitt’s beautifully sculpted and glistening chest; I should be trying to think of a way to be free of Blake permanently. I shushed that voice.
Nana reclined next to me, reading and occasionally flicking a glance at the water antics. When she offered me a magazine, I took it to further disguise my growing fascination with Emmitt’s water-coated torso.
Despite the sunglasses and magazine, Emmitt always seemed to look up when I drifted from idle ogling to fully immersed fantasy. My telling blush would cause him to flash a small, knowing smile which tweaked his dimple and set off a firecracker in my stomach.
Before the sun started to set, we packed up. When Emmitt mounted the motorcycle, he offered his hand to help me, but I ignored it. I didn’t do it to be rude. I’d spent a good portion of the day mentally drooling and didn’t think physical contact would be in my best interest. Still, I enjoyed the ride back as much as I had the ride to the lake. Maybe more...
Nana went into the apartment to make dinner while I brought the boys upstairs to change. Emmitt and Jim promised to have the fireworks ready by the time we returned. I slipped into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top and had the boys do the same.
The boys raced ahead of me down the stairs. When I reached the door, they already stood in the darkened expanse of grass with Jim. Each held sparklers and drew designs in the air. Nana sat on the porch steps, watching their pretty patterns.
Emmitt waited by the bottom step. The two sparklers he held illuminated his face. A hint of a smile tickled his lips as our eyes met, and he drew me in with his dark-eyed focus. When I stepped down, he handed me a sparkler. Our hands brushed. With that contact, I left the real world behind.
A very young girl dressed in lounge pants and a loose top, sat cross-legged in a spot of sunlight on a living room floor. At first glance, she appeared twelve, but as I watched her move, I guessed she was closer to her late teens than her early teens.
So many open books littered the brown area rug under her that they surrounded her in an almost complete circle. She removed one from her lap and set it on top of another open book. Turning slightly, she pulled a new one into her lap and leafed through the pages. She kept her ash blonde head bent over the text, intently studying it as she took notes in a spiral notebook also resting in her lap.
I looked out the window to try to see where we were. Oddly, despite the sunlight, the other side of the street lay shrouded in mist. I could only see as far as the curb bordering her front yard. Turning back, I tried to look for anything else that might help me figure out who she was.
Next to her lay a huge dog. Its massive head rested on its paws. As I watched, I noticed its gaze on the book set directly in front of it. I looked closer in amazement. Its eyes moved as if it read the words on the page.
Whoever this girl was, she owned an unusual pet. I tried to move closer to get a better look at her partially hidden face, but it felt as if I were wading through mud. I gave up and watched some more. The dog turned to look at the girl who’d been mumbling to herself. It showed its long sharp teeth, not in a menacing way but more of a weird doggy smile. The girl reached over, absently petting him, and he laid his head back down. Whoever she was, she looked peaceful and happy. And so did the dog.
The vision disappeared abruptly.
“Michelle?” Emmitt said, trying to get my attention. His hand still touched mine.
“Sorry,” I whispered in disbelief. “Daydreaming.”
He gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything further.
After years of wishing to have a premonition of something other than the stupid stock market, it finally happened. And when I had touched Emmitt. Holding the sparkler, I pulled my hand away and moved into the darkness. I wanted to think where his watchful gaze couldn’t observe my every reaction.
The premonition didn’t make much sense. I hadn’t recognized the girl, the room, or the dog. I waited for the premonition to repeat, but it didn’t.
I snuck a peek at Emmitt as he helped Aden light a new sparkler. He remained focused on the task and an abrupt pink glow lit their faces. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach flipped. Maybe Emmitt was the key. I reacted to him physically every time I saw him.