My sparkler sputtered out, and I wandered back over to the porch to sit next to Nana.
The boys burned through the sparklers then sat on the porch to watch Jim’s small fireworks show. They loved it. Their first Fourth of July ever. And it really meant something. Three days without a sighting. Real freedom.
I watched Emmitt and wondered if I’d found where I was meant to be. But, was it actually safe to stay?
Chapter 6
A soft knock on our door woke me early Monday. I slid from between my sleeping brothers and quietly answered it.
“Morning,” Emmitt said. I liked the way he smiled at me.
“Could I borrow your truck?”
“Sure,” I whispered. I left him at the door and went to get the keys. “You can drive it any time you want,” I said handing them over. “But why the change from the motorcycle?”
He frowned a little. “Jim took it to work.”
I smiled at his disgruntled expression. “Tell Jim to take the truck tomorrow.”
After Emmitt left, I showered and got ready for the day. When the boys woke, we went downstairs, still not having any food in our apartment.
Nana called out to us when we reached the first floor. She had breakfast waiting and told the boys that Jim would be at work most of the day. Aden was noticeably disappointed. Three mornings of eating downstairs left me feeling like a mooch, but Nana didn’t seem to mind. When we finished, I insisted on doing the dishes.
Nana and the boys played a board game in the other room until I finished. Then we went outside. I sat on the step by Nana and watched the boys toss the ball back and forth.
The vision I had the day before of Emmitt and me in the bedroom still hadn’t repeated itself, and I suffered no ill effects from it. The sudden variation in my ability worried me because I didn’t know the rules. What did I need to do with the information? How long did I have to act on it? What consequences were there if I didn’t act on it?
I had no answers. I nibbled at my thumbnail, slowly removing the excess with my agitation. It didn’t help that I had nothing to do to distract myself from my thoughts. So, I fidgeted when I ran out of nail.
The crunch of gravel heralded Emmitt’s return several hours later. The boys dropped their ball and ran to watch him pull up to the porch. Lumber, a grill, and a bright yellow slide stuffed the back of the truck. As soon as Liam spotted the slide, he started to cheer. Aden, still clueless, joined in weakly.
Stunned, I sat on the porch and stared at the supplies for a swing set. I hadn’t even committed to how long we would stay. Sure, I wanted to stay, but I still hadn’t figured out what to do about Blake. He would track us down eventually. Leaving here permanently might keep these people safe from him, but it wouldn’t help us. I wasn’t sure what would. I needed to know more about what he planned, but the only way to learn more was to ask him. The thought of facing Blake set slivers of ice through me, and I pushed all thoughts of him away.
The supplies in the back weren’t all Emmitt had purchased. A mountain of grocery bags clogged the front seat. When Emmitt opened the door to step out, I stood and asked if we could help carry in his things.
“Actually, they’re your groceries.”
He’d purchased a ridiculous amount of food, but I didn’t comment. I handed a bag to each of the boys, and they took off into the house. Fewer trips to the store were better, less exposure. Plus, cooking would give me something to do. But the swing set just seemed too much for temporary guests.
“Why the worry?” he asked, studying me as he handed me a bag.
I didn’t pretend I wasn’t worrying. “The swing set is great, but I don’t know how long we can stay here.” It hurt to admit it aloud.
“I told you, you can stay as long as you want.”
He didn’t understand, and I couldn’t explain. Instead, I just nodded in agreement as a feeling of hopelessness and longing consumed me.
“I’m not sure my freezer will be able to hold all of the meat,” I said, grabbing another loaded bag.
“Don’t worry. We’ll put the extra in Jim’s freezer.”
Given Jim’s appetite, I seriously doubted the meat would be there when we needed it.
I continued carrying up groceries while the boys helped Emmitt unload the swing set.
On the way back down to grab more from the truck, I met Nana on the steps. She carried three paper bags. I smiled my thanks. I didn’t know how she managed without dropping something. It had to be a practice thing. I strained to carry two up the stairs.
She helped me put all the groceries away; and together, we marinated steaks and made a salad. With the windows open, I could hear the boys animatedly talking to Emmitt. His responses were much quieter and harder to hear than theirs were, but I could tell from his tone that they amused him. He even laughed aloud a few times. It was a toe curling sound.