Chosen

by Denise Grover Swank

  Jake was quite the enigma. Will had to admit he was cute, but something was off with that kid. Sure, he was freaky, seeing things in the future one minute, talking about wanting a dog the next. But Jake seemed to know more than he let on, apparently even to his own mother. Will worried what he knew and didn’t share would get them killed. Will shook his head and groaned. This was another reason he didn’t do kids. They always messed with his head.

  Will had all the glass cleaned off the back seat by the time Emma and Jake returned from going to the bathroom. Jake climbed in while Emma waited outside, her back to the truck as Will climbed out and walked around to the driver’s side. Emma got in, sitting at the far edge of the seat looking out the window. Will headed for the road, eager to get this trip over with.

  * * *

  They drove in silence for almost an hour before they came to a town that offered any type of facilities open before eight o’clock. Will pulled into a McDonald’s for breakfast and Emma took Jake into the bathroom to change clothes. She turned around to see Will standing next to the truck as he watched them. His face was stoic but quickly shifted to a smirk before he turned and walked to the back of the truck.

  Emma and Jake walked out of the bathroom to find Will waiting for them wearing a different shirt. They ordered breakfast and sat in silence as they ate. Will kept watching the truck through the window.

  “How do you feel?” he asked Emma, finally breaking his silence.

  “I’m fine.” Her answer was short.

  “Are you sure? Will you tell me if you feel anything?” He turned, his eyes guarded yet holding a hint of a glare.

  She nodded wondering why he was mad at her when she was the one who should be offended. She tried to shake it off. He wasn’t worth the effort. Instead, she focused on the questions he raised. Why Jake didn’t have more notice the day before? Maybe his new mind-reading talent was the reason. With her head lowered, she glanced from Jake to Will and wondered if Jake could read Will’s thoughts. Could he talk to Will, too?

  No. Jake said in her mind, taking a bite of his hash browns.

  “Stop it!” she hissed.

  Will turned and stared with a dark expression. “Stop what?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  His eyes narrowed with uncertainty. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine.” She gave him the nastiest look she could muster, then returned her attention to her food.

  After they finished eating, Will pulled into a gas station for gas and disappeared inside, coming out with several bottles of water and a bag of snacks. He handed the sack to Emma.

  “I thought Jake might get hungry on the road. The stops might be sparse in Kansas.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I need to replace the window again. I want to head up to Great Bend. It’s a bigger town and we’ll have more luck getting it fixed sooner.”

  She wasn’t about to argue with him so she nodded and stared out at the passing scenery. The drive to Great Bend was only thirty minutes, but Will grew even moodier with each mile, not that she thought it possible. He found a repair shop and pulled into the lot, leaving Emma and Jake in the truck while he went into the office.

  As soon as Will started walking across the parking lot, Emma spun toward the backseat. “Jake, why didn’t you know the Bad Men were coming yesterday?”

  Jake’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. “I did. I told you when I saw them.”

  “As soon as you saw them?”

  “Yes.” The earnestness in his eyes told her he spoke the truth.

  This was definitely bad news. They had lost their advantage.

  “But Mommy, you knew they were coming.”

  “What?”

  “That sick feeling was a warning they were coming. You have it now.”

  Emma shook her head in disbelief. “No, how can that be?”

  Jake shrugged and seemed unconcerned. “You’re the one who knows they are coming now.”

  Emma’s eyes widened in horror and she covered her face with her hands. “I don’t understand. I’ve never sensed them before.” She turned to him. “I felt bad twice yesterday, but we only saw them once. Why did I feel bad in the morning?”

  “They must have been watching us.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What? How do you know that? Why didn’t we see them?”

  “Because they were just watching us. We weren’t in danger.”

  “But we were the second time!”

  “And you felt bad. Plus, I told you they were coming.”

  “Not soon enough, Jake! We could have been killed.”

  “But we weren’t. I told you as soon as I knew.”

  Emma narrowed her eyes and glared. “Jacob, I order you to tell me when you know anything about the Bad Men.”

  Before Jake could answer, Will walked back to the truck. He cocked his head. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Emma didn’t mean for it to sound so hateful.

  He looked from Jake to Emma and scowled. “There’s a whole lot of nothing going on this morning.”

  Emma pursed her lips in a glower.

  “You both can get out. They can take in the truck right now and you can wait in the waiting room.”

  Cars filled the parking lot. Emma expected a longer wait. “How’d you get us in so quickly?”

  “Money talks,” he grunted.

  A game show played on TV, barely holding Emma’s attention. Her nerves were too far gone. Not only did she have to worry about how they would survive on less than fifty dollars, but how they would survive, period, especially in light of the news that she was the warning system now. Emma got up a few times and checked out the window. Will paced in the parking lot, in spite of the heat. He must really be irritated with her if he wouldn’t even come inside. Her anxiety increased. That was just something else to worry about, his exasperation with her and her sudden attraction to him earlier. It was nothing. She had felt weak and vulnerable and she simply fell into the damsel-in-distress mentality. That was all. It was a moment of insanity. Besides, in the scheme of things, it seemed the least of her worries.

  An hour later, Will came in and told them it was time to go. He ignored them, driving in silence until they reached Russell, the town bordering I-70, when he announced they were stopping for lunch.

  “But we just ate breakfast,” Emma said.

  “I don’t know how long it will be before we find civilization again in Kansas, so we better eat while we can.” He pulled into a restaurant’s half-empty parking lot.

  “But...”

  Will gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. “Jesus Christ, Emma. The only goddamned thing you can say today is nothing and but. Get a fucking dictionary.” He got out of the truck and slammed the door.

  Emma turned to Jake, who stared at her with softened eyes while he patted her shoulder. “He’ll be fine, Mommy. He’s just confused.”

  “Confused about what? And how do you know?”

  “Don’t worry, he’ll figure it out,” he said as they got out, ignoring her second question.

  Will stood in front of the truck, wringing his hands through his hair. Emma was afraid to approach him, but Jake walked over and pulled down Will’s arm, tucking his little hand into Will’s before Emma could stop him. Emma’s insides twisted. Jake had begun to idolize Will and that was a problem. She didn’t need any more problems.

  They sat in a booth by a window. Jake scampered into the seat next to Will before he could protest. Will slid to the far edge and hunched over the table, studying the napkin dispenser as though it held the secret to life.

  An attractive young waitress walked to the table, bringing them menus. She asked for their drink orders, keeping her eyes on Will. She suddenly caught his attention and he sat up straight, plastering on his grin.

  “Good afternoon, darlin’.”

  Emma looked at him in confusion.

  “What can I get for you and your…” she glanced at Emma’
s left hand, which lay on the table. “…wife?” she finished, uncertainty in her voice.

  Will gave a throaty laugh. “You’ve got it all wrong, sweetheart. She isn’t my wife. She’s just a friend. I’m doing her a favor. That’s all.” He topped it off with a wink.

  The waitress’s smile widened and she leaned closer to him. “Well, aren’t you the nice guy, helping out a poor woman like that?”

  “That’s me, Mr. Nice Guy.” He cocked his head to the side and smirked.

  “I’ll have an iced tea and Jake will have milk,” Emma interrupted.

  Will lifted his eyebrows at Emma with an amused expression. “I’ll have water.”

  The waitress turned to get their drinks and Will ogled her as she walked away. Emma’s eyebrows rose.“What the hell is that?”

  “Just appreciating the view.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. Maybe you could wait until I leave the table next time.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What’s it matter to you?”

  She glared at Will and they locked in a momentary staring contest. Anger boiled in her chest and she broke the gaze first, turning to Jake, who played with his toy car and seemed unmoved by the discussion. He was right. What did it matter if Will flirted with every waitress in the entire fucking town? She slumped in her seat, crossed her arms and frowned at the window.

  The waitress returned with their drinks, taking her time to lean over and set Will’s water on the table in front of him. Will gave her a sly smile and Emma rolled her eyes.

  “What can I get you?” the waitress asked, the question directed to Will.

  “What I want doesn’t seem to be on the menu.”

  His response pleased the waitress who preened, a blush fanning her cheeks. Emma wondered how a woman with her obvious experience could muster a blush.

  “I’ll have a club sandwich,” Emma volunteered, handing her menu to the waitress. She pointed to Jake. “He’ll have chicken nuggets and he'll,” she pointed to Will, “take a cold shower.”

  Will laughed. “Make that hamburger and a hot order—”

  Emma snatched the menu out of his hands and thrust it at the waitress. “Just give him some fries. Thank you.”

  The waitress narrowed her eyes at Emma before turning around and walking to the kitchen.

  Will leaned back, arms crossed over his chest, a huge smile spread across his mouth, but his eyes were dull. “Jealous?”

  “Jealous? Jealous?” Her voice raised an octave. ”Hell, no. Disgusted? Annoyed? Sullied? Yes. Jealous? No.”

  “Don’t worry, Princess, you’re the one I’m bringing with me.”

  “Not likely if you keep this up. It’s insulting.”

  His smile faded. “It’s not like you have a choice now, is it?”

  Emma’s anger spilled out. “Don’t tempt me, Will. Russell, Kansas or God Forsaken, South Dakota. It’s all the same to me. I won’t be there longer than a few weeks anyway.” It occurred to her maybe that was his intention. Maybe he wanted her to stay behind.

  They sat in sullen silence while Jake played with his car. The waitress came back with their food, attempting to flirt with Will again, but he ignored her and turned his attention to his plate. Emma could hardly eat, her stomach twisted with apprehension. What was she going to do? Where would they go? A homeless shelter seemed like the logical choice, but that squeezed her stomach into a tighter knot. She looked over at Jake, trying to imagine taking him to a shelter. It couldn’t be much worse than the last motel they stayed at. She wondered if a town this size even had a homeless shelter. She pushed her plate away, the smell of the grease making her nauseous.

  “Do you feel sick?” Will asked, suddenly alert.

  Their eyes locked and she tried to read his emotions. He didn’t seem angry, only concerned.

  “It’s not like yesterday.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She sighed, trying to calm her nerves. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Will didn’t look convinced. “Let’s hurry up and get out of here.” Will got the waitress’s attention, not a difficult task since she stalked their table after Will’s abrupt change of attitude. He paid the check while Emma and Jake went to the bathroom. When they finished, Emma saw him through the windows outside, pacing in long, quick strides on the sidewalk. She pushed open the door and he stopped, turning to face her. Lines of worry and tension wrinkled his forehead, but they softened when he saw her. Emma realized he was trying to hide it from her. He might be an ass but there was no denying he owed her nothing, yet he risked his life for them twice now. It was unfair to put him in more danger.

  “Will.” She held Jake’s hand and squeezed it tighter as she drug Jake toward him.

  He stared down at her, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets.

  “I think this is where we should part ways.”

  His eyes widened and his mouth gaped, making it clear that wasn’t what he expected.

  “We’ve already asked far too much of you. You were almost killed last night and your truck was damaged because of us, and while I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, I think this is where we should say goodbye.”

  Jake’s hand wriggled in hers and she released her unintentional death grip.

  The color drained from Will’s face.

  “Mommy…”

  “Jake, enough.” Her tone was firm. The wind blew with remarkable force and she reached up to control the hair whipping into her face, never breaking eye contact with Will.

  “Emma,” Will said in a ragged breath as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. He started to reach for her, but stopped.

  “We’ll be fine. We always have been.” Her voice softened and she hoped Will heard her gratitude. She couldn’t believe Jake hadn’t tried to intervene again.

  Will snapped out of his daze. “Emma, don’t be an idiot. Just get in the truck.”

  “Will…”

  “What? You want an apology? Fine. I’m sorry. Okay? I was a complete ass. There. Now let’s go.” He wrapped his arm behind her back, pushing her toward the truck. Jake followed behind.

  Emma stopped and turned to face him. “Will, that’s not it.” His apology caught her off guard and his delivery made it clear it wasn’t something Will frequently did, but that wasn’t what she was looking for. “I think it’s time we went our separate ways. I obviously annoy you, and that’s okay. You don’t owe us anything. You don’t have to drag us around anymore.”

  Will swallowed hard, and spun away, running his hand through his hair. He appeared upset, although Emma couldn’t understand why. Finally, he turned back to her, his eyes full of worry. “I’m not ready for you to go yet.”

  “Will…” His reaction baffled her. There was no way he could really want them to go with him. His actions all day told her the opposite.

  He grabbed her hand in his, holding it with a gentleness she didn’t expect. “Not yet, okay? Just come with me.”

  She searched his dark brown eyes trying to figure out why he was doing this, but they gave nothing away. She hesitated. Common sense told her to ditch Will now, but a part of her was still drawn to him and she didn’t understand it.

  “All right.”

  A sigh escaped him as he ushered her to the truck. Emma sensed he was trying to get her in before she changed her mind.

  They sat in the truck in silence. Tension hung in the air as Will peered out the front window, his hand draped over the steering wheel. His eyes narrowed as they focused ahead.

  “Will…” Emma hesitated. Maybe he changed his mind.

  He hung his head for a moment, confusing her even more. Slowly, Will tilted his head toward her, defeat in his eyes. “Change of plans. We’re going to Colorado.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Will told himself it made sense to take the long way. It occurred to him maybe her enemies knew where to find her because they knew he was taking her to South Dakota. If that was true, then he should be able to elude them by detouring through Colorado. It sounded go
od, but in the back of his mind he had to admit he was also postponing her handover.

  “What are you talking about?” Emma shook her head, incredulous.

  “I think we should take the long way to South Dakota and see if we can lose the guys after you and Jake.” Will started the truck and turned onto the road.

  “It doesn’t really matter where you go. They’ll still find us. Besides, what about the job waiting for you?”

  “I don’t have to show up for a few days. I’d rather try to lose those guys.”

  She agreed in the end, to his relief. After her stand in the parking lot he didn’t want to push his luck. He had almost pushed her too far with the waitress incident. Hell, he wasn’t even interested in the waitress. It had been a combination of automatic reflex and his need to prove he wasn’t interested in Emma. The fact that it irritated her was pure bonus. But in the parking lot, as she calmly announced she was parting ways, he realized his job wasn’t the real reason he convinced her to stay with him. He really wasn’t ready to let her go.

  Jake napped in the back seat as Will and Emma rode in silence, although it was more comfortable than the morning. His earlier anger was tempered, but his nerves were still on edge. He snuck glances at Emma, who found the rusted oil rigs, pumping in their monotonous circular motion, more entertaining than the small talk he tried to make. The dilapidated pumps, dispersed among large bales of hay and scattered black cattle, littered the flat green fields of western Kansas. He might have bought her fascination if he hadn’t known she spent so much time in Texas. Not that he blamed her for avoiding him.

  Jake woke from his nap unusually subdued. He laid his head against the side window, gazing out through the glass with a vacant stare as the landscape blurred past. When he didn’t shake his lethargy, Emma became concerned. She reached back and brushed the curls off his forehead, using the age-old mother’s thermometer.

  “Jake, are you alright?”

  “I’m okay, Mommy. I just have a headache.” He offered a forced smile and tried to push her hand away. She stroked his cheek, lingering.

  “I don’t have any children’s Tylenol.” Will heard the self-recrimination in her voice. If she hadn’t confessed concerns about being a bad mother the night before, he never would have caught it. Then again, before last night he wouldn’t have paid attention.