Lisa's Way
Page 24
“I’d like that,” she replied. “I’d like that a lot.”
***
As she was getting dressed, Lisa couldn’t believe how quiet the house was. It was well after dawn. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d slept that late. Her father and Leslie ought to be up by now. Her father hardly ever woke up late. Why is the house quiet?
She left her bedroom and walked down the hall. Her father had switched bedrooms with Leslie and Dan. Lisa glanced into both rooms; the bed were made. Lisa kept on going.
Her father was sitting on the living room couch. His legs were stretched out. He looked up from a book and smiled to her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Where is everyone?”
“They took off. I thought I’d let you sleep.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“There’s food left. You’ll have to warm it up or eat it cold.”
“Okay.”
Her father followed her into the kitchen. He took his familiar seat at the kitchen table. “You never answered your sister’s question last night.”
“I didn’t?”
“No. You didn’t say what you were going to do next.”
“I thought I did.”
“Well, maybe you did. But I want to know what you’re going to do.”
“Uh, help Wayne.”
“Not over the fall. What are you going to do after that? What are you going to do with your life?”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.”
Lisa sat down across from her father. She started eating before saying anything. “I haven’t found my place.”
“You’ve made a difference.”
“On three worlds. Two, actually.” She let out a laugh between bites. “Ned said a while back I could settle down if I wanted to. I’d done more over the spring and summer than most people do all their lives.”
“He’s right.”
“I know.”
The kitchen was silent for a moment. “You like traveling, don’t you?” he asked.
She nodded. “I saw real mountains. I’ve met lots of people. I have more friends now than I ever did.” She took a bite. “I’ve seen so much.” She finished another. “I want to see more.”
“Is that what you were looking for? Is that your place?”
“I don’t know for sure. I know I could settle down.”
“Not with what you’ve made.”
“Oh, yeah. I did make something.”
“Where did those profits go?”
Lisa glanced down at her half-eaten breakfast. “I had to take care of my friends while we were at Richmond. Some of us had rooms in town. I didn’t want them spending what they made on food, and since I was getting fed by the town,...”
“And your friend Ned?”
“He joined us late. He and his group didn’t make as much. He wanted his friends to have something to share with their new neighbors.”
“In other words, he gave his away and you spent yours.”
The small voice returned. “Yes.”
Her father stared at her for a moment. A gentle smile crept onto his face. “Profits aren’t everything. Better to be kind than selfish.”
“Thanks.” The room was quiet again.
“Lisa, were you happy?”
“When?”
“Anytime. All the time.”
“Yes.”
“Happy making deals?”
“Yes.”
“Happy ending that feud?”
“Yes.”
“Happy stopping that one man, on White Rocks, who was hiring the outlaws?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Does Ned make you happy?”
She laughed. “Not in that way. He’s nice, but he’s still rough. I don’t know him as well as I’d like. To tell you the truth, I still want to keep my eye on him.” She nodded. “Ask me again in a year. Maybe then I’ll know if I want him as a friend, or if I want to chase after him.”
“I will.”
“I know. Why all the questions?”
“I wanted to hear your answers. If doing what you’ve been doing makes you happy, then keep doing it. I’m proud of my life, the choices I’ve made. I want you and Leslie, when you get to be my age, to feel proud of your lives.” He cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t be honest if I said I’m not worried about you traveling. I’d like both my girls to give me some grandchildren.”
“I haven’t ruled out getting married someday.”
“I know. I can wait for you to find your true place. If it’s on the road, so be it.”
She reached out to hold his hand across the table. “Thank you. I know quite a few people believe in me, in what I’m doing. If you didn’t, I don’t think I’d keep at it.”
“Well, then, keep at it.” He let of her hand. He smiled wryly. “Just don’t keep giving away your profits. I can’t take care of you forever.”
She smiled back at him. “No, sir.”
***
“What are you doing?”
Lisa turned. Ned was standing on the porch, just past the doorway. She nodded towards the sky. “Watching the sunset. When a fall storm passes through, the sky gets all colorful. I love it.”
“Doesn’t sound like much.”
She patted the arm of the chair next to hers. “Don’t knock it till you try it. Look for yourself.”
He sat down and looked up. “It’s pretty, I guess.”
“It’s always different. I like comparing the one I’m watching to the last one I saw. Makes it a game.”
“That’s silly.”
“If you’re going to make fun of me, do it behind my back.”
“I didn’t come out here to make fun of you.”
She looked at him. “Why did you come out here?”
He met her gaze. “I want to follow you to the next world.”
“That’s a couple seasons away.”
“I know, I know.” He glanced downward for an instant. “Wayne asked me to join him and Dave. I said I’d rather stick with you.”
“Why?”
He sighed. “I asked myself that.” He grinned. “Of all the reasons, I think the most important is I want to see what you do next.”
She mirrored his grin. “You aren’t the only one. Seriously, Ned.”
“I am serious. Kinda. You gave me a chance to turn my life around. It’s been hard sometimes, doing the right thing, but I stuck with you, I toughed it out. You know what? I feel pretty damn good that I’ve made it this far.”
“You should.”
“I want to go farther. And the only way I’ll do that is if I stick with you.” He grew a bit more somber. “I don’t want my dad, where ever he is, to think I’m just okay. I want him to look down, or look up, and see I’m doing great. That I am someone. That he was wrong.”
She reached out and took his hand in hers. “He was, Ned. He was.”
He shook it back. “Not completely. Not yet.”
She let go of his hand. She offered her hand to shake his formally. “I guess this means we’re going to be partners.”
He shook her hand. “Partners.” He let go an instant later. “So, boss, what’s next?”
“We can reach two new worlds from here,” she said. “We can get to a third from either world. We’ll see how folks there are doing. We’ll see if we can help them, or if they can help us. We keep trying to bring people together. We keep trying to mend what broke down.”
She looked up at the sky, now almost dark and almost clear. “Earth is out there, somewhere. That’s where we came from. I don’t know if I’ll get to see it in my lifetime, but I sure want to try.
“There’s something that bothers me, about Earth. While the Savage Rain was going on, what were they doing? Why didn’t they do something to stop it? Why haven’t they tried to find out what happened to all of us out here? I want answers. I don’t care if no one else does, I do.”
“More questions to answer,” Ned said. “More problems to solve. Y
ou think it’ll ever end?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at him and smiled. “I sure would like to find out.”
ABOUT THE “LISA HERBERT” SERIES
There are five books in this series: three more novels, and one short story collection. All five books are available in print and in a single ebook box set. You can read about all five books, and find links to your favorite online store, by going to the Lisa Herbert series page at my blog.
Thank you for reading Lisa’s Way. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you’ll check out the rest of Lisa’s story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Collins is the author of three science-fiction novels: Monitor, Lisa’s Way, and Expert Assistance. He’s also author of two fantasy novels, Cassia and The Opposite of Absolute, and the young adult novel True Friends. He has several short-story collections available, including The Frigate Victory Omnibus Collection and The Case Files of Gwen Conner. He’s sold over 90 stories to magazines such as Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine; Tales of the Talisman; Space Westerns; The Fifth Di...; and Sorcerous Signals.
To learn more, to follow him on social media, and to keep up with his writing, visit his blog, One Kansas Author.