“What did you think?”
He cleared his throat. “Interesting woman.”
“Interesting?” Derek snorted.
“Okay, well. Scary. Grim reaper-type scary.”
Derek smiled. “You got that right, pal. Kinda reminds me of my first foster mom. We called her Brunhilda. Ran the family with an iron fist by day and a bottle of gin at night.”
Eric laughed, then turned on his heels in an instant and walked away as he said, “If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen, hiding all the brooms.”
“He’s an odd one,” Derek whispered, his eyes following the man out of the room.
“Don’t think he’s much on small talk, but I like him. Something about his eyes. And he’s funny.”
Before Derek could reply, a knock came from the front door, followed by footsteps and the sound of a door opening. Emily could hear a brief conversation on the other side of the door but the words were unclear.
Then Nora walked in, accompanied by a thick-boned elderly woman with stark-blond hair and little makeup on. She carried an old-fashioned doctor’s bag—black.
“Hey, I’m back,” Nora said to Derek. “This is Dr. Montoroli. She’s going to have a look at you, just to make sure you’re okay.”
“Hi, Nora,” Emily said, praying she wasn’t in too much trouble for being late.
“Nice of you to finally show up. You’re late.”
“Sorry, something came up.”
“I’ll bet.”
Dr. Montoroli crossed the room and stood by the couch. She looked at Emily. “Do you mind?”
Emily made room for her on the couch.
“Hi,” Derek said, starting to sit up.
“Nope, don’t move. You’re fine,” she said to Derek. “I hear you’re in some discomfort. Your ribs?”
“Yeah, and my jaw. Both a little sore. But not horrible.”
Dr. Montoroli went through the same routine Nora had gone through in the car the evening before, checking his eyes, ears, jaw, and ribs, with one addition—she listened to Derek’s chest with a stethoscope she’d brought with her.
When she was done she put the scope away, snapped her bag shut and pronounced, “Nora’s assessment was correct. Doesn’t appear to be a concussion and nothing’s broken. Your jaw should start to feel better in a day or two, but the ribs will take about a week to feel better, and probably two weeks before they feel normal. Lots of rest and no activity. Then I’d like you to come see me for a follow-up in a week.”
“I’m not real big on hospitals,” Derek said, shaking his head.
“That’s good, because I own a free clinic. Nora volunteers there in her spare time and will arrange transport.”
“I appreciate you coming to see me, Doc, but I don’t—”
“This isn’t open for discussion, young man. One week. In my office. Capeesh?”
Derek seemed surprised by the woman’s tone and fervor. “Sure. Whatever you say, Doc.”
Montoroli stood up. “Sorry to rush off, but I have an appointment. Nora, see ya later?”
“I’ll be in at ten. Thanks again.”
“Well, I figure I owed you. Least I could do.”
When Dr. Montoroli was gone, Derek looked at Emily and then at Nora. “Where did you dig her up?”
“She’s an old friend of the family. She retired from pediatrics five years ago and opened a free clinic. You’re fortunate to have her looking after you.”
“But I never agreed—”
“Weren’t you paying attention? It’s not open for discussion. She expects to see you in a week. So, plan on it. I’ll be here to drive you.”
“Okay. Fine. Got it.”
Nora gave Emily a big smile. “Duane and I are taking the kids to see their grandparents in LA this weekend. Grandpa Jose’s health is failing and we want them to spend time with him while they still can. I was wondering if you could house-sit for us for a couple days?”
“Wow—that would be great. Are you sure? I mean—you just met me and all.”
“It was Duane’s idea. He insisted.”
Emily wanted to think about it for a moment. She didn’t want to leave Derek alone for the weekend. Or Junie.
“We’ll leave you some money so you can order a pizza or whatever. Duane has a huge collection of DVDs to watch and I’m sure there’s something there you’ll like. What do you say? I think you’ve earned a few nights away from everything.”
Emily looked at Derek. “What do you think?”
“Sounds better than crashing at the shelter again.”
He was correct. At the shelter, she couldn’t take a long, hot bath and not be rushed. She looked at Nora. “Cool. I’m in.”
“Excellent,” Nora said, taking a pad and pen from her purse. She scribbled on it, tore off the top sheet and gave it to Emily. “Here’s our address. Come by tomorrow around noon and I’ll show you around and get you settled in before we head out with the kids after school.”
Emily beamed at the nurse’s offer. “Thanks, Nora. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just make sure Derek gets plenty of rest, and don’t burn the house down. Oh, and no parties.”
“Gotta have friends to throw a party,” Derek said in a sarcastic voice.
“You know what I mean,” Nora said, shooting Derek a piercing look, then turning her focus to Emily.
Emily nodded. “I do. No parties. Won’t be a problem.”
“Great. Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Nora said before she walked out the front door and disappeared.
Derek turned to Emily. “There’s no chance I’m going to that clinic.”
“I figured as much.”
“But I’ll tell you what I am going to do. I’m going to come see you tomorrow night while you’re watching their house.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Nora would be pissed. Her instructions were explicit.”
“Well, technically she said no parties. But she never said no boys or no Derek. She told you to make sure I rested, but didn’t say where. Who’s to say she didn’t mean for you to watch me at their place? Probably safer for me there than here. Right?”
“That’s true.”
“Trust me, Em. It’s all good.”
She still wasn’t sure about his tempting idea. “What about Mr. Thomas?”
“Won’t be an issue. Once he starts playing video games in his office after dinner, he loses track of time and usually falls asleep with the controller in his hand. He’ll never know I’m gone.”
“It would be nice to have some company. It might be a little scary in that house all by myself. But how will you get there?”
He held out his hand. “Let me see that note.”
Emily gave it to him.
He read it. “It’s not that far. I’ll walk.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, anything to get out of this place for a while. There’s absolutely nothing to do when you’re not here. It’s all I can do to not go bat-shit crazy.”
“What about your ribs?”
“If I have to, I’ll wrap them with something. But I’m coming to visit. End of story.”
“Maybe you can bring Junie, too? That way I can keep an eye on both of you.”
He picked her hands up and held them gently. “I was hoping it would just be us, Em. A little alone time might be just what the doctor ordered.”
Emily didn’t like the idea of leaving Junie alone on a Friday night, especially after what had just happened to her mom. But she didn’t want to disappoint Derek, either. It was hard to resist his handsome face and say no, especially when her heart was shouting at her to say yes.
She resisted the impulse to let her emotions decide and took a moment to think it through. Derek was only talking about a few hours, and it’s not like Junie hadn’t spent nights alone in the shelter before, back when her mom was out doing whatever it was that she did. Junie was more than capable, and could probably manage without he
r for a bit. Junie was a resourceful, street-smart teenager, and she’d understand. She liked boys, too, and would probably do the same if given the chance.
If Emily did this, then she’d need to go to the shelter on Saturday and make it up to Junie by taking her to the park to feed the ducks. They could spend the whole day together like besties. Nora was going to leave her money for the weekend, so maybe she could spent some of it on Junie. Do something special, like go shopping for a cute top at Goodwill. She liked her new plan and everyone would be happy, including her.
“Okay. Sounds fun, Derek. What time?”
He gave her a sexy, devilish smile that changed the rhythm of her heart. “Around six. It’ll be dark by then and the neighbors won’t notice.”
* * *
The following evening, Emily was sitting on Nora’s couch with nervous breath, watching the clock tick closer and closer to six. Time seemed to have slowed down the moment after the Morris family took off for their weekend in LA earlier that afternoon, leaving Emily alone and anxious in a spacious home she’d never seen before today.
House-sitting was fun, she decided, and she was enjoying herself, feeling as close to normal as she had since the awful night of The Taking. Living in an urban house with a kitchen, a living room, and bedrooms brought back wonderful memories of what life had been like with her mom. She knew she could never go back to how it was before, but she also knew she should appreciate being safe and warm in a loving home where everything was quiet.
She’d spent the early evening making sure the place was extra clean and tidy for Derek’s arrival. Nora and Duane weren’t messy, but the kids had left some toys and clothes lying around, and there was a stack of dishes in the sink that needed to be washed. She probably didn’t need to do the extra cleaning, but she felt obligated to help out since they were kind enough to give her a place to stay for a few days. Cleaning also helped pass the time while she waited for her date to start.
Maybe “date” wasn’t the best term to describe her plans for the evening, since Derek wasn’t taking her out for a night on the town. She wasn’t sure if that component was necessary in order to classify their get-together as a date, but it’s what she decided to call it. Either way, she wanted the place to look nice for him. She wouldn’t have this chance again, not with her time-jumping issues. Everything needed to be perfect.
Bing! Bong! the doorbell rang out.
She gasped with an excited smile, feeling her heart flutter as her eyes found the front door. Her hands went to the sides of her face, realizing that her boyfriend was five minutes early and their evening together was about to start.
Her hands and knees began to tremble, bringing with it some lightheadedness and a few blue speckles in her vision. She steadied herself with a deep, calming breath and stood from the couch, adjusting the fun skirt and cute top she had borrowed from Nora’s closet. She looked in the mirror hanging on the wall to her right and checked the makeup Nora had given her access to. It was perfect. So was her hair—clean, combed, and styled in a Jennifer Aniston look. She wondered if Derek would like her ensemble. He’d never seen her dressed up this way and frankly, neither had she.
Bing! Bong! the door chime called out again.
Emily ran to the door, unlatched the deadbolt and grabbed the doorknob. She planned to land a big kiss on his lips to set the mood and let him know how much she missed him. She twisted the knob and pulled the door open, hoping to see her handsome man standing there with a smile and maybe a bouquet of flowers.
But what her eyes reported didn’t match what she’d expected, making her freeze for a moment. The Orange Man was standing there with his expressionless face, looking back at her. He was holding a metal briefcase horizontally in front of his chest with its lid open, facing her.
She glanced down at the swirling gray surface of its interior and before she could blink, an intense flash of white light invaded her vision.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Emily blinked a few times, trying to clear the fuzzy globs from her vision, only to find Derek standing in front of her. He was holding the screen door open with a concerned look on his face.
“Em? Are you okay? Babe? Talk to me,” Derek said in front of Nora and Duane’s house.
“What—what happened?” she said in a choppy voice, flexing her hands—they felt numb, and so did her feet.
“I don’t know. I walked up to the door and found you staring into space like a zombie.”
“That’s weird. I don’t remember answering the door. Did you ring the bell?”
He pushed his way inside. “No. You were already standing here with the door open. Like you were waiting for me. Are you okay?”
Her head was swimming. “I’m not sure. I must have completely zoned out for a minute.” She felt a strange disconnect from her memory. “My entire body feels tingly, like I slept too long.”
Emily lost her balance when a bout of dizziness hit her. She took a corrective step to stay upright. It worked.
“Whoa,” Derek said, grabbing her elbow. “Better sit down before you hurt yourself.”
He led her to the couch and took a seat next to her. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
She pointed at the wall clock. “I was sitting here, looking at that stupid clock and counting the minutes until I got to see you again. Next thing I know, I’m standing at the door looking at you. I don’t understand.”
“Me either. Just rest for a minute. Maybe it’ll come back to you.”
Her eyes locked onto the hour and minute hands of the clock, realizing that something wasn’t right.
“Six twenty-seven . . .” she said, trying to think it through.
“Sorry about that.”
“How is that possible?”
“It took me longer to get here than I expected. Didn’t factor in stopping a bunch of times to rest. Sometimes it’s hard to breathe.”
“Thirty-two minutes?” she asked in a hesitant voice.
“Yeah, I should have left earlier. Sorry to make you wait like that.”
She gave him a sidelong glance while she churned through it in her brain. “It was five minutes before six last time I looked at that clock. That means, somehow, thirty-two minutes have passed in like one second. Was I standing there the whole time, or did I sit here and then move to the door?”
“Impossible to know.”
“This is crazy.”
“Did you black out?”
“I don’t think so. But maybe.”
“You could have fallen asleep and then sleepwalked to the door.”
“Really?”
“Sure. It’s possible. I’ve seen you do stranger things than that.”
She shook her head, not wanting to believe any of it. “But I’ve never sleepwalked before in my life.”
“I’m sure that’s what happened. What else could it be?”
“Maybe I mini-jumped. If I did, then everything is changing again.”
“I’m just glad I got here when I did. What if some asshole had seen you standing there with the door open and tried come in. This ain’t the greatest neighborhood to start with.”
“That’s a little too scary to think about.”
“At least you’re okay. How ya feeling? Better?”
“Yes, much. The numbness is gone and so are the tingles. Just wish my heart would quit racing. It’s beating a hundred miles an hour right now.”
“I’m sure it will. Just give it time. You had quite a scare,” he said, rubbing his hand across her back.
“Wow, that feels soooo good,” she said, letting her eyes close as he continued to pamper her.
A few minutes later, he stopped and sat back on the couch.
She looked at him. “Something wrong?”
A coy smile came across his lips. “I brought you a present.”
“You did? What?” she asked, tapping her palms together in anticipation. She could have flashed on him to find out, but didn’t want to ruin the surprise. “Come
on! Show me! Please! Don’t make me wait!”
“Well, now that you’re not a zombie anymore,” he said, leaning to his right and resting his elbow on the open end of the seat cushion. He put his other arm behind his back and left it there. “One of my roommates snuck something into the home and gave it to me earlier.”
Hearing the words “snuck something into the home” changed Emily’s anticipation to apprehension. A series of new objects flashed in her mind: gun—knife—drugs—condom.
“What is it?” she asked with a concerned voice.
“Just a little something to help us celebrate my recovery.”
He pulled his hand out to reveal a pint-sized bottle of peppermint schnapps. It must have been stuffed inside the waistband of his jeans.
She slapped him on the arm. “Oh my God, Derek!”
“What?”
“You’re so bad.”
“Yeah, well, so are you.”
“No I’m not. I’m a good girl,” she said, with the same type of coy smile he gave her. “And you, Mr. Bad Boy. Have you been following doctor’s orders? Feeling any better?”
“I’m starting to. My ribs don’t hurt every time I breathe, and my head isn’t throbbing, so yeah—I’m getting better. But I’m going a little stir crazy sitting on that couch, hour after hour, watching TV with a bunch of mindless zombies.”
She grinned. “Sort of like me at the front door a minute ago.”
“Exactly,” he said, laughing hard.
“I’m sure it gets old really fast just lying around all day, doing nothing.”
He nodded. “There are only so many game shows and soap operas a guy can watch before his brain turns into mush.”
“I can imagine,” she said, seeing him lean in for a kiss. She pushed him away. “Slow down, Romeo. You can’t just catch me off guard like that. You know what might happen.”
He rolled his eyes. “So, what? I need to make a reservation first? Not exactly romantic.”
“Yeah, about as romantic as peppermint schnapps.”
“You got me there.”
“Look, we’ve got lots of time. No need to rush things, okay?”
“Sure. But I need to be back at the home by nine thirty.”
“What do you say to ordering a pizza? Nora left me some money. I’m thinking pepperoni with extra cheese.”
Glassford Girl: Boxed Set (Complete Series) (Time Jumper Series) Page 38
