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.
Jim came home before dinner, took one look at what they worked on, and pitched in. Thankfully, they were all starving and easy to pull away from their task once they smelled the cooking steaks.
The next day followed the same routine with the exception of Jim stealing the motorcycle. Before Jim came home, Emmitt announced the swing set, with its plastic climbing wall, slide, and fort, was complete. The boys cheered and began scrambling all over the thing.
I sat on the step, slightly bored again. Watching Emmitt assemble the swing set had been a nice distraction. I sighed, and he moved to sit by me.
“I bought a movie when I went to the store,” he said, looking out over the yard.
I turned to study his profile. He had a strong jaw, straight nose with a slight bump on the bridge, and firm lips. My stomach dove for my toes for half a heartbeat before it sprang back with a twist. I caught Nana watching me from the chair she’d brought out to the porch and blushed.
“Would you like to watch it with me?” he asked softly.
The way he said it, a soft rumble of invitation, made my heart jump with excitement. I looked away, focusing on my brothers as they played in the yard. I struggled with what I should say versus what I wanted to say.
Nana interrupted my thoughts before they fully formed. “I can watch the boys out here if you two want to go in.”
That decided me. He and I needed to talk. I stood and told the boys that I would be right inside if they needed me. Emmitt let me lead the way to Jim’s apartment.
The movie waited right next to the TV. Emmitt went to it and lifted it with a dimple-showing smile. I stood behind him and schooled my features into a serious expression while my insides went crazy.
“Emmitt,” I said with quiet reluctance. “I really appreciate you letting us stay here, but I need to say something.” He turned toward me. His smile faded, and I swallowed hard. “I don’t know how long we’ll be here and can’t afford any emotional distractions.”
He was quiet for so long I thought he wasn’t going to say anything, and I started to worry.
“What are we talking about, exactly?” His voice, low and steady, sounded a bit upset.
“The way you look at me...” I whispered with a blush.
Though my mind would willingly paint us in a white-picket-fence dream, the reality was that any emotional connection with these people would just be another way for Blake to hurt me if—no, when—he caught up with us. Plus, I couldn’t afford any entanglements that would prevent me from leaving when the time came.
“I see.” He didn’t sound mad, just thoughtful. “Michelle, when I saw you in the diner, and again when you faced David, I knew you needed a friend.”
Friend? As if someone had thrown a boulder down my throat, something heavy hit the bottom of my stomach and embarrassment began to flood me. Had my attraction to Emmitt twisted what I thought I saw into what I’d wanted to see? I wanted to disappear. Instead, I tried to salvage the humiliating situation with a feint at ignorance.
“Friendship might be more than I can manage.”
He slowly nodded and looked down at the movie in his hands, making it hard to read his thoughts. After a moment, he looked up with a relaxed, easygoing smile and slightly lifted the movie. “So, is that a no to a movie?”
Cherry red and wanting to run, I still couldn’t say no. I was too curious about my reaction to him. Too tempted. At least, we both knew where we stood, and I could breathe again. Well, not really. Not with him so close, but he didn’t know that.
For the next two hours, we sat side by side, not quite touching. We watched a movie but instead of focusing on the story, my mind kept wandering to the premonition and the talk we just had. Was it just coincidence I had a vision when I touched Emmitt?
Jim got home as the movie ended and plopped down on the couch next to me. He slipped an arm around my shoulder. He felt hot and sweaty, and it made me wonder what he did for a living.
“Where do you work?” I asked, turning to him.
Emmitt got up to turn off the television. Jim’s eyes followed him, and a knowing grin split his face. I didn’t understand it and turned to look at Emmitt. Knees bent, he squatted in front of the DVD player, his back mostly to us.
“Roadside construction. Thanks for letting me use your truck,” he said and leaned toward me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek before standing. The kiss surprised me.
“You need to shower,” Emmitt said in an oddly flat voice, not turning around.
Jim laughed and sauntered back to the bathroom.
I stood, too. “Thanks for the movie, Emmitt.”
He nodded, not looking at me, and I left to check on Liam and Aden.
The swing set hadn’t yet lost its appeal, and I watched them climb around on it for a few minutes before I called them in for dinner and baths. They groaned, but listened. Beside me, Nana chuckled at their reaction, and I thanked her for watching them. She assured me they were a joy.
Once they slept, I paced the apartment. Though I had freedom, I stayed close to the boys and had nothing to do. I recalled Nana’s packed bookcase and left the door open as I skipped down the stairs. Her door stood open, as usual. Before I could call out to her, Emmitt opened Jim’s door.
“Do you know where Nana is?” I asked pointing at her open door.
“She stepped out for a walk,” he said in a hushed voice as he closed the door behind him. I heard Jim’s chuckle through the door and understood why Emmitt had closed it. “Did you need something?”
“I wanted to ask if I could borrow a book.”
He smiled and motioned for me to follow him into Nana’s apartment. “She would insist you take your pick.” He waved his hand indicating the large bookcase. “She used to be a teacher, you know. She loves curious minds and reading.”
His last comment assured me that she wouldn’t mind, and I stepped up to look at the titles. I plucked two from the many rows and asked Emmitt to let her know what I took.
I felt his eyes follow me as I jogged back up the stairs. Carrying one of my selections to bed, I read until I passed out.
* * * *
The next morning, I listened to the boys plan what they wanted to do that day. Play on the swing set, of course. After they finished their oatmeal, I put on my suit with a tank top over it as the boys quickly dressed. With my book and a blanket from Emmitt’s closet tucked under my arm, I followed them downstairs for another sunny summer day.
Both apartment doors on the first floor stood open, again. It made me smile. We went from a house with bars and alarms to a house without doors, and I loved it.
We left the cool, quiet indoors and stepped out into the singing heat. Birds chirped in the trees, and crickets spoke to each other in the tall grass next to the house where the mower couldn’t reach.
A metallic clink echoed within the dim recess of the garage, explaining where Emmitt hid.
The boys contented themselves with playing pirates on the swing set while I spread my blanket near the porch in the first sunny patch of the morning. I lay down on my belly and began to read my science fiction.
Eventually, I heard Aden’s excited exclamation and looked up. They no longer played in their area. They had wandered to the back corner of the garage where they hunkered down on their heels, heads bent, and pointed at something on the ground. I set my book down and rose to investigate. Please don’t let it be a snake.