Keith did come home…but not by choice. Just after climbing into the car, his heavily beaten eyelids drooped and his weighty head lolled backward in exhaustion. He was snoring in a matter of minutes. I had to smile. With the whole head tilt thing, Keith slept just likeQuinn.
After pulling into the driveway, I left him to sleep while I went in search of help. At this point I’d take anyone, but my father was preferred. His constant wandering had come to an end about a week ago, as if he’d finally come to terms with the fact that his lost son would not be found through sheer love anddetermination.
“Dad?” I said, stopping suddenly. I hadn’t expected to find him so easily. My father was slumped over the kitchen table, searching through hotline tips. He looked up with tired eyes and gave me a wearysmile.
“Hi, sweetheart. How’smygirl?”
Not good. Not good at all.Water pooled in my eyes, and forgetting all about Keith and his vast issues, I threw myself into my father’s arms, determined to get myself a little loving while the opportunity presented itself. It might very well have been the first time he’d acknowledged me since this whole nightmare began. Dad patted my back and whispered soothing words intomyear.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sosorry.”
We stayed there holding each other for a long time before I remembered the reason for seeking him out in the first place. Standing back up, I wiped the tears away and said, “Keith’s passed out inthecar.”
My father jumped to action, pulling his son into the house and forcing him onto a barstool in order to perform first aid. I served as the nurse, running around and gathering supplies. Together, my dad and I patched Keith back together and then helped him into bed, where he slept for what seemedlikedays.
Mom and Kyle stayed isolated, but after the whole incident with the knife, my mother had somewhat snapped out of her despondent state and stayed by his side most of the time now. While Dad kept vigil over Keith, I continued to care for the kids. Finally things were moving – if not forward, at least sideways. And sideways wasn’t backwards, so it was better than where we’d come from. I could live withsideways.
11
Finn: A GreatTrier
Emma’sinner conflict hadn’t escaped me. Her face was a patchwork of indecision as she contemplated her choices. I hadn’t intended for this to be a major life decision and felt somewhat bad for even suggesting it at all. Just because I was exceedingly comfortable with heights, and an assortment of other daring acts, didn’t mean everyone else was. Although, to be fair, I hardly considered a securely attached wheel spinning around on its axis to be death defying. I mean, on a scale from one to dangerous, this was just below eating a big meal before jumping into the deep end ofapool.
Still, for a woman who seemed to analyze every decision by level of peril, Emma’s sudden decision to accept my offer based solely on the fact that she trusted me blew my mind. Why me? Why now? What was it about me that made her want to conquer a lifelong fear? I’d always dreamed big, but this girl felt like reaching for the stars. I wanted to show her everything, open her eyes to a new and adventurous world. What the hell was I saying? I barely even knew her, and I was already planning our damn future? Maybe there was something to that whole theory of knowing instantly – because whatever it was that I was feeling for Emma was more than just lust and excitement. She just felt like the ‘something more’ I’d beenwaitingfor.
Squeezing her hand, I walked us up to the operator. Flashing our wristbands, we were ushered to a separate line. Emma eyed me insurprise.
“Another perk I figured out earlier today. Freerides.”
“Wow, where did you findthetime?”
“I skipped formal meals and just ate off theground.”
Emma nudged me, smiling. “It’s a wonder you haven’t come down with E. coli, or at the very least,worms.”
“You laugh now, but mark my words, Emma, I’ll have you eating off the floor innotime.”
Yeah, I knew the chances of that were be about as good as Shelby never hitting me up for money again. The ten-minute wait was long enough to weaken Emma’s resolve, so I stayed firmly by her side, chatting easily with her as I attempted to calm her tattered nerves. Her vulnerability intrigued me. This wasn’t the same determined woman who’d turned me down at the diner or the same nit-picky storm trooper who’d blasted her way through the ticket booth to secure me a wristband. No, I was slowly realizing that Emma was a hodgepodge of fascinating contradictions, and learning everything I could about her was quickly becoming my toppriority.
Our carriage arrived and I guided her to the basket, holding down the step to keep it from swinging out. I figured if Emma got a taste of the rocking before she was securely seated, it would be the end of her little exercise in self-discovery. Full disclosure seemed the way to go with thiswoman.
“Hold on tight. When I get in, it’s goingtosway.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said, gripping thesides.
As predicted, the cart swung with the addition of my weight. Startled, Emma’s legs splayed out, and the tops of her sandaled toes wedged against the inner wall of the carriage. With her wearing a flowing dress and assuming the Pap smear position, I could see all the way to her pink panties – and let me tell you, it was a sight for sore eyes, not only for myself but for the lascivious carnival roadie salivating beside me. After I gave him a dig in the ribs, the ride operator shrugged his seasoned shoulders and averted hisoglingeyes.
“Maybe just move that foot an inch, so I can get in,” I suggested. “You know, just in case I need tosaveyou.”
“Oh, right… that pesky alien invasion.” She moved her leg barely an inch to accommodate me, but I needed a little more than that as I placed my hands on either side of the cart and carefully stepped in, nearly straddling her in the process. The carriage immediately rocked back and forth, and Emma emitted a freakish yelp, grabbing me around the waist and causing me to lose my balance. Falling on top of her, we were all arms and legs and boners, on my part at least. Damn the pink panties at precisely the wrong time. Untangling, I rolled to the side and took the seat nexttoher.
We looked at each other in surprise and then burst intolaughter.
“Jesus, Finn, you sure know how to make anentrance.”
“I was trying to be careful so I wouldn’tscareyou.”
“Did I lookscared?”
