Page 33 of Cheshire

“So, you’re how old?” She leaned in a little. “Are you robbing the cradle by being with me?”

I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. “Well, since I don’t know how old you are, it’s hard to say if I’m ‘robbing the cradle’ or not. But I’m thirty-one.”

“I’m twenty,” she said. “Does that bother you?”

“Should it? From what I can tell, even though you’ve led a sheltered life in some ways, the hell you’ve survived makes you older than the average twenty-year-old.”

She nodded. “You’re right. Most women my age are probably off enjoying college, or trying to figure out their lives. I guess in one sense I’m doing that too. Since I never thought I’d be free of my father, I never made plans or dared to really dream. Only thing I knew I wanted and thought I’d never have was a family of my own.”

“Favorite movie?” I asked.

“My dad monitored what I watched, but I always liked the family movies about hope and resilience. Like Cinderella. I like the live action better, though. In the cartoon, the evil stepfamily looked ugly on the outside. In the live action, they’re all pretty.”

“Like your dad?” I asked. “He’s a decent-looking guy and has most people fooled into thinking he’s nice.”

“Right. Exactly like that. I think that’s why it resonated with me. What about you?”

I leaned in closer to whisper. “Don’t you dare tell anyone, but I like Top Gun. But if the guys find out my favorite movie is about a naval aviator, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She smiled. “I can keep your secret. I guess that means you weren’t in the navy.”

“Marines. Me, Hatter, March, Absolem, and Rabbit. Although, Rabbit and I started out in the army. Served two years before switching to the Marines.” I drained my coffee cup. “These days, if you sign up for two years, then you’re expected to be in the reserves for an additional two years.”

“Favorite drink?” she asked, eyeing my cup. “Coffee?”

“Hmm. For non-alcoholic beverages, yes. When it comes to alcohol, I tend to stick with beer. But I’ve been known to drink the harder stuff. What about you?”

She tapped her cup. “I like hot tea, and for cold drinks I like sweet tea.”

“Then I guess we know a little more about each other now.” I reached over to pat her thigh. “We should do this every day.”

“Maybe twice a day,” she said.

“I’m game if you are.” Leaning over, I kissed her cheek. “I need to go check in with everyone and see what’s going on. Rest and relax for a bit.”

“Thanks, Cheshire. For everything.”

“Anytime, doll. Anytime.”

Chapter Twelve

Eliza

I sat at the kitchen table with my thoughts swirling like a damn tornado. After my talk with Cheshire, my head had been a mess. While I loved the time I got to spend with him, I couldn’t help but feel guilty over my newfound happiness.

My dad was a monster. He’d done unspeakable things. It felt like I should suffer and not feel excited about getting a chance to actually have a life. It made me wonder if something was wrong with me.

The kitchen door creaked open, and I glanced up. It was Rabbit, concern etched across his face as he saw me. He stepped closer, two sketch pads clutched in his hands.

“Eliza, thought I might find you here,” he said. “I can see you have a lot on your mind.”

I just nodded, not trusting my voice. Emotions clogged my throat.

Rabbit pulled out a chair and sat across from me. He slid a sketch pad my way. “Here. I know you already have one, but I thought you might need a new one. Sometimes putting pen to paper helps sort out the demons, and if you have a lot of them, you’ll go through a lot of paper.” His eyes were kind, understanding. “Art’s saved my sanity more than once, and Jo says you’re pretty good. Give it a try. Maybe it will help you sort out the chaos in your head.”

I stared at the blank page, my fingers trembling as I picked up a pencil. Rabbit flipped open his own pad and started sketching, the pencil dancing across the page. He glanced up at me.

“Let it out, Eliza. Whatever is tearing you up inside. Art doesn’t judge.”

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