Page 11 of No Place Like Home

“Why can’t we do normal bonding like other sisters?”

“Because you don’t like to do anything that doesn’t involve your television or tablet. You need to play outside, be active, have fun.”

“I walk a lot,” Rosie defended herself. “From the couch to the fridge, the fridge to my room, and I walk from the parking lot to the school.”

My sister had an answer for everything; there was no point in arguing with her just for the sake of arguing. I took up jogging after theincident. Jogging was painful in the best way. The way you pushed yourself past exhaustion, the way your sides would hurt and the air seemed like it was fire and you had to gasp for air. Jogging was painful enough to make me forget.

When I ran, I left all my problems behind and was able to center myself. It would be a good habit for Rosie to pick up. I shielded her from as much of our childhood as I could, but I knew she still saw and heard things. I just didn’t want them fucking with her like they fucked with me.

“It’s just two laps, Rosie Posie, and after, we can go to Emma’s and have some breakfast for dinner.”

I knew I had her at breakfast. She loved her sweets, which gave me an excuse to see Emma. Between my schoolkids and her two little hellions and her business, I didn’t have much time to catch up with her. And if I was lucky, Freya might be there.

“Since we’re doing two laps, can we get ice cream? And I’m not talking about ice cream on top of my pancakes.”

“Only if you stop being a smartass,” I told her.

Sue me. I already had to rein in my sailor vocabulary at school, which was exhausting. Besides, I taught Rosie never to repeat the bad words I said aloud from the moment she began to talk.

* * *

Rosie exaggerated her heavy breathing.We were almost done doing the two laps when we heard a loud bark.

My skin immediately crawled at the sound. I was not a dog person. I had never had a dog or been around dogs. I had lived my whole life without canine interaction; there was no point in changing things now. Rosie laughed, knowing that I made us jog the rest of the way to the parking lot because I wanted to leave.

When I heard the bark again, only this time closer, I almost fainted.

“Oh, fuck,” I cried out when ahugedog the size of a lion started running toward me.

Grabbing hold of Rosie’s hand, I dragged her with me to the end of the lot where I had parked my Jeep.

As I got closer to the parking lot, I felt his paw graze my back. My body jumped, and next thing I knew, I was falling face-first into the grass.First Pukefest, and now Grassfest.Today wassonot my day.

“Simba! Down, boy,” the gruff voice ordered.

My skin shivered, and I guess that was because the guy just called the thing on top of me Simba. As in Mufasa’s kid? Holy shit! Was someone crazy enough to have a lion? I mean, there were rednecks with tigers; nothing could shock me anymore. I was totally going to die today, and all I wanted to do was instill good habits in my little sister.

“Woof,”the dog barked.

“Please don’t eat me,” I begged, as if the stupid animal had any idea what I was saying.

The weight on my back was gone, and I heard male laughter.

“I’m pretty sure dogs don’t eat people.”

That voice.

It was deep and rough, but with a cool smoothness to it. Something about it nagged in my brain, but since I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t be animal chow, I couldn’t really place it.

“Unless they’re really, really hungry. Then they might. It’s survival of the fittest.”

Any hope I had of Rosie running for her life left when her voice sounded like it was coming from above me.

Seriously, you see a lion, you run!

“Survival of the fittest?” The man’s voice was amused. “I’m sorry about Simba.”

One second, I was eating grass, and the next, I was standing up with the lion owner’s hands under my arms.

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