Page 23 of Miles

“I don’t mean in that way,” she laughed, and that laugh warmed my heart.

She had a sense of humor about herself, a maturity which seemed to extend well past her age. She couldn’t be much older than I, with her smooth skin and bright eyes.

“I mean using words to create a story others want to read.”

“Between you and me, I don’t know if anybody would want to read one of my stories. I’ve never published one, or even tried to.”

“Oh, I bet you would make a wonderful writer.”

“How so? What makes you think that?”

She shrugged. “I have a very keen intuition. Everyone in my family does.”

That was another thing, the way she kept mentioning family. It led me to believe that my theory about many of them being related was close to the truth. They all seemed so nice, too. I didn’t want them to be strange or threatening.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” I chuckled, picking at my sandwich.

“What sort of stories?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Fantasy, mostly. I like making the rules in new worlds. There’s so much freedom in it. And the underdog can discover they have powers far beyond their wildest dreams, you know? They can turn the tables and win the day, no matter what the odds are.”

“I often like to imagine different worlds and people,” Ainsley agreed with a wide smile. “It isn’t easy when you’ve been cut off from others.”

There she went again. I had to be careful as I navigated the conversation.

“I was cut off, too,” I admitted.

“I can tell.”

“How?”

“Because you wanted to build a new world, through your stories.” She tilted her head to the side, and her smile became a sad one. “It’s all right. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“And you know how that feels?”

“Somewhat,” she admitted. “But there’s enough magic in my life to keep me from seeking out any more, if you know what I mean.”

“No. I don’t know what you mean.”

She chuckled. “Another time, perhaps.”

Damn it. How did she regain control so quickly? I didn’t know what I was getting into when I spoke with her. One minute, she played the dizzy, somewhat flighty young chatterbox. The next, she was grave and wise. Who was she? Who were any of them?

A sharp knock at the door made us turn our heads, and Miles stepped through.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your lunch.” He made a move as if to step back outside.

“No, no, it’s all right. I’m finished, anyway.”

Ainsley collected the tray with a broad grin and all but winked at me before leaving.

She had an idea about the two of us. While I had to admit I felt closer to him than to anyone else here, I was hardly ready to buy a white dress. Not when I didn’t know anything about him or the circumstances of his being there.

He seemed to prowl the room, walking back and forth with no clear purpose. He kept his hands in his pockets, balled up into fists. He wouldn’t look at me.

“Is there a reason why you came in?” I prompted, watching him.

“I wanted to make sure you were all right, after what happened earlier.”

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