Page 72 of Free to Run
She cups my jaw. “In the last few days, you’ve been different. You’ve been there when I didn’t know I needed someone and were the first person when I absolutely did. You listened when I needed an ear and not a lecture, or a million opinions, and gave me space when I needed that too.”
I can feel my jaw tic under her hand. “What are you trying to say, Alison?”
“I was ridiculous and we both know it. I just needed reassurance this wasn’t another fly-by to you, especially after the way you spectacularly tried to start us up.” Even as I cringe, I feel her hand stroke through my hair. “I’m trying to say that we were never over, and I needed my brain to get the message the rest of my body was sending it. It’s taken a while for me to be ready for more, but I’m in.”
Suddenly, I’m marauding her mouth. One hand is traveling down toward her rear, while the other is driving deep into her hair and pulling her head back. Our mouths mate against each other as if it’s been years since our lips connected, since our tongues tangled, since our breaths mingled instead of minutes.
Finally, I pull back and mutter the one thing that comes to mind. “Thank God we missed that fucking family dinner.”
Alison doubles over, laughing.
* * *
We arrive backat the farm and see everyone’s cars still at the main building. I have no desire to go in, but I want to make certain Alison feels the same. When I ask her, she lets out a slow breath.
“What is it?” I reach over the console and place my hand over hers. I don’t even realize she’s been worrying them since we turned onto the property.
She tries to find the right words. “I love them all, I do. Really. But Keene? This date is always a huge deal for me, and the only one who remembered was Cori.”
“Right,” I clip. “We’re going home.”
“I’m sure they’re expecting us.”
“Then I’ll send a text later, once we get back to the house. Right now, I’m going to run over to Caleb and Cassidy’s and grab a few things. Any problem with that?”
Alison ponders for a moment. “Do you think she’s going to turn into a crazy stalker and start looking in my windows?”
Her choice of words is eerie. “No, I highly doubt that.”
“Then no, I don’t have a problem at all.” I hear a hesitation in her voice as I pull into Cassidy’s driveway. Stopping the car, I turn toward her. Gnawing on her lower lip, she asks, “Are you bringing everything over?”
“I had planned on a few days. Why? Should I?”
“Why don’t we try the few days and go from there?” She’s still cautious. I can work with that.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Jumping out of the car, I run inside and throw a couple of days’ worth of stuff in a bag. Within minutes, I’m back in the car, putting it in gear, and heading toward Alison’s. “Not to alarm you or anything, baby, I can work with what I have in the bag, but I suspect by the end of the weekend, the rest of your closet is going to have clothes in it.”
When I pull into her driveway, I glance over. The small smile that plays on her lips tells me the idea isn’t entirely unwelcome.
Before we can get out of the car, a figure approaches us from the side. I catch a glint of metal and my instincts kick in. I slam Alison back in her seat, and then the moonlight catches the warm red-gold of the approaching bogey.
It’s Holly. And she’s holding a metal pan.
* * *
“Bet Cass lookedlike she sucked a raw onion after that text,” Holly offered.
After my heart rate returned to normal, Alison jumped out of the car to ask Holly what she was doing there. Turns out, Holly hadn’t forgotten Alison’s mom’s birthday. In fact, she made Southern-style banana pudding (which she apparently makes better than Corinna) to celebrate.
Yelling from the upstairs bedroom that Corinna’s car was inbound, soon Alison’s kitchen was full of sweets and chatty women.
Corinna came in with the bottle of wine she confiscated earlier. I got a wink, along with a muttered “Goes better with banana pudding.”
I tried to make myself as absent as possible by disappearing to the deck and dealing with my own sister, who wasn’t pleased that I didn’t answer her summons to a family get-together earlier.
I hear Alison let out a sigh. “Great. Another reason to put me on the shit list.”
Holly says, “I don’t think that’s it, Ali. I think she feels out of control right now. You know how she craves control.” She pauses. “She’s putting up a super brave front about the twins, but she’s scared.”
