Page 58 of Wandering Souls

He nodded, scooping up a dollop of hummus with a cracker. He brought it to his mouth, then paused. “And it’s growing every damn day.” He put the loaded cracker in his mouth and chewed, the garlicky chickpea dip tingling on his tongue.

“What are the issues?”

“Employment, or rather, the lack of it. Why is it, that when kids get bored, they get destructive?”

Abi shrugged. “Don’t look at me. When I was sixteen, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. She passed when I was in my final year of school. I was too busy to be bored or destructive.”

Though her eyes held grief, he could see she didn’t let herself wallow in it. Had she dealt with it, or merely swept it under the carpet? If he’d learned one thing about Abi this last week, it was that she’d lived through too many traumas for someone her age. How was anyone supposed to cope?

“Keep them busy? That’s your answer?”

She nodded. “Community service. Set up a program that has them volunteering at the local hospital, or the aged care home. They could be planting trees, maintaining public spaces like the cemetery, or picking up litter.”

Her idea had merit but it needed an incentive for the kids. They weren’t going to willingly volunteer unless there was something in it for them. “And what if they don’t?”

Abi straightened her legs, rolled to her side and leaned on an elbow. Her lips pursed as she thought over his question. “Firstly, they can use it on their resumes. Secondly, you might be surprised what becomes of those who do. And thirdly,” she winked, “they get to choose where they spend their time. And they can bank their hours. If they then mess up and break the law, they’re obligated to do double the number of hours doing the messy jobs. Of course, there’s always bootcamp.”

He felt his eyebrows slide up his forehead. “Bootcamp?”

She smiled sweetly, but there was a wicked sparkle in her eyes. “You have an entire unit of former Army soldiers in your town.Elitesoldiers. Men who understand the real world. Perhaps you could make use of them.”

Ray pointed at her. “That’s devious.”

She shrugged, then chuckled. “If they’re physically exhausted from being put through their paces, then maybe they won’t become as destructive.”

She had a point.

“You should pitch that to the local mayor,” he suggested, reaching into the picnic basket to withdraw a container of pre-made sandwiches. “She’s at her wit’s end with some of these kids.”

Seeing the food, she sat up and shuffled around to sit to his left. Her thigh rested against his. Layers of denim and cotton didn’t dull his senses. Heat seeped through and the feel of her shapely muscles distracted him momentarily. Not long enough for him to indulge in a vision of their naked bodies entwined, but long enough for her to see him think it.

Ray cleared his throat. “It’s a good idea, Abi.”

She blinked up at him. “I’ll give it some thought.”

Thunder rumbled in the sky, closer now. Electricity crackled in the air, though he had to concentrate to decide whether it came from the thunderstorm, or the energy pulsing between he and Abi. Her eyeballs shifted upwards for a second before her gaze settled back on him.

“It’s closer,” she hummed.

He nodded. “We should find some shelter.”

Disappointment flashed through her blue-gray eyes. “That’s displeasing.”

Setting the sandwich container back into the basket, he threw her a wry smile. “Perhaps, but better than getting struck by lightning.”

She opened her mouth to answer but Mother Nature interrupted. The deafening clap sounded directly above them, its pitch making his ears ring. Abi flinched before reaching for her shoes. As she slid them on, he hoisted the basket, gathered the rug, and called to Bruce. The three of them started toward the car but the instant they were out from under the tree, a sudden downpour soaked them to the bone.

Abi laughed as she ran with a limp, pushing a button on her fob to unlock the car. The torrent of rain grew more intense and Ray made a beeline for her Jeep. He opened the rear passenger door for Bruce, set the hamper and rug on the seat and then scrambled for the front seat.

By the time they were safely enclosed in the vehicle, Abi’s hair was plastered to her head and his shirt clung to his shoulders uncomfortably. The grin on her face and the light in her eyes raised goose pebbles on his forearms. She stared through the windshield, which looked more like a waterfall, as water rushed down the glass. The world outside blurred behind the curtain of water but the sound of the heavy, fat drops pummeling the roof threatened to deafen them.

“See?” he shouted.

She turned to him and his heart leapt into his mouth. He reached over and pushed the hair from her cheeks as more thunder boomed overhead. It was like a freight train. Lightning lit up the cab for an instant. The excitement in her eyes intensified, as did the rain.

He let his hand linger on her cheek before threading his fingers through her hair. Cupping the back of her head, he drew her forward. Abi obliged, leaning across the console, meeting him halfway. Thunder and lightning raged outside, but inside the Wrangler, Ray was filled with anticipation.

He breathed her in, tilting her head slightly to the right before covering her mouth with his. Abi’s eager tongue met his as her hands grabbed at the edges of his shirt and tugged him closer. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, propelled at top speed by his heart. Every breath he took was filled with her scent.

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