Zen and Xander Undone

by Amy Kathleen Ryan

  “I’m okay.”

  He gives me a sly, sideways look, and asks with a grin, “Know what time it is?”

  I peek through the living room curtains at the mantel clock. “It’s almost noon.”

  I realize what he’s getting at, and I have to smile.

  “We have time to catch it if we hurry.” He stands up and holds out his hand.

  I take it, and the pit in my stomach sinks away.

  We jog most of the way, and we make it to the bridge just in time.

  It had coal, lots of huge logs, and stacks of bright shiny cars.

  And the engineer got an eyeful too.

  My thanks to Margaret Raymo

  and the team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  for their support and excellence,

  and to Kathleen Anderson, for her wisdom.

  And as always, my loving thanks to

  Richard, who reads, listens,

  and loves.

  About the Author

  AMY KATHLEEN RYAN is a graduate of the New School Creative Writing Program. She lives in Colorado. This is her third novel. Visit her website at www.amykathleenryan.com.