“Yeah,” Miranda tried her hardest to hide her limp. She darted a glance behind her. Jason, where are you?
He briefly looked at her leg but made no mention of it. Instead, he gave a gentle smile. “Let’s walk slower. My hip is bothering me.” He leaned even more on his cane. “So, you're visiting, then?” he asked as he continued to shuffle.
“Yeah, just for the week.” Keep your answers short and sweet, Miranda reminded herself.
“Oh, that’s nice. Where are you visiting from?” His eyes were surprisingly blue as they peered at her from under his golfer’s cap.
“Uh,” Dang it! Think quick. “Not far.” Inside Miranda cringed. Really? Not far? You suck at this, Miranda.
“Not Far,” he said mildly. “Never heard of it.” And gave her another smile.
Miranda laughed weakly. “I meant I'm from Southton.”
He wrinkled his brow. "You're right, that's not far. Haven't you been to Evergreen before?”
Miranda closed her eyes. Southton was only fifteen minutes away. “No, not really. My cousin usually comes to our house.” She was digging herself in deeper, and Miranda could tell by the low chuckle that he thought so, too.
They turned the corner and there sat the school, a two story brick building with a large sign built into a berm, surrounded by red and yellow geraniums.
“Well.” He gave a gentle wheeze. “There you go, Missy.”
Cassie’s head popped over the top of the sign like a mushroom. Her dirty face was streaked with two clean lines where she'd been crying .
“Miranda!” she squealed and ran from behind the berm. “I knew you'd come find me.”
She leapt into Miranda’s arms. Miranda’s weak leg gave out, and they tumbled into the grass.
“Are you okay?” Cassie asked, her blue eyes shining with concern. She leaned back, then noticed the bloody pant leg and sucked in her breath. “Oh my gosh, Miranda! What happened?”
Miranda lay on the grass for a moment and looked up into the tree. The leaves fluttered in the wind. So pretty. It reminded her of her special tree. “I’m fine,” she whispered.
Darkness robbed her light to a dot. “Just going to close my eyes for a second.” The last thing she saw was the old man extending an arthritic hand towards her.
***
The light returned as a spark in the center of black velvet, before blossoming into a blurry tunnel. Miranda blinked a few times. The room was dark, with the curtains pulled together.
Her eyes widened. She had no idea where she was.
She pushed up against the soft surface, immediately inciting a group of voices urging her to lie back down.
Cassie’s face came into view. “Here, Sis, take a drink.” She offered a cup with a bendy straw in it.
Miranda sipped: mmm, cool lemonade. Her sister took the glass away when it was half gone, despite Miranda’s murmured protest.
“What was it you told me?” Cassie waggled her eyebrows. “Drink it slow, or you barf!”
“Where are we?”
“Oh, we’re at Mr. Stewart’s house.” Cassie smiled at a dark corner and Miranda turned her head to follow. The old man sat in an easy chair, his hands folded on top of his cane.
“Hello there, young lady.” His voice was deep and gentle. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
From the corner of her eye Miranda saw a woman walk out of the room carrying a plastic tub.
The old man caught her glance. “My neighbor, Miss Shelley,” he explained.
Miss Shelley returned with a steaming mug. “Well, now.” Her voice was chipper. “Nice to see you awake.” She sat gently next to Miranda on the couch and offered the mug. “Some good old-fashioned chicken soup.” She nodded, her bobbed hair tucked neatly behind her ears like two bird’s wings. “My mother always said it cures everything, and I quite agree.”
Miranda accepted the soup, her eyebrows still rumpled in confusion. “How did I get here?”
Mr. Stewart gave a mild chuckle. “Your young man carried you.”
“My—” Miranda glanced around the room. Jason appeared out of a dark corner where he’d been leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. A thrill shot through Miranda, and she struggled to get up.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Miss Shelley scolded. “You aren’t about to undo all the work I just did.”
Miranda realized then that her leg was firmly wrapped.
“Your leg was a mess, girlie, but I cleaned it up.”
“She stitched it while you were out,” Cassie announced. “It was disgusting.”
Miss Shelley snorted. “I’ve lived on a farm all my life. I’ve sewn up my share of wounds.” She patted Miranda on her other knee. “And that wasn’t too bad. You’re going to be fine. But don’t be thinking you can jump up and play soccer. You need to keep your leg straight for a few days so those stitches don’t tear.”
Miranda nodded, then looked back at Jason. She waved at him to come over. Miss Shelley watched him for a second before bustling back to the kitchen. “You two need to come in here and get some soup, too. I made a big pot. No sense in letting it go to waste. She isn’t going to eat it all.”
Cassie followed after her and Miss Shelley wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “And then maybe later you and I can make some cookies.”
Mr. Stewart was slower, but soon eased himself out of the chair. “I vote for butterscotch chip, Miss Shelley,” he said as he shuffled after them.
Jason stared intently at Miranda. He pushed off the wall and walked over. “Hey, Sunshine.”
She patted the couch. “Sit.”
He hesitated for a moment, studying her leg.
“You aren’t going to hurt me. Sit down!”
Carefully, he sat next to her.
“How the heck did you get me here?”
Shrugging, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Easy. Carried you.” He flexed his arm and his bicep bulged. His eye gleamed then. “But you could have laid off the Twinkies.”
Miranda laughed. “What a brat you are.”
He grabbed her hand and turned it over. “That’s me.” He gave a tight-lipped smile.
“How did you find me?”
Slowly, he traced the lines on Miranda’s palm. “I was coming back when I saw you with him.” He jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen. “So I followed you guys.” Then, he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You have no idea what it did to me to see you lying under that tree.”
The mood was dark and heavy. Miranda could see pain in his eyes. Trying to lighten the atmosphere, she joked back. “Aww, my hero. Thank you for saving me. It’s becoming a superpower.” She squeezed his hand.
The squeeze seemed to startle him as if just realizing he was still holding her hand. He let it go and leaned slightly away. “I’m nobody’s hero.”
“Well, you’re mine.” Miranda recaptured his pinky by looping her pinky around it.
He studied their hands linked together. Gently, he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He glanced at her, and his eyes were red. Sighing, he looked away.
“When I try to help people, they die.” He shook his head and gave a sarcastic laugh. Pulling his hand from hers, he stood up. “My superpower is destruction.”
“Jason.” Miranda’s heart twisted at his withdrawal. “Please, that’s not true.”
“Everyone has their secrets.” His brow furrowed in hard lines.
“Jason!”
“I’m going to get something to eat.” He nodded towards her mug. “Finish your soup.” His steps were heavy as he left.
Miranda bit back her tears. She balled her fist and punched the couch. "Don't fall in love," she whispered to herself.
Chapter Eighteen Present Day
Miranda finished washing the last of the plates and propped it in the dish drainer. She wiped her hands on the back of her shorts and smiled to herself. The last few days had been good ones.
Cassie was improving every day. The fa
ct that she’d been pregnant still skirted the edge of Miranda’s mind. “If I’d stuck around, that would never have happened. One more crappy way I let her down,” she whispered to herself.
She reached into the cookie bag to grab a couple of cookies. Archer walked into the kitchen at the bag’s rattle and gave a high nasal whistle. Miranda broke one in half and handed it to him.
“Ha!” Jason’s voice rang triumphantly as he sprang around the corner.
She looked just in time to catch a throw pillow on her chest.
“Oof! What was that for?” She noticed he had his ratty white t-shirt on again. I’ve got to figure out a way to hide that.
“Feeding my dog. I caught you.”
“Psssh.” Miranda rounded her blue eyes all innocent-like while tucking the rest of the cookie back into her hand. “You’re getting suspicious in your old age.”
“Really. Then why is Archer licking his muzzle?”
Miranda looked at the black dog, thinking, Traitor, before she stared wide-eyed back at Jason. “I have no idea. Maybe he found some crumbs or something.”
“You never could lie well.” Scooping the pillow from the floor, he flung it back on the couch. Then he grabbed the remote and followed the pillow onto the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. He readjusted a bit. A smile grew across his face. “You fixed the couch.”
Miranda laughed. “Yeah. I flipped the cushions all back to the way they were.”
“It’s the simple things.”
She came over with her drink and sat next to him. His eyes ran down her tan legs appreciatively.
“Jason.”
He put a nacho chip in his mouth. “What?”
“Did you know Cassie was pregnant?”
Jason started coughing.
“Are you okay?”
He waved her off and took a big drink from his soda. “What?”
“You had no idea?”
“Don’t you think I would have told you? Whoa.” He ran his hands through his dark hair, standing it on end. “How’d that happen?”
“You know how that happened.” Miranda reached over to smooth the spike atop his head.
His face flushed red. “I’m going to kill him.”
“I’m all for killing.” Miranda nodded. “But who’s ‘him’?”
Jason shot her an incredulous look, and shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t even know she was dating anyone.”
Miranda stood up. “Where’s her phone? We need to go through her texts.”
Jason looked confused.
Miranda sighed. “Everyone else in the world lives on their phone. It’ll all be there. Now, where is it?”
Jason shrugged. “I have no idea, Miranda. Her phone was the last thing on my mind.”
Sinking back into the couch, Miranda wanted to scream. “There’s no use even calling it. It’s probably dead by now.”
Jason moved over and put his arm around her shoulder. “Maybe, but Cassie isn’t. And that’s the important thing. She's going to get better.”
“I know she is, but I still worry.”
“I heard you in the kitchen. This isn’t your fault.”
Miranda shrugged. “Way to eavesdrop on me.”
“Yeah, you little weirdo. You should bring that up to your counselor. Excessive verbal berating of yourself.”
“Jason!”
“And arguing with yourself.” He spun his finger by his ear in a cuckoo gesture, then dodged the pillow she flung at his head.
“I’m kidding,” he laughed. “Seriously, I know you grew up your whole life thinking Cassie was all your responsibility, but she wasn’t. She was part mine too, after I met you guys.”
“Jason, I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She scooted over until she was curled against his side.
His arm tightened around her and pulled her closer. He kissed the top of her head. “I needed to hear that.”
“You were my best friend. I want that back.”
Jason pulled her chin up and made her look at him. His green eyes darkened. “We’re here now. We’re better.” The seconds stretched out. He slowly ran his thumb along the edge of her jaw, and he swallowed. His thumb stopped short of her bottom lip. Miranda held her breath.
Releasing her, he moved slightly away. “Friends forever, all that jazz.”
Miranda gave a nervous giggle, then tried not to groan when she heard how she sounded. “BFFs, you mean.”
“Oh crap, that’s right.” He shoved another chip into his mouth. “I forgot all that junior high stuff.”
A deep, authentic laugh escaped her.
He grinned. “I’ve always loved it when you laughed like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like some old man who smokes stogies all day.”
Miranda’s mouth fell open. “I don’t laugh like an old man.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, before jumping up and plucking her sunhat off the counter.
He laughed. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going outside to mow.”
“You’re going to mow.” He stared at her blankly.
Waving him off, she reached for her water bottle and walked out to the porch and down the stairs to the backyard.
“This I’ve got to see,” Jason said to Archer before walking onto the deck. He rested his plate on the railing to watch.
Miranda stalked across the yard to the barn. She pushed the heavy doors open and disappeared inside. Jason could hear her trying to start the riding lawn mower. It was an ancient beast and needed a bit of finesse. He could only get it to start by spraying starter fluid into the carburetor. He could hear her crank it over, and it sounded dry. He looked down at his dog. “Guess we need to go show her the ropes.”
He ate a few more chips as he rounded the stairs, setting the plate on the last step. Archer watched him with yearning eyes. “Forget it, dog. I’m not Miranda.”
Barefoot, Jason strode across the yard. Archer whined once at the plate before trotting after him.
“You having a little trouble in here?” he called into the barn.
“Yeah, I can’t get it to turn over.”
Jason smiled smugly as he walked in and sauntered over to his workbench for the starting fluid. His hand reached towards its spot out of habit. He paused and frowned. It wasn’t there.
“Looking for this?” Miranda held the can dangling from her fingers.
Jason frowned and snatched it from her. “What are you doing—“
She brought up a giant super-soaker and shot him straight in the chest. Jason backed up a step, startled. She gave it two more pumps, and this time sprayed him from the top of his head to his waist. He dove for her. She scampered off the back of the tractor, pumping wildly. He climbed up the tractor after her, just in time to get hit with the next blast.
“You are so dead!” he sputtered.
She pumped the gun again and pulled the trigger, but all that came out now was a light mist. Screaming, she flung the gun at him and started to run. He was right behind her. Her flip-flops caught on the edge of the door frame, and she almost fell. But, arms flailing, she righted herself. Too late. Jason caught the back of her shirt and scooped her, shrieking, over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Jason! Put me down!”
“Oh, I’m going to put you down, all right,” he promised, marching straight for the lake.
She poked along his back, trying to reach his sides to tickle him. “Let me go! I’m sorry!”
He squirmed from the attack of her tickling hands. “You’re about to be sorry.”
He reached the edge of the lake and strode in. The water crept up his legs, soaking his jeans. Archer barked for a moment then followed him in.
“Jason!” she shrieked one last time.
“I’d be holding my nose, if I were you.” He waded in a bit deeper, then dove forward, dragging her under the water with him.
A second later he pulled her up. She squealed like
a wet cat, and laughed hysterically. “Oh, my gosh! You are so stubborn!”
“Me, stubborn?”
“I only got you a little bit wet! You soaked me!”
“I always win.” Jason gave her his crooked smile. “When will you learn that?”
She splashed some water at him and waded slowly back to the shore. He followed laughing. Archer made it to the beach a second before the two of them and shook himself dry.
Just as Miranda got to the back yard she heard her phone ringing. Crap! She’d never make it upstairs in time, but still she took off jogging for the house. Only two people had her number: her job and the hospital. Her stomach dropped. And she knew which one it was.
Chapter Nineteen Present Day
Jason reached her room and stood dripping in the doorway. “Hospital?” he asked, his sides heaving to catch his breath.
“Yeah.” Miranda punched the numbers to dial it back. “Just missed them.”
She clutched the phone to her ear. Three rings, four. Startled, she held the phone away from her ear and looked at the display. Someone was calling back, activating the call waiting. Quickly, she switched to the incoming call.
“Hello?” Miranda pushed her wet hair off her forehead.
“Hi Miranda, this is Doctor Errod. I have some good news.”
“Yes?” Miranda said, breathless.
“Cassie is showing signs of waking up.”
“Doctor, I’m on my way!” Miranda hung up and spun around with a smile. “Jason!”
Archer barked at the excitement.
He cupped his hand over his ear. “Whoa! I’m right here.”
“Sorry.” She clamped her hand over her mouth for a second before blurting, “Cassie’s waking up!”
Jason slumped against the door frame with a big smile. He looked over at Miranda. “Get some dry clothes on and let’s get going.”
“Get out! Get out!” Miranda yelled, before flying around the room trying to find her jeans. Jason whistled for Archer, and shut the door.
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