The Line That Binds Series Box Set

by J. M. Miller

  He handed me the paper and smiled. “Sounds like she’s warming up to you.”

  I raised a brow at the absurdity. “I’m not sure about that. I’m just hoping that she doesn’t regret the decision as soon as soon as I start.”

  He crossed his arms and looked down at his feet. “I’m sure she made the decision wisely. She doesn’t seem like the type of person who makes rash choices.”

  “I guess you’re right. After all, she didn’t give you a job.” I smiled widely.

  He chuckled and picked his coffee back up, holding it close to his chin. After a moment, his eyes drifted and his smile disappeared. I wondered if his thoughts were of our late-night phone calls. I looked at him more closely as wisps of steam rose up around his thin face. Dark circles hung around his eyes, erasing more of his youth. Even though he’d been working varied shifts at the shelter, he looked more tired this morning than he had in the last month.

  “So what did she have to say?” I asked, breaking the silence. I didn’t necessarily want to know what Mom wanted with her call, especially before I left for school, but he looked like he needed to talk.

  His lost eyes snapped back to the present. “She told me she was planning a visit,” he replied, then took another drink from his mug and watched carefully for my reaction.

  “Really?” I stiffened. I wanted to scream, but I bit the inside of my cheek instead. There were a million questions all fighting for answers and they all annoyed me. I wished there were no questions at all. Questions meant I cared on some level and I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want to be affected by her. That was impossible, though. “What did you tell her?”

  He glanced around the room and my eyes followed. Soft light floated through the air, making the room too calm for the rage currently burning inside me. I had to look away. My eyes found their escape toward the front door. Brighter rays cut through the front entry’s windows, glowing as hot as my hate. Dust motes circled inside them, stirring like my frenzied emotions, awakening my compulsive need to clean. While focusing on the basement, I’d neglected the rest of the house. I’d have to do it soon. It might help me calm down.

  When I looked back to Dad, he said, “I told her she couldn’t stay with us, but I can’t stop her from coming to town.”

  “Great,” I said with a huff.

  “What’s great?” Gavin asked, tossing his bag in the entryway before stepping into the kitchen.

  I snatched my own bag from the floor and shoved the Co-op paper inside. “I’ve got to go.”

  “LJ,” Dad called. “You won’t have to see her if you don’t want to.”

  I didn’t respond. I wasn’t mad at him. He knew that. I just needed to go.

  Gavin stared at me, confused. He still hadn’t cut his unruly hair. It was well past his eyes and today he had it gelled across his forehead. It looked dirty and made me want give him a swirly. He could tell I was upset about whatever conversation he’d walked in on so he changed the subject. “Hey, can you ask Ben if were riding this weekend?”

  “Riding what?” I asked at the door. I pulled my jacket on then cinched my pack on tight.

  Gavin laughed at me, but the humor died when I just stared at him. “Real funny,” he deadpanned. “Anyway, he told me I could try some small jumps if the weather held up. It looks like it’s going to be nice, but I didn’t know if there are any events scheduled this weekend. That’s why I wanted you to ask him.”

  Dirt bike? He was riding? I stared at him until it finally hit me. He was taking lessons from Ben. “Oh, wow. I’m sorry, Gav. I totally spaced for a second,” I said, grabbing the doorknob and yanking it open to a blast of crisp autumn air. I inhaled quickly, letting the coolness cleanse my mood. “The Halloween party is Friday, and I think there’s at least one wedding. But I’ll ask him if he’s planning to squeeze some rides in.”

  “Okay, thanks,” he replied, then turned back to the kitchen where Dad was pouring cereal. I was sure he’d tell Gavin about Mom. I refused to give Gavin the bad news this time around. I’d done it enough. It was time for Dad to reclaim his title as parent in that aspect too.

  Ben was waiting patiently, even though my conversation with Dad had made me a few minutes late. “Hey, baby,” he said, adjusting the black beanie on his head.

  “Ooh,” I crooned. “I like this.” I tugged the beanie down farther over his ears and kissed his eager lips.

  He didn’t ask me about Mom’s phone call until lunch. The topic only added to my headache, but I filled him in on what I knew. He also brought up searching the attic. I agreed to start today and I invited Izzy and Spaz to join us after work so they could look for Halloween costumes. Before leaving school, I turned in the paperwork for Co-op and was told that I’d have an answer by the end of the week.

  Back at the property, Randall and Lloyd had helped decorate during their morning shift, transforming Stockton Estate even more. Pumpkins were placed in festive clusters with hay bales near each house. Realistic tombstones bordered the front and side gardens, and stick crosses were added to fill the voids. Rustic lanterns hung from posts along the walkways, taking the property back to its early years. A six-foot Grim Reaper was one of the scarier decorations, standing midway between my house and the event house. Tattered black sheets hung over its life-like frame. It even held its own lantern, as if it were searching the grounds for the next life it would take.

  Ben and I sprayed glow-in-the-dark paint on the wire ghost figures, strung spider webs through trees and bushes, and placed some kid-friendly decorations up around our houses. When we finished, we ordered a few pizzas, which arrived at the same time as Izzy and Spaz.

  “This house is wicked. Thanks for the invite,” Spaz said when we all sat in the kitchen.

  “You’ve never been in here?” I asked, eying Ben while I handed out sodas. I knew they’d been to the property many times to ride, but I had no idea what else they’d seen.

  “Nope,” Izzy confirmed, swiveling in the chair at the breakfast bar.

  Gavin was excited that they were here to hang out with us, especially since Dad was still at work. He took the opportunity to talk about bikes as much as possible. He even asked Ben about this weekend before I had a chance to relay the quick answer I’d gotten from Ben earlier.

  “I’m not sure when we’ll be able to ride. But, we definitely want to get out there as much as possible.”

  “Yeah,” Spaz agreed. “I’d totally ride the snow if I had the money to waste. I’ve been tempted to thread screws through my tires for traction. It’s cheaper than buying a spiked set, but then I’d have to buy a new set come spring anyway. I just don’t have that kind of cash.”

  “Same here,” Ben said.

  “What? Aren’t you rolling in the green?” Izzy asked Ben. “You’ve been avoiding going anywhere because you’ve been saving up. So what’s the deal?”

  Ben looked at me, knowing that one of the reasons he hadn’t gone anywhere was to help me look for answers about the well, not just to save money. I suddenly felt guilty about that. He’d been wasting all of his time on this stupid search. Even if it was something simple like going to a movie, he was missing time with friends outside Stockton Estate.

  I looked down to my lap, trying to hide my emotions. After a deep breath, I looked back up.

  He grinned at Izzy. “Randall said I could buy his old car. That’s why I’ve been saving.”

  “The Cuda? No way!” Spaz yelled and jumped out of his seat.

  “Yeah, the Cuda.”

  “You know I offered to buy it last year. And he’s selling to you? Get the eff outta here.”

  “Maybe you should’ve offered him something other than a hundred bucks and some lousy coupon for pet vaccinations at the shelter,” Ben rebutted.

  “Hey, that coupon was for free updated vaccinations and an annual checkup. That’s not cheap. It was worth at least another hundred!”

  “Randall doesn’t even have pets, dude,” Ben said, then laughed a full, heart-stopping
laugh that instantly made me smile. It was lively and deep, and all him. I’d heard that laugh a few times over the past month, but not nearly enough.

  Spaz’s fake anger cracked with a chuckle. “Yeah, well at least I tried. Congrats on landing it! We’ll have to do some work on it for sure.”

  “What’s a Cuda?” Gavin asked, unabashed.

  Ben’s smile was permanently fixed, dimples and all, as he answered. “It’s a nineteen seventy Plymouth Hemi Barracuda. It’s not mint, but it’s in really good shape. Randall’s giving me a killer deal.”

  “Awesome,” Izzy replied before taking another bite of her pizza.

  “Damn right it’s awesome,” Spaz mumbled with a full mouth. Izzy smacked him lightly and rolled her eyes in disgust.

  Ben looked at me after taking his last bite of pizza. He was still smiling, even as he chewed. I tried my best to smile back to him, but it was half-hearted. The happiness he was experiencing at this moment made me wonder if I was a burden more than a girlfriend. Aside from work, school, and trail rides, the rest of his time was spent helping me sort out my bullcrap. Am I holding him back? Am I bringing him down? I didn’t want to think so because I cared more for him than almost everyone I’ve known. He was approaching Dad and Gavin’s level. But how could he actually be happy with me?

  I finished my pizza and did a quick cleanup as everyone else finished. “So how do we get up there?” I found myself asking Ben since I hadn’t even thought about an attic. Both of the houses I’d lived in before hadn’t had one.

  “There’s a drop-down ladder down Janine’s hallway,” Ben replied, wiping off the rest of the breakfast bar.

  “So we’re going to the Halloween party as Civil War reenactors? Do I get to carry a musket?” Spaz asked when we all moved to the stairs.

  “No guns up there,” Gavin said casually. My eyes darted to him and he shrugged. “What? I’ve already searched a lot of this place. Do you think I’ve been sitting in my room all the time?”

  “Well, yeah actually,” I replied when we reached the top of the stairs.

  “The dumbwaiter goes all the way up there,” he said, ignoring my statement.

  Ben laughed under his breath, recalling my story about Gavin getting stuck in the dumbwaiter. I pinched his arm lightly and he cocked a brow at me while flashing a crooked grin.

  “Dumbwaiter? This place is all kinds of freaky,” Spaz said when we walked down Janine’s hallway. He and Izzy snuck a quick look into Janine’s old room, where Dad was now staying. “This is where she died, huh? Is it weird to live in a place where someone died?”

  “Spaz,” Izzy blurted. “That’s a little rude, right? I mean, Janine was their aunt.”

  “It’s okay, really,” I replied and glanced into the room also. Dad still hadn’t purged all of Janine’s belongings. The medical machines and all of her painting materials were already in the basement, but the well painting—marked number one—still hung beside the four-poster bed. I stared at the three stones on the bottom of the well, once again lost in their scribbled writing. One of those stones was hidden inside the trunk in my closet, and the other two may never be found.

  Ben grabbed my hand, knowing I had drifted away for a moment. I leaned into his side, enjoying his warmth, but feeling guiltier for his concern. I looked back to Izzy. “I’m finding out more about her now than I ever knew while she was alive. And, yes, it is strange to live in a house that you know someone has died in,” I added with a tiny smile.

  “Has anything happened to you guys? Like have you woken up standing over Gav while he’s sleeping or has stuff fallen off the walls?” Spaz asked.

  I struggled to contain a cringe as I thought of the well. Forcing a smile, I replied, “Not really. But if Gav doesn’t get his hair cut soon, he might wake up to me standing over him with a pair of clippers.”

  Everyone chuckled and Izzy patted Gavin’s head and gave him a sympathetic pouty face.

  “Ha, ha. You’re a riot,” Gav replied, then shook his head, moving the hair Izzy messed up off his face. “Taylor likes it,” he added.

  “Gotta keep your woman happy,” Ben said and glanced at me with a smile before jumping to grab a short cord hanging from the ceiling. He stepped back, unfolded the wooden steps, and seated the bottom legs on the floor.

  “Don’t listen to that bull. Do it because you like it, not because of your girl,” Spaz said and instantly got a scowl from Izzy. “What? I do what I want and you still like me.” She shrugged her confirmation but rolled her eyes.

  “Ladies first?” Ben asked me and I shook my head. “Right, just teasing,” he admitted, knowing I’d probably hyperventilate if I tried to climb up there first.

  “I’ll go,” Gav insisted and darted up the thin rungs. His rushed steps shook the ladder and tested the limits of its little hinges.

  I climbed last. It wasn’t as bad as the narrow trapdoor or the tunnel. Daylight flooded the room thanks to two circular windows the size of steering wheels. At least that helped me breathe a little easier, though the sharp stench of mothballs almost made me choke. Plywood covered the entire floor, leaving no gaps for feet to fall through, and wooden structural beams protruded from the ceiling. It was half the size of the basement, with enough space to add an additional room or two if it were finished, and had its own staircase.

  Ben extended his hand to help me up. Gavin stood in a far corner, showing Spaz and Izzy a column that had to be the dumbwaiter access. The area wasn’t cramped with boxes like the basement, but there were loads of drawers inside all of the wooden antique pieces, and all of them were probably stuffed. I sighed as I took it all in. I wasn’t daunted by the enormity of the job; I could clean every day and not be fazed. The inevitable disappointment was what had me discouraged. I hesitated for a moment then remembered my main objective today was to look for a costume. Finding another piece to the well’s puzzle would take the depressing backseat to having fun with friends.

  Ben interlaced our fingers, placed his other hand on my hip, and tipped his face down to mine. With his lips beside my ear, he whispered through my hair, “Relax.”

  I took a deep breath and tried to convince myself and him. “I am.”

  He laughed lightly into my hair and slid his hand around my back. “You know, we’ve been together roughly two months.”

  “I’m aware of that,” I purred, enjoying how his breathy voice wrapped around those words.

  “Well then, you should be aware that I already know when you’re lying,” he replied softly. “I know some other things, too.”

  “Oh, really,” I said with a smile. I liked where this was going.

  He unlocked our fingers, skimmed his hand up the length of my arm, and then spread his fingers into my hair. My skin tingled from his light touch. “I know that you fold your lips together when you concentrate and that your nose automatically wrinkles when anyone even mentions a bad smell.”

  “Nuh-uh,” I protested, even though I knew he was right. The hand he had on my back pushed harder, forcing me closer to his body. That was something I wouldn’t protest. I molded to him, comfortable with how we fit together.

  “Lying again,” he breathed. “I also know that your upper thighs are insanely ticklish, which I plan on using to my advantage more often because I love the way you scream my name.”

  Oh. My entire body flushed at his admission and a nervous giggle escaped my throat. He had used the “L” word too. Granted, he didn’t say that he loved me, but it still left me speechless.

  He chuckled, low and husky, making my body shake.

  “C’mon, guys,” Gavin groaned. They had moved away from the dumbwaiter and were spread out among the wardrobes and plastic containers. An armoire’s door hid Gavin’s head, but he obviously felt it wasn’t a good enough barrier. “I don’t need to see or hear that crap.”

  Ben backed away enough to look into my eyes and smiled. “I need to get you alone later.”

  “My dad will be home early again,” I said, though I did
n’t want it to be true. I wanted time with Ben tonight, more than ever. I was worried that I’d get another phone call from Mom, or that Dad might want to have a more detailed chat about her possible visit. Dealing with either didn’t sound fun at all. I’d rather be wrapped in Ben’s arms, forgetting anything that hurt.

  He sighed then leaned in and kissed me gently.

  “I’m serious, knock it off already,” Gavin said and Izzy and Spaz laughed from across the attic.

  “LJ, come here. I think I found some dresses,” Izzy said to pull me away, probably so we wouldn’t have to hear Gavin complain anymore.

  I rolled my eyes at Ben for all the interruptions. He grinned before making his way over to Spaz.

  Izzy stood beside a wooden foot locker and a matching armoire. There were no decorative engravings in the dark wood of either piece, only dents and scratches from years of use. She held open the armoire’s thin door, which had a slight warp in the center that bowed its ends. “Look at all of this,” she said, running her hand down the layers of plastic and canvas garment bags as she squatted to the floor. “I wonder why they aren’t hanging.”

  I touched the top bag, unable to see through the tan canvas. “There’s a lot of weight on the material when it hangs. I think that’s why they’re stored flat.”

  “Makes sense,” Izzy agreed. She stood beside me with wide eyes, ready to open the bags like it was Christmas morning.

  “Dig in!” I said, answering her silent question.

  And we did. She grabbed the first bag and I took the second. We laid them out on the floor and unzipped our treasures.

  “Wow, this stuff really is old,” she said, holding up the short sleeve of an airy, green chiffon dress. It had embellished white stitching that ran up the sheer fabric, all the way to the neck.

  “It looks like it’s from the twenties.” The one I’d opened was similar. It was two-toned, yellow and orange, with lace overlay and flowers stitched in a pattern down the front. I liked it, but the shopper in me wanted to press on. “Let’s keep looking.”