Page 12

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head just enough for her to see.

Well, if he insisted.

“Hey, August,” she said.

August turned back from his retreat to the other room, and she had to hurry to come up with something—anything—to say that might keep him there.

“I hope it’s okay,” she said. “I asked Uther if he would give me a ride home. Now that it’s getting dark earlier.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” He turned to Uther. “You’re in my photojournalism class, right? With Dr. Welch?”

“Yes.”

Esther waited for Uther to say more, but he seemed to have short-circuited.

Telepathically, she fed him the start of conversations: Was August also majoring in journalism? What were his thoughts on the teacher? The freaking weather, for goodness’s sake. Anything.

But he just stood there like a statue until the tension was too much for Esther to stand and her thoughts shifted from conversation starters to ways to get out of there. Maybe she could start a small fire.

“Well, I suppose I’ll see you at class.” August released them from this purgatory, patting Uther’s arm as he did so.

Esther knew she’d be helping him analyze this interaction the entire car ride home.

“Sure,” Uther responded, his body finally reanimating. “It was good catching up.”

They left the house, Esther first, Uther lagging as August closed the door for them with a smile. Maybe Uther still had a chance.

“You were kind of floundering a little there, friend,” Esther said. They walked down the porch steps to the curb where Uther had parked.

“Not all who wander are lost,” Uther replied with the smallest smile. “Did you see when he touched my arm?”

She nodded along, hiding her smile. “I did. It’s getting pretty serious.”

A breeze smelling of the chilled earth of fall pulled at her hair and stirred the leaves. She paused in the patch of grass between the sidewalk and curb and closed her eyes, letting the moment wash over her.

“Esther?” The newcomer’s voice, bright and sweet as a peach, surprised Esther. She thought she’d imagined it, some piece of magic blown in with the wind. “How funny running into you here.”

A cool hand touched Esther’s arm, and she opened her eyes to look up into the face of Ashley—there on this sidewalk, of all sidewalks, in all the world.

Was Ashley always so tall? She was like an Amazon. That time after class, she must have been leaning against a desk because now she was like a tree towering over her. A curvy tree with impressive arms. How did she find the time to work out?

Ashley was still touching Esther’s arm, a fact Esther noticed but did not point out. There was something nice about her touch. Calming in a way, like a cool breeze on a hot day. The red sky framed her long, blond hair and ocean eyes. For a moment, the rest of the world faded away, and they were the only two people on this street, in this galaxy.

“You didn’t answer my text,” Ashley said.

“Right.” Esther backed away a step, returning from her journey through the stars.

Ashley’s hand slid from her arm, and she remembered she was supposed to set up a date—or not a date—but a meeting of some sort. A get-together? Appointment? The name didn’t matter. She was digressing.

“Yes. Sorry. I was…” She gestured vaguely at the Platt house, as though that was a real answer.

“Oh, right.” Ashley glanced at the house, her face temporarily obscured, before turning with her usual smile. “You were seeing your guy.”

“Excuse me?” Uther chose this moment to hop into the conversation. Because of course he did. “Are you talking about August? August is nother guy. He’s not your guy, right? Esther, answer me!”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s not my guy. Calm down, Uther.”

His gaze ping-ponged between her and Ashley, brows furrowed before lifting to his hairline and nodding. She had no idea what he was nodding about, but whatever it was, she didn’t like it.