Page 29

LEXI

I latched the screen door, locked the door, and turned around to see Jen standing at the end of the dark hall. She was tapping a foot and her eyes were narrowed, suspiciously.

I said, “Whatcha doing?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Just letting Dude out.”

She raised her brow. “Who were you talking to out there?” Her foot tapped some more, like the second hand on a clock, counting down the time of my response.

It made me falter. Which was stupid. “Oh, Torin was out there, we were talking.”

“Why are you out talking to Torin? It’s the middle of the night!”

“First, it’s like 11:00, tops. Plus, you know, he’s nice, we were just conversing, it was a beautiful night and we… it was nothing, you’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous! What would Cooper think if he wondered where you were and found you out there whispering on the porch?”

“Look Cooper does not have a jealous bone in his body, you’re being more suspicious than he ever would be — and besides he’s not even that into me...”

“Who, Torin, because I know you’re not talking about Cooper! Cooper is going to ask you to?—”

I shook my head, “No, he’s not, that’s not happening. If it ever was... how many times have I gotten my hopes up?”

She frowned deeply. “Aw, honey, I’m sorry.”

Then she added, “Damn.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal, what’s going on with him? You’re awesome, he’s kinda being an ass. I mean, he was flat out rude to Torin.”

I sighed. “I mean, he has had terrible news, I did invite a time traveler to dinner, and since he doesn’t believe in time travel because it doesn’t exist...”

She sort of laughed. “Yeah, I suppose there is that.”

“I sprung a lot on him at once, and he didn’t know I thought he was going to ask me to marry him. He had no idea. That’s on me.”

“I get all that, but why is he not... you know, taking you to the next level? He’s gotta see how amazing you are.”

“Thank you, that’s awesome, and he does, he just... He wants to do this on his own.”

“Well, that’s stupid.”

“And you know, I have my inheritance in a trust, it’s complicated, he... you know, it’s probably better to wait, anyway.”

She said, “Yeah, but he should also say screw it, beg you to marry him, do it, and not worry about anything else. That would be romantic.”

“Yeah, but... I just wonder if we’re done.”

“Aw, honey, that’s not good.”

I shrugged.

She said, “You just saying that to keep me from lecturing you about being out on the porch at all hours with a boy?

“You’re not my mom.” Then I said, “I really miss my mom.”

She came closer and hugged me. “This is a lot you’re dealing with.” She checked my face, to make sure I was cool. “Want to go sit in the kitchen?”

“Yeah.” I pulled away from the hug and we walked into the kitchen and I pulled the milk from the fridge, saying, “But back to the matter at hand, you could have come out there, joined the conversation. It wasn’t private, it was just small talk with Torin on the porch, no big deal.

” I said, “Wait, are you jealous? Is it because you think he’s hot? ”

She sat in the chair. “Well, I did call dibs, and you know it, that’s an ironclad rule, but that’s not it. You’re in a relationship . I’m just looking out for you.”

I poured milk in a glass. “Want one?”

“No thanks.”

I sat down at the table. “I’m just comfortable talking to him, he’s nice.”

Jen said, “There’s something else going on there, you’re very comfortable with him even though you know literally nothing about him. I’m just looking out for you, he’s encroaching, and I’m watching you fall for him, he’s hot and so gallant, is that the right word?”

I said, “Yeah, that’s the right word, but I’m not falling for him. I can’t explain it, he feels familiar. Like I know him. I told you about my dream, right?”

“Who knows? I generally tune people out when they talk about dreams — remind me, but give me the short version.”

I sipped from the glass of milk. “I have a recurring dream, it started a few years ago, I’m a little girl and…”

I thought about the dream and how the big man had put something in my hands, something that seemed…

familiar. What was it? I couldn’t look down and see, I couldn’t remember his face, just his voice, just the darkness and the sounds of the owls, twit-twooooo, twit-twooo.

How it all smelled and looked and even how it felt, familiar, but also, I had never ever been there before.

I shook my head and finished, “The voices in my dream have an accent like Torin.”

“That proves nothing, honey, just that you’re a loon looking for answers in dreams. I know the answer without interpreting your dreams — Torin is sexy and he’s showering you with attention. You’re flirting with him.”

I scowled. “I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just telling you one of the reasons why I’m familiar with him, it’s because of this dream. I’ve never gone to Scotland, never known anyone from Scotland, but somehow there’s this dream and…”

She counted on her fingers. “You’ve watched Braveheart, you’ve celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day?—”

“Different place, dummy.”

“...and you have an overactive imagination. He’s likely watched Braveheart too, this is how he’s wooing the ladies.”

I scoffed. “Wooing the ladies! I am not being wooed. I’m not flirting with Torin, I’m not begging for attention, I’m with Cooper, fully, this is just a rough patch. We’ll get through it. Cooper is overreacting to Torin, that’s all.”

“Cooper is overreacting, totally.” She exhaled.

I said, “I can’t believe Cooper asked him all those questions and still didn’t believe his answers.”

“Yeah, Cooper was being very hardheaded, but you can’t be soft-hearted in reaction, you know? Don’t forget, Torin’s a total stranger. Doesn’t even have an ID.”

I chugged half the glass and wiped my mouth with a cloth napkin. “Because he’s a time traveler, right? That’s the only explanation. Did you change your mind?”

“Nah. It is the only explanation. I can’t think of anything else. I mean, I don’t really believe in time travel, but he is clearly a time traveler. That was not just a ‘cool story’, that was true as hell. I have no doubt.”

“Yeah, me neither.” She smiled at me sadly, then pantomimed her head exploding.

Then she said, “Maybe you’ll be famous for discovering it. That would be cool, you would definitely teach Cooper a lesson, he should not be so skeptical.”

I turned my glass. “Coop just doesn’t believe time travel exists so he can’t accept anything to the contrary. He heard Torin’s answers and his conclusion was that Torin was just a really good actor or a total bullshitter.”

“All I know is be careful. Cooper loves you, you love him, just... don’t... you know.”

I huffed. “Let down my guard? That’s what Cooper accused me of doing.”

She nodded. “Cooper isn’t being cool, but he’s not wrong about that. ”

I drank down the rest of the milk. “Cooper is my family, I’m not going to screw anything up for the visiting Scotsman.”

“I just want you to be okay, you deserve to be okay.”

“Thank you.”

“And you also almost sound like someone who is leaving.”

I shook my head. “No, just feeling like I’ve been left...”

She frowned again. “Oh honey.”

“But it’s just a mood, I’m not leaving, first of all, it’s my house, also why on earth would I tear down my whole life over a bad mood? Or a time traveler?”

She added, “He is hot though, I wouldn’t blame you for feeling a little... warm toward him, but I totally called dibs. And I am your bestie, even more of your family than Cooper, I want to point that out.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Always so competitive.”

“It’s my way, three siblings, we fight over resources...”

I said, “Look, Torin’s leaving tomorrow. We discussed it. He’s gone right after breakfast. You going to help me cook?”

“Of course, sweetie, I’ll make my special pancakes, do you have syrup?”

“Yep, gallons. Sounds good, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I slowly climbed the stairs, wishing I could go back to not believing in time travel, to not having the hot Scotsman in my back-shack, to thinking Cooper was going to get the deal, and believing that I was going to get married — life was simpler on the other side of yesterday.

But I couldn’t go back, I had seen this totally crazy story with my own eyes.

Dammit. It kinda felt like the world had flipped upside down and I wanted it to go right side up again.

I wanted everything to go right back to how it was before.

And then while I was at it, I wished it could go back to before my parents were gone.

As long as I could dream, why not that?

But instead I had to believe in this, a man jumping in and out of time, disrupting my everything.