would remember to turn the yard lights on again.
***
It was early yet when Jamison arrived back at the school. All the student-officer-sweatered kids were delicately building up the wood for the bonfire. Even from the parking lot he could hear one young man giving orders, reminding the others that since he was an Eagle Scout and knew more about fires than they ever would, they'd better do just as he said or they'd be sitting around trying to get the damned thing lit all night. Another kid shouted he had lighter fluid and wouldn't let that happen and the struggle for dominance was on.
Jamison walked to the bleachers, out of earshot, and sat down to wait.
It was going to be a long night. He wished he could take a nap, there on the cold aluminum seats, but he didn't want to wake up frozen to death, or miss Skye. If she came and couldn't find him, she might take off and jack up all his plans.
It didn't matter if those idiots got the fire started or not, it only mattered that she showed. There was no other chance. It had to be tonight. Who knew how long it would be before he woke up with his memory wiped out again? Even now he feared waking up to the smell of real bacon cooking. Maybe bacon would scare the shit out of him for the rest of his life.
Pity, that , his granddad would say.
Pity, all of it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lucas, I’m going to the Homecoming Bonfire.” Sky reached for her keys.
“Is that wise?”
“I have no idea. I need to have Jamison’s trust. I assume that doing teenage activities with him will earn me that trust.”
“No reason for him not to trust you already. We eliminated his suspicions.”
“True. But he’s also surprised us. I’d rather be sure.”
“It is your call to make. You still have the odd awareness of him?”
“I do. I still don’t understand it.”
“Ours is not to question.” Lucas nodded sagely.
“I try not to.”
“Don’t give him reason to suspect you again...if possible. That is all the advice I have.” Lucas dropped his hands from his hips, a sure sign the conversation was over.
“I may be quite late.”
“Time is a mortal concern.” Lucas waved away her comment.
“Just staying in character.”
“Oh, all right, then.” Lucas lowered his brow and propped his fists on his hips. “Don’t let me catch you sneaking in here at four in the morning, young lady.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
She kissed him on the cheek and laughed her way out the door. That had been easy, but she supposed she hadn’t really expected much of an argument. As far as the general population knew, they were mild mannered eco-nuts, not polygamists. If a Somerled teen was out past dark it didn’t mean he or she would be cast out of their society.
Skye tried to control her imagination as she drove off. Her foot tended to lay a bit heavy on the gas pedal, even when she was in no hurry. Time, as Lucas had just reminded her, was a mortal concern, but when her tasks involved mortals, time was also a concern of hers.
If she was late for the bonfire, would he leave? Would another girl distract him? Was he as easily distracted as many other boys in their school?
Oh, here comes the mental demolition derby again .
She tried to pay attention to the speedometer. Already she was well over the limit. She lifted her foot, but by the time the car reacted there were red and blue lights flashing in her rear view mirror.
Wonderful. She’d be even later, and the sun was also speeding—toward the horizon.
“Give me a warning,” she whispered into the mind of the deputy as he walked up to her window.
“Wow, Skye Somerled. Surprise, surprise.”
“Sheriff Cooke?” She smiled her coyest smile and added a blush just in case.
“How many warnings have I given you, honey?”
“Some.”
“Oh, now don’t try to lie. How many?”
As if she could lie!
“More than a few. Less than a hundred.”
If he asked if it was more than twenty, she was in trouble.
“How many tickets have I
***
It was early yet when Jamison arrived back at the school. All the student-officer-sweatered kids were delicately building up the wood for the bonfire. Even from the parking lot he could hear one young man giving orders, reminding the others that since he was an Eagle Scout and knew more about fires than they ever would, they'd better do just as he said or they'd be sitting around trying to get the damned thing lit all night. Another kid shouted he had lighter fluid and wouldn't let that happen and the struggle for dominance was on.
Jamison walked to the bleachers, out of earshot, and sat down to wait.
It was going to be a long night. He wished he could take a nap, there on the cold aluminum seats, but he didn't want to wake up frozen to death, or miss Skye. If she came and couldn't find him, she might take off and jack up all his plans.
It didn't matter if those idiots got the fire started or not, it only mattered that she showed. There was no other chance. It had to be tonight. Who knew how long it would be before he woke up with his memory wiped out again? Even now he feared waking up to the smell of real bacon cooking. Maybe bacon would scare the shit out of him for the rest of his life.
Pity, that , his granddad would say.
Pity, all of it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lucas, I’m going to the Homecoming Bonfire.” Sky reached for her keys.
“Is that wise?”
“I have no idea. I need to have Jamison’s trust. I assume that doing teenage activities with him will earn me that trust.”
“No reason for him not to trust you already. We eliminated his suspicions.”
“True. But he’s also surprised us. I’d rather be sure.”
“It is your call to make. You still have the odd awareness of him?”
“I do. I still don’t understand it.”
“Ours is not to question.” Lucas nodded sagely.
“I try not to.”
“Don’t give him reason to suspect you again...if possible. That is all the advice I have.” Lucas dropped his hands from his hips, a sure sign the conversation was over.
“I may be quite late.”
“Time is a mortal concern.” Lucas waved away her comment.
“Just staying in character.”
“Oh, all right, then.” Lucas lowered his brow and propped his fists on his hips. “Don’t let me catch you sneaking in here at four in the morning, young lady.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
She kissed him on the cheek and laughed her way out the door. That had been easy, but she supposed she hadn’t really expected much of an argument. As far as the general population knew, they were mild mannered eco-nuts, not polygamists. If a Somerled teen was out past dark it didn’t mean he or she would be cast out of their society.
Skye tried to control her imagination as she drove off. Her foot tended to lay a bit heavy on the gas pedal, even when she was in no hurry. Time, as Lucas had just reminded her, was a mortal concern, but when her tasks involved mortals, time was also a concern of hers.
If she was late for the bonfire, would he leave? Would another girl distract him? Was he as easily distracted as many other boys in their school?
Oh, here comes the mental demolition derby again .
She tried to pay attention to the speedometer. Already she was well over the limit. She lifted her foot, but by the time the car reacted there were red and blue lights flashing in her rear view mirror.
Wonderful. She’d be even later, and the sun was also speeding—toward the horizon.
“Give me a warning,” she whispered into the mind of the deputy as he walked up to her window.
“Wow, Skye Somerled. Surprise, surprise.”
“Sheriff Cooke?” She smiled her coyest smile and added a blush just in case.
“How many warnings have I given you, honey?”
“Some.”
“Oh, now don’t try to lie. How many?”
As if she could lie!
“More than a few. Less than a hundred.”
If he asked if it was more than twenty, she was in trouble.
“How many tickets have I
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