Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow - By L.L. Muir Page 0,53

away, at least, unless she was up for giving highway patrol officers some suggestions.

Jamison headed to the Recovery Center, to pay his namesake a visit and swear the old bugger to secrecy.

Skye stayed at the school for a few minutes, to suggest they both be pardoned for being absent the rest of the day, then she’d meet him at the center.

The morning was chilly, even though the sun had had a couple of hours to warm things up. There were still a few spots of morning dew on the sidewalk as Jamison headed past the cheery flower gardens that had to be as medicated as the patients; they showed no fear in the face of the coming winter though it was obvious some would not make it through to spring.

Just like Granddad, if they didn’t come up with a new plan soon.

The med-carts were humming, and by the looks of some of the cups, some of these poor folks were taking thirty different drugs a day. His granddad probably demanded whisky to get them all down. And oh, was Jamison glad he wasn’t the one to tell him he couldn’t have it.

Nurse Harmon probably enjoyed making him take the meds without.

Speak of the devil.

Nurse Harmon walked into room 124 and Jamison hurried so he wouldn’t miss the fur flying.

At first he thought he’d entered the wrong room and started backing out. There was no bed against the lighted headboard, no tartan blanket tossed over the back of the chair.

The nurse plucked some tissues from their box and honked her nose into them. She was crying.

“Cranky old bastard, anyway,” she muttered.

That’s when Jamison’s chest collapsed, crushing his heart into his spine, leaving no room for lungs, let alone air.

His granddad was dead?!

He grabbed his cell, turned it on, then choked on frustration. Why the hell hadn’t his mom tried to call him, leave a message, text, anything? What the hell was she thinking? That she was the only one who had the right to care about Granddad? That everyone else’s emotions were second to hers?

“Damn you!”

The nurse turned, her eyes wide.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. Not you.”

“Damn right, not me. What are you doin’ in here? Your mama forget something?”

“So, she was here?”

“This morning. You’re welcome to look around, but I haven’t seen anything of your grandpa’s.”

Jamison could feel his legs giving out.

“Do you mind if I just sit for a minute?”

“Go ahead. Don’t mind me.”

He nodded and lowered himself into the only chair in the room. It was cold. The whole room was cold.

Granddad! Why couldn’t he have had one last conversation with him? Why couldn’t they have talked about angels?

Skye would be coming. He’d have to break it to her. Anything would be easier than coming in and finding him gone, and facing the fact your mom was a selfish, thoughtless bitch who hadn’t even tried to call.

Mom had been gone before he was up. Had she known Granddad was in bad shape? Had she chosen to not take him along? Did she think he’d be in the way?!

So unfair.

He was angry and he was aware all that anger was being focused on his mom, but wasn’t it all her fault? All of it?

Suddenly he couldn’t wait to face her, to unload on her, but Skye would be coming and she’d need him. Mom might not, but Skye did. If only for a little while.

Wait.

Where was Skye? She should have only been a couple of minutes behind him. She couldn’t have...gone!

Was that why she had wanted to get to another farm so quickly? Because if she stuck around Flat Springs they’d put her in the middle of their sadistic circle and blow her to Heaven?

Did she want out?

The last Exploding Ceremony had happened at three in the morning. If it had to happen in the dead of night, the Somerleds couldn’t have sent her away already. They at least had to wait until night.

He and Skye had some time.

He couldn’t bring back his grandfather, couldn’t change the fact that he hadn’t been there for him, at the end. But he could be there for Skye.

And what if she did opt out of Shangri-La?

Of course she wouldn’t. He could never even suggest it to her. “I know I kidnapped you and threatened you, but why don’t you stick around for a while?”

Yeah right.

But he tucked the idea away, inside that box in his head, where he kept all uncomfortable thoughts for another day.

Jamison could sense her coming down the well-mopped hall. That tightness