Strangely Normal - By Tess Oliver Page 0,60

laugh spurted from his mouth.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just curious. Not that it’s any of my business, it’s just—”

He tangled his long, thick fingers between mine. “Just what?”

“I’m feeling really out of place right now. I feel like an employee who should just stand in the shadows and wait to be summoned when needed.”

“Dad makes everyone feel that way. Even me. He’ll be gone in a day or two and then things will go back to the way they were. Besides, last night, when we were having our stupid family meeting, Finley went on and on about how awesome you were. My dad doesn’t really know how to show appreciation, but I know he’s glad you’re there for Finley. It’s one less thing for him to worry about.”

I lifted my head. “You don’t know how much better that makes me feel. Honestly, I was almost thinking about not coming back. I figured I wouldn’t really be missed.”

He lifted our entangled hands and kissed the back of mine. “I sort of got that impression from you this morning. It was one of the reasons I followed you.” He didn’t lift his head from the seat as he rolled his face toward me. The vibrant color of his eyes contrasted with the black of his eyelashes. He was as beautiful as a painting. “I was afraid you were going to vanish, and I would never see you again.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder again and squeezed his fingers between mine. As hard as I tried to stay resistant to his charms, he always seemed to know exactly what to say to break me down.

The bus dropped us off several blocks from the apartment building. The neighborhood came back in ugly slices, the trash cans that were constantly overflowing onto sidewalks, the crummy little mini mart, and the construction lot. I’d completely forgotten the construction lot. Jude noticed it immediately.

“Cole mentioned there was a job out in the valley. In fact, he’s starting back here tomorrow. His wrist is feeling better, and Dad wants him back on the job. I’m starting back to work too. But not here. Cole and I working on the same site just doesn’t work.”

“What about your art?”

He shrugged. “I’ll do it in my spare time. As far as Dad is concerned, it is just a stupid hobby of mine.”

“Your art is way past the hobby level.”

I threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. “Thanks, Valley.”

I stopped and looked through the chain link. There had been a great deal of progress since the morning I’d walked past it to buy milk. “I saw Cole standing on the steps of the trailer once.”

“No way,” he said. “What a coincidence. Small world, I guess.”

“Not really.” I glanced ahead to the shabby, rundown apartment building. The disgusting, shirtless landlord was out washing his car. Someone had thrown out a stained, torn sofa, and it leaned against the giant trash bin. The flowers that someone had taken the time to plant along the driveway were brown and dead. I lifted my hand and pointed. “I present to you my home sweet home.”

He grabbed my hand. “Then let’s go.”

My pace quickened up the steps, not only because I was nearly giddy with the thought of seeing my family but because the entire upper floor smelled like smoke. I knocked briskly. Two seconds later Mom threw open the door and plumes of smoke billowed out of the apartment.

“What’s burning?”

“Your Dad’s cooking.” Then she threw her arms up in the air and screamed. “Edie!” She grabbed me into a wild hug and Janie and Sophie held us both around the legs. We hopped around in a giant hug, crying, screaming, and laughing. The moment we stopped to catch our breath, Janie and Sophie grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

My mom looked at Jude. “Hi.” She took hold of his hand and dragged him inside in similar fashion to Janie and Sophie. “I don’t know who you are, but I hope you like burgers.”

“I usually like to wait until at least ten in the morning before I slam down my first burger, but I think I can handle it,” Jude said.

Dad was standing over the stove with his long hair pulled back in a ponytail and an apron I’d never seen before. It was stained in grease and ketchup and looked completely contrary to the silver hoops in his ears.

“Is that Edie? You’re just in time for a