Defining the Rules - Mariah Dietz Page 0,157
and small spaces,” I tease.
“How come I haven’t seen many of you around lately?”
“They flock to the malls, like moths to the light,” Kyle jokes as his gaze traces the side of the house, landing on our point of entry—a small open window that sits at least eight feet from the ground.
“Mr. Janes, where’s your lovely wife?” Max’s eyes are fixed on the same spot.
“Oh, she’s inside, asleep in front of the TV with her hearing aid turned off,” he grunts, shaking his head.
“Kyle! I think something’s wrong with Emily!” Mindi’s yelling has us all turning to Kyle.
“She’s pregnant, and it hasn’t been a good day. I’m sure everything’s fine, but I should probably go check. Do you guys think you can handle this?” Kyle looks from me to Max apologetically before Mindi starts screaming his name again.
“We’ve got it covered,” Max assures him.
Kyle gives a weak smile and dashes out of sight.
“That isn’t from the pregnancy; she’s always been like that,” Jack mutters, making me swallow a laugh.
Max however doesn’t react. Instead, he gets closer to the side of the house, then jumps and grabs the windowsill. The muscles in his biceps and forearms become more prominent as he pulls himself toward the window, making the move look easy, almost graceful. I take the opportunity to study his left arm and the many tattoos that create a sleeve down to his elbow—a new addition to his appearance since leaving for Alaska. Max twists and tries to maneuver himself forward, but it’s quickly apparent that there’s no chance his shoulders are going to fit through the gap.
He lowers himself back to the ground with a soft thud and looks over to me. “Sorry, it looks like he was right. You sure you want to try this? I can go see if I can maneuver the locks or check other windows.”
“Kyle tried all that before going to get you kids.” Jack scratches his thinning gray hair. “I can just wait on the porch. Eventually, Ethel will wake up.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Janes. It’s no problem,” I assure him and turn my attention to Max. “I’m going to need your help though. I don’t think I’ll be able to pull off that Spiderman move.”
Max smirks and my breath catches, seeing his eyes grow bright with humor. I consciously force myself to exhale, and then inhale again as I divert my attention back to the window which appears higher as we get closer.
“All right, prepare to feel like Spiderman,” Max says, creating a stirrup with his hands.
I place my foot on his woven fingers and reach up as he lifts me into the air, high enough to grab the windowsill. Gripping the siding with both hands, I shimmy my way through the narrow opening.
I’m directly over the bathtub, which is exactly what I’d feared, because getting down will prove to be more of a challenge to enter without face-planting in the bathtub. The cool tile tickles my fingertips as I stretch, reaching toward the inlet where their shampoo and soap sits. My fingers, still clutching the window, relax, attempting to give me the extra height, but my grip slips entirely, causing my muscles to tense and a scream to race through my lips. My stomach scrapes painfully against the windowsill as my hands rake across the small space I’d been trying to reach in an attempt to brace myself, sending everything to the floor of the tub with an alarming crash. My scream echoes back at me as I feel Max’s hands grip my ankles, stopping my descent.
I sigh in relief as the soap bottles roll, clanging around the empty tub with the same loud volume that my heart beats.
A breeze rolls across my bare legs, and my skin feels more sensitive to the cool air with the blood pulsating through my limbs from the adrenaline, making me acutely aware of my short shorts, and uncomfortable positioning that has my butt and hips propped in the air.
Worst idea ever.
“Are you okay? I’m pulling you out. This was a bad idea!” Max calls.
“I’m okay.” Just a bruised ego. My voice sounds strained and too loud from the pressure of the windowsill and the tile wall cutting into my stomach. “I just need help backing out a little.”
Max slowly pulls me backward until I assure him I’m good. Then I carefully work to readjust myself, making sure to grip the house and windowsill so tightly my fingers ache while moving both feet so they dangle toward the tub so I will hopefully be able to jump the few feet inside and not slip.
My nerves from the near face-plant has my breath coming up short and praying this doesn’t look as ridiculous outside as I fear. My heart stops again as the bathroom door flies open and a flurry of purple and teal rushes into the bathroom. Thankfully, my fingers are locked around the windowsill and frame from the first mishap, otherwise I would likely be on my backside in the tub right now. My focus clears to see all five foot nothing of Ethel Janes standing a few feet from me, staring me down from the end of a shotgun barrel aimed directly at my chest.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you’d better get out of my house before I shoot you!”
My gaze sweeps over hair that’s tightly pulled up in curlers and her purple and teal housecoat, zeroing in on knotted, arthritis-bent fingers looking unsteady as they shakily rest on the trigger.
“Ace!” Max yells, grabbing at my backside from the ground.
“Ethel, put that goddamned gun down before you shoot yourself!” Jack yells.
I’m immobile from fear as I watch the wheels turn in her head.
“Ethel, it’s just Ace. She’s tryin’ to help. I locked myself out again!” Jack continues.
Ethel’s eyebrows knit in confusion, like she isn’t positive it’s really her husband yelling at her. I fight to create a coherent explanation over the fear screaming in my head.
“H-hi … hi, Mrs. Janes. I haven’t seen you in a while, but it’s me … Ace. I live a few doors down. David and Muriel Bosse’s daughter.” I work to keep my voice soft as I search her face for any sign of recognition.
“Dammit, Ethel, let the poor girl in and come unlock the door!”
“I’ll uh … I can go back out this way.” I motion to the window.
Sneering, she maintains her aim. “You do that.”
Scrambling to get myself back outside goes much faster than it had getting in as I continue watching her, noticing that my moving seems to increase her level of unease. My upper body and one leg are out and my mind’s so focused on trying to keep my grip tight so I can pull my next leg free, I barely notice Max’s hand clasping around my freed leg. Leaning back so I can pull my second leg free, a deafening blast erupts from behind me and I lose balance. I half lunge, half fall from the window.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I prepare to feel the slam of the earth.
Continue Reading Becoming His
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much to all the readers! I was so nervous to write Arlo’s story after Lincoln and Raegan received so much love, and your support and excitement for Arlo helped me so much to overcome my own stageitis. I am so grateful to you all and hope you loved Arlo and Olivia as much as I do.
A speacial thanks to my husband who listened to me talk in circles for hours about how I could introduce this crazy idea of a curse, and for being my biggest cheerleader.
Arielle Brubaker I could not have finished this project without you. Thank you for wearing your invisible cape and being the allstar you are. Your patience, feedback, and support truly means the world to me.
A very special thank you to Amy Everetts who muscled through unedited copies and helped make Arlo’s story shine.
And Also to Danielle Hinson Haley, Ruby Dodson, Carol Geserick Seymour (yes, Arlo is yours, but, don’t tell anyone) Karen Biglin, Susan Fulop Decker, Kelley Wright Lindsey, Frances Villaverde, Lisa GF, Tammi Lea Ahmed, Eliza Garcia, AJ Marks, Erin Noelle, Brandi Nienhuser, Briana Seymour, Andrea Thompson, Crystal Garza, Cynthia Villarreal Ortiz, Cindy Salazar, and Jennifer Marie Witherspoon for answering so many questions and offering feedback and advice on Texas and New Jersey. You guys are the best!
About the Author
Mariah Dietz is a USA Today Bestselling Author and self proclaimed nerd. She lives with her husband and sons in North Carolina.
Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent most of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.
She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She's also been known to laugh at her own jokes.
Subscribe to her newsletter, here