Puck jumped up beside me and rubbed against my hand until I started to pet her.
Robin had said he would see me soon. How soon was soon though? And though I didn’t want to admit it, Darcy’s concerns about my end of the bargain had affected me. What did the fae want from a middle-aged divorcee anyway?
A flush stole over me as I recalled the way he had studied me and called me fascinating. Nothing about my current life was fascinating. In fact, I knew the opposite was true. My mother had lived an incredible life as had Grammy B. They were fascinating. By comparison, I was a real dull stick.
“A dull stick who time-traveled today,” I muttered and scratched Puck between the ears. Her eyes closed to slits as she leaned into my touch. “And look what I did with it. I spied on my echo self having lunch at the cafe and took you to the vet. Such a wild woman.”
Was I thinking too small? Perhaps I ought to try to use my time traveling trips to do something amazing. That’s what my mother would do. She’d save JFK or warn the crew of the Challenger that the shuttle was going to explode.
But avoiding my accident wouldn’t just benefit my life, I assured myself. Dad had said as much. Maybe I would be giving my parents the space they needed to grow together instead of apart. And Georgia too. Without our marriage interfering, she would be free to be herself that much sooner.
The doorbell rang, breaking me out of my musings. I got up. Puck, clearly irritated that petting time had been interrupted, weaved through my ankles as I moved to the door.
At first, I didn’t recognize the creature standing on the other side. She wore black leggings with a black tunic on top with a black puffer vest over that and black combat boots on her feet. Her dark hair was shaved on the left side and the remaining sections had been streaked with a blue that matched her eyes. It was her eyes, same shape, and shade as mine and my mom’s, that finally clued me in.
“Diedre?” I asked.
Her expression didn’t change from the resentful scowl that added to her menacing air. “I go by Dragon now.”
“M’kay, Dragon.” I pushed the door wider and gestured for her to come in.
She did, carrying a green army duffel. The last time Diedre—aka Dragon—had come for a visit, she’d been carrying a pink suitcase covered with cat stickers.
Speaking of cats, Puck had abandoned her efforts to trip me up and rubbed up against the new arrival, purring up a storm. My cousin’s expression softened as she crouched down to pet the insistent critter.
“Her name’s Puck,” I offered.
“Like from A Midsummer Night’s Dream?” Dragon’s attention remained on the cat.
Had everyone seen that play except me? “That’s right. I found her out on the hill behind the house this morning and she followed me home.”
Nothing, no reply.
“So, I hear you’re going to be staying with us for a while.”
She stood up. “Which room is mine?”
I wished I had a chance to talk to my mother a little bit more about the plans for my cousin. She’d sprung this on me at the last minute. “Um, maybe the blue room? It has its own bathroom. And a nice view. Though I’m not sure if it’s ready for company.”
Again, no response. What was it about talking to teenagers that made a full grown woman feel like a babbling idiot?
“Come on, let’s go check it out,” I said and then reached out to take her bag from her.
She shrank away, glaring at my outstretched hand as though I’d offered her a poisonous viper.
My hand fell to my side. “Okay, then. I guess you can carry it.”
We trudged up past the second floor that held my bedroom and bath as well as a tiny bedroom that had become a storage room for mom’s pornographic art. Mom’s room was on the first floor. Diedre would have the third floor all to herself.
We trudged up the final set of stairs and saw the door to the blue room stood wide open. Mom had definitely intended to put Diedre in the space. I could smell lemon cleanser and the scent of fresh from the dryer linens. The double bed had been made and a pretty purple candlewick bedspread had appeared as well as a blue lamp that I had never seen before. The shade was fairly standard but