Flee From Evil (14 page)

Sophie jogged out the bedroom door, slowing as she approached the living room where she heard Mom chatting with him, and tried to look demure … or something better than crazy, at least. “Oh, hi Sky.” Like she hadn’t already seen him.

His lips tilted almost flipping her heart. His gaze lowered. “I like that shirt. Is it new?”

She batted her eyelashes—oh my! “Sort of.” What in the world did
that
mean? Her brain was definitely on the
air head
setting these days.

His smile stretched. “I was hoping we could go somewhere today.”

Sophie deflated. “Grandma’s away, and Mom has a meeting with church leaders in Columbia. I have to watch Tibo.”

“He can come too. I found this go-cart place that has two-seaters for kids. I thought I’d take you both for some more driving lessons.”

He thought of her brother even before he offered to take her out? She closed her mouth when she’d realized it hung open. “You want him to come with us?”

Tibo peeked up from the train set he ran along the track, and smiled.

“Yeah, but I get to drive with Tibo.” He grinned at her brother, overheating Sophie’s heart. Then smirked mischievously. “Don’t want to subject him to women drivers.”

“Hey, you said I did a good job the other day.”

“Sure, but we’re dealing with real human bodies who need to stay safe now. It’s a good thing go-carts can take a beating.”

Sophie punched his shoulder, and he feigned pain.

Mom came through again, briefcase in hand.

“Mom, can Sky and I take Tibo to ride go-carts?”

She picked lint off the navy skirt, and looked between the two as though it took a while to process the question. “Sure. Just—”

“I know, Mom. Watch him carefully.”

As Sky’s car headed down the road, Tibo bounced in the back seat. “Kuck,” he said as the trucks barreled past. “Fire,” he shouted every time a siren blared.

Sophie glanced in the side mirror at the familiar sound of an engine rev. There was that car again. The red one with the tinted windows that raced out of the pool parking lot the other day. It was hard not to notice given the custom painted racing stripes along the sides. Only today, the car changed lanes when Sky did, and matched his every speed. Was it following them?

Sky glanced over. “You okay, Soph?”

Did she dare tell him what was on her mind? No way. He’d think she was paranoid. Why would someone want to follow them? “Sure.”

His brows bunched like he didn’t believe her, then he peeked in his rear view as if noticing the threat himself. After flipping on his emergency blinkers, he rolled down his window. “I think this guy’s trying to pass me.”

Sophie scanned the empty lane to the left. “There’s plenty of room.” What was that driver
really
trying to do? Her pulse kicked up speed. Would this end in one of those car-jackings she’d seen on the news?

Sky slowed his vehicle, pulled slightly onto the shoulder and waved at the car to go by. The driver seemed to hesitate like he might stop with them. Then it jerked left and squealed past, the smell of burning rubber filling the air.

If only she could see through the dark windows to find out who was on the inside.

Sophie coughed and waved her hand in front of her nose. “What a jerk.” She couldn’t believe someone would be so rude.

Sky rolled his window up. “Better get used to it. Lots of crazies in this world. Sometimes we have to share the road with them.”

“Is that driving lesson number two, oh great teacher?”

“The beginning of it.” His dimple twitched.

What did he mean by that? She didn’t dare ask.

Sophie blew out a calming breath. “Just glad that car’s gone. He was making me nervous.”

Sky’s lips stretching into a curve made her racing pulse seem a whole lot nicer. She was glad that if she had to face a freaky driver on the road, she’d done it with Sky at the wheel—her protector.

Ten minutes later, he handed cash to the attendant at the window of the go-cart place, and strutted toward the track.

“Come on, Tibo,” Sky said conspiratorially. “We’re gonna find us a man-car. Fastest one on the lot.” He turned, but Tibo was nowhere to be found.

Sophie cursed her negligence. Tibo hadn’t drifted off in public in a long time. She’d become sloppy, and now he’d disappeared. She scanned the area.

A loud revving erupted from near the fence. Was that one of the go-carts? Couldn’t be. It was too noisy, and sounded like—

There was that car again. Sophie swung around, now frantic to spot her brother, but couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Where’d he go?” Sky grimaced. “He was just behind us.”

The red car sped out of the parking lot. Sophie began to panic. “Tibo!”

“Car!”

Sophie sagged with the hard sigh that emptied her lungs.

Tibo bounced at the edges of the track watching the vehicle speed away.

“How’d he get over there?”

Sophie headed for her brother. She couldn’t answer Sky’s question. It was one of those riddles only Tibo had the answer to—and he wasn’t talking. She was just glad he was okay.

Sky passed her and swooped her brother in the air. “Hey, dude, don’t scare your sister like that.” He winked, and Sophie lost another beat of her heart. But an uneasiness settled in her gut. What was that red car doing at the go-cart place? And why did it seem to be following them everywhere they went?

Tibo’s belly laugh floated around as Sky swung him. Boy, was he strong.

Sophie tried to put her anxieties out of her mind. After all, Sky didn’t seem bothered by the car showing up again. She found a single-seater go-cart, and Sky buckled Tibo into one with two seats. They started the engines, and the two carts went hurtling around the ring at top speed, Tibo screeching with excitement.

Speed. Just what she needed to get her mind off her crazy imagination. Sophie plunged her foot to the floor, pulling the steering wheel to make the curves.

Wham! That side was close.

“Women drivers.” Sky shook his head as he and Tibo fled past.

Sophie pulled out and zoomed after him. He threw his head back in a laugh and slapped a high-five with Tibo, then—”

Crash!

He should have watched where he was going. Sophie guffawed as she sluiced by.

Sky’s determined expression when he turned from the wall made Sophie’s breath catch. Could this car go faster? Her foot already hit the floor, and he was gaining on her again. His smile took on an edge as he pulled up beside her speeding vehicle, then cut in.

Thudd!

“Hey, that’s not nice.”

Tibo’s laugh was delirious, Sky’s devilish.

Fine. She’d get them—Whack!

“Are you trying to parallel park, Soph?”

Oh. That was low. Her brows dropped in determination. She’d get him now. Oomph! Whack! Thudd!

… And so it went for the next four rounds. Sky paid for all three of them to go again and again.

When they finally stepped out of the vehicles for the last time—Sophie grateful she wouldn’t need a neck brace after so many collisions—all three couldn’t stop laughing. Tibo bounced on his toes and clapped.

“How about lunch.” Sky opened the back door of his Civic for Tibo and buckled him into the seat.

“We should probably go home to eat. Tibo can only have gluten- and casein-free, remember?”

“Yeah, so I looked up some places online and this deli down the road has gluten-free bread.”

“You did that?” Could there be a more perfect specimen of a man?
Sigh!

“Sure,” he said dropping into the driver’s seat. “How else was I gonna get you to come out with me today?”

Her heart stopped. She peeked back at her brother, now looking wistfully at the zooming carts they left behind. “Okay. Let’s have lunch.”

“Do you think you might come to our church again, sometime?” Fear of his rejection made it hard to look at him.

His eyes took her in sideways, a quirk to his cheek. “I don’t think your pastor wants me there.”

What
were
those negative vibes Pastor Vince seemed to give off around Sky? “We could go to the youth services in another room. I’ve been checking it out lately, and Ayo, the youth pastor, is really great.”

“Ayo?”

“He’s from Nigeria.”

“He won’t stare daggers at me like Pastor Vince, will he?”

Sophie chuckled. “Not likely. He doesn’t seem the dagger-staring type.” Though neither did Pastor Vince.

“All right, Sophie.” His smile sent chills down her arms. “I’ll go back. For you.”

She raised her eyes to the heavens. It was a start. “And if you like that, maybe you can come to youth night too.”

“Sophie.” At least he didn’t sound dead-set against it.

“Fine. Just promise you’ll think about it.”

“I’ll go to services with you.” He placed his hand over hers, warming her entire body. “And if this Ayo dude doesn’t give me the evil-eye, I’ll
consider
going to youth night. Okay?”

Sophie was falling hard. “Okay.”

Chapter Thirteen

Cassandra meandered around the hair salon as Kat took payment from her last customer. Mom had promised to babysit Tibo so she could have a little girl time with the salon owner. A welcome bonus after a long week of juggling Tibo’s speech therapy, behavior therapy, and occupational therapy, not to mention the plans for the special needs program. The appointment with a research doctor next week would take a full day’s drive to Richmond and back. It was good to have a moment to breathe.

Cassandra ran her fingers along the frames of the pictures on the shop walls. Bible verses and inspirational sayings were alternately hung with scenic pencilings and child-like drawings. She’d learned Kat had a girl away at college. Cassandra pointed to a crayon masterpiece. “Was this your daughter’s?”

Kat lifted the large pages of the shop schedule at the front desk as the customer exited, and glanced back. “Oh, no. My Shelby couldn’t draw a stick figure. Those were done by a little boy who used to come in here a long time ago.”

“You framed them?”

Kat’s expression softened as though floating on a memory. “He was such a sweet kid. His mother used to work the sub shop next door, and he hung around the strip while she worked. He landed here one day, and asked to sweep the floor. I’d cut his hair a few times.” She shrugged. “He was always so polite, so I let him.” Kat shook her head, large loop earrings swinging. “When he started going to school, he did his homework in the waiting area.” She smiled sheepishly. “I even helped him with it sometimes. He’d pay me in drawings.” Kat strode to the far wall. “This was his as well.”

Cassandra’s mouth dropped open in awe at the life-like penciling of a water inlet sheltered by mansion-dotted cliffs. The detail was amazing. “How old was he when he drew that?”

“Around ten. It was the last one he gave me.”

“What happened to him?”

Kat’s expression grew pained. “One day he stopped coming in.” Her eyes glistened. She seemed to hesitate before going on. “I checked at the sub shop and found out his mother quit. I never saw either one of them again.”

It was the little kindnesses, sometimes, that meant the most. “I bet he’ll remember you forever.” More and more Cassandra found herself warming to this woman who possessed such an easy generosity.

Kat straightened the stack of towels on the shelves above the shampoo bowl as though her next question would not unleash a storm. “How long have you and Vince known each other?”

And still it hit Cassandra like a wrecking ball. “What do you mean?” Cassandra had no intention of lying, but needed more time to answer carefully.

Kat moved to the coffee machine. Her bracelets jangled as she tilted the pot and poured a cup. She sat in front of Cassandra on the couch in the waiting area. Her words were soft. “I’m not blind, you know.” Her warm smile weakened the alarm that wanted to scream from Cassandra’s body. Would telling her relieve the burden?

No way!

Cassandra shifted, then grabbed a magazine from the coffee table.

“There’s strong emotion between you two. Either love or hate. I’m guessing both.”

“It’s not love.”

The thin brow above the woman’s eye arched as Kat kept her gaze on Cassandra. “What’s that line about protesting too much?” The buckles on her boots clanked as she crossed her legs. Her tight smile stretched. “I’ve known Vince a number of years, and you were not part of them. So, my guess is you knew him during his country-club days.”

Cassandra flipped through the magazine in her lap, staring at the blurring images of hairstyles.

“I’ve heard—from him I might add—I wouldn’t have liked him much back then.”

Cassandra scoffed.

Kat sighed. “Though I bet he could sweet talk a rhino from charging mid-stride.”