Insight (33 page)
Authors: Jolene Perry
“He’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, Mom. I really didn’t want to leave with you so upset with me.”
The relief pulls another weight from my shoulder.
“And I don’t want you to leave at all.” She exhales. “But that would be the case no matter what.”
“I’m glad you have Ethan.”
“Me too.” She takes my arm, and I’m grateful for the understanding. Grateful that I’m leaving Mom in such good hands. And total disbelief that my trip is becoming real.
THIRTY-THREE
I tighten my hand with Landon’s on the plane.
“So, what’s going on with your dad?” I ask.
Landon shrugs. “I don’t know, but I don’t trust him. He’s in this business organization called The Middle Men,
and he’s been on the phone with them constantly. H
e’s still asking me about you in weird ways. I swear I think he knows what you can do. He’s also been watching me way more than I ever remember. It’s weird.”
“But… What does that mean?” I pull my head off his shoulder to look at him.
“It means that I’m not very likely to tell my dad exactly where we are.” He frowns a bit, maybe
in concern or sympathy, or
sadness in not trusting his father.
“Why not?”
He pauses before answering. “I don’t know why, but I know it’s the right thing.”
Just like I know it’s the right thing to wait until we see my dad before asking him about the shadows. I just know.
This is another thing I’m going to put on my list of reasons why I think Landon’s a part of this magic with me—whether he knows it or not.
I rest my head back onto Landon’s shoulder, hoping that we’ll get some answers as we travel to the Bahamas. Or maybe we’ll just find a bigger mess…
***
“So, do you see his car yet?” Landon shifts his duffel further up on his shoulder. We’re standing with our bags on the curb, waiting.
“No.”
“I’m just sort of nervous, you know?” His feet shuffle on the pavement.
I laugh again. “I know. You’ve mentioned it.” Like every thirty minutes on the two flights to Maine—except when we were talking about
his
dad.
We still haven’t figured out what Landon’s dad is up to with how he keeps asking about me, and how Landon’s sure his dad knows what I can do. Instead Landon’s worried about mine. The guy who works in city planning, and wears khakis every day. Not the guy who watches me too closely. Not the shadows Landon’s sure are from some ancient voodoo woman. Those things are apparently all part of our adventure together.
“What if he sees something…inappropriate?” Landon’s face flushes.
Landon’s.
“We’re both used to it, Landon. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen.” I poke him in jest.
We’re dancing. Dad’s wedding. His knees are buckled. His hands are tight and low on my waist.
Nice.
“But he’s your
dad
.” The words come through his teeth.
I spot Dad’s car and wave.
“I’m going to be sick.” His hands rest on his stomach.
I laugh. “Landon, it’s fine, really. Think good thoughts.” I rub my hand up and down his bicep a few times.
“We both know that probably won’t work.” His eyes shift to mine and then stick on Dad’s car like glue.
“Probably not,” I agree.
“Crap, Micah. You could lie a
little
, you know, to help me out here.”
“You’re funny.” I lean up to kiss him, but he turns his head, and I only catch his cheek. It’s surprisingly satisfying to embarrass him like this.
“Hey, sweetie.” Dad climbs out of the car. I step forward and pull him into a tight hug. Dad feels better than he ever has. I love it. I love that I have understanding from both parents now. It feels better than I imagined. I’m sad for all the lost years of closeness we could have had.
“And you’re Landon.” Dad steps away from me and reaches out to shake Landon’s hand.
I’m suddenly curious if Dad’s looking forward to it, or dreading it. Or if he’s been doing this for so much longer than me that it’s all okay.
Landon glances between us a few times.
“Oh, right.” Dad laughs. “You might be a little nervous.”
“Uh, I just...” Landon shifts his weight a few times.
“No, no
.
I understand. M
aybe you’re really worried I’ll know more or see more than you want me to.” Dad’s lips are pressed together, and he’s holding in a smile. I
t
s so much more emotion than I’m used to seeing from him. Carol’s been good for Dad.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson,” Landon’s voice is stiff. Funny. I know he has to make nice with his dad’s friends, but
my
dad makes him nervous.
Dad laughs. “I’m
Scott
. Let’s get your stuff in the car.”
“Okay.” Landon nods, and lets out a breath. I see his shoulders relax in relief.
Dad winks back at me and rests his hand on Landon’s back. That answers my question. Dad’s curious. “So, you two are really going,” he muses.
“Yeah, Dad. We’re really going.”
Landon’s head jerks between us when he realizes Dad is touching him and must have seen something from our trip
“You love my daughter very much.” He stops at the open trunk of his car.
Landon smiles big. He looks at me first and then back at my bad. “Very much. Yes.” He reaches his hand out for them to shake, now that the original contact is over with.
Dad’s smiling widely at me, and then at Landon.
Unbelievable. This really is actually going to happen, and it looks like Dad is even sort of okay with it.
I climb in the passenger’s seat, and Landon crawls into the back.
“See Landon? My dad’s not so scary,” I tease as Dad starts up the road.
“Yeah, thanks, Micah.” His eyes widen.
Dad and I laugh.
“I’m glad you two are here,” Dad says.
“Me, too, Dad.”
“Me, too.” Landon finally leans back in his seat. “We’re about to meet our boat.”
And another piece of our adventure.
***
“You never saw shadows?” I ask as I sit across the table from Dad.
He shakes his head. “Sorry, Micah. The legend fits I guess, but that’s all it is. A legend.”
Landon sighs and leans back in his chair. He’s been so sure he was right.
“I want answers, Dad.” Desperately.
“I know.” He frowns. “I’m sorry I can’t help you, kiddo.”
I lean my shoulder on Landon, and he squeezes my leg. “It’s okay. Half the time I feel like we’re chasing nothing, and the other half of me says we’re exactly on the right track.”
“I’ve felt compelled to visit that area of the world many times. But only made it there once.” Dad fidgets with his napkin as Carol comes back to the table.
He hasn’t told her about his visions yet, but because Landon did so well with it, he’s thinking he will. I hope it goes well for him. I’m beyond disappointed that Dad doesn’t know anything
about the shadows or the voodoo woman
, but he’s told me before that he didn’t have answers
,
so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Now it’s all a mystery that Landon and I hope to solve.
At the very least, we’ll have an adventure.
THIRTY-FOUR
I’m
having prom flashbacks. M
y
blue
dress
floats around my ankles
, and Landon’s in his tux, only this time it’s for Dad’s wedding. He and Carol are dancing much like Landon and I are—too close for company, noses and faces touching more often than not.
I lean into Landon and concentrate on Dad’s wedding guests in turn.
Beach. Love. Happiness.
The smell of
new car. Speed. Loud music. Ex
hilaration.
It’s so easy when I’m with Landon. No visions when we’re touching unless I want there to be. It’s like, being connected to him gives me some control over what I do. He’s still far from being convinced. He thinks it’s all just me getting older and trying to manipulate a gift I’ve spent my life trying to get rid of.
“Dad saw you here.” My face is pressed against his lapel. I love having him this close.
“You said.”
“It was more than a month ago. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that far ahead.”
“So, maybe it’ll get stronger with time, huh?”
“With time? I’m not sure.”
I breathe in again, soaking up the subtle smell of his cologne.
He lets go of me and steps away.
“Hey.” He knows what happens when we break contact. I both love and hate that he messes with me like this. I love it, because it’s now just sort of part of being Landon and Micah. But sometimes the new pictures are startling.
“It’ll be good. There’s nothing I’m not looking forward to.”
I reach toward him. He takes my hand in his.
The ocean. Blue sky and blue water. My bare back. My hands are on the large wheel
of the sailboat
. The wind whistles through the sails above us. Love. Elation. His fingers slide down my skin…
“How do you talk me into that?” I bite my lower lip as I smile up at him.
“What?” He leans closer.
“Into driving the boat without a top?”
“Oh.” He lets out a soft groan as his knees start to buckle underneath him. “Wow.” He lets out another breath. “That’s like, going to be above any fantasy I’ve ever even
dreamed
up.” He puts his legs back underneath himself and comes to standing.
“Me, driving your boat without a top?”
“You, driving
our
boat, without a top.” He puts his nose to mine and runs his hand over my hair.
“So, why can’t we just go straight to the Bahamas again?” I ask.
“Because our boat is in Maine and needs to be sailed down
and
because it’s hurricane season down there until October.”
“We’re sailing down the whole east coast.” It’s more of an out-loud musing than anything else.
“Yep.”
“Can we stop in New York?”
“Of course.”
“How about Washington D.C.? Can we stop there, too?” I laugh as his lips tickle my neck.
“Sure.”
“I heard there are some beautiful islands off of the Carolinas...” I run my fingers up and down his sides.
“We can stop there, too.”
“Florida?”
“Micah? We will stop anywhere you want to stop. You call the shots, and I
’ll
get us there.” He pulls back just far enough so I can see his eyes.
“So you’re like the Captain, which makes me...”
“The Admiral, because
you
call the shots.”
“Awesome.” I stuff my hands in his back pockets, bringing us even closer together.
I think of what feels like the million times we’ve touched. I think about feeling and knowing how he feels for me. How warm he is. How comfortable he is. And how I never, ever thought I could have this.
“It is ridiculous how much I love you.” His lips touch my ear as he whispers, sending a wave of shivers through me. “You have no idea.”
I have some.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HUGE thank you to authors Chantele Sedgwick, Wendy Higgins, Nyrae Dawn and Morgan Shamy. You ladies ROCK.
Thanks to my husband who had to listen to me read not just one, but three versions of this book.
And as always, my friend Heather, who works for shoes, who ends up reading most of my books not once, but twice…
I’m so grateful for my husband’s time in the military, as we were stationed in Ft. Lewis, Washington. We lived in a run-down apartment on the water in a small town called Steilacoom, across the water from Fox Island Prison and next to the Ferry dock. I turned that town into Tacoma, Washington for this story.
I loved it there, and once I got the idea for Insight, I knew it had to be set in this town. I imagined Micah’s high school to be Steilacoom high school, and the pub to be the pub there in town.
I’m always amazed when another one of my books comes out that people keep buying them. I’m so glad to be part of so many people’s reading experiences. SO THANK YOU!
You can find Jolene on the web here:
http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com
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