her.”
“Oh.” Tiffani forced a smile. Why was she so invisible whenever Josie’s name was mentioned? “I’m sure she’ll call you back.”
“Actually I think I might go see her.” Carlton said.
Tiffani paused. She blinked and recovered. “Really? On the news they said you were headed to Colorado next.”
“The band can miss me for a couple of days. We all agreed we needed a break. I owe that bit of clarity to you. That talk we had opened my eyes, I need to fight for her. I can’t let her go.”
“She doesn’t want to see you. I mean she doesn’t want to see us.”
“I think she does,” Carlton smiled. “She’s tired of my bullshit. I understand why. Can you tell me where she is?”
Tiffani gave a half-smile. She turned from him to hide her disappointment. It was ridiculous. She shouldn’t be acting this way. Josie loved Carlton. A blind person could see their love. Why was she so lost because of it? “She um, well I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Tiffani returned to her seat. “She said she wanted to escape, to get away from us all. No interruptions. She didn’t even tell her agent.”
“That’s not safe.” Carlton frowned.
“Wait.” Tiffani rocked back in her chair. “Of course I know where she went.”
“Where?”
She pointed to the map tacked on to the board. Carlton followed her point. She shook her head smiling. “She said she wanted to go to a cabin in the woods. When she visited my office last month she was leafing through my sketches and asked me questions about a mountain town we’re rebuilding. It’s called Mission Creek in Montana. I’m sure that’s where she is.”
He rose. “Cool. I’ll bring her home.”
He started for the door. “Carlton.”
He paused.
“She’s a lucky girl. I mean it, treat my sister right.”
He winked and was gone.
Healing
Josie rolled over to find Elu out of bed. They took a short walk yesterday. It was the highlight of Po’s day. The husky raced across the land and played under the bright sun. That night he’d tried to teach her chess. She picked up on it quick. It was evident that she had played before but neither commented. Then the game got so slow they abandoned it and settled for the porch swing where they watched the sun set. She liked turning in early with him. Just to be close. And when she dressed for the night and he came to bed in his pajama pants she was in heaven.
There was a wet tickle to her uncovered toes. Josie rose on her elbows. It was Po, “Morning sweetie,” she said.
Po jumped up on the bed and knocked her back, trying to lick at her face. She laughed, shoving the husky off of her.
“Po down!” Elu snapped. He arrived with a breakfast tray.
Po jumped off the bed and whimpered in disappointment walking out with his tail down.
“He was just giving me a morning kiss.”
“I volunteered for that job,” Elu said placing the tray over her lap.
“What’s all this?” she asked smiling at the biscuits and gravy with thick sausage.
“Just a little something to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed the week with you. You are the best patient I’ve had in a long time.”
She grinned and picked up a fork. He watched her eating and his smile faded. His eyes narrowed. “Does the name Carlton mean anything to you?”
Josie blinked in surprise and that feeling of overwhelming sadness and regret gripped her again. “Carlton?” she asked, softly.
“You said his name in your sleep.”
“I did?”
“Maybe he’s who you were running from? Maybe you were escaping something terrible he did to you? Or maybe I’m a jealous man with an active imagination.”
“Elu,” she reached for his hand. “The name means nothing to me.”
Elu hid his elation. He wanted Carlton to be a monster, someone he could protect her from. If this Carlton person was a husband or existing lover he couldn’t compete.
“ELU TAKOTIE!” a voice boomed from the front of the cabin.
Elu
“Oh.” Tiffani forced a smile. Why was she so invisible whenever Josie’s name was mentioned? “I’m sure she’ll call you back.”
“Actually I think I might go see her.” Carlton said.
Tiffani paused. She blinked and recovered. “Really? On the news they said you were headed to Colorado next.”
“The band can miss me for a couple of days. We all agreed we needed a break. I owe that bit of clarity to you. That talk we had opened my eyes, I need to fight for her. I can’t let her go.”
“She doesn’t want to see you. I mean she doesn’t want to see us.”
“I think she does,” Carlton smiled. “She’s tired of my bullshit. I understand why. Can you tell me where she is?”
Tiffani gave a half-smile. She turned from him to hide her disappointment. It was ridiculous. She shouldn’t be acting this way. Josie loved Carlton. A blind person could see their love. Why was she so lost because of it? “She um, well I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Tiffani returned to her seat. “She said she wanted to escape, to get away from us all. No interruptions. She didn’t even tell her agent.”
“That’s not safe.” Carlton frowned.
“Wait.” Tiffani rocked back in her chair. “Of course I know where she went.”
“Where?”
She pointed to the map tacked on to the board. Carlton followed her point. She shook her head smiling. “She said she wanted to go to a cabin in the woods. When she visited my office last month she was leafing through my sketches and asked me questions about a mountain town we’re rebuilding. It’s called Mission Creek in Montana. I’m sure that’s where she is.”
He rose. “Cool. I’ll bring her home.”
He started for the door. “Carlton.”
He paused.
“She’s a lucky girl. I mean it, treat my sister right.”
He winked and was gone.
Healing
Josie rolled over to find Elu out of bed. They took a short walk yesterday. It was the highlight of Po’s day. The husky raced across the land and played under the bright sun. That night he’d tried to teach her chess. She picked up on it quick. It was evident that she had played before but neither commented. Then the game got so slow they abandoned it and settled for the porch swing where they watched the sun set. She liked turning in early with him. Just to be close. And when she dressed for the night and he came to bed in his pajama pants she was in heaven.
There was a wet tickle to her uncovered toes. Josie rose on her elbows. It was Po, “Morning sweetie,” she said.
Po jumped up on the bed and knocked her back, trying to lick at her face. She laughed, shoving the husky off of her.
“Po down!” Elu snapped. He arrived with a breakfast tray.
Po jumped off the bed and whimpered in disappointment walking out with his tail down.
“He was just giving me a morning kiss.”
“I volunteered for that job,” Elu said placing the tray over her lap.
“What’s all this?” she asked smiling at the biscuits and gravy with thick sausage.
“Just a little something to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed the week with you. You are the best patient I’ve had in a long time.”
She grinned and picked up a fork. He watched her eating and his smile faded. His eyes narrowed. “Does the name Carlton mean anything to you?”
Josie blinked in surprise and that feeling of overwhelming sadness and regret gripped her again. “Carlton?” she asked, softly.
“You said his name in your sleep.”
“I did?”
“Maybe he’s who you were running from? Maybe you were escaping something terrible he did to you? Or maybe I’m a jealous man with an active imagination.”
“Elu,” she reached for his hand. “The name means nothing to me.”
Elu hid his elation. He wanted Carlton to be a monster, someone he could protect her from. If this Carlton person was a husband or existing lover he couldn’t compete.
“ELU TAKOTIE!” a voice boomed from the front of the cabin.
Elu
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