work. “Its fun to see Simon pal around with a man. I guess I have to say Bradley was nice to Simon too, and I appreciate that.”
“So neither of them put the moves on Simons mother?” Dana wanted to know. “No.” With a half laugh,Zoe scooted farther down the porch. “Of course not. Jordan was just doing a favor for a friend, and Bradley… its not like that.”
Danas opinion was a long hmmm as she got back to work.
By lunchtime the porch was sufficiently prepped to passZoes inspection. They gave their tired muscles a rest and sat on the sanded boards eating tuna sandwiches.
With a mornings work behind them, the sun bright, and the mood mellow, Dana decided it was time to tell them her experience of the night before.
“So… I had a little run-in with Kane last night.”
Malory choked, grabbed for her bottle of water. “What? What ? Weve been here for over three hours, and youre just getting around to telling us that?”
“I didnt want to start off the morning with it. I knew wed all get freaked again.”
“Youre okay?”Zoe laid a hand on Danas arm. “Youre not hurt or anything?”
“No, but Ive got to tell you, the little brush I had with him before was nothing compared to this. I knew what happened with you, Mal, but I still didnt get it. I do now.”
“Tell us.“ Malory shifted so she andZoe flanked Dana.
It was easier this time. She was able to relate the experience more calmly and with more detail than shed done with Jordan. Still, her voice shook at times, and she had to reach for her Thermos of coffee, sip slowly to ease her throat.
“You couldve drowned.”Zoe put her arm around Danas shoulder. “In the tub.”
“I wondered about that. But I dont think so. If he could just, well, eliminate us, why not have us walk off a cliff, or step in front of a truck? Something like that.”
“Boy, thats really cheery.”Zoe stared out at the street, nearly winced when a car drove by. “Im so glad you mentioned it.”
“Come on. Seriously. It seems to me he can only go so far. Like it was with Malory. It comes down to us making a choice—to reaching down inside, holding on to enough of ourselves to recognize the illusion and reject it.”
“But he hurt you just the same,”Zoe pointed out.
“Oh, man.” Remembering, Dana rubbed a hand over her heart. “Ill say. Even if the pain was an illusion, it did the job. Worse than the pain was knowing what the pain meant, then the fear that he could take that from me.”
“You shouldve called.” There was as much exasperation as concern in Malorys voice. “Dana, you should have called me, orZoe . Both of us. I know what its like to be caught in one of those illusions. You didnt have to be alone.”
“I wasnt. Exactly. Afterward, I mean. I was going to call. In fact, I think I was just going to stand in the bedroom and scream for both of you, but then Jordan knocked on the door.”
“Oh.”
Dana stared at Malory. “Theres no „oh in that meaningful tone. He just happened to be there at a moment when Id have welcomed a visit from a two-headed dwarf as long as he could chase the bogeyman away.”
“Funny coincidence, though,” Malory said with a flutter of lashes. “I mean when you figure the elements of fate and destiny and connections.”
“Look, just because youre all mush-brained over Flynn, dont assume the rest of the world has to fall in line. He came by, and he behaved very decently. At first.”
“Lets hear about at second, then,”Zoe insisted.
“Unlike Brad, apparently, Jordan rarely hesitates to make his move. He cornered me in the kitchen.”
“Really?” Malory gave a sigh. “The first time Flynn kissed me was in the kitchen.”
“Anyway, Im going out with him Saturday night.” She waited, then scowled when no one spoke. “Well?”
Zoebraced her elbow on her thigh, propped her chin on her fist. “I was just thinking that itd be nice if the two of you could at least be friends again. And that maybe, from an entirely different perspective, becoming friends again is part of what you have to do to find the key.”
“I think I need to get into this a little more before I start multitasking. I dont know if I can be friends with Jordan again, because… Im still sort of in love with him.”