Fire in the Woods (12 page)

I rolled my eyes. What would convince her? “David, tell her what she’s thinking.”

“What?”

“Read her mind. That will convince her.”

He shook his head. “I’m not doing that again. You fell to the ground screaming when I extracted your language. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Maggie snorted. “Did you guys rehearse this? ’Cause you’re not all that convincing.”

“Just do it for a second,” I told David. “Will it still hurt if you don’t yank as much information out of her head?”

David looked down, sucking in his lower lip.

Maggie laughed. “Come on, E.T., I gotta see this. Read my mind. Tell me what I’m thinking.”

David raised his eyes.

Maggie smirked as his gaze fixed on her. The clock on the wall clicked three times, and all expression melted from her face. She blinked, and rubbed her temples. “Ouch.”

David’s eyes widened. “Why would you want to do that?” He looked away. “I’m not even sure what
that
is.”

I smacked Maggie on the arm.

“What?” she giggled. “He’s hot.” Her forehead crinkled. “Hey! You just read my mind. That was sooo cool. Do it again.”

David backed away. “I’m a little afraid to.”

“Do you believe us now?” I asked.

“Wow,” she said, rubbing her chin. “If you really are some kind of alien, that would explain a lot. Dad’s been pretty cryptic on the phone, and he’s totally freaked out. He has us all packed and ready to go to our shore house at a minute’s notice.” Her eyes glazed over David. “Boy would my Dad love to get his hands on you.”

“Maggie, you wouldn’t.”

“Nah, of course not. I’m not the goody-two-shoes military brat everyone expects me to be.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at David. “Do you still have that People Magazine from last month?”

What?
“Um, Yeah. I think so.”

I rifled through the magazines on the coffee table and found July’s edition under Dad’s Bass Fisherman Quarterly.

“Here you go.”

She plucked the magazine out of my hand. “Huh, I was right.” She held the cover up to David’s face. “Do you know you look almost exactly like Jared Linden?”

Jared graced the magazine cover, lying in the grass and looking right back at me. I thought it earlier, but placing the photograph right beside David made it undeniable.

“Omigosh, you’re right.”

“Except his eyes are different,” Maggie said, squinting at the photo.

David shrugged. “These are my actual eyes. The rest of me formed into what Jess was thinking of when we first met.”

I gulped. “What?”

David ran the fingers of his uninjured hand down my arm. “When I pulled your language out of your head, I also took on a form that I thought would relax you. It’s standard protocol.”

Maggie perked up. “Cool. You’re a shape-shifter? Like in the movies? That is so awesome. Change into something else.”

“It doesn’t really work like that. It’s not something I can just do at a moment’s notice.” He re-wrapped his hand with the gauze. “This façade is a means of protection for a pilot in case they fall into unfriendly territory. You can only use it once. It’s like wearing a suit, but I can’t take it off.”

“What happens if you take it off?” Maggie asked.

“I can’t put it back on, and it’s the only one I have. I had one chance to choose the correct form.”

Maggie snickered. “You sure did pick a nice one.” She walked around him, summing him up as if he were for sale. “So, Jess was thinking of Jared Linden, huh?”

David blushed. “Yeah, and a few other people. I didn’t have much time, so I cued in on the key things she was thinking about and let it go.”

Maggie messed his bangs. “Chris Stevens’s hair and shoulders. Adam Mayer’s dimples.” She turned toward me. “So, whose rear-end does he have?”

Oh no, she didn’t.
I blushed and headed for the kitchen. “I think I need something to drink. Anyone for an orange juice?”

Maggie’s obnoxious ring-tone echoed through the house. She tapped on her screen and answered, “Hey, What’s up?”

I was half-way through my second glass of OJ before David slid beside me at the kitchen table.

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“Am I mad?” Another swig of citrus rolled down my throat. “Mad that you read my mind? Mad because you stole the best parts of all my favorite guys? Mad that you are the man of my dreams, and I like you, and I thought you liked me, but you end up being some kind of an alien? No, I’m not mad at all.” I slammed my glass on the table, splattering juice across the counter.

“I don’t know what to say.”

I gripped the edge of the counter. “How about sorry? Sorry for dragging me into this. Sorry for lying. Sorry for stealing stuff out of my head.”

“All right. I’m sorry, but I only did what I was trained to do. I had no idea who you were and I needed to protect myself.”

“From me?”

“Yes, that’s why I…”

My jaw tightened as his words trailed off. “Why you what?”

His lips formed the beginning of three words before he closed his mouth completely.

I grabbed his arm. “What? What is it? What else did you do to me?”

David hugged his elbows. “I may have slipped in a little suggestion to not be afraid of me, and to trust me—no matter what.”

Anger boiled in my gut and burst from my fist as I slammed it against his shoulder. He barely flinched, and it only made me angrier. “You’ve been controlling my mind? All this time? How dare you…what were you…”

He raised his hands. “No, no, no. I just slipped in a suggestion to be comfortable with me. I never controlled you, Jess. You were always you. I never made you do anything other than feel safe when you were near me.”

The spilled orange juice made an odd shape on the counter. Any other time, I would have taken a picture.

My mind scrolled through the past few days and all the stupid things I’d done—how my instincts prodded, nagged, and warned me, but I kept acting like I’d known him forever…like I could trust him with my life. I couldn’t help but wonder…could I really trust him? I blinked as a whoosh of calm rolled through me. Of course I could trust him. David would never hurt me.

I pounded my fists against my forehead. “Ugh. I don’t even know if these are my own emotions anymore.”

“Jess, I never meant to hurt you. When we met, all I was interested in was hiding until I could go home. I never expected to…”

“Guys, we gotta get out of here,” Maggie interrupted, slipping her phone in her pocket. “Janice says they are on Primrose now. We need to hide E.T. or they’ll find him.”

A flood of energy hit me, mingled with a need to protect David. Real, or some kind of freaky spell, I didn’t know. Not that it mattered at this point. “Where can we go?”

“I have an idea, but you’ll think it’s crazy. And we’re going to have to walk, because Bobby took my car again.”

I jumped, hearing dogs barking in the distance. “Crazy is okay right now.”

Maggie placed her hands on her hips. “Good. ‘Cause I need you both to trust me.”

I adjusted the hood of my dad’s gray sweatshirt around David’s ears as we stood in front of Maggie’s house. “Are you sure about this?” I asked.

“Yes,” Maggie said. “They already searched here, and what alien in their right mind would hide in the house of the general in charge of finding him?”

David’s eyes darted from me to the house. He trembled, but I didn’t think he was cold.

“There’s got to be somewhere else,” he said.

I wish there was.
“Come on.” I tugged his elbow.

He dug his heels in. “This is insane.”

“Yes it is. That’s why it’ll probably work.” I gripped his arm, dragging him toward the house.

“Probably?”

Warmth cradled my face as Maggie opened the door. The intoxicating aroma of slow-roasted beef wrapped me up and screamed
eat me
.

“Mom,” Maggie called, “I’m home. Jess is here.”

The door to the kitchen swung open. Mrs. Baker leaned out, smiling. “Hey there, Jessica.” She dried her hands in a towel and smoothed her apron. Her gaze fell on David. “Who’s this?”

David straightened beside me.

“This is my cousin, David,” I said. “He picked a bad time to visit, huh?”

Mrs. Baker nodded. “Last week certainly would have been better. I’m surprised Tom didn’t mention him, but I suppose things have been a little crazy for everyone these past few days. I’ll plan on an extra for dinner, then.”

Mmmmm. The smell of Mrs. Baker’s cooking tickled my nose, making my stomach holler
yes, please.
“That’d be great.”

She headed off toward the kitchen. “Make yourselves at home.”

The creak of the front door spun us around. Bile pooled in my throat. My heart pumped madly as General Baker hung his hat on the stand beside the door. Bobby entered behind him, ripping the Velcro from his MP armband and hanging it beside his father’s hat.

I don’t know which scared me more. General Baker, or the sight of Bobby and those pudgy lips I used to think were so kissable. I clenched my teeth and instinctively latched onto David’s arm. Bobby’s gaze fell on my hand. His nose flared.
Oh, snap.

Visions of poor Matt Samuels facing down Bobby and his MP buddies flashed through my mind. I could tell by the look in Bobby’s eyes, not much had changed over the summer.

The general cocked his head to the side as he surveyed the room. His wide body remained as straight as a board, as if moving would wrinkle his perfectly pressed uniform. He zeroed right in on David and approached us.

David’s arm hardened like a rock.

“Who’s this?” the general asked.

Maggs jumped between them. “This is Jess’s cousin David. Isn’t he cute?” She gave her dad a hug before leaning toward her brother. “Where are my car keys, klepto?”

Bobby dropped the keys into her hand, his gaze trained on David.

“Ask next time.” Maggie slipped the keys into her pocket.

The general cleared his throat as his attention lingered on David’s wrapped hand.

With a raised brow he opened his mouth to speak, but squeezed his eyes shut instead. A grunt scampered up his throat before he blinked three times.

His gaze returned to David. “How’d you lose your finger, son?”

I tightened my grip on David’s arm as he spoke. “I—I caught my finger in a car door when I was a kid. There was nothing they could do.”

General Baker’s eyebrows inched up. “Interesting. The same thing happened to my brother when he was six.”

Huh? Lucky guess? Wait. Did David read his mind?

The general gestured to the bandage. “What happened there?”

David raised his hand. “Jess cooked, and I’m not very good in a kitchen. I accidentally leaned on the stove.”

A smile crossed the general’s lips, and his eyes swept past David's bandages and focus on his fingers.

Omigosh! Did he just check to make sure David had another pinky?

“Be more careful, there.” General Baker tapped David on the arm, and made his way into the kitchen.

Bobby watched the door swing closed behind his father. I tried to remember him like he used to be…curly blond hair and a football jersey. Not threatening at all. Just good old Bobby. It didn’t work. Why did he have to end up being the jealous type? Sweat dripped from my arm pits.
Keep it steady, Jess
.

Bobby’s gaze traveled over David. “Jess never mentioned having a cousin.”

David straightened, but kept his cool. Good for him. I was sweating enough for both of us.

“I—don’t live near here.”

Bobby’s nose twisted. “Where do you live?” His gaze lowered to my nervous grip on David’s arm.

I released him, and my hands fell to my sides. It freaked me out how much a uniform and a crew cut could change Bobby. This wasn’t the same guy I made out with behind the commissary. This guy was just. Plain. Scary.

Mrs. Baker poked her head out. “Margaret, could you help set the table?”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “Umm, yeah, I guess.”

She looked back at me and mouthed “I’m sorry” before slipping into the kitchen.

Bobby grabbed my arm and scooted me toward the front door. “Let me show you my new arm-band.”

I scampered along with him. Not like he gave me a choice. David picked up a book from the coffee table and flipped through the pages.

“So who the Hell is this guy, Jess?” Bobby asked, releasing my arm.

It didn’t hurt, but I rubbed it anyway. “He’s my cousin.”

“Don’t give me that. Who is he, really?”

“It’s none of your business.”

His eyes softened before his gaze lowered. He almost looked upset. Almost. “You are my business, Jess. I care about you.”

My stomach flipped. Two years ago, I would have danced a jig to hear him say that. I’d had a huge crush on Bobby. Every girl in school did. Class President, Most Valuable Player, Best Looking…there was no short run of accolades in his senior yearbook. He was the guy everyone either wanted, or wanted to be—and he was mine. Well, for a few months, anyway. The day he announced that he’d decided on a career with the Military Police, my little girl crush came to a resounding halt. Even the thought of being trapped on a military base for the rest of my life sent a heap load of bile in the wrong direction. So I broke it off.

You hear that Bobby? I broke it off.

“It’s not your job to care about me anymore, Bobby.”

I tensed as David appeared at my side. He seemed taller.

Bobby’s chest puffed out. There was way more testosterone flaring between them than I was prepared to deal with.

David’s neck seemed to tense. I guess he felt it, too.

My heart fluttered as Bobby took a step toward him. “Why do you look so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” David said.

It was probably the truth. David had a look on his face like he would rip Bobby in two if he wanted to. I shuddered, wondering if he could.

Bobby leaned closer, not more than an inch from David’s nose. “Who are you, really?”

Maggie banged out of the kitchen and threw a stack of dishes on the table. The three of us stood frozen, staring at each other as Maggs speed-set the table like a pro.

Her eyes remained fixed on us the entire time. I don’t know how she got the silverware in the correct places.