Read Online A Place Beyond by Laura Howard - Free Book Online Page B

much.”
    “I know,” I said, shaking my head so I wouldn’t start tearing up again. “We love you, too.”
    She turned and hurried toward the door, but not before I saw the tears slip down her cheeks.
    “I’ll be home soon, Mom,” Ethan said, coming to my side and wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
    I rested my forehead against his chest and tried to get my breathing steady.
    “Now we will watch one of the most hilarious movies I’ve ever seen. And despite everything, I will see you smile,” he said.
    As if I were putty in his hands, I smiled up at him. I couldn’t have stopped it if I tried. The truth was that a funny movie sounded perfect.
    I sat down on the couch while he went to the counter and picked up a DVD case. “Have you ever watched The Office ?” he asked.
    “Nope, never,” I said, watching him put the movie in the DVD player.
    “Okay, well this has the guy, Steve Carell from that show,” Ethan said, dropping down beside me and pulling my head down on his shoulder. “He plays this geeky forty year-old who’s never done the deed. It’s a freaking riot.”
    He was right, it was pretty funny. It felt good to laugh at the absurdity. By the time it was over, I was ready for bed.
    “As much as I hate to leave you, I’m going to head home,” he said as I turned off the TV with the remote.
    “Don’t worry about it,” I said, standing up to stretch. “You still have a life you need to live.”
    “And it’ll be good for your Gram to have you all to herself,” he said, grabbing his keys from the little bowl on the sideboard.
    “I don’t know about that, but it’ll do me good to be with her.”
    He walked back to me and put his hands on my shoulders, concern in his eyes. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
    I didn’t say anything, reaching up and smoothing my hands down his forearms. He sighed and pulled my head to his chest as he put his arms around my back.
    I returned his embrace, feeling warm and safe for the moment.
    “Allison,” he said, sounding very serious.
    “Mmm?”
    “Promise me you won’t go off on your own again without waiting for me. No matter what.”
    “I- I can’t,” I said, unable to look in his eyes.
    “Yes, you can,” he said, tilting my chin up so I had to meet his gaze.
    “It’s like I said before, you have a life you can’t just put on hold every other day. I would never expect you to.”
    “You are a very big part of that life. Don’t you see that?”
    God, I wanted to keep him out of this whole mess. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. If you do, it’ll be my fault, Ethan. I don’t think I could deal with that.”
    “Then we have to promise to look after each other. I swear I’ll always be here when you need me. Always.”
    I nodded and let out a ragged breath. He was even more stubborn than me. “Okay. I promise.”
    “That’s my girl,” he said and ruffled the top of my head.
    “Get out here. I’m going to bed.”
    Ethan held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m going.”
    I walked him to the front door and he stepped onto the porch and turned. “I’ll talk to you in the morning,” he said, kissing my forehead.
    He climbed down the porch steps and got in his truck. With one last look he started it up and drove away, his hand over his heart.
     

 

     
     
    I woke from a dreamless sleep before the sun came up. I lay there, wrestling with a million unwelcome thoughts before I got out of bed. I washed and dressed quickly before heading down into the quiet kitchen.
    I imagined Pop would be measuring coffee at about this time, whistling under his breath. I felt a pull toward the coffee pot myself. The smell of fresh coffee was familiar and comforting as I measured the grounds into the filter. There was a pattern here in doing what Pop might have been doing that made me feel closer to him, somehow.
    Just as the first rays of the sun peaked through the spindly branches of autumn trees, I found myself