Read Online Pieces of Hope by Carolyn Carter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn Carter
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wonderful time. I’ll be waiting in the
café when you get back.”
Inhaling
a steadying breath, I stepped cautiously down the aisle, picturing only Ethan,
imagining his silky voice in my head. Creesie was
wrong about one thing. In ways I’d never dreamt of—ways I preferred never to
think of—I was far more breakable than she could possibly imagine . . . if harm
ever came to Ethan. In some forgotten part of my soul, I knew this to be true.
6 Heaven’s Peak
“Watch
where you’re going, Hope!”
Brody
Alexander shouted from the passenger seat. He yanked the steering wheel of the
Jeep, guiding it safely between the yellow lines as I looked on helplessly from
the driver’s side.
I
glanced quickly in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of Ethan’s stunning
face. He didn’t look half as alarmed as Brody seemed to be, and not one-tenth
as alarmed as I was. So much for listening to Creesie’s warning about soul-to-soul visits. I’d almost killed Ethan and Brody—and I’d only just arrived!
“Did you
forget you were driving or something?” Brody was looking at me like I was an
idiot. I gave him the same look back.
“No, of
course not!” I huffed, trying to figure out how Brody had entered Ethan’s
dream. “Where’re we headed, anyway?” I jerked the wheel back from Brody, and
seeing the speedometer nearing eighty, I eased off the accelerator. We dropped
quickly in speed, and slowly, my heart rate did the same.
“Jeez, Hope . . . we’re going
climbing. Ethan’s pick, remember?” A smile slipped across Brody’s face as he
regained his sense of humor. “Or . . . were you too busy staring into Ethan’s
big green eyes to hear me?”
I didn’t
wish to dignify his sarcasm with a comment, or maybe I just knew he was right.
As calmly as I could, I said, “Of course I remember. We’re going to—to—”
Brody
chuckled. “I knew you weren’t listening. Ethan’s found a crag near Rooster Rock State Park
that we’ve never seen. Ring any kind of bells?” he teased, alluding I was sure,
to the wedding variety. “Or have you suddenly contracted old-timer’s?”
“Alzheimer’s,”
I corrected, slipping into my usual role. “And no, my memory’s as good as ever.
Unlike you, I’ve got a lot on my mind!” Like
saving your skinny butt . “Now shut up and let me drive, will you?”
I stared
a little too long at Brody, but thankfully, I stayed between the lines and he
was too busy messing with the radio to even notice. I couldn’t get over how
much he had changed. His eyes were alight from the inside, and a yellowish
shimmer bounced around him. Was this Brody’s happy-go-lucky soul? If so, I now
understood why Claire needed to be with him, and why I would do everything in
my power to keep them together.
Brody
finally settled on a classic rock station, and an old tune from Boston blared through the
speakers. Feverishly, he pounded out a riff on his impressive air-guitar, eyes
closed in concentration. I beamed at the sight of him—yellow glow and
all—realizing for the first time what an incredible friend he was and how much
I had missed him.
The blue
sky overhead seemed almost transparent as we drove down I-84 with the Columbia River roaring alongside us. The sun bathed
everything in a warm light, and by the looks of the trees, it was sometime in
the late fall. It was the most perfect day I could have imagined, or rather,
since this was Ethan’s subconscious—his very best day—and I hoped it wasn’t
going away anytime soon.
I had so
many questions for Ethan, but they all got stuck in my throat and refused to
come out. Had it been just the two of us, the words might have come easier, but
I was glad that Brody was here as well. He buffered some of the tension—not a
lot—but some. So instead of opening my mouth and saying something stupid, I
relegated myself to long glances in the rearview where Ethan’s limpid eyes
studied me. Though I knew the
café when you get back.”
Inhaling
a steadying breath, I stepped cautiously down the aisle, picturing only Ethan,
imagining his silky voice in my head. Creesie was
wrong about one thing. In ways I’d never dreamt of—ways I preferred never to
think of—I was far more breakable than she could possibly imagine . . . if harm
ever came to Ethan. In some forgotten part of my soul, I knew this to be true.
6 Heaven’s Peak
“Watch
where you’re going, Hope!”
Brody
Alexander shouted from the passenger seat. He yanked the steering wheel of the
Jeep, guiding it safely between the yellow lines as I looked on helplessly from
the driver’s side.
I
glanced quickly in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of Ethan’s stunning
face. He didn’t look half as alarmed as Brody seemed to be, and not one-tenth
as alarmed as I was. So much for listening to Creesie’s warning about soul-to-soul visits. I’d almost killed Ethan and Brody—and I’d only just arrived!
“Did you
forget you were driving or something?” Brody was looking at me like I was an
idiot. I gave him the same look back.
“No, of
course not!” I huffed, trying to figure out how Brody had entered Ethan’s
dream. “Where’re we headed, anyway?” I jerked the wheel back from Brody, and
seeing the speedometer nearing eighty, I eased off the accelerator. We dropped
quickly in speed, and slowly, my heart rate did the same.
“Jeez, Hope . . . we’re going
climbing. Ethan’s pick, remember?” A smile slipped across Brody’s face as he
regained his sense of humor. “Or . . . were you too busy staring into Ethan’s
big green eyes to hear me?”
I didn’t
wish to dignify his sarcasm with a comment, or maybe I just knew he was right.
As calmly as I could, I said, “Of course I remember. We’re going to—to—”
Brody
chuckled. “I knew you weren’t listening. Ethan’s found a crag near Rooster Rock State Park
that we’ve never seen. Ring any kind of bells?” he teased, alluding I was sure,
to the wedding variety. “Or have you suddenly contracted old-timer’s?”
“Alzheimer’s,”
I corrected, slipping into my usual role. “And no, my memory’s as good as ever.
Unlike you, I’ve got a lot on my mind!” Like
saving your skinny butt . “Now shut up and let me drive, will you?”
I stared
a little too long at Brody, but thankfully, I stayed between the lines and he
was too busy messing with the radio to even notice. I couldn’t get over how
much he had changed. His eyes were alight from the inside, and a yellowish
shimmer bounced around him. Was this Brody’s happy-go-lucky soul? If so, I now
understood why Claire needed to be with him, and why I would do everything in
my power to keep them together.
Brody
finally settled on a classic rock station, and an old tune from Boston blared through the
speakers. Feverishly, he pounded out a riff on his impressive air-guitar, eyes
closed in concentration. I beamed at the sight of him—yellow glow and
all—realizing for the first time what an incredible friend he was and how much
I had missed him.
The blue
sky overhead seemed almost transparent as we drove down I-84 with the Columbia River roaring alongside us. The sun bathed
everything in a warm light, and by the looks of the trees, it was sometime in
the late fall. It was the most perfect day I could have imagined, or rather,
since this was Ethan’s subconscious—his very best day—and I hoped it wasn’t
going away anytime soon.
I had so
many questions for Ethan, but they all got stuck in my throat and refused to
come out. Had it been just the two of us, the words might have come easier, but
I was glad that Brody was here as well. He buffered some of the tension—not a
lot—but some. So instead of opening my mouth and saying something stupid, I
relegated myself to long glances in the rearview where Ethan’s limpid eyes
studied me. Though I knew the
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