Read Online Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) by Jane Ralston-Brooks - Free Book Online
Authors: Jane Ralston-Brooks
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at the kitchen table, taking small sips until her heart slowed. When she finally climbed the stairs to bed, she lay awake until morning.
*****
A few days later Erin drove to work through a steady rain, the big drops splattering on the windshield. She flipped on the wipers and turned on the radio, thinking about the coming weekend. She hoped the rain would let up for their biking trip. Matt had been planning this trip for months to celebrate his twelfth birthday.
She’d slept fitfully every night for the last week, sometimes waking completely, sometimes just restless. The dreams disturbed her more than ever, but all she could remember were fragments. Every time she woke, she woke trembling. No details and no sleep. She looked in her rearview mirror and groaned at the circles under her eyes.
Five days had gone by since she had seen Gary, and she still hadn’t called him about the weekend. She wondered if he really wanted to join them or if he was just being kind. He might have forgotten all about it by now. She decided to quit putting it off, call him, and find out.
She pulled into the music store parking lot and pulled out her phone. She searched her purse for Gary’s card and punched in his number.
“Good morning. AB International,” a pleasant woman’s voice answered.
“Gary Arthur, please.”
“One moment.” Music came on the line.
“Gary Arthur’s office,” said a brisk female voice.
“Is Gary in?” Erin asked.
“Who’s calling, please?”
“Erin Holley.”
She was put on hold again, and the music was back. She looked at her fingernails and pushed back a couple of the cuticles.
“Gary is on the other line right now. May I have him return your call?” asked the woman.
“Sure.” Erin gave her the phone number of the music store and went inside, wondering if he would call her back. She decided it was just as well she hadn’t reached him. If he didn’t call her back, she’d know he wasn’t really interested.
By the end of the day, Erin collapsed into a chair and closed her eyes. She had given six lessons that afternoon, plus Ed had needed to run errands in the middle of the day, leaving her to attend to the customers, too. She was exhausted and had started gathering her things together when the phone rang.
“Anacortes Music. This is Erin.”
“It’s Gary. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. It’s been one of those days.”
“I’ve had one like that myself.”
“Is the bike ride still on?” Gary asked.
“Sure is.”
“I’ll be there. Should I meet you at your place?”
“My place is good. Say about nine o’clock?” Erin said.
“In the morning?” He sounded surprised.
“Of course.”
“Do I need anything besides my bike?”
“Just your helmet,” she said.
“See you then.” Gary hung up the phone.
So Gary would be there after all. Erin touched her lips, remembering the feel of his mouth on hers, and her heart started pounding. Was this the right thing? She shook her head, chiding herself for making such a big deal out of a bike ride. They would have a fun day with the kids and get to know each other a little better. All she hoped for was good weather and a good night’s sleep beforehand. The last thing she wanted was to look like a zombie on Saturday.
Chapter 9
Another wakeful night left Erin more tired in the morning than before she had gone to bed, but she drank an extra cup of coffee and got the kids off to school. Only two customers came into the store that morning, and Erin sat behind the counter, fighting to keep her eyes open.
“Are you awake?” Ed was looking at her with concern.
Erin lifted her head from the counter. “I’m so sorry. I guess I kind of drifted off. What were you saying?”
“I just wanted to let you know I’m going out for a bite of lunch now.”
“Oh, no problem,” Erin said.
“Good. Are you all right? You drifted off once last week, too.”
“It’s nothing. I keep waking up at night. I’m just not
*****
A few days later Erin drove to work through a steady rain, the big drops splattering on the windshield. She flipped on the wipers and turned on the radio, thinking about the coming weekend. She hoped the rain would let up for their biking trip. Matt had been planning this trip for months to celebrate his twelfth birthday.
She’d slept fitfully every night for the last week, sometimes waking completely, sometimes just restless. The dreams disturbed her more than ever, but all she could remember were fragments. Every time she woke, she woke trembling. No details and no sleep. She looked in her rearview mirror and groaned at the circles under her eyes.
Five days had gone by since she had seen Gary, and she still hadn’t called him about the weekend. She wondered if he really wanted to join them or if he was just being kind. He might have forgotten all about it by now. She decided to quit putting it off, call him, and find out.
She pulled into the music store parking lot and pulled out her phone. She searched her purse for Gary’s card and punched in his number.
“Good morning. AB International,” a pleasant woman’s voice answered.
“Gary Arthur, please.”
“One moment.” Music came on the line.
“Gary Arthur’s office,” said a brisk female voice.
“Is Gary in?” Erin asked.
“Who’s calling, please?”
“Erin Holley.”
She was put on hold again, and the music was back. She looked at her fingernails and pushed back a couple of the cuticles.
“Gary is on the other line right now. May I have him return your call?” asked the woman.
“Sure.” Erin gave her the phone number of the music store and went inside, wondering if he would call her back. She decided it was just as well she hadn’t reached him. If he didn’t call her back, she’d know he wasn’t really interested.
By the end of the day, Erin collapsed into a chair and closed her eyes. She had given six lessons that afternoon, plus Ed had needed to run errands in the middle of the day, leaving her to attend to the customers, too. She was exhausted and had started gathering her things together when the phone rang.
“Anacortes Music. This is Erin.”
“It’s Gary. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. It’s been one of those days.”
“I’ve had one like that myself.”
“Is the bike ride still on?” Gary asked.
“Sure is.”
“I’ll be there. Should I meet you at your place?”
“My place is good. Say about nine o’clock?” Erin said.
“In the morning?” He sounded surprised.
“Of course.”
“Do I need anything besides my bike?”
“Just your helmet,” she said.
“See you then.” Gary hung up the phone.
So Gary would be there after all. Erin touched her lips, remembering the feel of his mouth on hers, and her heart started pounding. Was this the right thing? She shook her head, chiding herself for making such a big deal out of a bike ride. They would have a fun day with the kids and get to know each other a little better. All she hoped for was good weather and a good night’s sleep beforehand. The last thing she wanted was to look like a zombie on Saturday.
Chapter 9
Another wakeful night left Erin more tired in the morning than before she had gone to bed, but she drank an extra cup of coffee and got the kids off to school. Only two customers came into the store that morning, and Erin sat behind the counter, fighting to keep her eyes open.
“Are you awake?” Ed was looking at her with concern.
Erin lifted her head from the counter. “I’m so sorry. I guess I kind of drifted off. What were you saying?”
“I just wanted to let you know I’m going out for a bite of lunch now.”
“Oh, no problem,” Erin said.
“Good. Are you all right? You drifted off once last week, too.”
“It’s nothing. I keep waking up at night. I’m just not
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