Stepping into the Sky: Jump When Ready, Book 3 (5 page)

As if on cue to bail Henry out, Naomi said, “Does anyone want
me to try the chocolate crepe thing?”

“Me, definitely,” Simon said.

“Big surprise,” Nikki said under her breath.

“Heard that,” Simon said.

“I could make some with cinnamon too,” Naomi said. “I bet
those would taste great with butter, apples and whipped cream.”

Jamie’s hand shot into the air, almost involuntarily.
“Right here, thank you very much.”

Naomi caught Nikki’s eye, a slight smile tugging at the
corner of her mouth. The girl was good, no doubt about it. Whatever instincts
were kicking in, they were definitely impressive.

~~~

In Nikki’s experience, this was the first time Martha had
greeted them without smiling. She opened her door, stepped back to let them
enter and then closed her door again. She regarded them with a serious
expression.

“Did you two make a decision?”

“You mean, you don’t know?” Nikki said.

Martha raised an eyebrow. “How would I know?”

“I just assumed you had a way of knowing that sort of
thing.”

Martha shook her head, just slightly. “I do sense when
one of you is distressed, that’s true. But right now, I’m not getting that from
either one of you. Which suggests what your decision might be. However, I don’t
want to make any assumptions.”

Henry nodded at the closed door. “Let me put it this way.
I get the feeling that when we leave here again, we won’t be in Kansas
anymore.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” Henry said.

Martha turned to Nikki and waited.

“I’m all over it,” Nikki said. “This place hasn’t been
edgy enough lately.” She offered Martha one of her best smirks. “So, was that
the decision our lack of distress suggested?”

“Actually, yes. That’s what I thought you’d decided.”

“Wow, I would have thought the opposite,” Nikki said.
“But, okay. Why did you think we’d decided to try?”

Martha looked back and forth between them. “Because after
all this time, I know at least two things about you. The first is that you’d
feel distressed if you thought you were about to disappoint me. You wouldn’t
have, by the way.”

“What’s the second thing?” Henry said.

Martha met his eyes, then Nikki’s. “The second thing is
that neither of you feel distressed when someone needs your help. In fact, you
barely think about it before plunging in.”

Henry grinned. “You’ve wanted us to work on that, haven’t
you?”

“Yes, but so far you’ve refused. Which, for Rose’s sake,
might prove to be a good thing. Unless you have any more questions, I suppose
this is as good a time as any.”

Nikki and Henry exchanged glances. As for Nikki, she knew
she had a million questions. The problem was, she couldn’t isolate one right
now. In fact, they felt like they’d melded together to create a giant black
hole of uncertainty. Henry must have felt similarly since he remained mute as
well.

Martha reached for the door. “There’s one last thing you
should know.”

“
Last
thing?” Nikki said. “Not sure I  like
the sound of that.”

“Okay, one more thing. Certain...arrangements have been
made to help you accomplish your task. There’s no point in trying to describe
them. You’ll realize immediately. But please remember that nothing will be as
it seems. Please try to remember that. In fact, promise me.”

Nikki nodded and Henry did too.

“Okay, then it’s time.”

Without thinking about it, Nikki reached for Henry's hand
just as he reached out for hers.

Martha opened the door.

Nikki and Henry stepped through it into the dream.

Intuition

In the dream, she
fell. Always she fell. The rocks below glistened darkly. Waves crashed over
them with thunderous bursts. Above, the gulls laughed. Eyes wide, heart
pounding, she plummeted. It wasn’t the fear of dying she felt as the boulders
drew near, as she was about to smash and break. It was her terror of what would
follow.

Then darkness and more laughter. A dark laughter matching
the void she’d entered. She felt nothing, saw nothing. But she sensed movement nearby.
Shadows darker than the blackness surrounding her. She heard whispers.

You’ll never leave.

But you deserve this, don’t you? You deserve this
hell.

Because that’s where murderers go!

Rose gasped and her eyes flew open. She sprang up in bed,
clutching sheet to chest. She’d had the dream again, that horrible dream. Each
time was as bad as the first. Not that she could remember the first. It seemed
like it had been going on for a lifetime, that curse of a dream.

Outside her windows, it remained dark and Rose checked
the time to be sure it was indeed morning. She didn’t want to go back to sleep,
couldn’t possibly. It had to be morning. She wouldn’t be able to stand it
otherwise. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and told herself that it
was just clouds passing before the sun. That’s what was making it seem darker.
And, no, she didn’t hear thunder rumbling in the distance, reminding her of the
surf crashing over the rocks in her dream. That wasn’t happening either. It was
a sunny, beautiful morning. She’d see that when she opened her eyes again.

Rose felt it now, the sunlight striking her skin as it
streamed through the blinds. She angled her face toward that light and thought,
It’s always darkest before the dawn, right? Isn’t that what they say?

She felt foolish at her own silliness before. Imagine
being afraid of some passing clouds. Or a nightmare, for that matter. She was
an adult now, a fully-grown woman. Rose opened her eyes to see her room bathed
in the dazzling light of a perfect spring morning. She swung her legs off the
bed and stretched her arms. It was going to be a lovely day. She just knew it.

After her shower, Rose dressed in tan Capri pants and her
new Beatles t-shirt. At eighteen, she realized she was maybe a little too old
to be caught up in all the silliness. But it wasn’t like she fawned over
pictures in magazines. Well, sometimes she couldn’t help stare a little. They
were unbelievably cute after all. At those times, she made herself think of
Joseph. She’d wondered once or twice if he’d ever consider wearing his hair
just a tad longer. He made fun of the style, as did his father. But, really, it
would suit him. Joseph had such nice hair—thick, blonde and wavy.

As she descended the stairs, Rose knew where she’d find
her grandmother. On a morning such as this, she’d be sitting on the patio next
to the garden. She wouldn’t have to feel chilly today, something she complained
of lately, even when it wasn’t particularly cool.

Sure enough, Olivia sat at the table outside where coffee
had already been served along with scones, toast and marmalade. Camila must
have heard Rose start the shower, knowing she’d be hungry by the time she came
downstairs. So kind of her, Rose thought, but Camila had always been such a
thoughtful woman. She was really the most perfect kind of help and they
couldn’t have asked for better. In fact, Rose couldn’t recall the last time she’d
actually seen Camila. Or heard her, for that matter. How was it possible that
she always left the perfect touch—flowers beside her bed, fresh towels for the
morning, or coffee and scones timed for her arrival downstairs—while remaining
so completely unobtrusive? Really, the woman was an absolute gift.

Rose took a seat at the table and Olivia poured her a cup
of coffee. Her hand trembled a bit with the weight of the China pot.

“Grandmother, I can get that,” Rose said.

“Nonsense, dear. It’s my pleasure.”

Olivia kept her eyes on Rose’s cup as she poured, being
careful not to spill. Steam swirled into the air and Rose could smell the coffee’s
freshness. It must have been brewed minutes before she came downstairs. Rose
couldn’t decide between toast or scones so she chose one of each.

Olivia offered a mock-frown. “Both? Aren’t you worried
about fitting into your dress?”

Rose pretended to consider, then shrugged. “Well, seeing
as the wedding is two days off, I should be fine. Or I’ll just suck it in.” She
grinned at her grandmother and took a healthy bite from her scone.

Olivia laughed. “That’s one thing you’ve never had to
worry about. Lucky girl. When I was your age, I had to watch every calorie. I
remember before my wedding, I was terrified I might gain weight. What with all
the social occasions and opportunities to eat cake. Nowadays, I just don’t
care. One of the advantages of getting old, I guess.”

“You’re not old and you look perfect. I couldn’t imagine
you any other way.” Rose checked her watch, startled to see the time. “Wow, is
it really almost ten? I had no idea I’d slept that late.”

Olivia took a sip of coffee, nostrils flaring as she too
appreciated the aroma. “You’re allowed to sleep in. After all, you’ve had quite
the busy schedule lately.”

“Speaking of schedules, has Joseph called?”

Olivia took a cigarette out of her case, lit it, then
waved the smoke away. “Did you two have plans this morning?”

Suddenly, Rose couldn’t remember what she and Joseph were
supposed to do that morning. For some reason, she imagined him driving—his
shiny Camaro streaking up the coastal road. On the way to what?

“Rose?”

Rose shook her head to snap out of it. Still, she stared
at her grandmother, drawing a total blank.

Olivia gazed into her eyes, brow creased with concern. “I
believe you mentioned that the two of you had plans to finalize the floral
arrangements.”

Was that it? Why had she imagined Joseph driving in such
a hurry? But, yes, it was the flowers. She’d actually talked Joseph into being
part of that.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Rose
tried to smile but it felt forced.

Olivia patted the back of her hand. “It’s perfectly
natural to get distracted right now. I’m sure you have a lot on your mind.”

“I know but, for a minute there I—”

“Try not to worry. Everyone has moments like that.
Believe me, at my age, I certainly do. And to think, you have such a caring,
young man in your life now.”

Rose checked her grandmother’s eyes, searching for
something but not finding it. Hadn’t she recently said something suggesting she
didn’t entirely trust Joseph?

“I knew I’d find you two out here!”

Rose spun in her seat to see him standing in the French
doors leading off the kitchen. Joseph grinned as he looked out at them. Rose’s
heart jumped at the sight of him—thin waist and broad shoulders, gleaming blue
eyes and that perfectly straight nose. The fact was, she wasn’t the most
beautiful girl. She accepted that about herself. Not exactly ugly, but
certainly nothing stunning. That a man like Joseph had fallen for her, Rose
sometimes found hard to believe. She knew that looks really weren’t supposed to
matter, that what was inside was what counted. As far as Joseph was concerned,
she’d won the lottery twice, since he was a total sweetheart too.

Joseph strode toward them. He kept his eyes on Rose as he
approached, then winked at the last moment as he passed her by. He bent over
Olivia and gave her a hug.

“Oh, stop,” Olivia said, but her face lit up in a smile.
“You’re hugging the wrong woman.”

“I’ll always have hugs for you, Olivia. You look stunning
today, by the way.”

Olivia laughed again and Rose laughed too. Joseph shoved
his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he looked around the
yard. “Do you think this day is nice enough?” He brought his gaze to bear upon
Rose. “And as for you, young lady. Don’t we have something on our agenda?”

Suddenly, Rose felt foolish for trying to drag him along
to look at flowers. Why didn’t she and Olivia take care of that? She rolled her
eyes and said, “Honey, it’s ridiculous. You probably have a million better
things to do.”

Joseph cocked his head. “What? I love flowers. Come on,
let’s get moving.” He turned to Olivia again. “Provided you ladies have
finished breakfast.”

“Go, you two,” Olivia said. “Rose, you are one lucky
young lady. Don’t’ forget that.”

~~~

They were just about to get into Joseph’s Camaro when Rose
stopped in the driveway. It didn’t make sense, she knew, but that image came to
mind again—Joseph racing up the coastal road, the sunlight gleaming off his car
as he careened around a corner. Where that image had suddenly come from—or why
it brought with it a sense of unease—wasn’t clear. What was even stranger was
that she could swear she’d encountered this image in her subconscious before.
She’d heard of Déjà vu without really knowing what it meant. Now, a chill
rippled up her spine. Rose had never believed in psychics or any of that
foolishness but she had to wonder if someone was trying to tell her something.
Was it possible that if Joseph drove they might have an accident?

Joseph turned to see why she’d stopped following him.
“Everything okay?”

Was
everything okay? Rose wanted to think so.
After all, her wedding was just days away. But first she’d suffered that
horrible dream. Then she’d seen that image of Joseph driving. Now she recalled
that other moment, when she could have sworn Olivia didn’t truly like Joseph.
Rose touched her palm to her forehead checking for warmth. She sure hoped she
wasn’t coming down with something. Not now of all times.

“What’s going on?”

Rose shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just that it’s such
a beautiful day. Why don’t we take the Thunderbird so we can roll the top
down?”

Joseph’s eyes narrowed in annoyance for just a split
second. Or maybe he was squinting against the sun, since a moment later he
shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

Rose fished her keys from her purse.

Joseph held his hand out, palm up, waiting for Rose to
toss him the keys. Normally, she would have but she couldn’t get that image out
of her mind.

She smiled her sweetest smile. “Do you mind if I drive,
babe? I just kind of feel like it today.”

Joseph studied her for a moment. “Who am I to argue with
a lady’s wishes?”

A moment later, Rose turned the key in the ignition and
backed down the driveway. Everything was going to be fine now. She was being
silly, she knew, but she’d read stories in
Readers Digest
about women
having premonitions. “Intuition” was the word they often used but it amounted
to the same thing. There’d been one really sad story about a woman who’d
imagined seeing her son standing in her bedroom one morning months after he’d
been sent to Korea. He’d just appeared there suddenly, wearing his uniform,
staring back at her and not saying a word. The next day, the woman learned
that—

“Rose!”

A horn blasted and tires squealed. Rose stomped on the
brake, realizing only now that she’d backed into the street without looking.

“What’s gotten into you today?”

“I… I don’t know.” She looked into the rearview mirror
and saw the other car. Whoever it was had veered off the road to avoid hitting
her.

Joseph turned to look. “They’re fine. Just keep going.”

“Shouldn’t we… I mean, I should apologize. Don’t you
think?”

Joseph stared at her, his eyes cold. “They shouldn’t be
here.”

Rose understood why he’d be angry. After all, she’d
almost caused an accident. Still, it seemed rude to just drive off without
saying anything. Rose opened the door to get out of the car and Joseph grabbed
her arm.

“You don’t know them,” he said.

Rose had never seen that kind of darkness in his eyes
before. Nothing even close and it scared her. “Honey, you’re hurting me.” She
yanked her arm free and walked toward the street. What was wrong with him?
Maybe he’d stayed up half the night with his friends. He was probably just
tired.

The other driver got out of his car and Rose knew right
off that she’d never seen him in the neighborhood before. Part of her
understood Joseph’s reaction now. There weren’t any cut-through roads in this
part of town. On the Cliffs, everyone knew each other. What was he doing here?
A young woman got out too. Chinese? Japanese? Rose had no idea but she’d
definitely never seen her around either. Still, Rose told herself not to be a
snob. Maybe they had no business being here but that didn’t mean she shouldn’t
acknowledge her mistake.

“I’m so sorry,” Rose said. “I wasn’t watching where I was
going. I just backed right out of the driveway.”

Whoever he was, he hesitated, as if confused about
something. Then he smiled. “I don’t know. That might have been me. We were
talking. I probably should have been paying better attention.”

Rose took a closer look at him. He looked to be about
Joseph’s age. His brown eyes showed no concern over what had just happened.
Almost happened, Rose reminded herself, trying to get past her own
embarrassment. She noticed his hair, that it was thick and dark and that he
wore it a little longer, more in the fashion she’d been wondering about earlier
for Joseph.

He smiled again, watching her, waiting for her to say
something.

Rose’s face grew warm and she realized she’d been
staring. “Not at all. I’m so sorry. I was distracted.”

He took a step closer and offered his hand. “I’m Henry.”
He gestured to the girl next to him. “This is Nikki.”

Nikki offered her hand and Rose noticed the ring
immediately. In the past she might not have, but these days she recognized a
finely cut diamond when she saw one.

Nikki shook Rose’s hand, her face lighting up in a smile.
“Henry and I just moved in down the street.”