Wrecked and Yours Trilogy: A Second Chance Love Story Read online

  Jason paused from where he’d been leading the trio, and pulled up his Metallica t-shirt to wipe his face. He looked back, and his eyebrow flickered at the sight of her stomach. Catching her eye, he wiped his face again.

  “Drop your packs,” he ordered. “There’s got to be some blackberry bushes around here. We have to find something to eat.”

  With a groan, Miranda lowered her backpack to the ground, her shoulders throbbing from the release of the weight. Cassie had already jettisoned her pack and was bursting through the tall grass. Poppy was somewhere by her feet, because Cassie tripped and scolded the dog.

  Up ahead, they found a few berry bushes, but the blackberries were hard and green, still hidden on their prickly branches. Cassie picked one off and put it in her mouth. Her nose wrinkled at the sour taste and Miranda laughed. “I told you so.” She reached out to tousle her sister’s hair, surprised at how white the sun had turned it.

  “Come on, let’s go in deeper.” Jason pointed to where the trees thinned out. “I think we might find strawberries in there.”

  “At this point I’d eat the grass,” Miranda grumbled.

  “That ain’t a bad idea. You see any dandelion leaves, gather them up.”

  She grimaced at the thought. “Have you ever eaten a dandelion leaf?”

  He grinned, his green eyes hooded under thick eyebrows. “Many times. It’s either that, or starve until we find a town.”

  They wandered all afternoon searching for food. The trees eventually petered out into a larger field, taking them farther from the river than they intended.

  “Shhh.” Jason waved them down. The three of them crouched at the edge of the waving grass. Somewhere ahead they could hear voices. After a few seconds, Miranda recognized a song, sweet and lilting, and then the pounding of a hammer on wood. The grass whispered around them. Jason slowly peeked his head up. His features relaxed and yearning softened his eyes.

  Poppy began a low growl.

  “Shut that dog up!” Jason spun around, his lip curled with anger.

  “Shhhh,” Cassie whispered as she tried to cover the dog’s muzzle. Poppy sprang from Cassie’s arms and ran, barking, through the field toward the voices.

  “Poppy!” Cassie yelled chasing after her.

  “Oh my gosh.” Miranda took off sprinting after her sister.

  Poppy ran as fast as she could to the other side of the clearing. A young woman raised her head to watch the dog, seemingly unfazed at the sudden appearance of the kids. She sat on an old horse blanket with a brilliant scarf tied around her long hair. She wore a similar patterned skirt that was stretched taut over a full pregnant belly. The woman lifted her hand in greeting. “Hi, there.”

  About twenty feet away from her was a young man working on a half-built house, the size of a small shed. The boards being used for the cabin were grey from previous use. The young man, who had been unbending nails he’d pulled from the boards and dropping them in a soup can by his feet, turned to watch them approach.

  “Hello there, fellow travelers.” He rubbed his sparse beard and straightened up.

  The woman sat near a campfire, over which hung a pot on a metal tripod. Whatever was cooking inside smelled delicious, and Miranda’s stomach folded over on top of itself in response.

  “Where’d you guys pop up from?” The man was red from the heat. He pulled a bandanna from his pocket and wiped his face. Poppy sniffed his boots and then wagged her tail.

  Miranda’s gaze slowly took in the two adults. “Hi.” She partially lifted her hand.

  The woman rolled to one side and pushed herself to her feet. With one hand draped across her belly, she walked over.

  “Hello,” she said, then, with a laughing glance at her man, “I’m sorry for not being more welcoming. You’re the first people we’ve seen for quite some time.”

  “Months, maybe.” The man nodded.

  “Well, I’m not sure about that.” The lady nodded. “I’m Echo, and this,” she laid her hand on the man’s arm, “is Sky.”

  Cassie sucked in her breath. Miranda was saved from any embarrassing comment by Poppy nearly levitating off the ground in rage. The barking dog galloped in the direction of a small grove of trees behind the house. A loud chittering pealed out from high in the branches.

  “Oh, it’s her arch nemesis.” Cassie waved her hand in explanation.

  “The squirrel?” Sky asked.

  “Yeah, Poppy wants to eat them.”

  “They’re good,” Sky nodded. “Taste like chicken.”

  Miranda eyed the bubbling pot suspiciously.

  Echo laughed. “But we use real chicken here. Are you hungry?”

  Cassie squealed, “Yes!” and even Miranda couldn’t keep herself from nodding.

  “All right then,” Echo grabbed a couple bowls. “We can fix that easily enough.”

  Miranda accepted her bowl with a thank you. There was a strange wooden utensil sticking out of it. It was a homemade spoon, complete with bark on the handle. Cassie had no problem with it. She used the spoon to salute Miranda, before scooping up a bite.

  With a start, Miranda realized Jason hadn’t come with them. She spun around slowly, inspecting the thick grass, and then over by the house. An uneasy feeling curled in her chest.

  Then he appeared from within the tree cluster.

  “Jason! You hungry?”

  He glanced up and shrugged. Poppy jumped at his legs with a stick in her mouth. He sat down with his back against one of the trees and tossed the stick.

  Echo handed Miranda another bowl. “Maybe you want to…” She indicated Jason with a tilt of her head.

  “Thanks. I think he’s just kind of shy.” Miranda took the bowl and walked through the tall grass to the trees.

  “Here, you unsociable butt.” She set the bowl next to him.

  He didn’t acknowledge her, but dragged his knife along a stick he was carving and peeled off a long curl of bark. Within seconds, the piece of wood was shaped into a white spike.

  “What’s going on with you?” Miranda nudged his foot with her toe.

  “What are you acting so trusting for? You don’t know them.” He flung the stick, impaling a large maple leaf at the base of a tree.

  “They’re feeding us. They seem pretty nice.”

  “Murderers seem nice. Right before they…” He drew his finger across his throat.

  “Geez, Jason. Don’t you trust anyone?”

  He reached into his jeans pocket. “Here.” He held out his hand. “I found this.”

  Miranda reached out and he dropped a tiny silver bird into her palm. Gasping, she held it close to examine it. The etching was fine and detailed, with delicate feathers, and wings slightly raised as though about to take flight. “You didn’t find this.” She handed it back crossly. “Even if it was on the ground, it’s still theirs.”

  He studied it a second before returning it to his pocket.

  “You can’t keep that!”

  “I do what I like.” He stood up and walked toward the fire, leaving the bowl of stew on the ground.

  Sighing, Miranda picked it up and hurried after him.

  Sky had gone back to fixing the house, and it was just Echo and Cassie sitting by the fire. Jason squatted next to it and fed a few sticks into the coals. His jaw clenched as he stared at the flames.

  “So when is your baby going to be born?” Cassie asked.

  “Oh, I think sometime at the end of summer. He’s getting pretty big.” Echo smiled as she rubbed her stomach.

  “How do you know he’s a boy?” Cassie asked.

  Miranda took a bite of the stew, listening for the answer.

  Echo looked down at her stomach. “I don’t. Not really. It’s a feeling I have when I talk to him.”

  “You talk to him?”

  “Sure, and he listens and wiggles back.” She paused for a second. “Let me see your hand. He’s kicking now because he knows we’re talking about him.”

  Cassie eagerly put her hand on Ec
ho’s belly, her eyes lighting up when she felt the baby move. “Miranda! Come quick and feel him.”

  Miranda nervously shook her head.

  Echo beckoned to her. “I think he’s jumping for you. Come say hi.”

  Miranda reached out her hand, embarrassed at how dirty it was against Echo’s clean shirt. Echo placed her hand over Miranda’s and moved it a bit lower.

  “There.” Her eyes twinkled. “Did you feel him?”

  Miranda did. Tucked tight in there, the baby squirmed like a fish, and then pushed hard against her hand. It kind of gave her the shivers. Cassie giggled at the kick. There were no more wiggles after that, except for little, rhythmic jerks.

  “He’s got the hiccups.” Echo smiled.

  “Unborn babies can get hiccups?” Cassie’s eyes grew large.

  “Yep,” Echo nodded, “and then he gives them to me.”

  Jason jumped up and stalked out into the grass. Miranda watched him go for a moment before softly touching Cassie’s shoulder.

  “Thanks for your hospitality.” Miranda dipped her head at Echo. “We’re going to head out now.”

  “You sure? You’re welcome to stay.” Echo offered.

  “We have a place, but thanks anyway. And good luck with your baby!” Miranda waved, while Cassie whistled for Poppy. They linked hands and headed into the grass.

  Jason didn’t turn around as they followed him. They trudged along for fifteen minutes in silence. Finally, he stopped and allowed the girls to catch up. His tan face appeared even darker in the setting sun. Without looking at Miranda, he said, “I left it by the fire. I’m not a thief. Don’t think I’m a thief.”

  “I don’t think that about you, Jason.”

  “I saw it in your eyes.”

  “I just was surprised, is all.”

  They walked a little farther. Miranda watched Jason warily, and waited until he was ready to speak.

  “All that baby chatter was making me sick.” He frowned. “They live in a dream world.”

  “They seemed happy. They made me happy just to be around them.”

  “Yeah, well they didn’t make me happy. They irritated me with all their unicorn and rainbow talk.”

  “Why’d you look happy when you first saw them, then, huh? Out in the grass.”

  Jason got very quiet then, and Miranda worried she’d pushed him too far. After a minute he said, “It was the song. My mom used to sing the same thing to me a long time ago.”

  “Aw, your mom loved you.”

  He laughed at that, sarcastic and bitter. “Miranda, I was a mistake. The biggest accident that ever happened.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  “Oh hell yeah. Two druggies did the deed, and boom, here I am.”

  Miranda shrugged. “Well, I don’t think so. Women have what, like a billion eggs? Men have a zillion sperm? But it took that exact moment to make you. You were supposed to be here. Your parents just didn't plan it, is all. Too bad for them.”

  Jason gave his half-smile that sent a zing through her core, and his lip hung up on his crooked tooth. “You hear yourself? What are you, a biology teacher?”

  “Well, maybe you need to be taught a thing or two.”

  The smile fell from his face, and he looked at her coldly. “I don’t need nothing, not from nobody.”

  8

  Present Day

  Miranda had driven nearly all the way home when she realized she didn’t have anything for dinner. She thought about how Jason had glowered at her yesterday and realized he wasn’t going to be in a food-sharing mood. “Crap!” She spun the jeep in a sharp turn at the first open driveway and sped back to the grocery store.

  Her feet ached as she climbed out of the jeep. Just fly through this fricking place and get home. She imagined cooking in the tiny kitchen, trying to stay out of Jason’s way. “Convenience it is,” she muttered. Soup, cereal, and frozen pizza flew into the cart like a food hailstorm.

  She wandered down to the back of the store, where the meat was refrigerated. A memory flashed through her mind, of Jason and her as teens. It was late summer, he had the barbecue going. A “V” shape formation of Canadian geese had flown overhead, and he’d pointed up to them and smiled at her. She’d ruined it all. Ruined their friendship, his trust. Jason is never going to forgive me for leaving him and Cassie. But maybe I could cook him dinner one night. A peace offering. She stared at the packages, trying to decide what to buy. What the heck? What makes them different? They’re all red, they’re meat. Shrugging, she grabbed a package of sirloin and threw it into her basket.

  In the produce aisle she tossed in a bag of potatoes. Turning the corner, she found herself in the pet food aisle. After a moment’s thought, she added a box of dog treats. “I’m going to win over your dog, Jason.” She smiled to herself.

  “Miranda Temple,” a lady’s voice came from behind her, stopping her.

  Miranda turned to look.

  Mrs. Jenkins, one of Uncle Stew’s long-time friends and fellow cribbage players, hurried up the aisle towards her. “Is that really you?” The woman’s voice was high with exaggerated surprise. The purple polyester dress she wore was two sizes too small, and the seams quivered as she grabbed a hold of Miranda and enveloped her in a hug. “Oh, my dear girl! So good to see you!”

  “Hi, Mrs. Jenkins.” Lovely, the neighborhood gossip. Just what I need after a day like today. Grin and bear it.

  “Where have you been?” Mrs. Jenkins painted on eyebrows quirked upwards.

  And there was the question, waiting like a ticking grenade. “I, uh, I—“

  Mrs. Jenkins blinked her heavily made-up eyes.

  Start with the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. “I was in Seattle.”

  “What were you doing there, dear?”

  Flashes of waitressing at the bar flew through Miranda’s mind, and she squirmed inside. Maybe not the whole truth. “Well, I thought I’d go to school, but, you know, just ended up working for a while. And now I’m back.”

  “Oh, I heard about your poor sister. How is she doing?”

  A wave of Mrs. Jenkins powdery perfume nearly overwhelmed her, and Miranda held her breath to avoid coughing. “She, uh, she’s slowly improving.”

  Mrs. Jenkins clucked her tongue as her fingers played with the eyeglasses hanging from a chain around her neck. “Did you see the car? Just smashed to smithereens! I thank heaven’s stars Cassie even made it out alive.” She leaned in close blinking wide eyes. “Though, what she was doing out that late at night, I’d like to know. Your Uncle Stew would never have allowed it.”

  Miranda bristled and picked at a piece of lint on the front of her sweater to buy some time. Be cool; she’s an old lady. You do anything rash and everyone’s going to hear about how crazy you are now. “My sister wasn’t doing anything wrong. And Uncle Stew would’ve understood if she’d needed to go out late at night.” Miranda grabbed another box of dog biscuits off the shelf and threw it in the basket with a clunk. “I’ve got to get going. Goodbye, Mrs. Jenkins.”

  “Oh, well, bye dear. Will we be seeing you anytime soon?” Mrs. Jenkins leaned back and gripped her basket firmly. Her aura was one of self-importance. Miranda could almost see how she was filing this conversation away to spill out to her cribbage partners that night.

  “Quite possibly. I think I’ll be here for a while. At least until Cassie is better.” With a quick wave, Miranda turned the corner as fast as she could to cut off any chance of a response. I wonder how she’s going to spin this to her friends. Ugh. Just get me out of here. Rushing for the cash register, she pushed her cart in line and quickly paid.

  Back at home, the beater truck’s hood was up when she pulled into the driveway. As she climbed out, she could hear Jason clanging at something on the engine, followed by a long string of curses. Archer rose lazily from where he lay near Jason’s feet and meandered slowly towards her.

  Ignoring Jason, Miranda snatched at the bags and carried her groceries in. Of
course, being stubborn, she had all five bags looped in her hands at once, not wanting to make a second trip out.

  Archer pushed passed her with a flurry of dog hair as she walked through the front door. She shuffled after him, trying not to trip, before setting the bags on the counter with a gasp.

  “You goofy dog! Trying to kill me?” Miranda stretched her fingers a few times where the plastic handles had bitten in, then bent to scratch Archer behind his ears. “So I saw Cassie, ol' boy. She’s going to be okay. You’ll see her soon.” Sighing, she straightened, pushing her hands against her lower back. “Oh, I almost forgot, I have a prize for you.” She rustled through a bag for the box of dog biscuits and ripped off the top.

  Archer froze, as she handed it to him. His brown eyes bored into the treat before snapping it from her fingers and carrying it to his bed.

  “There’s more where that came from,” Miranda called after him. Returning to her bags, she continued unpacking the food and stacked it on the counter.

  Jason walked in as she pulled out a box of cereal. He gave the food a quick appraisal. Careful not to touch her, he slid past to the sink to wash his grease-covered hands, which matched the grease stains on his UCLA t-shirt. Miranda felt his cold avoidance and her chest tightened.

  “So what happened?” Jason asked brusquely, shaking off the water.

  She paused on the way to the fridge with milk. Lovely. Already sounds irritated with me. Is he talking about the hospital?

  His voice deepened. “After you left us.”

  Her heart sank at his words. Miranda bit her bottom lip, knowing none of her answers could make up for what she had done. Here we go. “I made a ton of mistakes, okay. The first one was leaving that night. Apparently, making mistakes is one of my superpowers.”

  Jason’s lip jerked into one of its little half smiles, catching on his crooked tooth. But the smile was sarcastic. “What kind of mistakes?”

  “Kinds I don’t want to talk about.” Miranda met his gaze.

  “What kinds are those?” He stared back, arching his eyebrow. He threw the towel back on the counter and leaned back on his hands, not backing down.