Between Sisters

She frowned, wondering if she’d left it that way this morning.

No.

She was just about to slink back into the elevator when a hand appeared in her doorway; it held a full bottle of tequila.

Elizabeth Shore stepped out into the hallway. “I heard your transatlantic cry for help, and I brought the preferred tranquilizer for the slutty, over-the-hill set. ”

To Meghann’s complete horror, she burst into tears.

TWENTY-THREE

JOE WAS ALMOST FINISHED FOR THE DAY. IT WAS A GOOD thing because he actually had places to go and people to see.

It felt good to look forward to something, even if that something would ultimately cause him pain. He’d been drifting and alone for so long that simply having an itinerary was oddly calming.

Now he lay on his back, staring up at the dirty underside of an old Impala.

“Hey there. ”

Joe frowned. He thought he’d heard something, but it was hard to tell. The radio on the workbench was turned up loud. Willie Nelson was warning mamas about babies that grew up to be cowboys.

Then someone kicked his boot.

Joe rolled out from underneath the car.

The face looking down at him was small, freckled, and smiling. Earnest green eyes stared down at him. She squinted just a bit, enough to make him wonder if s

he needed glasses, then he realized that his worklight was shining in her face. He clicked it off.

“Smitty’s in the office,” he said.

“I know that, silly. He’s always there. Did you know that the sand in Hawaii is like sugar? Smitty lets me play with the tools. Who are you?”

He stood up, wiped his hands on his coveralls. “I’m Joe. Now, run along. ”

“I’m Alison. My mom mostly calls me Ali. Like the gator. ”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ali. ” He glanced up at the clock. It was 4:00. Time to get going.

“Brittani Henshaw always says, ‘See you later, Ali Gator,’ to me. Get it?”

“I do. Now—”

“My mom says I’m not ’posed to talk to strangers, but you’re Joe. ” She scrunched up her face and stared up at him. “How come your hair is so long? It’s like a girl’s. ”

“I like it that way. ” He went to the sink and washed the grease from his hands.

“My backpack has Ariel on it. Wanna see?” Without waiting for an answer, she scampered out of the garage. “Don’t go anywhere,” she yelled back at him.

He was halfway to his cabin when Alison skidded in beside him. “See Ariel? She’s a princess on this side and a mermaid on the other. ”

He missed a step but kept moving. “I’m going into my house. You better run along. ”

“Do ya hafta poop?”

He was startled into laughter by that. “No. ”

“You wouldn’t tell me anyway. ”