Timepiece (Hourglass 2)

“I don’t have a choice now. I have to ask Abi if I can look for him. The pocket watch isn’t an option anymore, and Jack has to be found.”

“What are the chances she’ll agree?”

“Low.” She stood up.

“You’re going to do it now?” The thought made me a little frantic.

“Why would I wait? The deadline isn’t getting further away, and who knows where we’ll have to go to get to Jack. Not to mention that I don’t know how to actually find a person, because I’ve never been allowed to do it.”

“Wait, Lily, you need to think about what you’re going to say,” I protested. “You’re about to drop time travel and screwed-up time lines and crazy rips and … possible death on an old lady.”

She snorted. “Don’t ever let Abi catch you calling her an old lady. You could seriously end up losing boy parts.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Abi can handle it, but I’m not sure I can. Not alone. Will you stay?”

As long as you’ll let me.

I swallowed, hard. “I’ll stay.”

Chapter 34

A tall woman with spiky silver hair and brown eyes walked into the apartment, and then paused. I stood. The way she was looking at me, I was shocked I hadn’t yet burst into flames.

“Who are you?”

Lily had warned me that her grandmother could make grown men piss their pants with one look.

Pretty much.

Lily spoke up. “This is Kaleb Ballard.”

“Kaleb is a friend?” Abi’s emotions were a mixed bag. Distrust and anxiety. At least she wasn’t angry. Yet.

Lily darted a glance at me. “Yes. A friend. Kaleb, this is my grandmother. Everyone calls her Abi.”

“I’m pleased to meet you.” I held out my hand.

She eyed my hand before she shook it, as if she were checking me for fleas. “I’ll put on some coffee. And then we’ll talk. Sit.”

I sat down at the kitchen table and waited.

An hour later, I didn’t know what they were saying, because they were doing it in Spanish, but their combined emotions rolling in my gut made me glad I hadn’t gotten around to lunch.

“Es demasiado peligroso.” Abi stood and slammed her hands down on the table. “¡Dije que no … y eso es final!”

“Obviously, it’s a no,” Lily said to me, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

“She’s scared,” I replied without thinking.

That earned a heated response in Spanish from Abi that I’m pretty sure disparaged my manhood and my intelligence.

I let Abi finish before I spoke directly to her. “What I mean is, if your fear is rooted as deeply as it seems to be, I don’t want Lily to be involved, either.”

She dropped back into her chair, crossed her arms, and said some more words in Spanish. Then she said, “I didn’t peg you for honorable. Unless you’re playing some kind of game.”

“I’m not playing a game.”