Timepiece (Hourglass 2)

For the first time in my life, the morning reality was exponentially better than the fantasy of the night before.

When I found my voice again, I said, “I’m Kaleb. And I’m also sorry.”

Lily leaned her hip against the side of Em’s chair, crossed her arms, and stared at me with hazel eyes. “Not so nice to meet you, sorry.”

“How do you two know each other?” Em asked.

Lily’s nuclear gaze remained steady. “Remember how I told you about the guy grabbing my junk right before that lunatic took the stage with his gun?”

“No,” Em breathed. “Kaleb, you didn’t.”

“Oh, but I did.”

“Are you hungover?” Lily asked me. Not in concern. Her hair slipped out of the loose knot to fall around her shoulders.

I shook my head and tried not to pay attention.

“Too bad. So.” She looked at me with the perfect combination of disinterest and disdain. “How is it that you happen to know my best friend?”

The hissing and whirling of the coffee machine behind her stopped, and the shop held its breath.

“His dad is Liam Ballard.” Em, eager to diffuse the situation, hurried to answer for me. “The man Michael and I went back in time to save.”

“The director of the Hourglass? Oh crap.”

Lily dropped into an empty chair, and the shop exhaled.

“She knows?” I asked Em.

Lily’s frown started in her eyes, spreading to her forehead and mouth like an afterthought.

Em worded her answer carefully. “She knows about the time travel thing, and what happened with your dad, and about the purpose of the Hourglass. I got permission from your dad to tell her that much.”

So she hadn’t given Lily specifics about other people’s abilities. Hopefully.

“What does he know about me?” Lily asked.

“Nothing,” Em answered.

“Nothing,” I repeated. “At all.”

Lily looked up at me balefully. “Except how my ass feels in your hand.”

A group of older women spilled into the shop, chattering in delight. Tourists, definitely, here to antique shop and soak up small-town atmosphere.

“I need to get back to work,” Lily said, scooting to the edge of her chair. “Pumpkin Daze is starting, and I have to stock the pastry case so I can go hand out candy.”

“Do you need me to stay and work?”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

“Call me?” Em asked.

“After my shift.” She lifted her arms to adjust the apron strings around her neck, and then shook out her hair before catching it up in another knot. She caught me looking.

“What?” I asked, with a failed attempt at innocence.

“Did you need me to stand up? Twirl around?” Lily stuck her index finger in the air and made a spinning motion.