On Borrowed Time by Jenn McKinlay Page B

was looking forward to having a built-in crowd for his gig. Did the band sound all right?”
    Sully and Lindsey exchanged a look. She was not about to put her landlord in jeopardy by telling her about Jack. Sully gave her an imperceptible nod, letting her know that he was thinking the same.
    â€œThe band sounded great,” Lindsey said, which was true. “Charlie sure does own a stage.”
    Nancy beamed with pride. “Well, don’t stand out here, you two, I just finished my famous fruit cake cookies, and I have all the fixings for Sully’s hot chocolate if he’s willing?”
    Nancy’s sparkling blue eyes twinkled at Sully, and Lindsey got the feeling that Nancy had been quite the looker in her day. Despite the gray hair and preference for sweat suits, she still knew how to flirt, and Lindsey had yet to see a man resist her wiles.
    â€œI’m game if you are,” he said.
    Lindsey nodded. She had no desire to be alone in her apartment, where she’d undoubtedly just brood about her brother all night. Nancy had a fire going in the fireplace, and Lindsey sat down on the hearth and let the heat pour into her. Sully and Nancy disappeared into the kitchen while Heathcliff stretched out on the floor, propping his head on her feet.
    She absently stroked his fur while she wondered where Jack was right now. Was he warm? Was he safe? She felt her throat get tight and her eyes burned as she tried to push down the question that bobbed to the surface like an apple in a water barrel: Would she ever see him again?

L indsey did not sleep that night. Not a big surprise, she supposed. It seemed like every memory she’d ever had of Jack converged in her head in a cheesy montage just to torture her. She remembered him helping her learn to ride a bike and beating up a bully who was picking on her. He’d gotten a fat lip for his effort, but as he told their parents with the beginnings of his future swagger, “You should see the other guy.”
    She remembered him showing her the shortcut through the woods that led to a convenience store on the main road where they emptied their piggy banks on candy and made themselves sick. Together they discovered the best climbing trees, made the best skateboard ramp, and when they were older, he taught her how to drive a stick shift by parking the car at the bottom of a hill and making her drive up it.
    Jack was a free spirit, the last of the rogues, with a brilliant brain for business and a weakness for the ladies. He’d knocked around the globe, circling it at least six times, and always coming home with exotic tales and strange gifts.
    Lindsey rested on her side, looking at the enamel lotus charm that hung on the wall beside her bed. Jack had sent it to her from Tibet right after she had moved to Briar Creek to start her life anew. It was supposed to symbolize good fortune, like the lotus flower, which rises out of the mud to bloom, he had explained in his note. She thought about her life in Briar Creek. She didn’t know if the enamel lotus blossom was responsible, but she had definitely found happiness here in her new life.
    Heathcliff let out a yawn from his blanket at the foot of the bed. She nudged him with her foot, and he grumbled under his breath even as he rolled over so she could rub his belly. Heathcliff preferred to sleep in on chilly mornings and frequently stayed in bed while she went and made her coffee. Usually, only the sound of the front door opening, which signaled outside time, got him moving.
    â€œYou are a slug,” Lindsey said as she pushed back her covers and shoved her feet into her slippers.
    Heathcliff growled something unintelligible, and Lindsey suspected it was a good thing he couldn’t talk. She had a feeling she didn’t want to hear what he had to say, especially as she suspected that he could be a bit of a sassy pants.
    Once the morning routine was finished, which included a long walk for Heathcliff,