While I Was Away(66)

“I like these guys more and more,” Jones laughed.

Then he took a sharp right and walked them inland, directly into a clump of trees. She stayed close behind him, wondering where the hell they were going – it was just dense forest, there didn't seem to be any houses down in this area.

“If you're taking me to kill me and bury my body, you picked a good area,” she joked.

“Nah – if I was going to do that, I'd just wait till night time and let you walk into the lake again,” he teased back.

“Doesn't inspire confidence, Jones.”

“Have faith in me, Adele, and I'll show you something you'll love.”

She swallowed thickly and willed away the déjà vu. It kept coming, more and more often. What did it mean? Were her two worlds colliding?

She couldn't contemplate it for long, though, because he broke through the tree line and led her into a small, beautiful clearing. Tiny daisies created a carpet beneath them, stretching from side to side, and were so pretty she was hesitant to walk across them.

“This is gorgeous, Jones,” she commented, and he grinned at her.

“I know, but there's something else you have to see,” he said, and he led her off to one side of the clearing. There were several large bushes covered with flowers, and beside them were tall stalks that ended in conical clumps of petals. “Do you know what these are?”

“Fireweed,” she replied, touching her fingertips to the soft fuchsia petal of the tall flower. “They're everywhere. I don't know the other one.”

Jones reached past her and plucked a bright yellow flower off the large bush, then handed it to her. She cupped it in her hands.

“It's pretty,” she said, not sure what else to say about it.

“It's a poppy.”

The breath flew out of her body, and for a moment she couldn't tear her eyes away from the plant in her hands.

“But it's ... poppies are bigger, have stalks. And aren't they red?” she asked.

“This is a Bush Poppy. They're not the same, I don't think they're even related. But it's still a poppy, and this is almost like a field, and it's the best I could do.”

Adele glanced around, suddenly understanding. Her eyes swam with tears. Since she'd woken up, she'd run the gamut of people thinking she was crazy all the way to people claiming they believed her. But no one had actively tried to make her feel better; no one had tried to take her back to her magical place. It wasn't anyone's job, of course, but still. His gesture meant more to her than anything in the world at that moment.

“It is a field,” she whispered in agreement. “And it has poppies.”

“Shit, I upset you,” he groaned. “I didn't mean to, I wanted to do something nice.”

“No,” she laughed, and wiped at her eyes. “I'm not upset. I'm happy. Really, really happy.”

He smiled at her, with just a touch of sadness lingering in his eyes.

“I'm sorry I can't take you back there,” he said slowly. “And I'm sorry I can't be him.”

“Stop,” she ordered, then softened her harshness with another laugh. “We're here to have a picnic, right? A good time. Let's not be sorry about anything for now.”

They hadn't thought to bring a blanket, so they sat amongst the flowers and opened the cooler. She almost laughed when she saw its contents – he'd packed them beer, a couple oranges, and two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She had a feeling the Jones from her dream world would not approve.

“So what did Charlie have to say?” he asked, at least attempting to sound casual while he peeled an orange.

“Hmmm, curious? Or jealous?” she teased. He gave her a playful glare.

“Curious. Only curious.”

“Just checking on me and the car, wanting to know when I'd be back,” she explained.

“Ah. Do you think you'll keep living there?”

She shrugged.

“I guess so, for a while at least. I don't have anywhere else to go, and no job. I got a lot of money from the accident, but I'm not really in a hurry to go anywhere. It's ... familiar there. Comfortable.”

“I get that, comfortable is good. You'd probably hate my place.”

“Why?”

“It's small,” he said, popping an orange slice into his mouth. “I live in a trailer.”

“A trailer?” she was surprised. Jones nodded and peeled off another slice of orange. She watched as a bead of juice ran over his fingers and trailed down his forearm. She wanted to lick it off.

“Yeah. My brother-in-law, the guy who works at that diner – he was my sister's husband before she died, so I still think of him that way – he has this old Airstream trailer. He was going to sell it, but when he found out I was moving to L.A., he offered it to me. It was only supposed to be temporary, but it's kinda grown on me,” he said.

“I don't mind small,” Adele said, grabbing a sandwich and picking at the crust. “I'd like to see it some day.”

“Just give me a heads up before you stalk me down again,” he laughed. “Give me a chance to clean.”

“I didn't stalk you,” she argued, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “I didn't! I ... intuited your location.”