Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 Read Online Free Page A

crossed
through again. At least, not at the time of her choosing.
    “I was thinking about maybe laying on the beach for a
while,” Jamie said. “Not that I’m tired or any—”
    “White water rafting.” Nikki looked Henry in the eye. Not
nice, she knew. Mean, even, considering that he’d drowned last time around. Was
she trying to push him away?
    “Okay, sure,” Henry said. “Show me.”
    It wasn’t lost on Nikki that Henry said, “Show me” rather
than “us.”
    “No issues, River Rat?”
    Henry stared at her, eyes smiling. Sure, keep testing me,
his eyes said. Keep trying. I’m in, no matter what. Nikki looked away. “Jamie?”
    “Nice,” Jamie said. “New one. Let’s do it.”
    They picked up their boards and walked toward their
bikes. Something they’d agreed upon, at least for now, was that it just felt
right walking or riding their bikes together. Technically, they could be
driving cars now—or flying jets, for that matter—but none of them had gotten
their driver’s license in their last life. For now, they remained teenagers
continually poised on adulthood. Still, Nikki wondered how long it might remain
that way. She kept trying to resist thinking about it but couldn’t quite manage
doing so lately.Kids
grew up. They graduated from high school, they left home and went to college.
They fell in love, fell out of love, then fell in love again. They got married,
then—
    “So, the white water place,” Jamie said, pedaling along
beside her. “Was it somewhere you knew? You never mentioned it.”
    Nikki swerved her bike just enough at Jamie that he
almost went off the path. “That’s because I grew up in southern California. Not
a whole lot of white water going on there.”
    “So, you just thought of it?” Henry said, from her other
side.
    “Yep. I’m thinking we should have a race.”
    “We’re screwed,” Jamie said.
    ~~~
    Simon and Naomi stared at the three of them as they entered
the kitchen, soaked and dripping water onto the floor. The addition of the
kitchen to Halfway House had been a recent mutual decision, partly because it
gave them someplace else to hang out but mostly because Naomi had become
interested in learning how to bake. She wasn’t likely to develop her new skill
if their only option remained the food court, where whatever they wanted appeared
at will.As
it happened, the aroma of baking cookies wafted through the relatively small
space they’d decided upon.
    “What the hell, mates?” Simon said.           
    Jamie gestured at Nikki. “Her idea.”
    Simon thought for a moment. “Get caught in a squall?” He
took another look at Jamie’s Mohawk, which now resembled a dead bird laying on
his skull. “Maybe a hurricane?”
    “Rapids,” Henry said. “We went tubing.”
    Naomi wore baking mitts, ready at the oven door. “That’s
super dangerous.”
    A silent moment followed since no one wanted to hurt her
feelings. Then Naomi giggled. “Scary, I mean.”
    “Definitely,” Henry said. “If I could have died, I would
have at least three times.”
    Nikki laughed. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”
    “Yeah, it kind of was,” Jamie said, still trying to straighten
his spikes.
    “What have you two been up to?” Nikki said, wondering how
long it would be before Naomi’s cookies were ready. They smelled fantastic.
Naomi was a natural at baking—almost as if she could somehow infuse a child’s
expectations into the flavors she created. Could she?
    “Not much,” Simon said, “Just hanging out.”
    Nikki thought she caught a reluctant tone, as if he might
be leaving something out.
    “Simon’s in trouble,” Naomi said softly.
    “I’m not in trouble ,” Simon said. “I just had a
little talk with Martha, is all.”
    Nikki could guess where this was going—Simon had been
doing a little wing-stretching again. Not that she blamed him. They’d all been
through the same steps.
    “Sweet. What did you do this time?” Jamie peered into