The Klaatu Terminus Read Online Free Page B

sinful or interesting — in Emily’s presence. It was as if Emily had suddenly become older, alien, part of the adult world. The future wife of a future preacher. Excluded. And she was only nineteen.
    A prickling sensation at the back of her neck made her turn to the window. Hovering just outside the glass was another person-shaped cloud. She squeezed her eyes closed, counted to ten, then looked again. The cloud was gone. She stepped to the window and lowered the blind. She certainly wasn’t going to change clothes with a ghost watching her. Even an imaginary ghost.
    She had once mentioned seeing them to Adrian. He had suggested prayer, or an eye doctor, in that order.
    That didn’t make the ghosts any less real. She had thought about talking to her doctor, but she didn’t feel sick or crazy, and she didn’t want any pills. These days, she kept what she saw to herself. Mostly. But at the train station in Winona, when she had seen another one of the strange, cloudy figures, she had mentioned it to Kosh and he had taken her seriously. He was the only one who listened.
    She wished he would call. He’d said he would. She would love the distraction of a movie or a trip up to the cities for some shopping. And she
liked
Kosh. He talked to her like a regular person, and he was funny. In some ways he reminded her of Adrian, but in most ways he was so different that it was hard to believe they were brothers.
    She should just call him. Emily regarded the phone on her bedside table. It would be the same phone number as Adrian, but Kosh, not Adrian, would answer. She wondered how he was doing, taking care of things on his own. He’s only seventeen, she reminded herself. Not even out of high school. But he seemed older, more mature than she was in many ways. As far as she knew, he’d never had a long-term girlfriend, but girls liked him. Even Karen had once confessed to having a crush on him. He was the closest thing Hopewell had to a bad boy rebel biker. Except for Ronnie Becker, who was just a pathetic delinquent and not nearly as good-looking as Kosh.
    She’d heard a rumor that Ronnie had been arrested in Mankato a week ago. Kosh would know. She would have to ask him. She looked again at the phone, then laughed at herself for being so tentative. He was just a teenage boy. Her future brother-in-law. What was she fretting about?*
    Kosh was working in his garden when Emily pulled into the driveway. He looked up and waved as she got out of her car.
    “Hey!” He stood up and wiped his hands on his hips.
    Emily smiled, feeling self-conscious in her red and white Economart smock, complete with name badge.
    “I was just on my way to work,” she said. “Thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing all on your own here.”
    “Doing fine. What’s up?”
    “Nothing.” Emily looked at the newly seeded row. “What are you planting?”
    “Arugula,” Kosh said. “I’m growing it for the Roost.”
    “You’re kidding. Red Grauber is serving
salads
?”
    “Actually, it’s for a new burger. Arugula and goat cheese.”
    “Now I
know
you’re kidding!”
    “Seriously, I had one in Mankato. Amazing.”
    Shaking her head, Emily walked down the rows, checking out his tomatoes, Swiss chard, lettuce, and summer squash. She stopped at the herb bed.
    “Lavender!” She bent down and ran her fingers through the frondlike leaves. “What do you do with it?”
    “I just like the way it looks.”
    Emily smelled her hand. “Mmm. You could make potpourri.”
    Kosh crossed his arms. “I don’t
think
so.”
    Emily laughed. Kosh looked embarrassed.
    “Have you heard from Adrian?” he said abruptly.
    “Just a couple of postcards. He’s in Jerusalem. He sent me a picture of the Wailing Wall.”
    “That sounds like Adrian.”
    Emily straightened up. “I have to get going. But I was wondering . . . do you still want to see a movie?”
    “Really?”
    “I’m not doing anything next Friday.
Men in Black
is opening in Rochester. It’s