Time Thief: A Time Thief Novel Read Online Free Page B

fairly large contingent of nature lovers who hang out in this area.”
    “Something like that.” He glanced at his watch and swore under his breath, then eyed me for a second. “It’s too bad you live so far away. My grandmother said just this morning that she is feeling the strain of caring for her little monsters. If you were available…”
    He left the statement a half question. I shook my head with real regret. “I’d love a job taking care of dogs, especially adorable pugs, but I’m afraid the commute from my apartment to this area would kill Eloise. Not to mention would cost more in gas than any dog-care salary would cover.”
    “Alas.” He took my hand and, to my surprise, bent over it, pressing my fingers to his mouth for one scorching hand kiss. I gawked at him again, amazed at the sensation, and unsure of how to react. Did one clasp the hand that held one’s own? Shake it? Kiss his hand in response?
    A giggle built up inside of me at the idea of me gravely bending over his hand and kissing his knuckles.Oh, if only my phone could take pictures, my friends would all receive one of me doing just that.
    “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kiya,” he said, releasing my hand. I held it stiffly at my side, feeling horribly awkward.
    “Likewise. And thanks for the tow loan. Do you…er…have a card or something with a mailing address so I can send it back to you when I get home?”
    He hesitated for a few seconds. “I am between addresses at the moment, but a letter sent to me care of this address will reach me.” He pulled a card out of his wallet and offered it.
    I mouthed the name of the law firm printed on the card, then tucked it away, and thanked him again. He smiled and got into his car, leaving me alone with the two randy squirrels, the dead thing in the garbage bin, and a wish that, just once in my life, something would go right.

TWO
    A s it turned out, luck was with me for once. Norm the mechanic managed to get Eloise started, although her engine definitely sounded worse than normal.
    “Thanks for all your work,” I told him as I winced when she backfired.
    “She’s going to need a lot more if you want to make it back to the coast,” he warned.
    I thought of the repair amount he’d quoted me, and blanched. “I know, but she should at least get me to a potential job. Can you tell me how to get to the Appleton Lumber Mill?”
    Norm spat at Eloise’s tire and gave me an odd look. “You mean where those Gypsies are campin’? Buncha thieves. Old mill is about a mile outta town. Take the left at the crossroads. Can’t miss the sign.”
    “Wow, that was unpleasant,” I told Eloise as we drove out of town, turning off at the listing, faded, mud-splattered sign sprouted out of the sagebrush at the edge of the road to announce that I was in the vicinity of the Appleton Lumber Mill.
    “Well, at least Norm was right in telling me where this mill was,” I said, turning onto the private drive. It had once been paved, but was now more potholes and rocksthan anything resembling an actual road. Crowding in on either side of the drive were fir trees, and dense tangles of sagebrush, the subsequent wall of green giving the drive a closed-in, almost eerie feeling. “Careful does it, Eloise. Ouch. Sorry. Didn’t see that big hole. If we can just—what the hell?”
    I had been creeping along the road, given its (and Eloise’s) bad state, but as the drive curved to the right, a mossy chain with a battered and almost unreadable PRIVATE PROPERTY—NO TRESPASSING sign popped up and blocked the way.
    “Well, crap. Um. Hmm.” I shifted into park, grabbed my accelerator brick from where it sat on the passenger side of the car, slapped it over the gas pedal so as to keep the engine running, and climbed out to examine the chain. If it looked like it was a hard-core “keep folks out at all cost” sort of chain, then I’d simply park Eloise and continue on foot. But if it looked like no one paid any attention