Touch Slowly (Red Light: Silver Girls series) Read Online Free
Author: Debra Kayn
years."
Shayla laughed. "Look at you being all uptight and prissy. It was a one-time thing, I swear. Besides, I remember walking you home one night and you could barely hold your head up."
Nova lifted her chin. "We were young, and I was living in the park. There wasn't anything else to do..."
She exhaled over her mistake. Shayla never left the park life. She only moved to another state, but park life was the same everywhere. People either accepted their lot in life or they escaped with whatever substance they could find. Drugs, drink, sex, or food.
Shayla always looked to escape.
Time stood still clustered into a tiny community within a town. People existed in a world where they worried over how to earn money for their next meal and useless drama consumed all their free time. Shayla never had a chance to escape and learn a different way of life.
"Just don't forget where you came from, Nova." Shayla pushed at a wayward strand of hair. "Nick worked hard to get us to Federal after we lost our home in Washington. In a lot of ways, we're better off here. You know what it's like to grow up in a park where everyone knows every damn thing about you. We came here, and they've finally accepted me for who I am now. I'd like to keep it that way."
"I get it," she whispered. "And, I'm happy for you and Nick. Plus, I get this short time with you. It'll almost be like old times, right?"
There were times she even let herself imagine living back with her cousins, but she worked for the Network to better herself. She would buy a home away from neighbors, away from the park, and settle down. She squeezed Shayla's hand and stood. Every park had the single woman who opened her door and let her legs be a necklace around some guy's neck. She would not be that woman.
"I need to get back to town." Nova leaned over and kissed Shayla's forehead. "I'll try and sneak away again when we have more time to talk. Now that I made it here after the building closed down, I should be able to leave earlier, around nine o'clock, and that way we have more time together."
Shayla lifted her glass of water. "I'll find my keys and take you back."
"No, stay here. I don't want you driving after you've been drinking. The sun isn't even up yet. I have plenty of time to walk back."
"Nova..." Shayla scrunched up her face. "I'm sorry. It's just that Emmett was here, and —"
"No worries. The exercise will do me good." Nova kissed her cheek, walked to the door, not giving her cousin time to argue. A drunk driving charge would set Shayla back.
Outside, she stood in the weed-filled patch of grass and closed her eyes, letting the fresh air fill her lungs, and the ghosts of her past leave her mind. For all the bad things she'd experienced growing up in a trailer park, she wasn't prepared for the homesickness that hit her.
Chapter Two
T he front door of Nick and Shayla's trailer opened and the chick he'd picked up in town walked out. Emmett Parker leaned against the front panel of his car and eyed her body, enjoying the confident way she moved.
The door banged behind her, and the dogs on the west side of the park barked at the sudden noise, setting off a chain reaction with every damn dog within the trailer park. All around him people stuck their heads out of their trailers and yelled for quiet. Emmett reached into the open window of his car, pulled out the pistol he took to the auto parts store every morning.
Keeping his gaze on Nova, he shot into the air, fulfilling his duty as park manager to keep the peace, and the dogs quieted.
Nova never flinched at the blast.
He shoved his pistol back under the seat and straightened. He'd never seen her around the park or heard Nick mention a cousin coming to visit before, but one thing was obvious.
The lady was accustomed to trailer park living, despite her high-class looks and attitude.
Nova walked away from the trailer and headed down the road toward the interstate. Emmett glanced back at his neighbor's house. No
Shayla laughed. "Look at you being all uptight and prissy. It was a one-time thing, I swear. Besides, I remember walking you home one night and you could barely hold your head up."
Nova lifted her chin. "We were young, and I was living in the park. There wasn't anything else to do..."
She exhaled over her mistake. Shayla never left the park life. She only moved to another state, but park life was the same everywhere. People either accepted their lot in life or they escaped with whatever substance they could find. Drugs, drink, sex, or food.
Shayla always looked to escape.
Time stood still clustered into a tiny community within a town. People existed in a world where they worried over how to earn money for their next meal and useless drama consumed all their free time. Shayla never had a chance to escape and learn a different way of life.
"Just don't forget where you came from, Nova." Shayla pushed at a wayward strand of hair. "Nick worked hard to get us to Federal after we lost our home in Washington. In a lot of ways, we're better off here. You know what it's like to grow up in a park where everyone knows every damn thing about you. We came here, and they've finally accepted me for who I am now. I'd like to keep it that way."
"I get it," she whispered. "And, I'm happy for you and Nick. Plus, I get this short time with you. It'll almost be like old times, right?"
There were times she even let herself imagine living back with her cousins, but she worked for the Network to better herself. She would buy a home away from neighbors, away from the park, and settle down. She squeezed Shayla's hand and stood. Every park had the single woman who opened her door and let her legs be a necklace around some guy's neck. She would not be that woman.
"I need to get back to town." Nova leaned over and kissed Shayla's forehead. "I'll try and sneak away again when we have more time to talk. Now that I made it here after the building closed down, I should be able to leave earlier, around nine o'clock, and that way we have more time together."
Shayla lifted her glass of water. "I'll find my keys and take you back."
"No, stay here. I don't want you driving after you've been drinking. The sun isn't even up yet. I have plenty of time to walk back."
"Nova..." Shayla scrunched up her face. "I'm sorry. It's just that Emmett was here, and —"
"No worries. The exercise will do me good." Nova kissed her cheek, walked to the door, not giving her cousin time to argue. A drunk driving charge would set Shayla back.
Outside, she stood in the weed-filled patch of grass and closed her eyes, letting the fresh air fill her lungs, and the ghosts of her past leave her mind. For all the bad things she'd experienced growing up in a trailer park, she wasn't prepared for the homesickness that hit her.
Chapter Two
T he front door of Nick and Shayla's trailer opened and the chick he'd picked up in town walked out. Emmett Parker leaned against the front panel of his car and eyed her body, enjoying the confident way she moved.
The door banged behind her, and the dogs on the west side of the park barked at the sudden noise, setting off a chain reaction with every damn dog within the trailer park. All around him people stuck their heads out of their trailers and yelled for quiet. Emmett reached into the open window of his car, pulled out the pistol he took to the auto parts store every morning.
Keeping his gaze on Nova, he shot into the air, fulfilling his duty as park manager to keep the peace, and the dogs quieted.
Nova never flinched at the blast.
He shoved his pistol back under the seat and straightened. He'd never seen her around the park or heard Nick mention a cousin coming to visit before, but one thing was obvious.
The lady was accustomed to trailer park living, despite her high-class looks and attitude.
Nova walked away from the trailer and headed down the road toward the interstate. Emmett glanced back at his neighbor's house. No
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