Free Impulsion: A Station 32 Fire Men Novel by Jamie Magee Page B

the world.

     
     
Chapter Five
     
     
    The next morning, Wyatt watched Harley’s ride from a distance, perched in the hayloft. He smiled every time he heard his mother praise Harley, every time he heard her say, “That’s it, soft hands, strong legs—good, there you go.” Once Harley was past that barricade, there wasn’t much to hold her back; she dominated that course.
    He only managed to brush his hands down her side as he helped her take the saddle off Danny Boy. “Those legs looked powerful out there.”
    Harley blushed, even laughed. “I have a good trainer. Taught me rhythm.”
    Two days later, it rained all day. They knew it was coming, tried to plan something to keep everyone occupied, but by noon all the tack had been cleaned and the barn was settled. That was when Ava started to beg her mom to make Wyatt and Truman take all of them into town to shop, to go to the movies that night.
    Wyatt and Harley’s stare met as Ava made her plea, as Wyatt somewhat protested that he was not a babysitter or chaperone. This little outing had happened a few times since Wyatt had gotten his license.
    The thing was that none of them could agree on a movie to watch, which put them all in different theaters. It also gave Harley and Wyatt two hours to disappear, if not longer. There was a lookout point not far from the center where the theater and shops were. They had made their way there a time or two; in fact, some of their biggest firsts had happened there.
    They didn’t have to worry about distant dogs barking, someone walking around the corner or yelling their names, or discovering they were not in their beds. It was two hours of uninterrupted time alone. Heaven.
    From the way Ava was laying out her argument, it was sure to be even longer. She wanted to shop, wanted to eat in the food court and not go to a movie until nine.
    “Harley, you want to come. I know you do. You can get more books, get whatever,” Ava pleaded. She was hoping that even if Wyatt told her no, she could get Harley to take her.
    All Harley did was smile.
    “Wyatt, son. She’s driving me mad. I’ll fill your truck up,” Camille said without looking up from the magazine she was reading.
    Most times Camille filled his truck anyway, but in a way that was his payment for the rides he had done. A free tank of gas, at least two hours alone with Harley, and all he had to do was drive his sister all over town to pick up her friends—it was hard to look as if he were put out.
    “I’m not picking up Dorcas,” was his only protest.
    Dorcas was old enough to drive but didn’t have a car. She had managed to become one of Ava’s ‘best friends,’ even though she was older. Ava was hanging out with her for the obvious reasons; she wanted to learn all about boys, how to flirt, the makeup, the clothes, all things Harley would not or could not teach her. Dorcas was hanging out with Ava for reasons that were apparent to Harley; it put her close to all the Doran boys. Harley’s mother called girls like Dorcas gold diggers, yet most of the girls Harley knew back home like Dorcas were far less obvious.
    “Truman can,” Camille said, closing her magazine. “Ya’ll get ready. I’ll send Beckett to the bank to get some cash.”
    Getting ready to go shopping and to a movie should not be hard, but it was for Harley. She knew from the look in Wyatt’s eyes that she was getting ready for more than that—at least she hoped. She changed her summer dress a million times over, finding something about each one that would hinder her down the road.
    She was standing on the front porch, watching the trucks in the distance. Easton was at Wyatt’s apartment, but that wasn’t odd; Kate was sure to go out with Ava tonight. What was odd was that he had dropped Kate off at the house, and now he and Wyatt were having some kind of pow wow in the barn.
    “I want to eat at that new Chinese place,” Ava was saying.
    “What time is the movie? I want to pick up some new