Free 96 Hours by Georgia Beers

once, slowly, then curled up between her feet, and lay down. The purring started up within seconds. Erica sighed. “Okay, then.”
    Hearing laughter emanating from above her, she picked out the individual tones of Abby, Corinne, and Brian, and she found herself smiling at the sound. Thinking about how she’d ended up where she was, how they had ended up where they were—four total strangers together now—she just shook her head. So strange. So very strange.
    Where on earth did people like Tim and Corinne MacDougal come from? They were like characters from a fairy tale. If somebody had asked Erica last week about these circumstances, about the possibility of somebody welcoming complete strangers into their home for showers, dinner, and rest—out of the blue with no background on any of them—she would have laughed at the naiveté, at the sheer stupidity of such people. They’d probably be killed in their sleep—or at least robbed—by the very people they tried to help and they would have deserved it for being so gullible. That’s what she’d have said.
    And now? Well, she still thought they were naïve. But she was also grateful.
    Another infectious burst of laughter came down the stairs—Abby’s—and Erica caught herself grinning. Instead of listening from afar, she wanted to be a part of it, a feeling unfamiliar feeling to her. She put her paperwork away and headed upstairs.

 
    Chapter 7
     
    Corinne’s dishes were white with bright red apples on them and reminded Erica of her grandmother’s set back in Illinois, and as she scraped pork bones into the garbage she was hit by a sudden pang of homesickness. She handed the plate over to Michael, who rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. The six of them had stuffed themselves with pork and potatoes and salad and had shared a coconut cream pie Corinne had made herself just a few days prior. Erica hadn’t participated a lot in the conversation, but the evening had been pleasant enough and it certainly beat spending the time twiddling her thumbs, unshowered and stuck on an army-issue cot. She was thankful, that was for sure.
    “Dinner was fantastic, Corinne,” Abby said as she entered the kitchen, loaded up with dirty dishes, Corinne on her heels. “Thank you so much.”
    “Somebody’s waitressed to pay the bills,” Brian said as he gestured at the way Abby had plates lined up her arms, carrying several at once.
    “I believe that any town in the world has an opening for a decent waitress,” she replied. “It’s hard work, but if you’re good enough at it, the tips can be nice.”
    “I agree with you,” Corinne said. “That’s how I got through university.”
    “I tried waiting tables once,” Michael said, his voice soft and deep. “The floor had a wet spot and when I stepped in it, my foot slid.”
    “Uh-oh,” Abby said.
    “I was able to stop my foot from sliding farther along the floor, but I was unable to keep the eggs from sliding clean off the plate and into my customer’s lap.”
    “Oh no!” Corinne exclaimed.
    “Oh, yes. My last day as a waiter, needless to say.”
    “I bet.” Abby glanced at Corinne, who was cleaning things up. “Hey. No, no. We’ve got this. Shoo.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Please,” Brian insisted. “You fed us all. The least we can do is clean up.”
    “That’s very nice of you,” Corinne said, patting Brian on the arm.
    Tim entered and looked at his wife. “Ready?”
    “I’m going back to the Lions Club and Tim wants to help with some supply deliveries. You four are welcome to whatever you want or need. Food, television, whatever. Make yourselves at home, all right?”
    “Liquor cabinet’s in the dining room,” Tim said, his face serious. “I imagine some of you may feel like a stiff drink after all that’s happened. You go right ahead.”
    “I have no idea when we’ll be back—I may just grab a nap there—so you just help yourselves,” Corinne said.
    “You’re just going to leave four