Free Lucidity by Raine Weaver Page B

won’t need to worry about her. And you’re to be commended on how well you take care of our girl.” Violet sat on the floor beside Sam, curling into his arm. “Carly’s told you about the asteroid and what we do, hasn’t she? I can tell. You’re the kind of man a woman would trust, and I’m glad she has someone to share this with. She was one of the most talented members of our group, y’know.”
    Parker scowled. “No. I didn’t know.”
    Violet seemed amused, her gaze sliding back and forth between them. “Of course, she wouldn’t admit it. But her visualization tips helped a few of us land a place in the experiment. She’s got a powerful gift. She deserves to be protected.”
    “But you don’t have a guard?”
    “No.” She smiled gently. “Sam wouldn’t mind having an audience, complete with scorecards. He’s a little freaky that way. But I couldn’t have someone watching every time I wanted to hug my guy.”
    Carly caught the look that passed between them. Although none of them had been allowed to become too close, everyone at Stanford knew these two were crazy about each other. She was glad they’d stuck together. Violet was managing a near-normal life here with a guy she loved. Now, that was a miracle.
    Even Parker seemed to relax, gifting Sam with a genial nod. “You folks will have to forgive me. I’m not much of a believer in your cause. Just doing my job.”
    Carly knew it. He’d told her so often enough. But it seemed doubly hard to hear in the presence of people with a real relationship.
    Sam shook his long, dark hair. “Mister. I saw your face. That kind of anger doesn’t come with feeling protective. Possessive , maybe. Then again,” he added, noting Munroe’s cool stare, “I could be wrong. Don’t hit me.”
    “Nobody’s hitting anybody.” Violet linked her fingers through her lover’s and chortled. “Sam and I actually disagree about the lucidity projects too. A lot. He’s into the quantum physics angle of all this. String theories and the concept of like energy attracting like. Me? I just believe in the basic goodness of people. I can’t tell you how often we’ve glared at each other from those seats you’re sitting in right now. But you two are even cuter at it.”
    Carly opened her mouth to speak and found Parker watching her. Was he waiting for her to grin, to agree, after he’d publicly declared her his personal albatross? “Violet—”
    “Trust me on this, hon.” She winked. “We’re all going to get through this little crisis and become the best of friends. Sam and I will begin working on the project we really want to do and set up shop in the little country cottage we spotted a couple of weeks ago. With lots of chimes. I love the sound of chimes. It’s like dreams being scattered in the wind.” Her eyes, mulberry dark and so true to her name, crinkled with happiness. “And we’ll have a dog and a cat who glare at each other across the room, and seven children with curly dark hair who’ll learn how to make their dreams come true. And you two will be their godparents and spoil them rotten, and—”
    Carly nearly leaped out of her seat at the sound of twin ring tones going off. She was used to her own, but hearing Violet’s simultaneously was enough to strike a nerve—and to make Parker wearily scrub his face.
    As if the theme from Close Encounters wasn’t bad enough, her friend had chosen the tune “Big Rock Candy Mountain”. How fabulous was that?
    “Sam, Vi, I’m sorry,” she murmured, reaching for her coat as Parker rose. “We’ve stayed too long. We’ll be going now, let you get to your sleep.”
    “Don’t be silly. You’ve got to sleep too.” Violet pushed off from the floor and grabbed Carly’s hand. “C’mon. We’ll do it together. It’ll be like old times. Do you still wear those thick flannel pajamas?”
    “Flannel?” Parker barked.
    “No, really, hon, it’s okay,” Carly hedged. Parker would never let her live the