Back on Solid Ground by Debra Trueman Read Free Book Online

weakness, and that day had been no exception.  He had made that comment
when the girl was distraught as a means to calm her down. It was certainly not
an open invitation to go snooping around the house.   He had been sympathetic and
she had thrown it back in his face. 
    “I think we
have clarified what I meant by that,” he said, glaring at Stacy, enunciating
each word.
    Stacy could
tell that Niki was furious, and as much as she would have loved to egg him on,
she knew when to stop.  There was no point in making him any more angry with
her than he already was.  Her mom always said you catch more flies with honey
than vinegar, so she decided to change tacks.
    “I’m sorry,”
Stacy said, trying to sound innocent. “I was just looking around.  The house is
so beautiful.  I really thought that you said it was okay,” she said, as
convincingly as she could. Stacy rubbed her arm to make sure the other three
saw where Niki had manhandled her, but none of them seemed to care. 
    “I’ll escort
you back to your room,” he said coldly.
    “I don’t much
care for your escort service,” she retorted, unable to keep up the charade. 
She rubbed her arm again where bruises were already beginning to take shape.
“Can I at least get something to eat before you make me go back to that room ?”
she asked.
    “You make it
sound like a jail cell,” Eli said, baiting her.
    “Well, do you
have a better name for it?” she said, shooting spears with her eyes.  “I am a prisoner here, am I not?” she said in as nasty a tone as she could muster. 
She was still mad about her hair, and just looking at Eli pissed her off.  She
should have slapped him when she had the chance. 
    He knew what
she was thinking: “Hey, you look kind of like Raggedy Anne,” Eli said, and he
and Niki laughed out loud.
    Stacy turned
on Jason.  “Did you tell him that?” she asked angrily.
    Jason held
his hands up. “He came up with it all on his own,” he said, unable to stifle a
smile.
    Stacy glared
from one to the other and it dawned on her that Eli and Niki had to be
brothers.  Their hair and eyes were different, but the shape of their face and
their bone structure were identical. “Well doesn’t it just figure that the two
of you would be brothers . God, your poor mother.” 
    Niki and Eli
were too busy laughing to respond. 
    Don’t get
mad, get even, Stacy thought.  “Well, can I get something to eat or not?”
she said.
    “Of course
you can have something to eat,” Carlos interjected. “And while you’re down
here, I’d like to take a look at your wound, if I may.”
    “Are you a
doctor?” she said, looking him over.
    “Of sorts,”
he replied.  He had not waited for her to answer, but had lifted the bottom of
her shirt and was poking his fingers around the inflamed region. His hands were
sure and strong.
    “Stop it,
that hurts!” Stacy said, slapping at his hand.
    “I’ll need to
put a dressing and new bandage on it so it won’t get infected,” he said. “If
you will sit in here for just a minute, I’ll get my supplies,” he said,
motioning to a sitting area in the next room. 
    Stacy went
into the room and over to the window and looked out admiring the tropical foliage. 
The room overlooked the jungle and there were three parrots sitting in a tree
right outside the window.  She decided that when she got back home, she would
move out of her condo and buy a house so she could have a yard.  When Stacy
turned back around she saw that Niki had followed her to the room and was
standing in the doorway watching her.
    “What? 
You’re just going to stand there and watch me?” she snapped at him.
    “You’re not very
nice,” he stated, taking a lesson from his brother.
    “ I’m not nice?    You’re the one who busted into a bank and blew a man’s hand
to kingdom come!” she said.  “You shot me, you kidnapped me, you cut off my
hair.  I’ve got a bruise in the shape of your handprint on my upper