Project Enterprise by Pauline Baird Jones Read Free Book Online

Verne?”
    It took her a few seconds—and her Pa clearing his throat—to realize the question was for her. She lifted her lashes, taking as long as she could before she had to meet his gaze. Felt a bit of a jolt when she did, a strange mix of cold and hot shivering through her. She nodded her answer, cause her voice caught in her throat and she wasn’t sure it would come out low enough for the boy she was supposed to be. Another cough from her Pa got her to hold the book out for the stranger’s inspection. He took it, keeping her gaze captive during the exchange, his hand brushing hers long enough to send another round of shivers through her. A relief when the gaze shifted from her to the book, though not enough to unclog her throat.
    â€œ The Steam House. Interesting choice.”
    What did he mean by that? It was sure the right choice for the boy she was supposed to be. Lucky she liked everything Verne wrote, wanted to write something like it, but with a griffin. Pa thought it made her look more like a boy to have a book in hand, boosted her peakedness, too.
    The gaze lifted, slow like, and grabbed hers again. Made her want to run, though she couldn’t say if it was away or—he couldn’t know , could he? The high desert night was chilly, but Ani felt heat storm her cheeks and was glad for the darkness that hid most of the blush. Boys didn’t blush, did they? Truth was, she didn’t know as much as she should about boys or girls. When they hit a town she had to go into her act. Even after the healing, folks tended to keep their distance, just in case.
    Beyond the stranger, the first ghost light appeared, down toward the Chinati’s. Didn’t take it long to split into two, then into four. Showing some color this year. Felt the stranger’s gaze pulling at her own, so she pointed at them to distract him, or maybe she needed it. The way he looked at her, made her feel odd, kind of discontented with how things were, how they had to be. How they’d always be? Sad mingled with discontented at that thought.
    By the time he looked, there were twelve in the sky. The stranger’s brows arched just a bit. “The Marfa lights. So that’s what they look like.”
    Almost seemed he spoke to himself, but Pa grabbed the opening anyway, did some expounding on the differences they’d observed their last three years in the area, on how they didn’t always show up in the same place. Her Pa did like spectacle, and so, it seemed, did the ghost lights, as they began to scoot around. They didn’t always, and this was her first time to see color, though the locals had told them it could happen.
    The stranger rose, moved away from the fire, taking her book with him. Ani bit her lip, fighting the urge to go get it, when she knew she should keep her distance from the stranger. I want to finish the chapter is what she told herself when she scrambled to her feet, fighting—for the first time in a long time—to keep the girl from her walk as she eased in beside him.
    Be a good thing when they reached Marfa and parted company. A good thing , she repeated, not sure why she felt the need.
    This was the first time she’d stood this close, could compare his height with hers. Didn’t know why the ways they were different felt kinda right, kinda nice even. He was a border ruffian and dangerous to boot. But she’d lived safe for so long, it felt like life had passed her by. Been put on the shelf before she had a chance to be off it—
    â€œHave you ever followed them to their source?” The stranger shifted to look at Pa, the movement putting a bit more distance between them, though Ani caught a glancing blow as his gaze passed her on its way to Pa’s.
    Pa rose and came to stand next to her. “Some have tried.”
    Ani heard the change in his voice, half amused at the notion of chasing lights, half tinged with a bit of longing to try it.
    â€œAs a