The Line That Binds by J.M. Miller Read Free Book Online Page B

actually invest in some black-out curtains so I could sleep until noon whenever the hell I wanted.
    I grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of work jeans from the closet, kicked yesterday’s dirty clothes into the laundry pile while I dressed, then picked up the empty beer bottles I’d used as a sedative last night and tossed them in the trash. The house was perfectly silent when I left the bedroom. Days were continuously filled with movement, and at night the old house settled, but in the mornings everything was at rest. That particular silence was the only benefit to being up this early, especially on Sundays. Stockton Estate reset Sunday mornings, jumping back to its simple beginnings.
    No movement came from Pop’s room so I started a pot of coffee for him and blended my morning protein shake, realizing that tomorrow I’d finally have my wire removed and I’d be able to chew greasy burgers again soon. I leaned against the counter, staring through the window above the sink as I took a long pull of breakfast through a straw. The main house was all dark, shadowed by the rising sun as it climbed the roof above the house’s southern wall. LJ’s windows reflected the pale morning sky and I wondered if she was awake somewhere behind them. Our official introduction yesterday wasn’t exactly the way I’d planned. Who was I kidding? I hadn’t really planned on an introduction at all. My plan was to ignore that family for as long as I could, but Pop changed all that.
    LJ surprised me, though. I was ready for her to scream at me for showing up like some wacko in her bathroom while she sat naked in a tub full of bubbles. But she didn’t. That’s why I stayed. Her behavior hit me with enough curiosity to keep me from walking out. My accidental intrusion did rattle her, though, and her fierce green eyes searched me more than they had at Janine’s will reading, yet she seemed as curious as I was. When she got testy, I tested back. It was a risk I was willing to take because honestly I wasn’t sure what else to do.
    The only thing I was sure of was Stockton Estate. This was home, and that was my main concern. So, I would try to be her friend, as Pop instructed, but on my own terms. Protecting her from some curse and finding the reason Janine brought them here would take backseats to ensuring none of the employees got canned for any evil reason a haughty new owner could come up with. I’d be damned if I’d let her inherit this place and rip our family apart in order to fill her closets with more designer clothes.
    Pop was still MIA when I finished my liquid breakfast so I walked outside to check the grounds. Technically, I was usually off on weekends, though living here meant Pop and I were constantly on call. I never minded because I didn’t have much else going on. And the extra pay never hurt.
    The sun crested the eastern tree line when I stepped outside. Its rays were growing stronger, penetrating the fog that hovered over the damp grass. I pressed my fingers into the wet soil between the multi-colored lilies in the side garden. I was confident yesterday’s PVC repair worked even though I wouldn’t be positive until the ground dried from last night’s rain.
    I walked around to the front of the event house as Simone’s black sedan turned into the main driveway and around to the employee parking lot. A minute later, Simone turned the corner of the building with her leather satchel tucked under an arm. The pinstripe pants she wore this morning hid the stilt-like platform heels she normally sported in order to fake an average height. Without them, she was less than five feet. Her height and thin build, combined with her choppy brown hair, caused her to be mistaken for a little boy the year she started as manager. Another employee came up from behind her and didn’t recognize her in casual clothes. He accused her “little punk ass” of trespassing. When she turned around, he transformed into a blathering mess and crumbled under