Wait for the Wind by Brynna Curry Read Free Book Online

my favorite pair.”
    Ryan looked up into green pixie eyes. A young girl stood before him, hands in the back pockets of her jeans, a cocky smile on her face. “You’re sick. You should sit. My mom’s a doctor.” With that, she ran off.
    * * * *
    “Mom.” Allie ran toward her mother at full speed. “Dad’s at the house, and he puked all over my shoes!”
    “Allie! How do you know who he is? You’ve never seen your father.”
    “Course I have.”
    “When?”
    “Just now.” Allie grabbed Kate’s hand and tugged. “Hurry, Mom.” Then she bolted toward the house, raven hair streaming behind her.
    Mercy, does she have to run everywhere? Kate sprinted after her. Catching her breath as she rounded the bend into the yard, she saw a man sitting on the porch steps. Allie was right. He was indeed her father.
    * * * *
    He leaned against the porch post with his arms wrapped around his belly, but raised his head to look at the pixie child standing next to her mother.
    “Mom.” She pointed a thumb at Kate.
    “So you are Allaina. A pretty name for a beautiful little lady.” He didn’t know what to believe anymore. How could Kate have a daughter but be damaged by the rape? A quick calculation of Allaina’s age told him Kate must have gotten pregnant shortly after they broke off their relationship.
    “Thank you. Here. This is for you.” The child cupped her hands in front of her chest and whispered under her breath. Her hands began to glow with a soft yellow light. Finally she opened her hands to reveal a tiny butterfly shape made of light.
    “Wow. Devin said you were powerful. Just when I think I’ve seen it all. Thank you.” Ryan tried to pull himself up, but all he could manage was a crawl back up the steps. The little light butterfly flew from Allie’s hands and landed on his shoulder. He hurt inside, in places he didn’t have, but strangely the sensation was starting to ease. “I’ll be fine.”
    Kate shook her head. “I’m seen my share of sick people, Ryan. There’s no need for embarrassment. Let’s get you inside.”
    There was no way he was going back in that house right now. “No. I can’t go back in there. Not yet. It’s too much.” Tears welled up in his eyes.
    “Okay. We don’t have to.” Kate spoke gently, as if she were talking to a child. “Allie, go inside and get me a wet washcloth.” She waited until the screen door smacked against the frame before turning back to Ryan. “Opened up a can of worms, didn’t you?”
    “I didn’t expect the memories to be so–”
    “They are. I remember how sick you’d be after healing.”
    “I couldn’t get out of bed for two days after he broke your arm. Could barely hold a pen for a week.”
    “You should have left it alone. Time would have healed me, but you transferred some of the pain into yourself.”
    “Yes.”
    The screen door creaked. Allaina appeared beside him with a cool cloth and a glass of water. The memory was beginning to wear off.
    Kate sat beside him on the steps and handed him the glass.
    “Here, you’ll feel better.” Kate dabbed at his forehead with the wet towel.
    Allaina cleared her throat. “Mom.”
    Kate dropped the towel into his hand. Ryan watched her cheeks flush as she realized what she’d done. He wasn’t hers anymore. “Allie, why don’t you walk on down the lane to Grams. I bet she has biscuits, and you can help with dinner.”
    “Okay. Don’t be late. Grams hates that.”
    Ryan waited in uncomfortable silence for Kate to say something. Anything.
    “I’m sorry. I guess I forgot where I was, or rather when I was.”
    “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Her touch of comfort had much more potent effect than Kate probably intended. “Do you want to talk about what happened in there?”
    “Not yet. You have a beautiful child, Kate. I’m glad at least part of what I saw wasn’t true.” He reached out and took Kate’s hand in his, ran his fingers along the tiny path where the bones had fused