Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page A

dresser—a snow globe with Mickey Mouse in a wizard’s hat and robe that her father had given her for her eighth birthday, some makeup, a brush. When she finished, she clutched her backpack to her chest for a moment before crawling to the back of the closet, where she pushed aside the zippered garment bags hanging there and tucked her backpack into the corner. It disappeared into the darkness as the garment bags fell back into place.
    Outside, the white clouds that had been boiling up took on a gray tinge, and the white curtains danced at the window. A sudden gust blew the door shut with a slam, and Sam jumped to his feet, blinked, and lay back down. Lainie opened the door.
    â€œYou want out? You better go while you can.” Sam looked at her with half-open eyes and twisted to wash his stomach.
    â€œThis is your last chance.” Sam closed his eyes and purred louder.
    â€œOkay, cat, but don’t think I’m getting up to let you out.”
    Sam offered the resistance of a fifteen-pound beanbag whenLainie pushed him to one side and lay down next to him. The pillowcase was cool and crisp against her cheek and smelled fresh, like rain. Lainie closed her eyes. Sam oozed over until he was lying against her, but she was barely aware that the steady pressure down her side from hip to knee was him or that the soft rumble that lifted her into unconsciousness was the tremor of his purr.

5

    R ay was squatting on his heels behind the bar the next morning checking his supplies when he heard the door open and someone step in. He waited for a voice, but there was only silence.
    â€œNot open yet. Come back in an hour or so.”
    His hand closed around the baseball bat he kept under the bar and he stood up, keeping the bat out of sight under the counter. It was only that crazy California girl. He slid it back on its shelf.
    â€œWhat can I do for you?”
    â€œFirst of all, I want to say I’m sorry about yesterday.” The girl smiled, and he noticed that when she wasn’t screaming her head off, she wasn’t bad looking. “I sort of lost it.”
    Ray shrugged. He sure wasn’t going to argue with that.
    â€œAnyway, can we start over?”
    She was all over sugar, but that made Ray even more uncomfortable. He had heard about those split-personality people, and he was sure that if ever there was one, she was standing in his bar this minute. He had seen her all of three times and she had been a completely different person every time.
    â€œI was hoping I could use your phone. I need to make some calls, and I don’t need Elizabeth or Fayette hanging over my shoulder listening in.”
    â€œThere’s a pay phone in the hall there by the restrooms. Help yourself.”
    â€œWell, the thing is, my calling card is about out of minutes, and I’m about out of cash. Do you have a phone that isn’t pay? I promise I’ll keep it short.”
    Ray noticed she had a dimple when she smiled. He crossed the bar and opened the door to the storeroom that doubled as his office. “The phone’s there on the desk. I’ll ask you to keep the door open, though, if you don’t mind.”
    Lainie sat on the desk with her back to the door. She kept her voice low and Ray couldn’t hear what she said, even if he were interested, which he wasn’t. But he could hear her tone, and Miss Sugar was giving way to Miss Ticked-off. Finally she yelled, “All right! Just forget I called!” and slammed down the phone.
    He was actually kind of curious about which personality she would have when she came back in the room, although he made sure the bar was between them, just in case. But when she came in, climbed on a stool, and asked for a beer, she just looked scared. Ray found himself wondering if he could get that dimple back.
    â€œCan’t give you a beer. We’re not open yet. But how about a soda? On the house.”
    She closed both hands around the soft drink