Searching for Home (Spies of Chicago Book 1) by Jessica Keller

Author:Jessica Keller [Keller, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phantom Ship Press
Published: 2014-10-06T22:00:00+00:00

Try and fall asleep? Ellen smiled despite the situation. With James’s heart beating against her ribcage as he carried her, even on the longest day of her life, sleep would never be an option.

But she closed her eyes to please him, or at the least to abate the anger rolling off him in hot waves. James would have to get over his ire. By morning he would.

Years ago she’d doodled all over the pages of his copy of Ben-Hur, including a giant stick-figure driving a chariot across one of the more exciting scenes. In her eleven year old exuberance, she’d pressed hard enough to crack the book’s spine. If that wasn’t bad enough, Ellen had started fixing the Hurs to Hers. When James came upon her and snatched his possession out of her hands, she’d argued that a book that had spiraling flowers decorating the cloth cover just had to be about a girl character. He’d turned red and started shaking. James didn’t speak to her for two days, but after an offering of Cook’s snickerdoodles, he’d helped her build a ship out of branches to float down the DuPage River.

Maybe Aunt Louisa’s cook knew how to make snickerdoodles.

When they reached the first signs of the business district, James waved down a cab and hired the man to drive them to the north end of the city where her aunt and uncle lived. He settled her on the bench, then took a seat with a long sigh.

The driver grunted, and his team of unmatched nags plodded forward.

After a moment, Ellen broke the night’s stillness with a whisper. “I can’t believe Lewis would have hurt me.”

James crossed and uncrossed his arms. “Do you now understand the danger? You could have been seriously hurt tonight because of following me. You can’t do foolish things like that anymore. You need to use that brain the good Lord’s given you.” James ran a hand through his dark blond hair. “In fact, we shouldn’t even be friends any longer. They would hurt you to get to me.”

Ellen reached across the space between them, resting her hand on his forearm. “But I wanted to be with you, James. I wanted to see what you were doing. I’ll always follow you.”

In an uncharacteristically James move he brushed her hand away. “Well, I don’t want you around me anymore.” He turned to look out the window. His jaw muscle flexed.

Tired and sore body forgotten, Ellen snapped to attention. James not want her? Inconceivable. “You’re angry. Sleep on it.”

“I’m serious.” James stared at the ceiling.

She inched forward on her seat, knees pressing against his. “But what about the other day? Remember … you kissed me.”

With a pained slowness he faced her, a hollow look in his green eyes. “Move on, Ellen. It was all a big mistake.”

Blurriness framed her sight and Ellen’s pulse echoed in her ears. “You don’t mean that.”

James inched away from her. “I do. Very much so.”

“No.” She scooted across the carriage to his bench. When she reached for him, he jumped from her touch like it might burn him.

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