Page 23 of Behind the Cascades
"Mind if I sit with you while we wait?" I ask, not quite ready to leave her alone. It seems like she knows Sergeant Turner but I still don’t feel comfortable just leaving her.
She smiles at me and the corners of her eyes crease. "I'd love that, darling. Just stopping through town?"
I swallowed a lump of emotion that came out of nowhere and nodded.
"Where ya from, sweetie?"
"A small town in South Carolina, Heartsville.”
"I figured somewhere in the south. You beautiful southern belles have such charm."
I choke on a laugh and look at my worn-out baby blue Vansand jeans. Not many people back home would refer to me as a southern belle; definitely no debutants or tea parties for me.
"Thank you. How's your wrist? And ankle? Does anything else hurt?"
"I'll be just fine. These old bones bruise easily."
An ambulance pulls up and out of the passenger seat, pops out an identical version of the sergeant. My jaw truly drops when I see him. How on earth this town has two men that look like this is beyond me.
"Daniel Turner!” Elise begins to scold him. “You went and called the medics?!"
The medic in question walked up with a lopsided grin full of playfulness. "Elise, my love. You know, it's only the best for you."
"You telling meyou'rethe best they got, Levi?” She arches her eyebrow and purses her lips. “Where's Brian? Or Bill?"
He grabs at his chest dramatically, and I can't help the giggle that escapes. It feels like it's been months since I've laughed.
"I'm insulted that you think those imbeciles are better than me!" He crouches down in front of the bench and opens up his medic bag, pulling out a blood pressure cuff.
Before he places it on her, he glances at me and then does a double take. His eyes roam my face, and his flirty smile lets me know he likes the view. "You must be the hero that jumped in front of a moving cruiser."
Sergeant Turner appears behind him and grips his shoulder, lovingly chastising him. "Focus on your job, Vi."
Levi chuckles and gets back to work. The resemblance between them is uncanny. If they weren't wearing different uniforms, there's no way I'd be able to tell which twin was which.
I look at Elise, who is grinning at me like she knows exactly what I’m thinking.
"Does everyone in town look like this?"
Her lips twitch as she looks between the two of them. "No, but the Turner genes are impenetrable. Their daddy looked just like they did at this age, and Dan's son Ben is a tiny mini-me as well."
Levi shrugs. "It's the best. I get to share my genetics without having to settle down. I’m Levi, by the way, and the replica behind me is Dan.”
Dan rolls his eyes. "I heard you tell Elise you're just visiting. How long you staying for?"
I puff out my cheeks as I let out a breath. "I'm not sure. I don't really have any place to be for a little while."
His eyes narrow as he takes in the subtle undertones of what I'm not saying. "You in some sort of trouble?"
I let out one humorless laugh. "No, nothing like that. I just graduated from the University of South Carolina. I thought a road trip might help me clear my head and figure out my next steps." I don't know why I'm opening up so much to these people I've never met before, but I can't stop the words coming out of my mouth.Maybe spending so many days alone in the car has me desperate for human interaction.
Dan's eyebrows furrow in concern. "But you don't have a plan? Find a job or settle down somewhere?"
I shrug, feeling a mix of uncertainty and freedom. "I guess I'll figure it out along the way. Right now, I just need some time to explore. Find myself, again."
He nods slowly, and his lips twist to the side. "My wife, albeit a real-life superhero, is feeling a touch overwhelmed with running a company and being an amazing mother. If you decide to stay around, even if only a couple weeks, I'm sure she could use the help."
I give him a polite smile, still unsure of my timeline. "Thank you. I appreciate the offer."
