Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Kinsey, try to keep up.”
With his little cousin in tow, Scott weaved his way through the Philadelphia pedestrians, some who raised an eyebrow at the tall blonde man as he tugged the arm of the young lady lagging behind.
Stop it! People are staring. Let GO!”
Scott felt an abrupt jerk to his arm and suddenly the hand he was holding on to was gone. Turning around, he spied the hand, along with the body it was connected to, had taken up residence at the nearest park bench. By the determined look on his cousin’s face, she wasn’t budging.
“Kinsey, this is nonsense.”
“And you are making NO sense.”
“Kinsey, let’s go.”
“Not until you answer my questions.”
“I told you we would have plenty of time to talk this over on the train. Now stand up.”
“NO!
Scott felt his voice rising to match his cousin’s. “If we were back at the ranch, this behavior would be leading to a very different type of discussion.”
“Well, we’re not back at the ranch, are we?”
“No, but we will be in less than four days and I have an excellent memory.”
Scott put his hands on his hips and looked around at people enjoying this fine afternoon. Frustration set in that he and Kinsey could not join the smiling faces everywhere.
Actually, not everywhere. Scott’s gaze settled on two older women talking to one of Philadelphia’s finest and pointing his way. He could just imagine what this scene looked like to strangers. Icing on today’s three-layer cake - Kinsey taken into protective custody as her older cousin spends a night in jail.
“I don’t understand what is happening. I don’t understand any of it.” Kinsey’s voice was now laced with panic.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Scott sat down. “Have I ever lied to you, young lady?”
“No, you haven’t. Why would you ask me that?”
“You need to understand both our lives changed the moment Fletcher Garrett died. Kinsey, do you trust me?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I want you to listen very carefully. My grandfather is on his way to Philadelphia and it’s not for a social visit. He will insist it’s nothing more but trust me, he’ll have a personal agenda that benefits him and no one else. We need to be heading back home before he arrives which means going to the hotel, packing, and getting to the train station earlier than we anticipated. This has become a very difficult situation.”
“You once told me a situation is only as difficult as a person’s perception allows it to be.”
“I did say that.”
“It seems like we’re avoiding your grandfather. You once said it was better to confront than avoid. Always take the high ground. You said that”
“I did. We’re not avoiding, just delaying.”
“You told me don’t put off tomorrow what you can…”
“Freckles! Now is not the time to prove you were actually paying attention during my boring lectures.”
Kinsey gifted Scott with a slight smile, which he acknowledged with an arm around the shoulder hug. “I know you’re overwhelmed. I am too. But right now, we need to focus on getting home. Honey, home is our high ground.”A few more hugs got Kinsey up on her feet and moving again.
Entering the lobby, Scott surveyed the hotel guests milling about with no one attracting his immediate attention. Relaxing slightly, Scott suggested they settle their bill at the front desk before going to their rooms to pack-up.
“Sir, may I help you?”
“Yes, we will be leaving soon and would like to pay for our stay - Scott Lancer and Kinsey Furlong.”
The clerk at the front desk expressed confusion as he examined the hotel’s registry.
“Sir, your rooms have been paid for another night.”
“No. We will be boarding the train to San Francisco this evening. There’s been a mistake.”
“It’s not a mistake.”
Slowly, Scott turned in the direction of the contradicting statement to observe a gentleman emerging from behind the day’s newspaper.
“Hello, Scotty.”
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