The Clock Is Ticking

‘Just let him sleep,’ Jesse said. ‘Keep a glass of water on the table. He’s going to get thirsty later. And keep an eye on him in case he throws up.’ Kira nodded. ‘Thank you.’ Jesse lingered and watched her clean Austyn’s face with the wetted towel. Her movements were gentle. She seemed to care for Austyn a great deal. Jesse could hold back no longer. ‘Do you know who he met this afternoon?’ ‘Who?’ ‘Your so-called big brother.’ ‘Gideon?’ Kira looked up, surprised. Then she frowned. At noon, Austyn said he was leaving to deal with some work problems. Did he meet up with Gideon instead? What did the two of them talk about? Did he get drunk because of the meeting? Kira’s mind was whirling. ‘Can I ask you something?’ Jesse said. ‘Uh, sure.’ ‘Do you love Austyn?’ Kira didn’t need to think about the answer. ‘Of course, I do.’ She didn’t a year ago, but she did now. ‘Just how much do you love him?’ Jesse stared straight at her. Kira cleared her throat, feeling awkward talking about her feelin