guessed, though. She had known she would be happy here. She had always known she was a small-town girl at heart, just like her mom had been.
When Jessica was halfway home, she noticed a white truck that looked like Kyle’s parked at the end of the next block. Part of her wanted to run the other way and part of her wanted to face him and get it over. Without completely making up her mind, Jessica walked toward the truck.
It might not even be his. If it is and he sees me and asks what I’m doing on this block, I can always say I got lost. And if he sees me with a bag of groceries, that would be good. He would think I simply hadn’t been to the store yet, and that’s why my refrigerator was empty when he came over
.
Before she knew it, Jessica was standing a few feet away from the truck. It was Kyle’s all right. She wondered which house he was in. That’s when she noticed the cemetery across the street. Kyle was bending down on one knee, placing a bouquet of daisies in front of one of the graves. Jessica wanted to watch. She thought of hiding behind a tree and then going over to see the name on the grave. But it would never work. She couldn’t hide, because there weren’t any trees on her side of the street. The huge trees were all at the cemetery, and if she tried to sneak to the other side of the street to try to hide behind a tree—with her bag of groceries in tow—he would surely see her. Besides, it seemed inappropriate to spy on someone in such a private moment.
Jessica turned around and walked swiftly back the way she came.
What if he gets in his truck, drives this way, and sees me?
By the time she reached her front door, she was panting from her rapid pace. Quickly turning the key in the lock, Jessica slipped inside, closed the door, and let out a huge sigh. It was ridiculous to act so juvenile. Why did she push this manaway, then two days later stalk him, only to run away again? How could she possibly trust herself to make rational decisions the next time she saw him?
Jessica put away her treasured, if scant, groceries and thought about old love songs that mentioned doing crazy things when you’re in love. Jessica wondered if her personal life were different now. If she were in Glenbrooke under different circumstances, would she allow herself to fall in love with Kyle?
“It’s ridiculous,” Jessica scolded herself aloud as she filled a pan with water and prepared to boil an egg for her dinner. “I don’t know a thing about him. How can you fall in love with a stranger?”
Jessica dined on her boiled egg and a glass of water, eating in front of the TV, changing channels until she came on an old black-and-white movie that was just starting. She had seen this one before but was glad she couldn’t remember how it ended.
That’s how Jessica spent the rest of the weekend, eating only when necessary, relaxing with her antique book collection, and watching old movies on TV. The food commercials were her only frustration. She quickly switched the channel every time another tantalizing ad came on, and she promised herself a freezer full of DoveBars when her paycheck came.
By Tuesday morning, she felt rested, calm, and ready for the challenge that lay ahead of her. It was a good thing, because the next four days were nonstop.
After all the talk Jessica had heard about Dawn, she was surprised to find her to be an ordinary high school student. Dawn’s long, straight blond hair hung down her back, and her round face looked innocent. Jessica felt drawn to her.
During the first few days of school, she looked for an opportunity to talk with Dawn, not that she was sure what she would say. The chance came on Wednesday after class. Dawncame up to Jessica’s desk while the rest of the class scattered into the hallway.
“I was wondering if you would like to buy a candy bar. It’s to raise money for an outreach trip to Mexico,” Dawn said.
Jessica wished she could feel freer with her money. “I’m sorry,
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