garage sales. She handed Jessica a china plate that had rich blue and yellow flowers etched around the edge and invited her to help herself to the tossed salad in the big wooden bowl on the counter.
Even though Teri and Jessica saw each other at school every day and had chatted some here and there, they really hadn’t talked with each other in depth. Jessica felt comfortable with the casualness of their friendship and was thankful Teri hadn’t done any probing. As long as that was how their conversations stayed, they would be fine.
“Did you see Mr. McGregor yesterday?” Teri asked.
Jessica poured some Thousand Island dressing on her salad and said, “Yes. He’s home now, and he seems to be doing lots better. The home nurse who looks after him is a real sweetie. I don’t think he’ll be back at school for some time, though. I’m afraid we’re stuck with Charlotte the rest of the year.”
Teri scooped some spaghetti noodles onto her plate and held another helping in midair, waiting for Jessica’s plate. “Did you sign that card Charlotte bought for Mr. McGregor? Shemade him a blueberry cheesecake and took it over yesterday.”
Jessica still couldn’t imagine Charlotte as anything other than villain. Why would she buy a card and make a cheesecake? She had to have something to gain. “No, I didn’t know a card was going around.”
“Kyle was over there when she showed up, and he said the cheesecake could win first place at the county fair. Say, Jessica, whatever happened with you and Kyle? I thought something was about to start up between you two, but you haven’t said a word about him, and he hasn’t been around.”
“I guess nothing is happening,” Jessica said, ladling the hot marinara sauce over her noodles and then sitting down at the kitchen table.
“He asked about you at the Labor Day picnic on Monday,” Teri said.
“Your church picnic?” Jessica asked.
“Yes, Kyle goes to my church,” Teri said, joining Jessica at the table. “He works with the teenagers. A sort of volunteer youth pastor.”
Kyle goes to church and works with teens. I suppose I should have guessed. Everyone in this town goes to church
. Jessica was about to question Teri as to what Kyle had said, but Teri spoke first.
“Do you mind if I say grace?”
Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “Go ahead.”
Teri prayed, and Jessica half lowered her eyes and looked at the cucumber slice in her salad. It was more out of respect for Teri than for God. How could Teri talk aloud to God so naturally? It was peculiar, but nice, in a small-town sort of way.
They started to eat, and Jessica hoped the subject would change, but Teri brought it back to Kyle. “He’s taking a group of kids from church down to Mexico next month. Didn’t any of them try to sell you a candy bar this week? They’ve beenworking to raise the money ever since their trip last year.”
“As a matter of fact, Dawn Laughlin asked me if I wanted to buy a candy bar. Is she actually going to Mexico?”
“Yes, she is,” Teri said, cutting her spaghetti before eating it. “I think it will be the best thing in the world for her. She knows all about wealth and fancy hotels in Paris; it’s time she learned how others live. Besides, I’m the one who talked her into going.”
“You must be a good persuader,” Jessica said. “Mexico is not for everyone.”
Teri’s brown eyes grew wide, she put down her fork and looked at Jessica. “Why don’t you go too?” she asked enthusiastically. “It’s such a great trip. You’ll love it!”
“Me? Go to Mexico? I don’t think so, Teri. I’m not very interested in that sort of thing.”
“Oh, come on! I’m going. I went last year, too. I’m their official interpreter. Do you speak any Spanish?”
“Tacos,” Jessica said, her mouth full of salad. “And huevos rancheros.” She swallowed her bite. “That’s about it. Not quite enough to qualify as an interpreter.”
“What we need,” Teri said with
Even though Teri and Jessica saw each other at school every day and had chatted some here and there, they really hadn’t talked with each other in depth. Jessica felt comfortable with the casualness of their friendship and was thankful Teri hadn’t done any probing. As long as that was how their conversations stayed, they would be fine.
“Did you see Mr. McGregor yesterday?” Teri asked.
Jessica poured some Thousand Island dressing on her salad and said, “Yes. He’s home now, and he seems to be doing lots better. The home nurse who looks after him is a real sweetie. I don’t think he’ll be back at school for some time, though. I’m afraid we’re stuck with Charlotte the rest of the year.”
Teri scooped some spaghetti noodles onto her plate and held another helping in midair, waiting for Jessica’s plate. “Did you sign that card Charlotte bought for Mr. McGregor? Shemade him a blueberry cheesecake and took it over yesterday.”
Jessica still couldn’t imagine Charlotte as anything other than villain. Why would she buy a card and make a cheesecake? She had to have something to gain. “No, I didn’t know a card was going around.”
“Kyle was over there when she showed up, and he said the cheesecake could win first place at the county fair. Say, Jessica, whatever happened with you and Kyle? I thought something was about to start up between you two, but you haven’t said a word about him, and he hasn’t been around.”
“I guess nothing is happening,” Jessica said, ladling the hot marinara sauce over her noodles and then sitting down at the kitchen table.
“He asked about you at the Labor Day picnic on Monday,” Teri said.
“Your church picnic?” Jessica asked.
“Yes, Kyle goes to my church,” Teri said, joining Jessica at the table. “He works with the teenagers. A sort of volunteer youth pastor.”
Kyle goes to church and works with teens. I suppose I should have guessed. Everyone in this town goes to church
. Jessica was about to question Teri as to what Kyle had said, but Teri spoke first.
“Do you mind if I say grace?”
Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “Go ahead.”
Teri prayed, and Jessica half lowered her eyes and looked at the cucumber slice in her salad. It was more out of respect for Teri than for God. How could Teri talk aloud to God so naturally? It was peculiar, but nice, in a small-town sort of way.
They started to eat, and Jessica hoped the subject would change, but Teri brought it back to Kyle. “He’s taking a group of kids from church down to Mexico next month. Didn’t any of them try to sell you a candy bar this week? They’ve beenworking to raise the money ever since their trip last year.”
“As a matter of fact, Dawn Laughlin asked me if I wanted to buy a candy bar. Is she actually going to Mexico?”
“Yes, she is,” Teri said, cutting her spaghetti before eating it. “I think it will be the best thing in the world for her. She knows all about wealth and fancy hotels in Paris; it’s time she learned how others live. Besides, I’m the one who talked her into going.”
“You must be a good persuader,” Jessica said. “Mexico is not for everyone.”
Teri’s brown eyes grew wide, she put down her fork and looked at Jessica. “Why don’t you go too?” she asked enthusiastically. “It’s such a great trip. You’ll love it!”
“Me? Go to Mexico? I don’t think so, Teri. I’m not very interested in that sort of thing.”
“Oh, come on! I’m going. I went last year, too. I’m their official interpreter. Do you speak any Spanish?”
“Tacos,” Jessica said, her mouth full of salad. “And huevos rancheros.” She swallowed her bite. “That’s about it. Not quite enough to qualify as an interpreter.”
“What we need,” Teri said with
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