touched glass of water, he sees that the rim is stained with her red lipstick.
I can’t wait and I can’t drive home.… I have to take the train
.
What did she mean by that?
She’s an enigma, through and through. Nothing about her adds up, now that he has a chance to go over everything she said and did.
Why, if she arrived in town with luggage—meaning she had every intention of staying for awhile—would she promptly turn around and flee like the demons of hell were chasing her?
She sure wasn’t all that upset when she first set foot in the door. Her agitation seemed to grow with every minute she spent in the store.…
More specifically, in Jed’s company.
In fact, now that he thinks about what transpired, it wasn’t until he actually introduced himself that Clara’s demeanor changed from vaguely confused to downright panicky.
Her behavior makes no sense. No sense whatsoever.
Then again… she
did
bump her head.
Hard enough to leave a bruise… and perhaps, hard enough to leave her so dazed she didn’t know whether she was coming or going.
I shouldn’t have let her get on that train alone
, Jed thinks helplessly.
To be fair, he did try to stop her. But maybe he didn’t try hard enough. He could have run a lot faster if he’d left the bags—at least the suitcase—behind.
But the bags were the reason he was chasing her in the first place—or so he had tried to rationalize to himself as he seized the pocketbook from the counter and the bag from the floor, then impulsively ran after her.
What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking. If he had been, he would have remembered to act like a sensible grown man, not a dizzy schoolboy with a crush.
Still…
If anything happens to her, it will be my fault
.
And there’s a good chance that he’ll never even know what becomes of her.
A good chance?
If she doesn’t take it upon herself to come back to Glenhaven Park for her bags, he’ll never see her again.
Unless…
Again, he picks up her handbag, speculating. There must be some kind of identification inside.
But he shouldn’t check.
Really, he shouldn’t…
Should he?
“Good morning, Jed!” Alice explodes through the door as he wavers, her hat askew and pudgy cheeks ruddy from the cold. “I’m sorry I’m so late.… I know you’re probably sore at me, but I can explain.…”
Jed stashes the bag back under the counter and turns away. “It’s all right, Alice,” he says absently, his mind on the enigmatic woman who dashed out of his life as unexpectedly as she came into it.
“It… it is? It’s okay?”
Jed blinks, sees Alice gaping at him. “It’s fine,” he says with a shrug, not in the mood for her explanation—or his own required recourse. “Just go hang up your coat and get your apron on.”
She nods and scurries away.
After a moment, Jed lifts Clara’s suitcase and carries it toward the back room. If Clara comes back for it, he’ll have it for her.
And if she doesn’t come back… well, he might just decide to go looking for her.
CHAPTER 6
L ast stop, Grand Central. Please take a moment to gather your belongings before you exit the train. Last stop, Grand Central Station.”
Clara opens her eyes with a start, looking around in confusion.
She’s on the train…?
The train!
It all comes back to her—
Glenhaven Park, 1941, Jed Landry
.
A dream.
That’s what it was. Just a dream.
It must have been, because she’s definitely in familiar territory now: on a modern commuter train car with rows of regular—that is, uncomfortable—benches.
And the cancer! Was it part of the dream?
Please, God
…
After glancing around quickly to make sure she’s not being observed, she pulls the neckline of her jacket backslightly. Is it her imagination, or is there a strong hint of cigarette smoke clinging to her clothing?
She lowers her eyes to peer down inside her blouse.
A black chill seeps over her at the sight of the gauze bandage covering the biopsy site.
That
I can’t wait and I can’t drive home.… I have to take the train
.
What did she mean by that?
She’s an enigma, through and through. Nothing about her adds up, now that he has a chance to go over everything she said and did.
Why, if she arrived in town with luggage—meaning she had every intention of staying for awhile—would she promptly turn around and flee like the demons of hell were chasing her?
She sure wasn’t all that upset when she first set foot in the door. Her agitation seemed to grow with every minute she spent in the store.…
More specifically, in Jed’s company.
In fact, now that he thinks about what transpired, it wasn’t until he actually introduced himself that Clara’s demeanor changed from vaguely confused to downright panicky.
Her behavior makes no sense. No sense whatsoever.
Then again… she
did
bump her head.
Hard enough to leave a bruise… and perhaps, hard enough to leave her so dazed she didn’t know whether she was coming or going.
I shouldn’t have let her get on that train alone
, Jed thinks helplessly.
To be fair, he did try to stop her. But maybe he didn’t try hard enough. He could have run a lot faster if he’d left the bags—at least the suitcase—behind.
But the bags were the reason he was chasing her in the first place—or so he had tried to rationalize to himself as he seized the pocketbook from the counter and the bag from the floor, then impulsively ran after her.
What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking. If he had been, he would have remembered to act like a sensible grown man, not a dizzy schoolboy with a crush.
Still…
If anything happens to her, it will be my fault
.
And there’s a good chance that he’ll never even know what becomes of her.
A good chance?
If she doesn’t take it upon herself to come back to Glenhaven Park for her bags, he’ll never see her again.
Unless…
Again, he picks up her handbag, speculating. There must be some kind of identification inside.
But he shouldn’t check.
Really, he shouldn’t…
Should he?
“Good morning, Jed!” Alice explodes through the door as he wavers, her hat askew and pudgy cheeks ruddy from the cold. “I’m sorry I’m so late.… I know you’re probably sore at me, but I can explain.…”
Jed stashes the bag back under the counter and turns away. “It’s all right, Alice,” he says absently, his mind on the enigmatic woman who dashed out of his life as unexpectedly as she came into it.
“It… it is? It’s okay?”
Jed blinks, sees Alice gaping at him. “It’s fine,” he says with a shrug, not in the mood for her explanation—or his own required recourse. “Just go hang up your coat and get your apron on.”
She nods and scurries away.
After a moment, Jed lifts Clara’s suitcase and carries it toward the back room. If Clara comes back for it, he’ll have it for her.
And if she doesn’t come back… well, he might just decide to go looking for her.
CHAPTER 6
L ast stop, Grand Central. Please take a moment to gather your belongings before you exit the train. Last stop, Grand Central Station.”
Clara opens her eyes with a start, looking around in confusion.
She’s on the train…?
The train!
It all comes back to her—
Glenhaven Park, 1941, Jed Landry
.
A dream.
That’s what it was. Just a dream.
It must have been, because she’s definitely in familiar territory now: on a modern commuter train car with rows of regular—that is, uncomfortable—benches.
And the cancer! Was it part of the dream?
Please, God
…
After glancing around quickly to make sure she’s not being observed, she pulls the neckline of her jacket backslightly. Is it her imagination, or is there a strong hint of cigarette smoke clinging to her clothing?
She lowers her eyes to peer down inside her blouse.
A black chill seeps over her at the sight of the gauze bandage covering the biopsy site.
That
Similar Books
