hard as she could, hoping for a satisfying slam, but it closed with a pathetic ‘clunk’. She came around to the driver’s side, anger seething deep inside, and spoke through gritted teeth.
“I thought you’d at least listen with an open mind.” She was in no danger of crying now; she was far too angry. “I didn’t imagine it and you know perfectly well I don’t use drugs. I’m going to try to bring them together, Jason. I was hoping you’d want to help me, but I can see that isn’t going to happen.” She tossed her head in an attempt to mask how much he’d hurt her. “I said I’d try and that’s what I’m going to do.” She started the hike to her driveway, and then turned back. He was sitting rock still in the driver’s seat, watching her. “I think we’d better not see each other for a few days. I’m going to be busy.” She met his eyes. “And to think I took dancing lessons for you.” She turned and walked away.
“Charlie!” His voice was confused, desperate, but she was too hurt to give in. It wasn’t until she was halfway down Janelle’s driveway that she heard the truck start up.
“Well Charlie, you really did it this time” she said aloud, but her step lightened. She’d made a promise, and she intended to keep it.
* * *
“Hi.” Charlie stopped in the doorway and the screen door banged lightly against her back.
Janelle was working at the sink. “Do you like potato salad?” she asked. “I thought we could have a cold dinner tonight.”
Charlie hated potato salad. “I love it, but I’m not very hungry.”
“Oh? Did Jason take you for something to eat?” Janelle busied herself tearing lettuce into chunks for a green salad.
Charlie watched with relief. At least she could eat that convincingly. “No.” She reached for a glass and poured herself some lemonade. The cool, tart liquid soothed her jagged nerves. “Jason and I aren’t going to see each other for a few days. “We’ve had a misunderstanding.”
“But Charlie…” Janelle looked stricken.
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it right now. Jason and I have to work this out between us.”
She was aware of the effort it took for her aunt not to push any further. “All right,” she said at last. “But as I said before, I’m here to listen if you need to talk.”
Tears pooled in Charlie’s eyes. “Thanks, Janelle. Thank you for understanding.”
Janelle snatched a couple of tissues from a box on the counter and handed them to her. “I’ll bet you don’t feel like eating dinner at all, do you?” She brushed a wisp of hair away from Charlie’s eyes. “So I tell you what. Eat whenever you like and we’ll leave it at that. I’m not going anywhere tonight, although Jack may come over for a while. I’ll either be here, or in the barn.”
Charlie nodded and started for the stairs. “Oh, by the way. Could you contact Tyler and tell him I won’t need my dance lesson tomorrow? I don’t think Jason and I will be going out on Saturday.”
Janelle opened her mouth to speak and then closed it.
“He’s an amazing teacher. I’ll catch up with him as soon as I can and thank him.
Janelle laughed. “Don’t worry about that. This is a small town; we’ll be sure to run into him. Anyway, he’s started coming to The Trip again, and you’ll be going with me sometimes, right?”
Charlie avoided the question. “That reminds me, I still have a bit more cleaning to do. Can I use the truck tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. I have no plans for tomorrow.”
Chapter Nine
Charlie plodded up the stairs and went directly to her room. Not surprisingly, she was tired after everything that had happened.
She lay down on her bed and Jason’s face shimmered before her like a judgmental mirage. Blue eyes that had regarded her with such tenderness as recently as last night were now cold, unbelieving. Then his face dissolved, replaced by Harm Rogers, silently pleading for her help.
“Go away!” she
“I thought you’d at least listen with an open mind.” She was in no danger of crying now; she was far too angry. “I didn’t imagine it and you know perfectly well I don’t use drugs. I’m going to try to bring them together, Jason. I was hoping you’d want to help me, but I can see that isn’t going to happen.” She tossed her head in an attempt to mask how much he’d hurt her. “I said I’d try and that’s what I’m going to do.” She started the hike to her driveway, and then turned back. He was sitting rock still in the driver’s seat, watching her. “I think we’d better not see each other for a few days. I’m going to be busy.” She met his eyes. “And to think I took dancing lessons for you.” She turned and walked away.
“Charlie!” His voice was confused, desperate, but she was too hurt to give in. It wasn’t until she was halfway down Janelle’s driveway that she heard the truck start up.
“Well Charlie, you really did it this time” she said aloud, but her step lightened. She’d made a promise, and she intended to keep it.
* * *
“Hi.” Charlie stopped in the doorway and the screen door banged lightly against her back.
Janelle was working at the sink. “Do you like potato salad?” she asked. “I thought we could have a cold dinner tonight.”
Charlie hated potato salad. “I love it, but I’m not very hungry.”
“Oh? Did Jason take you for something to eat?” Janelle busied herself tearing lettuce into chunks for a green salad.
Charlie watched with relief. At least she could eat that convincingly. “No.” She reached for a glass and poured herself some lemonade. The cool, tart liquid soothed her jagged nerves. “Jason and I aren’t going to see each other for a few days. “We’ve had a misunderstanding.”
“But Charlie…” Janelle looked stricken.
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it right now. Jason and I have to work this out between us.”
She was aware of the effort it took for her aunt not to push any further. “All right,” she said at last. “But as I said before, I’m here to listen if you need to talk.”
Tears pooled in Charlie’s eyes. “Thanks, Janelle. Thank you for understanding.”
Janelle snatched a couple of tissues from a box on the counter and handed them to her. “I’ll bet you don’t feel like eating dinner at all, do you?” She brushed a wisp of hair away from Charlie’s eyes. “So I tell you what. Eat whenever you like and we’ll leave it at that. I’m not going anywhere tonight, although Jack may come over for a while. I’ll either be here, or in the barn.”
Charlie nodded and started for the stairs. “Oh, by the way. Could you contact Tyler and tell him I won’t need my dance lesson tomorrow? I don’t think Jason and I will be going out on Saturday.”
Janelle opened her mouth to speak and then closed it.
“He’s an amazing teacher. I’ll catch up with him as soon as I can and thank him.
Janelle laughed. “Don’t worry about that. This is a small town; we’ll be sure to run into him. Anyway, he’s started coming to The Trip again, and you’ll be going with me sometimes, right?”
Charlie avoided the question. “That reminds me, I still have a bit more cleaning to do. Can I use the truck tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. I have no plans for tomorrow.”
Chapter Nine
Charlie plodded up the stairs and went directly to her room. Not surprisingly, she was tired after everything that had happened.
She lay down on her bed and Jason’s face shimmered before her like a judgmental mirage. Blue eyes that had regarded her with such tenderness as recently as last night were now cold, unbelieving. Then his face dissolved, replaced by Harm Rogers, silently pleading for her help.
“Go away!” she
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