Read Online Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos - Free Book Online

“I thought you’d decided against college.”
    “My parents and I talked it over.” She always referred to Kendra and Wayne as her parents. “Aunt” and “Uncle” would invite questions.
    “Parents do know best sometimes,” she said, and raised an eyebrow. “Now on to more pressing matters: Phillip, why didn’t you tell me that you and Melanie were an item?”
    “We like keeping our business to ourselves,” he said.
    It wasn’t particularly scandalous, the two of them. He was never her teacher. Their age difference was only six years—five, come December. He’d graduated from the University of Connecticut and come down here as part of the Teach for America program. Had she seen him in the high school hallways? Sure. But they didn’t formally meet until after she’d already graduated, and she was working in the office supply store and he’d come in one day as a customer.
    “Oh, how silly!” Mrs. Henderson said. “Secrets don’t stay secrets for long in Fredonia. Well, you picked yourself a good one. Melanie didn’t have much to say in class, but she’s as smart as—Caitlin, please don’t do that. Caitlin . You’ll get muddy.” She took her younger daughter’s hand and helped her to stand up again before refocusing her attention on Melanie and Phillip. “Young love is a wonderful thing!” she announced, and then fake--whispered to Melanie: “You watch out for his big city ways.”
    Melanie forced a smile.
    “We were about to head over to the Ferris wheel,” Phillip said.
    “Of course. You two have yourself a good time.” She winked at Phillip. “See you bright and early on Monday, young man.”
    He smiled back. When they’d walked away, he said, “That woman is an idiot.”
    “She was always nice to me.”
    “Let me ask you something—did you learn anything from her?”
    A good point. Melanie was better educated in the progression of Caitlin’s toilet training than in Hamlet or To Kill a Mockingbird. “Well...”
    “And she treats me like a child. You know she’s only twenty-six?”
    That seemed impossible. “So tell me,” she said, “what exactly are those big city ways I’ve been warned about?”
    He stopped walking. “Come over again tonight, and I’ll show you.”
    Her face got warm. “I’m going to ride the Ferris wheel now.”
    It was almost 1 p.m., cooler than yesterday, a lovely day to be out. As she waited in line, she plucked a dandelion out of the grass and tucked it behind her ear. The ride attendant put her alone in a pale-green car, lowered the lap bar until it was snug, and said, “Bon voyage.” A few seconds later, she was rising into the air and swaying softly. The ride didn’t go very high, but at the top was a view of the streets of her town, the houses and lawns and cars. Below were the fairgrounds, clumps of people waiting for rides and food. She went up and around, down, up again. The car moved slowly, and the sensation in her belly wasn’t unpleasant. She lost sight of Phillip. Scanning the ground for him, she noticed a group of young kids waving at whichever car was at the top of the loop. Next time she reached the top, she waved back, and then, scanning the crowd again for Phillip she noticed an older man watching her. His gaze stayed on her as she came down to the bottom of the ride, and as she climbed again he raised a large camera to his face and held it there.
    “Hey!” she shouted, but he was already walking quickly away, melting into the crowd.
    When her car descended again—how many loops would this ride make?—she shouted to the ride attendant, “I need to get off the ride!” but he either didn’t hear or didn’t care, and there she went up again, and down again. “Please!” she shouted the next time, her eyes filling with tears. She considered leaping off, but this was a crazy thought, and anyway she was stuck underneath the lap bar. When the attendant had lowered the bar, his fingers had grazed her thighs. Was it an