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Authors: Lori L. Clark
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a double-take. "What
happened to your face?"
"It's nothing." My lower lip was split
open, and my jaw was tender. She reached toward me and I ducked, batting her
hand away from me. "I tripped."
"Right. I forgot how accident prone you
are."
She turned to retrieve her popcorn and I went up
to bed.
***
After our run, I took a shower and wrestled with
myself over what to wear. I wanted to look nice for my first in-person meeting
with Braden, but I didn't want to look too obvious or like I was trying too
hard to impress him. Dad would expect me to wear a dress or a skirt for my
appearance in church, but I didn't think that would be appropriate attire for
me to wear to a juvenile detention center. I decided I'd wear a dark colored
skirt that fell just below my knees with a bright blue sweater, and I stuffed a
pair of jeans into my oversized handbag.
Sleep hadn't been easy to come by the night
before. I was anxious about visiting Braden and pissed at Alistair for being
such a moron. My lip was split with a really unattractive scab, and there was a
faint bruise along my jaw. The bruise I took care of with some makeup, but there
wasn't much I could do to hide the nasty looking gash on my mouth.
Olivia peered at me over the top of her coffee
cup. "You going to tell me what happened?"
I shook my head. "No, it's not
important."
She rinsed her mug and dried her hands.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it."
The sun was out and the early April day was
unseasonably warm, bringing out a larger crowd for Sunday services than usual.
More people meant Dad would take longer shaking hands and schmoozing the townspeople
and I could slip away easily.
After church I was able to sneak outside unnoticed
and spotted Jeb leaning against his charcoal gray Ford pickup waiting for me to
cross the parking lot. He beamed a smile at me as I approached. "You
didn't tell your daddy, did you?"
"No. He didn't ask so I didn't have to
lie." I grinned and climbed into the passenger seat.
"I suppose I'm okay with that." He sighed
and started the truck, pulling onto the road.
"He won't even notice I'm gone," I said,
taking the jeans out of my bag. I tugged them on and pulled off my skirt before
tossing my purse into the backseat.
"If you say so."
The drive to WTJDC wasn't a long one, but it felt
longer because we were silent most of the way. I drummed my fingers on my thigh
and stared out the window. Finally we passed a sign that said
"Correctional Facility Area: Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers." My eyes
widened and I glanced at Jeb.
"State makes 'em put them signs up. Most of
the boys at WTJDC are harmless."
"Most?" I swallowed and wondered what
the hell I had gotten myself into.
He chuckled. "Well, yeah. There are a few
baddies, but Braden's not one of 'em."
I nodded slowly. "That's reassuring, I
guess."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Braden
Sayer
Claire was really going to visit. I reread her
latest letter several times.
Dear Braden,
Maybe when you get
home we can go running together. I have to warn you, Olivia's a pretty
relentless coach, but if it weren't for her making me train, I wouldn't.
Good thing you had my
name added to the list because I'll be coming up with your uncle the next time
he visits.
I'll forgive you for
being too nervous to talk, but you really don't have anything to be worried
about.
I don't think Dad will
ask where I'm going; he usually isn't interested in what I'm doing, unless he
thinks I shouldn't be doing it. I've learned over the years that it's just
better if he doesn't know everything. He might ask where I was when I get back
home, but it's better if I tell him after the fact. He can't tell me not to do something
after I've already done it. J
Yeah, I've been
accused of being stubborn. A lot. I suppose I am, a little bit. I prefer to
think of it as sticking up for myself and speaking my mind. I try not to argue
just for the sake of arguing. I usually have a point to make. If people would
just realize, I'm right about
happened to your face?"
"It's nothing." My lower lip was split
open, and my jaw was tender. She reached toward me and I ducked, batting her
hand away from me. "I tripped."
"Right. I forgot how accident prone you
are."
She turned to retrieve her popcorn and I went up
to bed.
***
After our run, I took a shower and wrestled with
myself over what to wear. I wanted to look nice for my first in-person meeting
with Braden, but I didn't want to look too obvious or like I was trying too
hard to impress him. Dad would expect me to wear a dress or a skirt for my
appearance in church, but I didn't think that would be appropriate attire for
me to wear to a juvenile detention center. I decided I'd wear a dark colored
skirt that fell just below my knees with a bright blue sweater, and I stuffed a
pair of jeans into my oversized handbag.
Sleep hadn't been easy to come by the night
before. I was anxious about visiting Braden and pissed at Alistair for being
such a moron. My lip was split with a really unattractive scab, and there was a
faint bruise along my jaw. The bruise I took care of with some makeup, but there
wasn't much I could do to hide the nasty looking gash on my mouth.
Olivia peered at me over the top of her coffee
cup. "You going to tell me what happened?"
I shook my head. "No, it's not
important."
She rinsed her mug and dried her hands.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it."
The sun was out and the early April day was
unseasonably warm, bringing out a larger crowd for Sunday services than usual.
More people meant Dad would take longer shaking hands and schmoozing the townspeople
and I could slip away easily.
After church I was able to sneak outside unnoticed
and spotted Jeb leaning against his charcoal gray Ford pickup waiting for me to
cross the parking lot. He beamed a smile at me as I approached. "You
didn't tell your daddy, did you?"
"No. He didn't ask so I didn't have to
lie." I grinned and climbed into the passenger seat.
"I suppose I'm okay with that." He sighed
and started the truck, pulling onto the road.
"He won't even notice I'm gone," I said,
taking the jeans out of my bag. I tugged them on and pulled off my skirt before
tossing my purse into the backseat.
"If you say so."
The drive to WTJDC wasn't a long one, but it felt
longer because we were silent most of the way. I drummed my fingers on my thigh
and stared out the window. Finally we passed a sign that said
"Correctional Facility Area: Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers." My eyes
widened and I glanced at Jeb.
"State makes 'em put them signs up. Most of
the boys at WTJDC are harmless."
"Most?" I swallowed and wondered what
the hell I had gotten myself into.
He chuckled. "Well, yeah. There are a few
baddies, but Braden's not one of 'em."
I nodded slowly. "That's reassuring, I
guess."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Braden
Sayer
Claire was really going to visit. I reread her
latest letter several times.
Dear Braden,
Maybe when you get
home we can go running together. I have to warn you, Olivia's a pretty
relentless coach, but if it weren't for her making me train, I wouldn't.
Good thing you had my
name added to the list because I'll be coming up with your uncle the next time
he visits.
I'll forgive you for
being too nervous to talk, but you really don't have anything to be worried
about.
I don't think Dad will
ask where I'm going; he usually isn't interested in what I'm doing, unless he
thinks I shouldn't be doing it. I've learned over the years that it's just
better if he doesn't know everything. He might ask where I was when I get back
home, but it's better if I tell him after the fact. He can't tell me not to do something
after I've already done it. J
Yeah, I've been
accused of being stubborn. A lot. I suppose I am, a little bit. I prefer to
think of it as sticking up for myself and speaking my mind. I try not to argue
just for the sake of arguing. I usually have a point to make. If people would
just realize, I'm right about
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