Read Online July (The Year of The Change Book 1) by Kathryn Gilmore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathryn Gilmore
Ads: Link
happy and perhaps a little amused at my behavior. Either way, just looking at him lifted my spirits. I couldn’t take my eyes off his smile. Too bad he had to be affected.
Dad put me on the other side of him and extended his hand. “Well, hello, Kevin. My, you sure have grown up. I hardly recognized you.”
Kevin, now as tall as both fathers, grasped Dad’s hand, barely taking his eyes off me. “Well, sir, it seems we’ve all grown up quite a bit.” His eyes caught mine before he turned back to Dad.
My jaw dropped. How badly was he affected?
Mr. and Mrs. Beck looked up with surprise and Barbara rushed over with a squeal to greet Kevin. They obviously weren’t expecting him, but quite pleased he’d come. His mom threw her arms around his waist. “I thought you had to work.”
He hugged her back. “Yeah, I did.”
Dad asked him how college was going and they had a nice discussion while he kept me positioned downwind. Kevin’s parents joined in the conversation and Kevin behaved himself by not staring at me … much. Every time I looked, he caught me ogling and I quickly dropped my eyes with a blush.
“So, thought you were scheduled to work?” Jim frowned at his son.
Kevin grinned. “I originally had to work, but wrangled a co-worker into switching shifts.” He turned to me. “I just had to see my buddy again.” He smiled.
Oddly, that rang a bell. The memory came flooding back to me. When they visited five years ago, he and I had been inseparable. We were buddies from the start and had a great time together. He beat me at everything, which torqued my competitive edge, then again he was a good sport about it and I tried to be. A smile bloomed as I remembered. I’d thought of him a lot after they left. I’d even imagined being in love with him. He was the center of a lot of my best day dreams. Unfortunately, like everyone else in my life, he’d left and never came back. He never even wrote even though I sent him two letters. Eventually, I shoved his memory out of my mind and forgot about our friendship so I didn’t have to miss him.
I looked at him more clearly. This time I saw my buddy. He smiled. Oh how I wanted to not be going through The Change. The emotions of wanting a boyfriend crashed over me. I wanted someone like Kevin who was kind and fun to be with. I wanted him to hold me and tell me I was special. A sigh escaped. At that moment I didn’t care about The Change. I didn’t want the gifts or talents or any of that. All I wanted was someone to love me. Can you say pathetic?
Dad must’ve seen my expression because he shook me. To those not in the know, it would’ve looked playful. “It’s amazing how kids grow up.” I snapped out of my pity party. “You’re now a college man and my Sylvia here is going to be a junior girl in high school.” He looked less playfully at Kevin. “She’s not dating yet, but next year she’ll probably have her pick of all those Alaska high school boys.”
Subtle, yet, a slap in the face.
My cheeks burned as though he’d actually hit me.
I peeked up from my feet to see Kevin frown at Dad. When he looked at me he smiled warmly, though I could see sadness in his eyes. I wanted to reach up and smooth it away. I wanted to be to him everything The Change made him think he wanted to be for me.
He breathed in deep. “No doubt she will have her pick.”
No doubt The Change had his brain bound and gagged. I would have to avoid him for the duration of our visit. My heart sank and I couldn’t bear to look at him. If only there was one boy that wasn’t affected. I could be with him without fear of him going off the deep end. Just one boy, that’s all I needed. That’s all I couldn’t have.
I looked away and watched the colt trot around the corral, and the twins as they petted Mark’s horse.
Mark watched his brother with daggers flying from his light brown eyes. I wondered what Mark was mad about until I remembered he’d been affected earlier. Inside
Dad put me on the other side of him and extended his hand. “Well, hello, Kevin. My, you sure have grown up. I hardly recognized you.”
Kevin, now as tall as both fathers, grasped Dad’s hand, barely taking his eyes off me. “Well, sir, it seems we’ve all grown up quite a bit.” His eyes caught mine before he turned back to Dad.
My jaw dropped. How badly was he affected?
Mr. and Mrs. Beck looked up with surprise and Barbara rushed over with a squeal to greet Kevin. They obviously weren’t expecting him, but quite pleased he’d come. His mom threw her arms around his waist. “I thought you had to work.”
He hugged her back. “Yeah, I did.”
Dad asked him how college was going and they had a nice discussion while he kept me positioned downwind. Kevin’s parents joined in the conversation and Kevin behaved himself by not staring at me … much. Every time I looked, he caught me ogling and I quickly dropped my eyes with a blush.
“So, thought you were scheduled to work?” Jim frowned at his son.
Kevin grinned. “I originally had to work, but wrangled a co-worker into switching shifts.” He turned to me. “I just had to see my buddy again.” He smiled.
Oddly, that rang a bell. The memory came flooding back to me. When they visited five years ago, he and I had been inseparable. We were buddies from the start and had a great time together. He beat me at everything, which torqued my competitive edge, then again he was a good sport about it and I tried to be. A smile bloomed as I remembered. I’d thought of him a lot after they left. I’d even imagined being in love with him. He was the center of a lot of my best day dreams. Unfortunately, like everyone else in my life, he’d left and never came back. He never even wrote even though I sent him two letters. Eventually, I shoved his memory out of my mind and forgot about our friendship so I didn’t have to miss him.
I looked at him more clearly. This time I saw my buddy. He smiled. Oh how I wanted to not be going through The Change. The emotions of wanting a boyfriend crashed over me. I wanted someone like Kevin who was kind and fun to be with. I wanted him to hold me and tell me I was special. A sigh escaped. At that moment I didn’t care about The Change. I didn’t want the gifts or talents or any of that. All I wanted was someone to love me. Can you say pathetic?
Dad must’ve seen my expression because he shook me. To those not in the know, it would’ve looked playful. “It’s amazing how kids grow up.” I snapped out of my pity party. “You’re now a college man and my Sylvia here is going to be a junior girl in high school.” He looked less playfully at Kevin. “She’s not dating yet, but next year she’ll probably have her pick of all those Alaska high school boys.”
Subtle, yet, a slap in the face.
My cheeks burned as though he’d actually hit me.
I peeked up from my feet to see Kevin frown at Dad. When he looked at me he smiled warmly, though I could see sadness in his eyes. I wanted to reach up and smooth it away. I wanted to be to him everything The Change made him think he wanted to be for me.
He breathed in deep. “No doubt she will have her pick.”
No doubt The Change had his brain bound and gagged. I would have to avoid him for the duration of our visit. My heart sank and I couldn’t bear to look at him. If only there was one boy that wasn’t affected. I could be with him without fear of him going off the deep end. Just one boy, that’s all I needed. That’s all I couldn’t have.
I looked away and watched the colt trot around the corral, and the twins as they petted Mark’s horse.
Mark watched his brother with daggers flying from his light brown eyes. I wondered what Mark was mad about until I remembered he’d been affected earlier. Inside
Similar Books
