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Authors: Lurlene McDaniel
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fun.”
Jordan purposely slowed her horse, widening the distance between the two of them and Jennifer and Scott. “How’s your mother’s apartment-hunting going?”
“I think she found a place,” Ryan said, turning to look Jordan full in the face.
“Where?” Jordan asked, trying to sound casual.
“Across town.”
‘Not in our school district?”
“No.” He shook his head and a thatch of blond hair fell across his brow.
“Too bad,” Jordan said. Part of her was relieved, but the other part of her would miss him.
“Maybe not.”
“How so?”
“Well, my mom’s asked your mom if I could stay at your house until school’s out for the year. That way I wouldn’t have to change school’s again and I could finish up the basketball season. Who knows”—his grin flashed boyish and dimpled and he tipped the brim of his hat upward—“I might even go out for the baseball team. I practice enough with Jamey.
“I’ll bet I could impress the coach enough to let me give it a try.”
“Won’t you miss your mom?” Jordan asked.
“Oh, I’ll go stay with her on the weekends. I’ll live at your house during the weekdays while she’s working.”
“Gee—that’d be terrific,” she said weakly.
“Yeah,” he said, his grin widening. “Do you think you could stand having me around until school’s out?”
“No problem,” her voice said. But her palms began to sweat. School wasn’t out for months! Could she keep her secret that much longer?
“Hey, slowpokes! You’d better catch up!”
Jennifer’s voice grated on Jordan’s eardrums, but she glanced toward the sound and realized that she and Ryan had fallen far behind. “We’re coming!” Jordan shouted back.
“Yeah,” Ryan added. “Hold your horses.”
The rest of the group thought his pun was so funny that they broke into laughter. Ryan clicked his tongue and urged his horse forward where he fell in beside Jennifer. She turned her most brilliant smile on him. Jordan could only watch helplessly as Jennifer bombarded him with questions, giggling and flirting for the rest of the ride.
The group stopped at a rock formation where they decided to eat their picnic lunch. The newspaper staff party wasn’t at all as Jordan had planned it. There were so many outsiders that she hardly felt it was special for her staff at all. But at least the food was good.
Jordan was chewing a mouthful of fried chicken when Laurie sauntered over and crouched down beside her. Laurie whispered, “Doesn’t it bother you that Jennifer is flirting with Ryan?”
Jordan stopped mid-chew. “Uh . . . what do you mean?”
“Oh, come on! Jennifer’s been flirting with him the whole ride. Scott looks like a puppy who’s been left out in ther rain.”
Jordan sighed deeply. “I’m not letting her bug me,” Jordan said with a casual flip of her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Laurie. It’s no big deal.” But Jordan was relieved when the picnic was over and they rode back for the birthday party. At the ranch, they danced and shared an enormous birthday cake with the rest of Carmen’s guests.
The stars were beginning to appear when two flatbed trucks rolled up, each heaped with mounds of fresh hay. Hoping to separate herself from Jennifer, Jordan scrambled aboard the first one, dragging Ryan behind her. But although the truck filled up quickly, Jennifer managed to climb onto the same one and settle uncomfortably close to Ryan. Jordan sighed. She hoped that her friends wouldn’t expect Ryan to cuddle with her as Laurie was doing with Wade. Jordan hoped she could survive the evening without anyone becoming suspicious of the truth about her and Ryan’s
real
relationship.
Jordan snuggled deep into the hay, inhaling its sweet, dry fragrance. Beside her, Ryan nibbled on one long straw. “What do horses see in this stuff?” he asked.
Jordan giggled. Jennifer leaned over, resting her hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Isn’t it romantic under the stars?”
Jordan
Jordan purposely slowed her horse, widening the distance between the two of them and Jennifer and Scott. “How’s your mother’s apartment-hunting going?”
“I think she found a place,” Ryan said, turning to look Jordan full in the face.
“Where?” Jordan asked, trying to sound casual.
“Across town.”
‘Not in our school district?”
“No.” He shook his head and a thatch of blond hair fell across his brow.
“Too bad,” Jordan said. Part of her was relieved, but the other part of her would miss him.
“Maybe not.”
“How so?”
“Well, my mom’s asked your mom if I could stay at your house until school’s out for the year. That way I wouldn’t have to change school’s again and I could finish up the basketball season. Who knows”—his grin flashed boyish and dimpled and he tipped the brim of his hat upward—“I might even go out for the baseball team. I practice enough with Jamey.
“I’ll bet I could impress the coach enough to let me give it a try.”
“Won’t you miss your mom?” Jordan asked.
“Oh, I’ll go stay with her on the weekends. I’ll live at your house during the weekdays while she’s working.”
“Gee—that’d be terrific,” she said weakly.
“Yeah,” he said, his grin widening. “Do you think you could stand having me around until school’s out?”
“No problem,” her voice said. But her palms began to sweat. School wasn’t out for months! Could she keep her secret that much longer?
“Hey, slowpokes! You’d better catch up!”
Jennifer’s voice grated on Jordan’s eardrums, but she glanced toward the sound and realized that she and Ryan had fallen far behind. “We’re coming!” Jordan shouted back.
“Yeah,” Ryan added. “Hold your horses.”
The rest of the group thought his pun was so funny that they broke into laughter. Ryan clicked his tongue and urged his horse forward where he fell in beside Jennifer. She turned her most brilliant smile on him. Jordan could only watch helplessly as Jennifer bombarded him with questions, giggling and flirting for the rest of the ride.
The group stopped at a rock formation where they decided to eat their picnic lunch. The newspaper staff party wasn’t at all as Jordan had planned it. There were so many outsiders that she hardly felt it was special for her staff at all. But at least the food was good.
Jordan was chewing a mouthful of fried chicken when Laurie sauntered over and crouched down beside her. Laurie whispered, “Doesn’t it bother you that Jennifer is flirting with Ryan?”
Jordan stopped mid-chew. “Uh . . . what do you mean?”
“Oh, come on! Jennifer’s been flirting with him the whole ride. Scott looks like a puppy who’s been left out in ther rain.”
Jordan sighed deeply. “I’m not letting her bug me,” Jordan said with a casual flip of her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Laurie. It’s no big deal.” But Jordan was relieved when the picnic was over and they rode back for the birthday party. At the ranch, they danced and shared an enormous birthday cake with the rest of Carmen’s guests.
The stars were beginning to appear when two flatbed trucks rolled up, each heaped with mounds of fresh hay. Hoping to separate herself from Jennifer, Jordan scrambled aboard the first one, dragging Ryan behind her. But although the truck filled up quickly, Jennifer managed to climb onto the same one and settle uncomfortably close to Ryan. Jordan sighed. She hoped that her friends wouldn’t expect Ryan to cuddle with her as Laurie was doing with Wade. Jordan hoped she could survive the evening without anyone becoming suspicious of the truth about her and Ryan’s
real
relationship.
Jordan snuggled deep into the hay, inhaling its sweet, dry fragrance. Beside her, Ryan nibbled on one long straw. “What do horses see in this stuff?” he asked.
Jordan giggled. Jennifer leaned over, resting her hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Isn’t it romantic under the stars?”
Jordan
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