Read Online Reflections of Yesterday by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online Page B

escorted Angie to a dinner table in the front of the room, where they were joined by Cal Spencer and his date. No sooner were they seated when Simon’s father approached thetable, expecting an introduction. He asked the group to excuse Simon and took him across the room, where he proceeded to demand to know exactly what kind of game his son was playing.
    “Trouble?” Cal asked, when Simon returned.
    “No.” Simon reached for Angie’s hand under the table. “Everything’s fine.” Only it hadn’t been, and they both knew it.
    Some time later, when Simon was away from the table, exchanging polite inanities with a friend of the family, Cal came for him.
    “Angie’s left.”
    Simon looked around him in disbelief. “What happened?”
    “Someone came up and said her kind wasn’t welcome here.”
    Anger filled every fiber of his being. “Who?” He was ready to swing on the bastard.
    “It doesn’t matter, does it?” Cal murmured. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about Angie?”
    It amazed him how far she’d gotten in so short a time. “Angie,” Simon called, running after her. A hand on her shoulder stopped her progress down the hill. Her dark lashes were wet and he knew she’d been crying.
    “Oh Angie.” He pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms around her. She sniffled once and broke free, pausing to wipe her cheek, but kept her face lowered, refusing to meet his gaze.
    “I’m sorry, running away was a childish thing to do, but I couldn’t stay there another minute with everyone looking at me and whispering.” Her voice was so muted he could hardly hear her.
    “Angie, it was my fault.” He brought her back into his arms and breathed against her hair, taking in the fresh fragrance. “I should be the one to apologize.”
    “No.” She kept her head down. “I don’t think we should see each other again.”
    Simon was utterly stunned. “You don’t mean that.”
    She shook her head. “We’ll talk about it later.”
    “No, we won’t.” He held her at arm’s length. “We’ll talk about it now. I love you, Angie Robinson. Do you understand me?”
    “Oh Simon, please don’t say that.”
    “I love you,” he repeated.
    “Don’t, Simon. This isn’t funny.”
    “I tell a girl how I feel and she accuses me of joking? You have a lot to learn about me.”
    She sniffled and wiped the tears from her face. “Stop it right now, you hear?”
    “I love Angie,” he shouted, tossing back his head. He wanted the world to know. Loving Angie wasn’t an embarrassment; she was the best thing that had ever happened in his life.
    “Simon.”
    “I love you,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms.
    “I won’t go back there,” she whispered defiantly.
    “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t put you through that.” With their fingers entwined, they walked to the parking lot. From there they drove to their favorite drive-in and ate thick hamburgers.
    That summer Angie had gotten a part-time job working at Garland Pharmacy. Simon picked her up in the morning and dropped her back home when she was finished. He sometimes worked at the bank, but he didn’t recall that he did much of anything worthwhile.
    “Are you going to be working there after college?” Angie asked one night. They were parked in their favorite spot at Three Tree Point.
    “I’ll probably take over for my dad someday,” Simon answered, more interested in kissing Angie’s earlobe than talking.
    “Is that what you want to do?”
    Simon grinned and straightened. Angie had a way of doing this whenever their kissing became too hot and heavy. With any other girl he would have pressed her, but not Angie. He didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t ready to try. It wasn’t easy not to touch her. Some nights he was afraid the frustration would kill him.
    “I’ve never thought about doing anything else but working in the bank. Why?”
    “No reason.”
    She was quiet after that and didn’t resist when he turned her lips to his