Page 78 of Sycamore Circle

“Sacred Grounds. I’m with Anthony. He’s the man you first saw me with.”

He remembered everything about that morning, from what she had been wearing, to the guy she’d been sitting with.

“You tutoring at nine again?”

“I am. Why?”

“No reason.” Especially since he didn’t think it would be a problem to get by there with Mason. Hearing the television on behind her, he murmured, “I’m going to let you go, but I’ll see you sometime tomorrow. Have a good night now.”

“You too.” Her voice turned even softer. “Thanks for giving me a call tonight.”

“Don’t thank me for that. I called you for selfish reasons.”

She chuckled. “I think I’m going to leave it at that. Bye.”

Looking down, he noticed his beer bottle was empty and the sun was almost all the way down.

Deciding to stop worrying about everything, he took a hot shower and then sat in front of the television. Tried to focus on the movie on Netflix.

But all he kept thinking about was one day having Joy sitting in his living room by his side at the end of the day.

It sounded almost too good to ever come true.

CHAPTER 26

There was so much frustration and pain in Anthony’s eyes, Joy felt like crying.

They were sitting at their usual table in the center of Sacred Grounds. Surrounding them was the usual line of people, the heavenly aroma of freshly ground coffee, and the low buzz of conversation mixed in with lilting instrumental arrangements pouring out of speakers. So it was the same as it always was, except that today everything seemed different. Anthony, who was usually her most positive and upbeat student, was in a funk.

“Come on, Anthony. I know you can do this,” she coaxed. “You read the words last time we were together, remember?”

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t,” he said after attempting to read the five-word sentence another two times. He stared at the page another moment before looking away. “Every time I open my mouth, the words get stuck.”

It had been a particularly hard session. Thankful that Anthony wasn’t her first student, she crossed her legs and tried another approach. There were a half-dozen ways to help an adult learn to read and she was determined to use every one of them until he was successful.

“Let’s take it slower,” she urged as she tapped the first word with a finger. “Now, what is this first sound?”

Anthony glared at it before closing his eyes. “Maybe we should stop doing this, Miss Joy. We’ve been meeting a long time now but instead of going forward, I’m going in the other direction. I suck.”

If he’d been a little boy, she would have pulled him close and given him a hug. Instead he was a good four inches taller than her, weighed at least fifty pounds more, and looked like he’d rather be in a knife fight than hug a thirtysomething woman.

But appearances were deceiving. Anthony was so sweet. He’d had a hard life and far too many people walk in and out, who didn’t believe in him. He’d told her once that he wished he didn’t have to live alone and it had broken her heart.

She was not going to be one more person to do that.

“No,” she said in her firmest tone. When he stared at her in surprise, she added, “I’m not giving up on you and you aren’t either. I’m not going to let you.”

“Joy, it ain’t that I don’t want to... It’s just—”

“Nope. Uh-uh. You and I are not going to talk about anything but these five words right here.” She tapped the page. “I know it’s a stupid sentence but we’re going to get through it.” She lowered her voice. “Remember what those two o’s sound like together?”

“Oooh?”

“That’s right. Plus, it starts with a what?”

“B.”

“And it ends with what sound?”

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