Page 83 of All Dressed Up

“Was that one of the ones you used to do your thinking in?” she asked. When he didn’t answer her, she asked it again. “Will, did you ever hide out inthatcar?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” He didn’t quite remember what he’d been doing in there, but the ripped tan upholstery for some reason burned bright in his mind.

“I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.” She brushed past him, racing for the park’s entrance.

What just happened?He shoved his hands into his pockets. Their conversation couldn’t have gone any worse. It was over.

Suddenly, Rachel whipped around and doubled back, stepping into his space.

He gulped as her eyes went dark, burning into him.

“Let me be clear, Will Jenkins.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “You’re the one giving up on us. Not me.” With that, she took off again.

Dumbfounded, he watched Rachel beeline for her shop. The last thing he wanted to do was follow over there. He needed to get away.

He reached into his pocket for his phone and tapped until he had the only person he wanted to talk to on the other line. Someone he should have been asking for advice all along. “Hi, Mom. Are you up for some company in Florida?”

*

“Jesse!” Rachel screamed as she ran across the street. She maneuvered to the passenger side. “Get in. Now!”

The old man shut the trunk hood. “Good morning, Boss. Everything okay?”

“Get inside.” She grabbed onto the handle, flinging open the door and jumping in. “It has to be here.” She leaned fully into the backseat’s worn tan upholstery. Old newspapers and empty soda cans were scattered on the car floor. “Where are you?” she asked just as Jesse opened the door and climbed in.

“Right here.”

She shook her head. “Not you. I’m sure Will’s heart is in here. Help me find it.” She opened the glove compartment to find it stuffed with papers and envelopes.

“Why would Will’s heart be in my car?”

“May I?” she asked, pointing to the glove compartment. In a rush or not, she wasn’t going to go snooping through his personal belongings without asking.

“Knock yourself out, but it’s only old bills I couldn’t pay and scratch-off lottery tickets.”

She reached in and pulled out the huge stack, sifting through the first few envelopes. “Will used to hide out in cars in his dad’s auto body shop when he needed a break from the world. He just admitted to me minutes ago that he worked on your station wagon when he was fifteen. How long was your car in the shop?”

Jesse’s forehead wrinkled. “I don’t remember. A few days probably.”

“Enough time for Will to jump into it the night of the homecoming game.”

Jesse turned his torso to face her. “You think Will’s broken heart is in here?”

“I don’t know if it is his heart, but that note he wrote that Mary wants us to find is definitely here. I know it.” She cut the stack in half and handed some to Jesse. “Go through these.”

They sat quietly going through the old mail. Her rush of hope turned into frustration as she got to the end. Her pile only contained bills. She held her breath at the final letter in her hand, opening it up.Please be Will’s note. Please.

Disappointment washed over her. It was only an overdue notice for a library book.

No letter. No heart.

“Anything?” Jesse asked.

“No. You?” She suspected his answer would be no.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, defeated. It was far from okay.

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