Page 29 of Steinbeck
“What about the state fair?”
The fair.Right.“I don’t know, Jack, I?—”
“Please?Austen is coming home, and the whole family is going.And I thought I’d take Flo for a test drive this weekend.”
She found herself nodding.Glancing past him to the steps.“Sure.Fine.”
“I need to make sure she’s running well before she hits the road.”He took another sip of their fake champagne.Just like their fake future.
She didn’t know what to think, really.And suddenly, it just felt so...raw.And maybe desperate to ask him...Am I going with you?
Nope.She wasn’t the lovestruck high schooler who’d sorta, maybe, a little, tricked him into kissing her so many summers ago.Paved a road of regrets.
She refused to force his hand.Because then, well, how would she know if she was truly the one?
So...“Jack, I really need to get back to work.With Mom gone, the house is quiet and?—”
He frowned.“Sure.”
He got up and helped her as she climbed down the ladder.Landed beside her.No blindfold needed as she headed back outside to his Geo.
She got in, grateful for the darkness.Don’t cry.Don’t?—
“You okay?”He pulled out of the lot, heading toward the King’s Inn and her mom’s cottage, located next door.
“Yep.”Oh, she sounded strained.She swallowed.“Just...thinking about my next scene.”
“It must be romantic.I know how you get when you’re working on a romantic scene.”
He looked over at her, and she caught his wink.“Need to act it out?”
A spear in her heart, despite the humor in his voice.
“No.I think I got this.They’re breaking up, so...you know.No kissing.”
“Sad.”He reached over, squeezed her hand.“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Yeah, she would, thanks.He let her go.
But when he pulled into her driveway, he said, “You sure you’re okay?”
Nope.But she just couldn’t...
She reached for the door handle.
“Harper?”
She turned back, her throat tight.His smile had vanished, concern in his eyes now, a frown.“I love you.”
Oh.She found a smile.“I love you too.”
Then she got out and closed the door.He waited until she went inside before he pulled out, his headlights disappearing in the night.
Then she grabbed a blanket and the envelope from the top of the trash, went outside, and sat on the round cobblestone patio, the twinkle lights splashing around her.She pulled out the contract inside and stared at it one more time.
A job offer fromPopMusemagazine in Nashville, in-house editor of their “Hot News and Hot Stars” section.Straight from Clarice, her manager, who’d had lunch with the publisher and two weeks later, landed her a second chance and a contract for a job...
One she hadn’t wanted.
