Page 14 of Paroled on Love

"Yeah, I’m looking

forward to it." She told him as she put the combs up and straightened up the small tack room.

He followed her. "You're getting pretty at home here with all the stuff. That's good."

"Who would have thought. I stopped to talk to your mother in the kitchen for a minute." She told him.

"Oh?"

"I told her I was worried about finding a job and a place to stay when this is over."

He nodded. "And what did she say?"

"She said your father would probably help me find something, if I wanted to stay around here."

"And do you?"

She studied the ground for a minute, and moved the toe of her tennis shoe through the dirt. "Yeah, if I can. If I don't have to go to juvenile."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"I can't believe he'd help me. My own father wouldn't help me right now."

"Why not?"

She'd tried to explain it before, but no one seemed to realize she wasn't exaggerating about her folks. "My father has this philosophy, if you make your bed hard, lie in it." She said slamming down a comb.

He put his arm around her then and walked her toward the house, "I wouldn't worry about it. Dad can help."

She liked him feeling comfortable with her enough to put his arm around her, but she still had her guard up. He probably just wanted to comfort her again. It didn't mean anything.

That evening they all sat on the porch for a while. They sang songs together and watched the sunset and it felt so peaceful. Even Leah enjoyed it. She'd never been a part of a family that was so much like…a real family!

When they finally went to bed she headed upstairs. Jeremiah followed her.

"Want to play checkers?" He asked

"Checkers?" She twisted her head. "I haven't played that in years."

"Well, you haven't forgotten how, have you?"

"No, of course not. Where do you want to play?" She asked.

"Right here in the hall. I'm not allowed in your room, and you aren't allowed in mine, but we can sit out here in the hallway and play a while, if you aren't sleepy."

"Sounds good."

She waited as he went to get the game and when he came out he sat down on the floor in the hallway. She joined him and he set the game up.

She realized he was great at the game as he won the first three.

"Your very good at this, where did you learn to play?" She asked him.

"My grandpa used to play with me all the time."

"Where does your grandpa live?" She asked innocently.

"In heaven now, he died about three years ago."

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