Page 74 of Grounded
“Oh, sure, I wasn’t thinking,” Annie said, pushing the screen door open.
“Have you had supper?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Why don’t we run up to Lexington and eat? Call Lindy and see if she wants to go with us. There’s a new Italian place on the south side that’s doing farm-to-table. One of the guys here in town told me about it last week.”
“Sure, but Lindy is holed up working on a case. I talked to her earlier today.”
“Then we’ll go by ourselves.”
“I need to change.” Annie started to go, but Jake gently held her arm.
“You look great now.”
Annie had a vision of Camille in her designer clothing, clean and starched, bright whites and dark blacks. Annie looked down at her T-shirt and pointed to the coffee stain.
“Okay. But nothing fancy.”
She cut him a sharp look. “Do I ever get fancy?” He grinned, and she heard him mumbling something as she dashed to the stairs.
In her closet she pulled out a recently purchased red blouse with a V-neckline. It was a good color for her and was by far the most updated and fashionable item she owned. She put on the cross necklace, then took it off again. A pair of jeans, a squirt of perfume, a quick brush through her shoulder-length hair, powder for her nose, and a coat of lip gloss for her lips, and she was ready. She was at the top of the stairs, but hesitated and went back for the cross necklace. It belonged with this outfit.
“Wow,” Jake said. There was genuine admiration in his eyes. His eyes froze when his appraising look saw the necklace.
“Annie, isn’t that …?”
“It’s the one you gave me when I turned sixteen. I found it in my jewelry box the night we had Camille over.”
“I noticed it.”
“I don’t know why I left it here all these years.”
“I can’t believe you still have it,” Jake said, opening the car door for her.
When they were both inside the car, Annie asked, “When is Camille coming back?”
“Sunday or Monday. She has stuff at work tomorrow.”
Annie watched the pastureland roll by, fighting the urge to tell Jake the truth. For a brief moment, she played with the idea, but in the end, she decided it was not her secret to tell.
“Annie, you’ve always been honest with me. What do you think about Camille?”
The direct question startled her. She needed to walk very carefully through this minefield, yet also be honest.
“I think she is beautiful and obviously very smart. I can see why you were attracted to her, especially if she has such a great family,” Annie said. “But if you choose to follow your farm dreams, she will have a big adjustment to make.”
Should she say more? His brow creased and he stared at the road ahead. Hedidask for it.
“I know it’s not any of my business, but I hope you decide to come back. I think it’s exactly what we need around here.”
“We?” he said, the tension draining from his face like water out of a clawfoot tub.
“I mean, the community.”
“Sounds like you consider yourself part of it now.”
“I am. Something’s changed for me these last few weeks. I think I’ll come back home much more often. I’ve read a couple of the books you dropped off for me about sustainable agriculture. It all makes so much sense.”
