Lindsay stomped her foot. “You’re so wrong about so many things. You’re all high and mighty because you graduated from high school and got a full scholarship to a great college. That’s wonderful, and I’m proud of you. But that doesn’t make you any better than me.” Her voice and her body trembled with fury.
Jessica motioned for Lindsay to sit and compose herself. “Lindsay, come on. That’s enough. You’re making a scene.”
“I’m not done! I had to hear you out,” Lindsay said, her voice thick. “Now it’s your turn to listen. I’m tired of your condescending attitude about how we live in this community. We live this way because —”
“Is everything okay?” a voice asked.
Lindsay spun and found Lizzie Anne, Katie, Samuel, and Matthew watching her with curious expressions. She hugged her arms to her chest in order to try to quell her body from shaking.
Katie climbed the steps and looked back and forth between Jessica and Lindsay. “You all right, Lindsay?”
“Ya.” Lindsay cleared her throat against threatening tears and started down the steps. “I need to take a walk.”
“Wait!” Katie called.
“Hold on,” Lizzie Anne chimed in.
Jessica swallowed a frustrated groan while her younger sister rushed across the driveway toward the barn with Katie and LizzieAnne in tow. Why did Lindsay have to get so defensive? Why couldn’t her sister see that Jessica was only trying to help her?
Pushing her hair back behind her ears, Jessica glanced at Samuel and Matthew who were gazing at her from the bottom of the porch steps. Can this possibly get any more awkward?
“Hi,” she said with a casual wave. “How are you?”
“Fine,” they both mumbled in unison before heading toward the barn.
Blowing out a sigh, Jessica glanced toward the driveway, where a familiar four-door, dark blue Chevrolet pickup truck bounced toward the house.
“Jake,” she whispered as she stood.
Jessica looked toward the barn, where Lindsay stood with her friends. For a split second, she considered running over and apologizing. She then cut her eyes back to the pickup rumbling forward. She knew in her heart she should make things right with her sister, but she didn’t want to create more of a spectacle in front of the Kauffman family and friends.
Instead, she would work things out with Jake and then talk to Lindsay later after she’d taken some time to calm down.
Jessica set the plate of desserts on a small table next to the swing before hurrying down the stairs to the pickup truck, which came to a stop near the fence line. She loped over to the driver window and looked up at Jake.
“Hi,” she said, jamming her hands in the pockets of her jeans.
“Hi.” Jake’s expression was hopeful.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” She kicked a stone with the toe of her flip-flop.
He draped his arm over the steering wheel. “I couldn’t let you leave for New York without saying good-bye.”
She nodded. “That’s very true.”
He gestured toward the passenger seat. “Hop in. Let’s go for a ride.”
Jessica looked toward her sister one last time. Lindsay’s eyesmet hers for a brief moment before she angled her body toward her group of friends. For a split second, Jessica again considered approaching her sister.
Instead, she jogged around the front end of the truck and hopped in next to Jake. He backed out of the driveway and steered toward the road, keeping his eyes trained ahead while he drove. His usual informal, laid-back demeanor was replaced with an intense, erect stance.
For several minutes the only sound was the rumbling of the engine and the clicking of the key ring as it smacked the steering column. And the roar of the silence was eating her up inside.
“I know you’re disappointed in me,” Jessica began.
“Disappointed?” He snorted with sarcasm while keeping his focus on the road. “Disappointed doesn’t begin to tell you how I feel, Jess.”
She took a deep breath. “Look,
Jessica motioned for Lindsay to sit and compose herself. “Lindsay, come on. That’s enough. You’re making a scene.”
“I’m not done! I had to hear you out,” Lindsay said, her voice thick. “Now it’s your turn to listen. I’m tired of your condescending attitude about how we live in this community. We live this way because —”
“Is everything okay?” a voice asked.
Lindsay spun and found Lizzie Anne, Katie, Samuel, and Matthew watching her with curious expressions. She hugged her arms to her chest in order to try to quell her body from shaking.
Katie climbed the steps and looked back and forth between Jessica and Lindsay. “You all right, Lindsay?”
“Ya.” Lindsay cleared her throat against threatening tears and started down the steps. “I need to take a walk.”
“Wait!” Katie called.
“Hold on,” Lizzie Anne chimed in.
Jessica swallowed a frustrated groan while her younger sister rushed across the driveway toward the barn with Katie and LizzieAnne in tow. Why did Lindsay have to get so defensive? Why couldn’t her sister see that Jessica was only trying to help her?
Pushing her hair back behind her ears, Jessica glanced at Samuel and Matthew who were gazing at her from the bottom of the porch steps. Can this possibly get any more awkward?
“Hi,” she said with a casual wave. “How are you?”
“Fine,” they both mumbled in unison before heading toward the barn.
Blowing out a sigh, Jessica glanced toward the driveway, where a familiar four-door, dark blue Chevrolet pickup truck bounced toward the house.
“Jake,” she whispered as she stood.
Jessica looked toward the barn, where Lindsay stood with her friends. For a split second, she considered running over and apologizing. She then cut her eyes back to the pickup rumbling forward. She knew in her heart she should make things right with her sister, but she didn’t want to create more of a spectacle in front of the Kauffman family and friends.
Instead, she would work things out with Jake and then talk to Lindsay later after she’d taken some time to calm down.
Jessica set the plate of desserts on a small table next to the swing before hurrying down the stairs to the pickup truck, which came to a stop near the fence line. She loped over to the driver window and looked up at Jake.
“Hi,” she said, jamming her hands in the pockets of her jeans.
“Hi.” Jake’s expression was hopeful.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” She kicked a stone with the toe of her flip-flop.
He draped his arm over the steering wheel. “I couldn’t let you leave for New York without saying good-bye.”
She nodded. “That’s very true.”
He gestured toward the passenger seat. “Hop in. Let’s go for a ride.”
Jessica looked toward her sister one last time. Lindsay’s eyesmet hers for a brief moment before she angled her body toward her group of friends. For a split second, Jessica again considered approaching her sister.
Instead, she jogged around the front end of the truck and hopped in next to Jake. He backed out of the driveway and steered toward the road, keeping his eyes trained ahead while he drove. His usual informal, laid-back demeanor was replaced with an intense, erect stance.
For several minutes the only sound was the rumbling of the engine and the clicking of the key ring as it smacked the steering column. And the roar of the silence was eating her up inside.
“I know you’re disappointed in me,” Jessica began.
“Disappointed?” He snorted with sarcasm while keeping his focus on the road. “Disappointed doesn’t begin to tell you how I feel, Jess.”
She took a deep breath. “Look,
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