A Longtime (and at one point Illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison Page A

been a jock, and she’d been the bookish type three classes his junior.
    “Well, like you said, people change.” Another glance.
    She wished Kye would stop doing that, looking at her like that. It was hard not to overanalyze what he said when he kept giving her that blue-eyed gaze.
    How did Kye see her now? She asked a question so she wouldn’t have to think about it. “You must have wanted to leave Lark Field at one time. Weren’t you going to become an electrical engineer? Not many jobs for those in Lark Field.”
    He shrugged as though it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ve always been good at math , so it seemed like I should take a job that used it. But I wouldn’t have lasted long in a cubicle, and I would have hated living in some crowded city. I like space too much.” He took his gaze off the road for long enough to send her a questioning look. “Don’t you miss Lark Field at all?”
    “Someti mes,” she said. She didn’t have to say more because they’d reached her car.
    “I’ll wait around to make sure it starts,” he said.
    “I’m sure it will. Tell Frank thanks for me.” She opened the door and slid outside. She probably should have said more, thanked him again for dinner, something. Instead she hurried to her car.
    It started right up. Good. Apparently Fate was done making her suffer. Elsie gave Kye a wave to let him know everything was fine, then drove down the road toward home.
    Tomorrow Kye would be with Lisa, and Elsie wouldn’t have to worry about being thrown together with him again.

Chapter 5
     
    The next day was a blur of wedding activities. Olivia’s family had never been wealthy. Her mother worked as the school nurse, and her father had never been around much. Carson said the man worked construction in Billings when he worked at all. No one was sure whether he would come to the wedding or if he’d be sober if he did come.
    Olivia’s mother was doing what she could, but Carson’s family was taking care of the bulk of the food and decorations. Elsie’s grandmother sewed the bridesmaid dresses. A friend was making the cake. Mrs. Clark had been cutting up ingredients for the chicken salad sandwiches for days. Lucas and Mason were kitchen slaves, doing whatever bidding their mother asked. Elsie was only exempt from kitchen duty because she was holed up in her room for most of the day transforming a dozen white roses into corsages and boutonnieres.
    Most of the day, but not all of it. Somehow she found time before the rehearsal dinner to drive to town and get her hair trimmed and highlighted. It was more than she usually paid for her hair, but she wanted to look good for the wedding photos. The new red sweater she wore—the one that clung to her just right—had been on sale, and she’d never been one to pass up a bargain. Ditto for the jeans, which were the perfect combination of soft and formfitting. Her boots were a sophisticated touch that also worked well in cold weather.
    When Elsie’s parents called to her that it was time to leave for the rehearsal, she cast a satisfied glance at herself in the mirror. Last night when Kye had plucked Elsie off the road, she may have looked like a bedraggled college student. Tonight, though . . . tonight she looked like a woman in charge of her destiny.
    When they got to the church, most of the wedding party was already there. The pastor was in the chapel talking to Olivia’s mother. Olivia stood beside them, her long dark hair pulled back in an I’ve-been-running-around-all-day ponytail. Still, she had a glow of excitement about her. Elsie walked over and gave her a hug. “Nervous?”
    “I’m too busy to be nervous,” Olivia said.
    “I guess that’s the point,” Elsie said. “Keep the bride and groom so busy that they don’t have second thoughts and bolt.”
    Olivia let out a laugh. “If that’s the point, then you’d better keep Carson extra busy. If he bolts now , I’ll kill him.”
    “And I woul d help you,” Elsie said.