felt enormous in the comfortable silence of the cozy kitchen. And still, like a survivor beneath an earthquake’s rubble, she could feel hope struggling to stay alive in her soul.
Chapter Six
I n the middle of reading her assigned sociology chapter, Kelly felt a soft breeze move through her. Awareness flickered to life within her heart, an awareness that was warm and sweet. Highlighter in hand, she looked up over the rail of her top-floor deck, through the rustling, sun-drenched poplar leaves to the street below. A familiar tan Jeep was parked by the curb.
Mitch. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes and he seemed to gaze along the block. What was he doing here? She hadn’t heard from him in a week. She recapped her highlighter and slid out of the plastic deck chair. Remembering how she’d left things between them, part of her was glad to see him, the other part wanted to scrunch down in the chair, hide behind her book and hope he didn’t see her.
No such luck. “Hey, Kelly. Are you studying up there?”
“Guilty as charged.” She stood, leaving her book open, pages ruffling in the warm breeze.
“It’s Saturday evening.”
“So? You say that as if it’s a bad thing. I like studying.” She leaned against the wooden rails. “What are you doing here? And how did you find me?”
“You’re listed in the phone book. I know how to read and I am fairly good at finding my way around.” He lifted his glasses off his nose enough to meet her gaze. “You went AWOL on me, so I had to hunt you down.”
“So, is that a punishable offense?”
“Yep. I’ve come to impose dinner on you. I hope you like the works, because that’s what I got.” He withdrew a large pizza box from the back seat. “I’m comin’ up.”
As if she would want to stop him. “I never say no to a man who comes bearing pizza.”
“Lucky me.” He piled a cardboard carrier with soda cups and two smaller pizza boxes on top of the one he already carried.
“I like a man who comes prepared.”
“Good. I take pizza seriously.”
Mitch took one look at her smile, as sunny as the bright summer evening, and the tangle of emotions in his chest yanked so tight he couldn’t breathe. She was smiling at him, okay, maybe she was glad to see him…or she really liked pizza, but it was nice to see. As he headed around the small, seventies’ apartment building, following the walkways through the mature poplars lining the complex, he spotted Kelly in the open doorway of the top-floor corner unit.
He took in the sweet glint of her dark-blue eyes and her girl-next-door wholesomeness. She looked great with her hair pulled back in a careless ponytail, wearing a light summer T-shirt in the palest shade of blue and comfortable-looking, dark-blue drawstring shorts.
He knew when she’d spotted the flowers because her smile widened. In his enthusiasm, he took the steps two at a time all the way to the top. “I tried calling a couple times, but your line was busy.”
“Oh, I was online doing some research at the library. I’ve got a paper due.” She backed into the unit and held the door for him. “I always have a paper due, or it seems that way.”
She looked nervous. He didn’t want that, so he handed her the flowers. “I promise I won’t say anything to chase you away this time.”
“Deal.” She took the bouquet and breathed in the scent of the purple flowers. “I love freesias. How did you know?”
“They just made me think of you. That’s a thank you. My mom loved her gift.”
“I was glad to help.”
He spotted the kitchen straight down the little hallway to the right. Definitely a girl’s apartment, he thought as he slid his fragrant load onto the beige-colored counter and nudged a bowl with dried flower stuff aside so the extra-large box would fit. The pepperoni and garlic scent competed with the potpourri. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“No. My shift at the bookstore was over at four-thirty, but I’m waiting for my
Chapter Six
I n the middle of reading her assigned sociology chapter, Kelly felt a soft breeze move through her. Awareness flickered to life within her heart, an awareness that was warm and sweet. Highlighter in hand, she looked up over the rail of her top-floor deck, through the rustling, sun-drenched poplar leaves to the street below. A familiar tan Jeep was parked by the curb.
Mitch. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes and he seemed to gaze along the block. What was he doing here? She hadn’t heard from him in a week. She recapped her highlighter and slid out of the plastic deck chair. Remembering how she’d left things between them, part of her was glad to see him, the other part wanted to scrunch down in the chair, hide behind her book and hope he didn’t see her.
No such luck. “Hey, Kelly. Are you studying up there?”
“Guilty as charged.” She stood, leaving her book open, pages ruffling in the warm breeze.
“It’s Saturday evening.”
“So? You say that as if it’s a bad thing. I like studying.” She leaned against the wooden rails. “What are you doing here? And how did you find me?”
“You’re listed in the phone book. I know how to read and I am fairly good at finding my way around.” He lifted his glasses off his nose enough to meet her gaze. “You went AWOL on me, so I had to hunt you down.”
“So, is that a punishable offense?”
“Yep. I’ve come to impose dinner on you. I hope you like the works, because that’s what I got.” He withdrew a large pizza box from the back seat. “I’m comin’ up.”
As if she would want to stop him. “I never say no to a man who comes bearing pizza.”
“Lucky me.” He piled a cardboard carrier with soda cups and two smaller pizza boxes on top of the one he already carried.
“I like a man who comes prepared.”
“Good. I take pizza seriously.”
Mitch took one look at her smile, as sunny as the bright summer evening, and the tangle of emotions in his chest yanked so tight he couldn’t breathe. She was smiling at him, okay, maybe she was glad to see him…or she really liked pizza, but it was nice to see. As he headed around the small, seventies’ apartment building, following the walkways through the mature poplars lining the complex, he spotted Kelly in the open doorway of the top-floor corner unit.
He took in the sweet glint of her dark-blue eyes and her girl-next-door wholesomeness. She looked great with her hair pulled back in a careless ponytail, wearing a light summer T-shirt in the palest shade of blue and comfortable-looking, dark-blue drawstring shorts.
He knew when she’d spotted the flowers because her smile widened. In his enthusiasm, he took the steps two at a time all the way to the top. “I tried calling a couple times, but your line was busy.”
“Oh, I was online doing some research at the library. I’ve got a paper due.” She backed into the unit and held the door for him. “I always have a paper due, or it seems that way.”
She looked nervous. He didn’t want that, so he handed her the flowers. “I promise I won’t say anything to chase you away this time.”
“Deal.” She took the bouquet and breathed in the scent of the purple flowers. “I love freesias. How did you know?”
“They just made me think of you. That’s a thank you. My mom loved her gift.”
“I was glad to help.”
He spotted the kitchen straight down the little hallway to the right. Definitely a girl’s apartment, he thought as he slid his fragrant load onto the beige-colored counter and nudged a bowl with dried flower stuff aside so the extra-large box would fit. The pepperoni and garlic scent competed with the potpourri. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“No. My shift at the bookstore was over at four-thirty, but I’m waiting for my
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