the burgers. He’d seen something in her gaze these past few days, and he pondered the implications. With God’s help, he could make her happy if he could just knock down those walls he’d been so stupid to build.
Jamie responded, and then without warning she’d back off. It was almost as if she didn’t believe she deserved any happiness.
Sitting in the motel room wasn’t getting this job done either. Grabbing car keys, he stalked out.
After all, he was the quarterback.
****
“Oooohh, my feet hurt and I’m sunburned.”
Ryan laughed. “You really are a good complainer. You should put that on your resume.”
“Very funny.”
He was taking her to the motel after their day at the zoo, which had actually been fun. That was one of the secrets of being undercover—actually becoming the person she pretended to be. It made the whole thing easier.
“And what job would that qualify me for?”
“Mmm. How about a teacher? They’re always complaining, right?”
“Yeah, that’s for sure. My teachers were always calling my parents and complaining about one thing or another. How about you?”
“Not me. I was the perfect student.”
“Really?”
“Not.” He laughed and turned into the motel parking lot. “I never could see much use for school. Guess I should have taken it more seriously. I might be better off now.”
“Yeah, me too. I wasn’t really a trouble maker, you know. I just didn’t apply myself. At least that’s what my teachers were always telling my mom. Now one of my best friends, she applied herself. Went to college and got her degree. She did things right. Life’s good for her these days. She actually got married a few months ago.” Jamie sighed. “Beautiful wedding.”
“Yeah, my best friend in high school made better choices than me. He got his college degree. For all the good that did him.”
Bingo! Keep him talking.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, he did something stupid. He trusted me and let me mess up his life. And now him and his kid are paying the price for my mistake.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ryan.” She placed a hand on his arm.
“Yeah, not half as much as me. I thought I was helping the guy out. Giving him a way to make a little extra money. No one would get hurt. Boy was I wrong!”
“What happened?” She forced herself to breathe normally.
“He got greedy. Then things got crazy.”
“Is he OK?” Tell me. Give me more information I can use.
“For now.” His tone said he was finished talking.
She’d been so close. She couldn’t just let it go. “Starting over isn’t easy. That’s why I’m here. I want to start over but not in my hometown. People won’t let me forget my mistakes. That’s why I got on a bus and ended up here. What did your friend do that got him in trouble?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Oh, it mattered. She pushed the conversation further. “I’d like to think I made the right decision. You know, leaving home and coming here.”
“What did you do?”
Jamie made a face. “You know. Same old stupid story. Fell in love with the wrong guy and ended up pregnant.”
“You have a kid?”
“I had a miscarriage. But every time I left the house, I could see people staring at me. Whispering about me while I was standing right there in front of them. As if I was the only person in the world that happened to. I got tired of putting up with their judgment. I worked hard to turn my life around, but no one would forget the old me.” Jamie shrugged. “So, I left. It sort of broke my mama’s heart. I just want to make her proud of me now.”
“Good for you. That’s what my friend did, too.”
Good, back to Zinkleman.
“Really? Wow. I guess I had the right idea then. Where did he go? Somewhere exciting, I hope. I didn’t have a lot of money so this is as far as I got.”
He looked at her, his gaze probing.
She could almost feel the wheels inside his brain turning.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “He didn’t tell
Jamie responded, and then without warning she’d back off. It was almost as if she didn’t believe she deserved any happiness.
Sitting in the motel room wasn’t getting this job done either. Grabbing car keys, he stalked out.
After all, he was the quarterback.
****
“Oooohh, my feet hurt and I’m sunburned.”
Ryan laughed. “You really are a good complainer. You should put that on your resume.”
“Very funny.”
He was taking her to the motel after their day at the zoo, which had actually been fun. That was one of the secrets of being undercover—actually becoming the person she pretended to be. It made the whole thing easier.
“And what job would that qualify me for?”
“Mmm. How about a teacher? They’re always complaining, right?”
“Yeah, that’s for sure. My teachers were always calling my parents and complaining about one thing or another. How about you?”
“Not me. I was the perfect student.”
“Really?”
“Not.” He laughed and turned into the motel parking lot. “I never could see much use for school. Guess I should have taken it more seriously. I might be better off now.”
“Yeah, me too. I wasn’t really a trouble maker, you know. I just didn’t apply myself. At least that’s what my teachers were always telling my mom. Now one of my best friends, she applied herself. Went to college and got her degree. She did things right. Life’s good for her these days. She actually got married a few months ago.” Jamie sighed. “Beautiful wedding.”
“Yeah, my best friend in high school made better choices than me. He got his college degree. For all the good that did him.”
Bingo! Keep him talking.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, he did something stupid. He trusted me and let me mess up his life. And now him and his kid are paying the price for my mistake.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ryan.” She placed a hand on his arm.
“Yeah, not half as much as me. I thought I was helping the guy out. Giving him a way to make a little extra money. No one would get hurt. Boy was I wrong!”
“What happened?” She forced herself to breathe normally.
“He got greedy. Then things got crazy.”
“Is he OK?” Tell me. Give me more information I can use.
“For now.” His tone said he was finished talking.
She’d been so close. She couldn’t just let it go. “Starting over isn’t easy. That’s why I’m here. I want to start over but not in my hometown. People won’t let me forget my mistakes. That’s why I got on a bus and ended up here. What did your friend do that got him in trouble?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Oh, it mattered. She pushed the conversation further. “I’d like to think I made the right decision. You know, leaving home and coming here.”
“What did you do?”
Jamie made a face. “You know. Same old stupid story. Fell in love with the wrong guy and ended up pregnant.”
“You have a kid?”
“I had a miscarriage. But every time I left the house, I could see people staring at me. Whispering about me while I was standing right there in front of them. As if I was the only person in the world that happened to. I got tired of putting up with their judgment. I worked hard to turn my life around, but no one would forget the old me.” Jamie shrugged. “So, I left. It sort of broke my mama’s heart. I just want to make her proud of me now.”
“Good for you. That’s what my friend did, too.”
Good, back to Zinkleman.
“Really? Wow. I guess I had the right idea then. Where did he go? Somewhere exciting, I hope. I didn’t have a lot of money so this is as far as I got.”
He looked at her, his gaze probing.
She could almost feel the wheels inside his brain turning.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “He didn’t tell
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