close friends with Teri without revealing her true identity? And what if a possibility really existed of developing a relationship with Kyle? How could she allow herself to become close to him? Jessica Fenton must not allow anyone to get too close. She could be friendly, of course, but she could never be intimate or self-revealing the way Jessica Morgan had been.
As Jessica took another bite of her hamburger, a painful thought paraded across her mind.
Had Jessica Morgan ever been close to anyone?
Immediately she knew that, aside from her mother, the answer was no. “Morgans do not make friends,” her father had once said. “Morgans network.”
“I suppose we should get back to school,” Kyle remarked, fishing in the bottom of his brown sack for the few final french fries. He tossed the bag and empty shiver cup into the trash canbehind him. “Teri said you’re scheduled for meetings all day tomorrow and Friday.”
“Yes. I’m just about ready to feel overwhelmed.”
“Was the first week this packed at your last school?” Kyle asked.
Jessica hesitated. “Actually, this is my first school. It’s my first year of teaching anywhere. Except for my student teaching, of course.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Kyle said.
Two teenagers pulled up in an old blue truck. They honked, called out Kyle’s name, and waved.
“You seem to be pretty popular around here,” Jessica teased.
“Small town,” Kyle said. “You’ll get honked at too, after the first couple of school days. Just wait, you’ll see. We have great kids in this town.”
“Have you lived here long?” Jessica asked once they were back in Kyle’s truck and headed for the high school.
“About six years. I really like it here. I grew up in Portland. This small town is more my pace. How do you like Glenbrooke so far?”
“I like it. Everyone is nice and friendly. It’s a lot like I thought it would be.”
“Did you come from a small town in California?” Kyle asked.
“How did you know I was from California?” Jessica asked, her shields automatically going up.
“The license plates on your car. By the way, Al didn’t charge you for towing your car, did he? I told him not to.”
“Why?”
“Well, because…” Kyle paused.
Jessica waited for him to say, “Because I knew you didn’thave any money.” She hated feeling like a charity case.
“Because I told him you were new in town, and I…” Again Kyle seemed to choose his words carefully. “I told him I’d do him a favor someday. That’s how things work around here. The barter system is very much alive in Glenbrooke.”
Jessica was trying to decide if she should speak up and defend herself or just let it go. How much of Kyle’s kindness was part of the way of life around this town? Was he interested in her as more than a needy newcomer?
Kyle pulled into the school parking lot and turned off the engine. “I’ll walk you in. I have to check on something in the office.”
They walked silently as Jessica’s imagination conjured up an image of Ms. Mendelson being the “something” Kyle had to check on. Charlotte had to be five, maybe six, years older than Kyle. Why would she go after him in such a big way? Jessica cast a sideways glance at Kyle, and the answer was obvious. The man was gorgeous. Not to mention kind, tender, compassionate, and understanding. Any woman would be crazy
not
to try to capture his undivided attention. Jessica felt a twinge of remorse that she had determined to hold Kyle at arm’s length.
“Well, hello!” Charlotte said, appearing suddenly as the two of them stepped into the building. Jessica wondered if Charlotte’s office window faced the school parking lot and she had been watching them walk into the school.
Ignoring Jessica, Charlotte sidled up to Kyle. “I see you received my messages. Let’s go into my office. We have so much to discuss.”
Kyle stood his ground, not budging as Charlotte pulled on his arm.
“I’ll see you
As Jessica took another bite of her hamburger, a painful thought paraded across her mind.
Had Jessica Morgan ever been close to anyone?
Immediately she knew that, aside from her mother, the answer was no. “Morgans do not make friends,” her father had once said. “Morgans network.”
“I suppose we should get back to school,” Kyle remarked, fishing in the bottom of his brown sack for the few final french fries. He tossed the bag and empty shiver cup into the trash canbehind him. “Teri said you’re scheduled for meetings all day tomorrow and Friday.”
“Yes. I’m just about ready to feel overwhelmed.”
“Was the first week this packed at your last school?” Kyle asked.
Jessica hesitated. “Actually, this is my first school. It’s my first year of teaching anywhere. Except for my student teaching, of course.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Kyle said.
Two teenagers pulled up in an old blue truck. They honked, called out Kyle’s name, and waved.
“You seem to be pretty popular around here,” Jessica teased.
“Small town,” Kyle said. “You’ll get honked at too, after the first couple of school days. Just wait, you’ll see. We have great kids in this town.”
“Have you lived here long?” Jessica asked once they were back in Kyle’s truck and headed for the high school.
“About six years. I really like it here. I grew up in Portland. This small town is more my pace. How do you like Glenbrooke so far?”
“I like it. Everyone is nice and friendly. It’s a lot like I thought it would be.”
“Did you come from a small town in California?” Kyle asked.
“How did you know I was from California?” Jessica asked, her shields automatically going up.
“The license plates on your car. By the way, Al didn’t charge you for towing your car, did he? I told him not to.”
“Why?”
“Well, because…” Kyle paused.
Jessica waited for him to say, “Because I knew you didn’thave any money.” She hated feeling like a charity case.
“Because I told him you were new in town, and I…” Again Kyle seemed to choose his words carefully. “I told him I’d do him a favor someday. That’s how things work around here. The barter system is very much alive in Glenbrooke.”
Jessica was trying to decide if she should speak up and defend herself or just let it go. How much of Kyle’s kindness was part of the way of life around this town? Was he interested in her as more than a needy newcomer?
Kyle pulled into the school parking lot and turned off the engine. “I’ll walk you in. I have to check on something in the office.”
They walked silently as Jessica’s imagination conjured up an image of Ms. Mendelson being the “something” Kyle had to check on. Charlotte had to be five, maybe six, years older than Kyle. Why would she go after him in such a big way? Jessica cast a sideways glance at Kyle, and the answer was obvious. The man was gorgeous. Not to mention kind, tender, compassionate, and understanding. Any woman would be crazy
not
to try to capture his undivided attention. Jessica felt a twinge of remorse that she had determined to hold Kyle at arm’s length.
“Well, hello!” Charlotte said, appearing suddenly as the two of them stepped into the building. Jessica wondered if Charlotte’s office window faced the school parking lot and she had been watching them walk into the school.
Ignoring Jessica, Charlotte sidled up to Kyle. “I see you received my messages. Let’s go into my office. We have so much to discuss.”
Kyle stood his ground, not budging as Charlotte pulled on his arm.
“I’ll see you
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