job. I told her a bunch of lies because she has no idea where I am or how I’m doing.
“But why lie to your mother?”
“Mom has severe emphysema, crippling arthritis, and the advanced stages of Fibromyalgia. Aunt Rachel takes care of her in her small apartment.” Jill sighed and stared out the window again. “My aunt isn’t the nicest person in the world, and if Mom knew what has happened to me she’d want to take what little money she has and bring me home. Aunt Rachel would blow a fuse. She’d never allow me into her home again, especially like this.” She waved her hand to indicate her disheveled hair and stained, mismatched clothing.
“Is your Aunt Rachel your mom’s sister?”
“No, my dad’s. He’s been dead for fifteen years.”
They sat silently for several minutes just assessing one another. The chatter of the restaurant grew louder as the breakfast rush gave way to the lunch patrons. Dishes clinked, and a waitress hollered out an order and added, “Hold the mayo!”
Although Jill looked gaunt and dark circles resided under her eyes, Cory liked her aristocratic look. Faint freckles sprinkled her nose like specks of cinnamon. Her eyes looked gray one moment, silver the next, and then light blue. Except for her bangs, a black skull cap hid most of her hair, but he’d bet a fifty-dollar bill that once she had a good bath her hair would be strawberry blonde, gleaming with ruby highlights.
What was it about this woman that reached into his heart and inspired the urge to protect her, take care of her? It made no sense, but the sensation was there nonetheless.
And he couldn’t let her walk out of his life.
“Why steal a travel kit today instead of some grub?”
Her faced colored and she dropped her gaze. “How long have you been watching me steal?”
“For several weeks.”
“Why haven’t you turned me in?”
Cory shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. There’s just something about you…”
Smiling, she shyly met his gaze. “I found some nice clothes in a department store dumpster so I thought I’d get some toiletries and clean up, maybe find a decent job.”
He nodded. “I’ll give you a job in my store.”
Jill’s eyes brightened.
“You can even stay at my place,” he added and laid money on the table for the check.
Jill shook her head. “I’ll sleep in the storeroom. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about how I got the job.”
Disappointment drifted over him, but he understood and respected Jill’s wishes. “Okay. But just for a while. Eventually you’ll have to find a room somewhere, or, if it makes you feel better, you can rent the extra room in my apartment.”
She nodded. “Just having somewhere warm to sleep is enough right now.” Color tinged her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said.
***
Two months passed. Cory taught Jill everything from how to order new store shipments to how to read the body language of job applicants; within weeks, he had her transferred to another store in the small chain working as the manager’s assistant and receiving a steady salary. They met every day for lunch and talked and laughed as they learned about one another. Jill heard hilarious stories about Cory’s best friends, Toddy and Bryant, and he discovered that she loved to read and had a knack for learning foreign languages, proving fluent in French. He took her to see a couple movies, and she invited him to her room where she cooked lasagna and garlic bread for him in her kitchenette.
Finally, Jill managed to save enough money to rent a two-room apartment. She wrote another letter to her mother and showed it to Cory. This time all her wonderful stories were true, and she promised to go see her in three months.
Those three months rushed by. The knowledge that she’d be gone for the next ten days tore Cory up. How would he survive without her?
Worse, how would he tell her that he’d fallen in love with her?
“Oh, hell,” said Bryant earlier that day.
“But why lie to your mother?”
“Mom has severe emphysema, crippling arthritis, and the advanced stages of Fibromyalgia. Aunt Rachel takes care of her in her small apartment.” Jill sighed and stared out the window again. “My aunt isn’t the nicest person in the world, and if Mom knew what has happened to me she’d want to take what little money she has and bring me home. Aunt Rachel would blow a fuse. She’d never allow me into her home again, especially like this.” She waved her hand to indicate her disheveled hair and stained, mismatched clothing.
“Is your Aunt Rachel your mom’s sister?”
“No, my dad’s. He’s been dead for fifteen years.”
They sat silently for several minutes just assessing one another. The chatter of the restaurant grew louder as the breakfast rush gave way to the lunch patrons. Dishes clinked, and a waitress hollered out an order and added, “Hold the mayo!”
Although Jill looked gaunt and dark circles resided under her eyes, Cory liked her aristocratic look. Faint freckles sprinkled her nose like specks of cinnamon. Her eyes looked gray one moment, silver the next, and then light blue. Except for her bangs, a black skull cap hid most of her hair, but he’d bet a fifty-dollar bill that once she had a good bath her hair would be strawberry blonde, gleaming with ruby highlights.
What was it about this woman that reached into his heart and inspired the urge to protect her, take care of her? It made no sense, but the sensation was there nonetheless.
And he couldn’t let her walk out of his life.
“Why steal a travel kit today instead of some grub?”
Her faced colored and she dropped her gaze. “How long have you been watching me steal?”
“For several weeks.”
“Why haven’t you turned me in?”
Cory shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. There’s just something about you…”
Smiling, she shyly met his gaze. “I found some nice clothes in a department store dumpster so I thought I’d get some toiletries and clean up, maybe find a decent job.”
He nodded. “I’ll give you a job in my store.”
Jill’s eyes brightened.
“You can even stay at my place,” he added and laid money on the table for the check.
Jill shook her head. “I’ll sleep in the storeroom. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about how I got the job.”
Disappointment drifted over him, but he understood and respected Jill’s wishes. “Okay. But just for a while. Eventually you’ll have to find a room somewhere, or, if it makes you feel better, you can rent the extra room in my apartment.”
She nodded. “Just having somewhere warm to sleep is enough right now.” Color tinged her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said.
***
Two months passed. Cory taught Jill everything from how to order new store shipments to how to read the body language of job applicants; within weeks, he had her transferred to another store in the small chain working as the manager’s assistant and receiving a steady salary. They met every day for lunch and talked and laughed as they learned about one another. Jill heard hilarious stories about Cory’s best friends, Toddy and Bryant, and he discovered that she loved to read and had a knack for learning foreign languages, proving fluent in French. He took her to see a couple movies, and she invited him to her room where she cooked lasagna and garlic bread for him in her kitchenette.
Finally, Jill managed to save enough money to rent a two-room apartment. She wrote another letter to her mother and showed it to Cory. This time all her wonderful stories were true, and she promised to go see her in three months.
Those three months rushed by. The knowledge that she’d be gone for the next ten days tore Cory up. How would he survive without her?
Worse, how would he tell her that he’d fallen in love with her?
“Oh, hell,” said Bryant earlier that day.
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