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“What?” the man said. “No Susan in here? No Sam?”
“There’s a Steve!”
“It’s not my birthday, and my last name doesn’t start with a T,” Steve Carr said, red-faced.
“All right. Let’s try another clue. This person once had a pony named Pickle.”
The kids thought that was hilarious.
Sydney blinked. Pickle had been her pony when she was a little girl.
The flowers were for her. Sydney Anne Taylor.
Her heart pounded outrageously. They had to be from Jarod, but she couldn’t believe he remembered those obscure little details about her.
She got up from the chair. “The bell’s about to ring. Since the recipient doesn’t seem to be in this class, if you’ll leave the box with me, I’ll check for a card inside and make certain it gets to the right person.”
His thank-you coincided with the final bell of the day. She took the box from him. Everyone left the room except Steve. Sydney wished he’d gone out with the others, but she couldn’t do anything about it now.
He grinned. “I bet I know who those are from.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?”
Her heart fluttering with excitement, she lifted off the top of the box.
What on earth?
He stared at her. “Don’t you like them?”
“Yes, of course—” she blurted. But lilies were normally a funereal symbol. The end. To her mind they portended nothing good.
Then she saw the note.
With trembling fingers, she pulled the little card from its tiny envelope.
This short trip to Bismarck has been illuminating. Just so you know before we see each other, the path I’ve chosen is the right one. Jarod.
She tried to smother her gasp so Steve wouldn’t notice.
Was this Jarod’s way of saying our love isn’t meant to be after all?
Her pain went too deep for tears. She didn’t have any more to shed.
“Sydney? You look sick.”
She shook her head. “I’m all right, Steve. It’s just that the person who sent these lilies doesn’t know I’m allergic to their cloying scent. Will you do me a favor and take these to your mom to enjoy? Just tell her no one claimed them, so I let you kids draw straws and you won.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay. You know that question you asked on relevance?”
“Yes?”
“I felt like looking at Linda and telling her she and her family had a lot in common with Shylock.”
“For someone who didn’t think they were going to like Shakespeare, you’re very astute. Tell your parents you got A-plus in my class today.”
