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“Me, too.”
“I think Elk Lake is going to change us in all the best ways. I’m going to make good friends here.”
I’ve been desperate to see the return of Sammy’s optimism. Up until now, she’s talked a good game, but she’s been afraid to believe in a happy future. For instance, we’d gone months without talking about Beth when Sammy started having trouble with her friends. As that trouble progressed, so did her feelings of abandonment. To hear her sound so excited about this fresh start makes me feel light enough to fly.
Yet, I come crashing to the ground when a vision of her first friend comes to mind. Melissa is kind, beautiful, and appealing in all kinds of dangerous ways, which is why, no matter how much Sammy likes her, I need to keep my distance.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
MELISSA
I’m not sure why I’m taking such pains to look nice today, I’m only going to the mall. Yet the truth pokes at me relentlessly while I ponder the inside of my closet. As stupid as it sounds, I want to look good for Jamie.
Why would I make such an effort for someone who’s been nothing but dismissive toward me? It’s clear as a summer day that Jamie only sees me as his daughter’s boss. I’m no more special than the paint on the walls or a rug by the door, yet I want him to think I’m pretty. How pathetic is that?
After slipping on a deep purple blouse and pairing it with a white A-line linen skirt, I cinch my waist with a woven gold chain. Then I dig through a pile of shoes for matching sandals. Once I accessorize with a pair of large gold hoop earrings, I peer into the full-length mirror before declaring my visage complete. This is as good as it gets.
I’m too anxious to eat anything. So, in lieu of breakfast, I simply sit on my sofa and wait for Sammy and Jamie to arrive. As soon as their SUV pulls up in front of my building, I hurry out of my apartment. I’m on the street before either of them can get out of the car to retrieve me.
I offer a quick knock on the back door before opening it and getting in. “Good morning!” My enthusiasm equals being picked up for a spa day or a trip to Paris.
“Hey, Melissa.” Sammy moves to open her door. “You can sit up front.”
“Not necessary,” I tell her. “I have a stomach of steel and I never get carsick.”
“But you’re an adult.”
“It’s your car.” We’ve reached a stalemate.
“Fine,” she decides, “but you get to ride up front on the way to Milwaukee.”
Jamie looks in the rearview mirror and makes eye contact with me. “Good morning, Melissa.”
Staring into his piercing blue eyes for a beat too long, I finally reply, “Jamie. Thanks for driving.”
I’m having a hard time deciphering what his grunted response means. Does it mean,no problem, I’m happy to have you alongorthis day is going to be more painful than a root canal without sedation?Please let it be that he’s happy I’m going with them. Otherwise, this day is going to be total agony.
I don’t try to make any conversation while we navigate the winding road to the house we’re going to see. Not because I’m trying to be rude, but because I can’t think while looking at the back of Jamie’s head. I want to lean in and smell his wavy dark hair. An excess of saliva forms in my mouth until I start feeling like a rabid dog.
Thankfully, Sammy keeps up a steady chatter so there are no awkward moments. By the time we pull into the driveway, I’ve reminded myself multiple times that nothing of a personal nature is going to develop between me and Jamie. While I can’t claim to be unaffected by his presence, the man treats me with the warmth of a December day in Antarctica. That’s as clear a sign as any that my interest is not returned.
Anna is standing in the doorway waving when we arrive. As we get out of the car, she calls out, “I brought donuts.”
“You don’t eat donuts,” I remind her. Anna limits her fried food to french fries.
“I may not eat them,” she says while patting her stomach. “But this little guy loves them.”
Jamie introduces Sammy and Anna once we arrive at the front door.
“This place is amazing,” Sammy declares excitedly.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Anna tells her while stepping aside to make room for us to come in.
Sammy stares in awe at the huge open room that greets us. The vaulted ceiling with floor-to-ceiling windows makes the space feel like an extension of the woods—like we’re in a magical tree house. “I’ve always loved this room,” I say. “Stacy and I used to put our sleeping bags in front of the fire and pretend we were sleeping outside.”
“Why didn’t you just sleep outside?” Jamie wants to know.
“Mosquitos,” Anna and I answer at the same time.
