Since I'm taking a break today, taking my kayak out, I thought I'd give a little sneak peak into the unnamed book!
Chapter 1
The water ran over her fingers as she wrung her hands together. Her mind danced through the memories, like a child left to its own devises. Remembering his smile, his smell, the way he'd watch her when he thought she wasn't paying attention. How could she not pay attention to him? He'd been charismatic and charming, beautiful and sincere. The reflection made it full circle, back to him leaving.
She consciously pumped soap out of the ceramic dispenser, a wedding gift from the Andersons down the road. Small geese wearing blue, fluffy bows around their necks adorned the rim. It matched the cup towels hanging from the oven handle.
Jenny washed more thoroughly, soaping her arms up to the elbows. The out of season pumpkin scent hit her full force, making the memory of him concrete.
The spicy lather tried to pull her away again. Once the smooth feel of the soap dissipated from her arms and hands, she grasped the ceramic container and with a thud it landed in the trash can. It had been almost a decade, but almost every piece of him remained fresh in her mind.
On warm nights, she would lie in bed and reflect on the things that made him unique. She wondered if time had changed him. Would she recognize him now? Would he recognize her?
The events of the evening soured her mood. She knew that tonight he would haunt her dreams. The only reprieve she could hope to get would come from lack of sleep. If she could stay up through the night, tomorrow would be a fresh start. No thinking about him, no allowing her mind to wander. It was the best she could hope for, like pressing the reset button.
She changed from her worn jeans and shirt, filthy from working in the small vegetable garden in the back yard. When she opened the windows, a hot and humid air blew through. With any luck, it would keep her from being comfortable enough to sleep.
The phone rang, jarring her out of her reflections. "Hello?"
"Hey, Jenny." The voice came over the phone, sounding more quiet and calm than normal. "Are you up for company?"
She recognized Jolie's voice, even without the hyperactive tone.
"It's 8:30 at night. It's going to take you twenty minutes to get here."
"I know. I thought I'd come spend the night."
Jenny searched for a logical reason for her request, coming up short. "There's some ulterior motive here, Jolie. What is it?"
"In all seriousness?"
"Yes, full disclosure please."
"Full disclosure? You're not going to like it."
"Please, Jolie," she yelled, irritated more with herself than her sister.
"Well," she hesitated. Jenny could practically hear her searching for a solid lie, but failing. "I'm worried about you. Tomorrow will be four years. I planned on staying around all day tomorrow to make sure you're okay." Jenny should have seen it coming.
The four years might as well have been fifty. She felt guilty with the thought. There had been no emotional breakdown with Kurt's accident. She waited for the devastation for months. At first, she feared that it would hit her at the grocery store, or some other public place. After some time, she hoped for it.
People in town, who watched Kurt and her grow up, shared not so hushed whispers about her lack of grieving.
Months later, she realized that the breakdown wouldn't come. The day of the epiphany, she walked into the only diner in town. She tried to force the tears to come. The image of Kurt walking past the window and coming inside filled her mind. He had been a constant in her life, in this town.
The waitress rounded the corner with Jenny's regular order. She placed the club sandwich in front of her and traipsed away. Jenny pushed the sandwich to the other side of the table.
Kurt's apparition ate his favorite meal, wiping mayonnaise from his bottom lip. He let loose a breathtaking smile, showing his perfect teeth. Those beautiful blue eyes filled with genuine happiness.
She missed his predictability. Underneath the longing, she harbored anger toward him for taking away her stability.
"Well?" Jolie's voice broke through.
"Come on over."
She hung up, relieved that she'd have Jolie over to help her stay awake. If she were lucky, Jolie would tell someone in town of her "grief stricken night". Maybe some of the nasty looks would subside.
She looked around the house that became hers after Kurt's accident. It was too big for her alone. he purchased it before asking for her hand. He had dreams of raising a family with her in this house, while Jenny couldn't help herself from dreaming of someone else.
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