I tipped my head toward the dark structure. “Are your parents home?”
“My mom should be,” she muttered. I felt marginally better knowing she wouldn’t be alone.
“You want to go get lunch tomorrow? Maybe I can show you around Croftridge,” I blurted.
“Yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Okay, doll face. I’ll pick you up at 12pm tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
After a few beats of awkward silence, I cupped the side of her face with my hand and brought my lips to hers. Nothing overly passionate or intense, just a soft, lingering kiss. I wanted her to know I was interested, but I didn’t want to scare her off by being too forward.
“Do you want me to walk you to the door?”
“No, my mother will raise hell if she finds out a guy brought me home.”
“I’ll wait here until you’re inside,” I said softly.
“Good night, Phoenix.”
As I watched her walk into the dark, dilapidated house, I knew, right then and there, she walked into that house carrying my heart in her hands.
CHAPTER TWO
Phoenix
I saw Annabelle every day for the rest of the summer. During the weekdays, I had football practice and she worked at my Gram’s shop when she wasn’t helping her mother clean Macy’s parents’ house, but the evenings and weekends were ours. To me, it didn’t matter what we did or who we were with, as long as the two of us were together.
When school started, I picked Annabelle up every morning and drove us to school. In the afternoons, she drove my truck to Gram’s shop to work for a few hours while I was at practice. I hated that she worked so much, but she told me she was trying to save as much as she could so she wouldn’t have to work much when she went off to college. And I believed her, until a month before the Homecoming football game and dance, when the nominations for Homecoming King and Queen were made.
I wasn’t surprised in the least when Annabelle was nominated. Yes, she was new to the school, but she quickly became the sweetheart of our little town. Annabelle, however, was completely caught off guard by the nomination and didn’t seem too happy about it.
On the way home from school that day, I finally asked her, “Doll face, what’s wrong?”
She remained silent for several minutes before finally giving it to me. “Phoenix, I don’t have the money to be a part of the Homecoming festivities. I’ll need to buy a new dress, shoes, jewelry, pay to have my hair done. I just can’t afford it.”
I wanted to offer to buy her dress and everything else she needed, but I knew from past experience she wouldn’t like it. So, I tried a different tactic. “You know, Gram is one hell of a bargain shopper. You’d be surprised at some of the deals she’s come across. I bet she could help you find a dress for a steal.”
Annabelle turned hopeful eyes to me. “You think she can help me find what I need for less than $50?”
I smiled. “I know she can, doll face. I’ll talk to her when I get home.”
Gram was more than willing to help Annabelle. She, too, wanted to buy her a nice dress, but I explained Annabelle’s feelings about having things handed to her. Gram grinned as if she knew something I didn’t. “Well, I guess we will have to start shopping tomorrow.”
The next afternoon, Annabelle and Gram went shopping and returned home with what looked like a brand new dress, matching shoes, jewelry, and a purse. Annabelle squealed with delight when she pulled the dress from the bag to show me. “We got all of this for $30! Can you believe it Phoenix? Look, the dress still has the tags on it!”
“It’s beautiful,” I said, smiling at how happy she was. “A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl.”
I knew Gram’s friend owned the local thrift shop. I had no doubt Gram bought the dress and accessories in Cedar Valley and dropped it off with her friend to hold for Annabelle and only Annabelle.
Before Annabelle and I left to meet up with Macy and Aaron for dinner and a movie, I hugged Gram and whispered my thanks into her ear.
She winked and shrugged. “I just went shopping.” Yeah, twice, I thought.
***
