signaled the conversation was over, and there would be no point in pressing further.
I dried and neatly put each item in its place in the cupboards. Dishes in bright
shades of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue made a rainbow of color. Not one
matched but still seemed to be part of a perfect set to me.
Gram returned to the jam she was making. Her face was washed with a
sadness that I had caused. I wished I could take back my question.
I kissed Gram on the cheek and swiped the spoon from her hand. Quickly, I
stuck it in my mouth before I lost my stolen treat. “Mmm. You outdid yourself
on this batch."
"Really, Mara," Gram scolded.
I grinned sheepishly and put the spoon in the sink. "I'm going to meet Cole.
He is going to teach me how to catch trout today."
"Trout, huh?" Gram smirked.
"Yes, he said I would chicken out. Of course, I can't let him be right."
"But you are a scaredy-cat," Meg called.
"I am Mae Veracor's granddaughter. There isn’t a weak bone in my body," I
teased, tousling Meg's light brown locks. "What does a little princess like you know anyway? The summer has faded your hair so much that We'll have to start
calling you Cinderella."
Meg stuck her tongue out at me before falling into a fit of laughter.
Bounding out the door, I carried the satchel filled with the day's necessities. I followed the paved road in front of my house that would eventually lead to the
center of town. The lingering terror of my dream haunted me as I traveled.
Images of burned homes and burnt bodies flashed before my eyes.
There was no fire. Everyone is safe, I scolded myself.
After less than a mile and having passed several homes, I reached my
destination. At the end of a cobblestone walkway, I casually strolled towards the
pale-yellow house. When Cole saw me, he dropped the ball he had been
bouncing.
“Took you long enough! I have been waiting all morning. I thought you
chickened out.” Cole grinned.
Cole Oliver Sands always took my breath away when I saw him. His dark
brown hair had grown long over the summer, covering his deep blue eyes, which
were framed with thick black lashes. With a big breath, he blew the offending hair out of his face and continued to scold me.
“I really thought I might grow old and die waiting for you to show up.” Cole
feigned a swoon and slumped over the patio railings.
“I'm not late.” I handed him the bag I had packed. “You, my dear, are just impatient. I was getting the things you insisted we needed. I still question the necessity of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Whoever heard of trout
swarming for PB&J?” I put my hands on my hips in mock anger and gave him
my signature eyebrow lift.
Laughing, he tore one of the sandwiches out of the bag and began to devour
it. In three large bites, the sandwich was almost gone, and Cole had forgotten I
was late. "Yes, these will do. Gram's is the best cook in the town,” he greedily
