In Every Heartbeat - By Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,31
Tucker and Lorna Jensen were perfectly suited to one another.
She lightly swatted Petey’s arm, her lips twitching with a teasing grin. “And lucky you—getting to stand up with Matt. You’ll be very handsome in your suit, with a rosebud tucked in your lapel.”
Petey chuckled and scratched his head. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
They stood in silence for several seconds. A comfortable, settling-in kind of silence that brought a hint of healing to Libby’s aching soul. In the distance, a firm clack indicated someone’s bat connected with a baseball, and cheers erupted. In response, a bird scolded from a nearby tree. Libby lifted her chin to seek out the bird, and she smiled as two dry leaves broke free of their branch and swirled to the ground. The leaves’ graceful descent through the air reminded her of the dance scene she’d written in her latest story. Eagerly, she turned to Petey.
“Petey, I—” she started.
“Libby, I—” he said at the same time.
She flapped her hands at him, laughing. “Go ahead.”
“I have an assignment I need to finish tonight, so I’m going to head back to Landry Hall.”
Her shoulders sagged. “So soon? But we’ve hardly had any time to talk.”
He pulled his lips to the side in an expression of regret. “I’m sorry, but I really need to work. I’ll see you . . . at dinner tomorrow?”
She wanted to tell him about the story she’d sold—to have him be happy for her—but she wouldn’t interfere with his studies. Becoming a minister was so important to him. Just as important as becoming a journalist was to her. If only their goals weren’t so very, very different . . .
“Yes, that would be splendid.” She reached out and brushed his sleeve with her fingertips. “I’ve missed you, Petey.”
That odd smile returned—an upturning of lips with no answering light in his blue eyes. “I’ve missed you, too. But we’ll talk more tomorrow at dinner. Good night now, Libby.”
She watched him go, his hitching gait as familiar as her own reflection in a mirror. But something in the way he carried himself seemed different. He’d always appeared older than his years, a result of having to care for himself at such a young age, but tonight there was an oldness about him that went beyond maturity to . . . Libby sought an appropriate word to describe his appearance and finally settled on tiredness.
Yes, Petey looked tired. His studies must be wearing him down, she decided with a rush of sympathy. Perhaps it was good that they’d be returning to Shay’s Ford soon. There, Mrs. Rowley would make sure he rested, and Cookie Ramona would spoil him with his favorite foods—Petey was everyone’s favorite at the orphanage. Time with Mr. and Mrs. Rowley and Matt, a fun time at the wedding, and being home would surely brighten Petey’s outlook.
And at some point during their time away from school, away from all the busyness and all the—she flicked a glance at the dormitory and spotted several girls peering out from a common room window—nosy people, she’d show him the letter from Mr. Price. How proud he’d be!
A wide smile on her face, Libby twirled in a circle right there in the open. And she didn’t even care when the girls behind the window giggled.
CHAPTER TEN
Bennett tossed the ball in the air with one hand and caught it with the other while he waited outside Landry Hall. Toss, catch. Toss, catch. Back and forth. Monotonous, but at least it was something to do.
Where was Pete? Bennett wouldn’t be able to stick around there much longer—crazy curfew rules. He tossed the ball with a little more force, sending it in a high arc above his head. Weren’t they all adults on this campus? A fellow ought to be able to decide for himself when he wanted to turn in.
He peered across the grounds, seeking a glimpse of his old pal. When Pete had walked past earlier, Bennett had wanted to ask him to join the game. But he wasn’t sure he carried enough clout yet with the fellows to bring in Pete. Oh, he’d been talking him up—his best buddy from way back, smart as a whip, a real good egg. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned Pete by name. That would come when he had the others all convinced his pal was the person to know on campus. Bennett figured he only needed another couple of days, and then he could draw Pete into the action.