A Notion of Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

there. Just the possibility of her moving that far away made my soul feel like shriveling.
    â€œThen we had to fucking walk back to town to get my truck,” Justin was saying, laughing a little. “Jackie was in so much pain that I drove him right to the hospital and then called Greg and Pat. Greg wasn’t home, but Pat rushed right over and then I figured I better call home since there’s no way they wouldn’t find out anyway. Shit, Dad’ll hide me for being so dumb.”
    I giggled a little. “I can’t imagine him getting so mad.”
    â€œAre you kidding me?” Justin teased easily, driving with his right hand on the bottom of the wheel, the other sticking straight out the open window. It was a gorgeous evening and I rolled mine down all the way, too, letting the spring air rush into the truck. No matter that my hair would be a squirrel’s nest when we got back to Shore Leave. He added, “When I was a kid I got spanked all the time. Liz only did once, but she’s a quick learner.”
    â€œI guess Aubrey has mentioned that you like to be spanked,” I heard myself teasing him, and immediately flushed, glad suddenly for the darkness. Now why had I said that? Aubrey (who I honestly thought was a gigantic bitch, though I would never tell him) did like to brag about Justin’s prowess, but she’d never actually mentioned spanking.
    â€œWhat?” he yelped, but he was laughing. “You are so shitting me.”
    I was laughing then too, embarrassed but unable to go back on what I’d said now. Maybe a little devil had hopped onto my shoulder, maybe I secretly relished being alone with popular Aubrey Pritchard’s boyfriend in his truck, but I added, “Yeah, she’s pretty descriptive, too.”
    Justin laughed even harder. “Whatever, Jillian, you are so pulling my leg.”
    I shrugged as though unconcerned. Shit, now what if he confronted her and then she confronted me? I momentarily imagined this scenario and then pictured hiding behind Joelle at school, like a little kid. We reached Landon five minutes later and Justin turned onto Fisherman’s and then left around Flickertail, out towards Shore Leave. There were still a few customer cars in the lot, probably just people hanging around the bar. All of the porch lights were glimmering and I could see Gran and Minnie having a smoke at their usual table. Justin sat with his wrists hanging over the top of the steering wheel and I said, “Well, thanks for the ride.”
    He gave me an indulgent grin, the kind you’d give a baby sister. He said, “No problem, kiddo.” Like I wasn’t the same age as his girlfriend. But Aubrey was light-years ahead of me in both confidence and attitude; it was actually better than being called ‘tomboy,’ which had been his perennial nickname for me in the past. One of several. Not that I cared.
    I hopped out of the truck and slammed the door just a little harder than necessary. Justin drove away and I climbed the steps under the shrewd gazes of both Gran and Great-Aunt Minnie.
    â€œWhere’s your sister?” Gran asked just as Minnie commented, “You two took off awfully fast.”
    I sighed and sank to a chair to join them, suddenly exhausted. I said, “Jackie fell off the train and is in the hospital in Rose Lake.”
    Mom would have freaked out, despite the fact that my tone didn’t exactly suggest a need to panic. Gran squawked a laugh and Minnie casually blew a smoke ring; she’d tried to teach me, but I had yet to master the art. Gran asked, “How’d you end up with the boy?”
    Everyone called Justin ‘the boy,’ like he was still seven years old. He had never seemed inclined to mind, and I laughed to myself, hoping he was driving home pondering why Aubrey would be telling people that he liked to be spanked.
    â€œJustin was with him. He actually brought Jackie to the hospital