Long Way Home Read Online Free PDF

at her.
             “You’re
late, McCanton,” she admonished with a smile.
             “You’re
beautiful,” he countered.
             Her
smile was radiant.  “You’re forgiven.”
             He
opened the truck door for her.  “I’m only three minutes late, anyway,” he
defended.  “The Miller’s’ cows got loose.  I stopped to help Mark
herd up the last two.”
             “Their
cows always get loose.  I’ve nearly hit one a few times out on Thistle
Road.”
             “My
dad told them they’d better get the fence fixed before someone gets
killed.  Any sign of your dad?”
             “Not
that I know of, thankfully.  Was something wrong at school today? You
seemed quiet.”
             He
shook his head but kept his eyes on the road.  “Just worried about that
Lit test.”
             “Boy,
are you a lousy liar! C’mon, out with it, McCanton.  You were having
second thoughts about tonight, admit it.”
             “No,
I wasn’t,” he argued, but even to him it sounded forced.
             “It’s
OK if you were.  I would understand.”
             He
sighed.  “Look, it wasn’t about you, OK?  I mean, well, it was, but
not like you think.”
             “Uh
huh,” she said, her green eyes locked on his profile.
             “Ah
Hell,” he cursed, pulling over to the side of the road so he could face
her.  “Look, before I say anything else, I asked you out last night
because I want to spend time with you.  You’re beautiful and smart and
funny and while I’m being honest, I’ve probably had a thing for you since the
day we met in Kindergarten.”
             She
blinked at his honesty.  Admired it.
             “OK.”
             “Yeah. 
So, I want you to know that.”
             “But?”
             He
sighed and raked a frustrated hand through his dark hair.
             “Not
a but per se,” he began.
             “But?”
she led with a half smile.
             “OK...but...when
I got home last night my parents were waiting for me.”
             She
nodded.  “I made you late.  I’m sorry.”
             “They
were fine when I explained what happened...but then my mom was upset.  She
said she was glad I took you home and made sure you were safe but then she said
she didn’t want me spending time with you.”
             Tessa’s
eyes widened.  “Oh.  Wow.”
             He
shook his head.  “It isn’t about you, personally.  It’s that you’re
Mary Douglas’ daughter.  See, Cordy and Gracie told me that Miss Nettie
and Mrs. Pendleton were talking and said how if we got together it would be God
fixing the mistake your mom and my dad made when they broke up.  That
naturally made my mom uncomfortable.”
             “Wow...OK,
well, you should take me home.”
             “What?
No, that’s crazy.”
             “No,
it’s not.  I don’t want to cause problems for you with your mom. 
Just turn around and take me home.”
             “I
will if that’s what you really want, but it’s not what I want.”
             “Shane...she’s
your mother.”
             “Yeah,
and I love her and she loves me, but we’re three months from graduation, then
we’re off to college and my days of living at home are numbered...my days of
living in Indian Springs are numbered.  I want to go into DPS and try to
make Ranger.  And my mom, while well meaning, has very little to say about
the choices I make in my adult life.  And beside all that, Tess, you’re
one of my best friends now.  I asked you out because I want to see if we
can be more.  If we can, great.  If we can’t, that’s fine, too, but I
want to at least try, don’t you?”
             She
was quiet a moment.  She turned her head to gaze out the window,