Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 Read Online Free PDF Page B

meet people who are as comfortable with me as you and Willow — and even Barney —”
    “ I bet you know my sister .” Chad hesitated even as he spoke.
    “ What ’ s her name? ”
    “ Cheri Tesdall .”
    Josh ’ s eyes lit up. “ She was the first person to invite me to one of those singles things that happen around different towns. I knew she was going with some other guy , but just knowing someone wanted— me to go — ”
    “ I ’ m just glad she ’ s not one of the ones who rejected —”
    “ Cheri wouldn ’ t! Chad, how could you think that! I think Cheri would like Josh if she wasn ’ t so wrapped up in Chuck .” She blushed. “ Well, I mean she ’ d like him anyway , but I thought she ’ d appreciate him more personally if her —” Willow stopped herself. “ You know what I mean .”
    They stayed through dinner , a te dessert, and continued to talk. After half a dozen glances at his phone in the past ten minutes , Josh jumped up and insisted he had to leave. “ I ’ m supposed to play the piano tonight for the children at the mission. I have to go .”
    Chad pulled a n old receipt from his wallet and wrote their phone number s on it. “ Call us. Anytime. Come visit. Come to church with us. Maybe what you need is a broader group of friends , and we ’ d like to be the first to invite you to Fairbury .”
    Fighting back tears and an even heavier lisp, Josh waved and dashed out the door , thanking them as he went. Willow hardly noticed; her eyes were focused on Chad. He seemed upset. “Are you ok?”
    “Just disgusted with myself.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know how to explain it,” he began. “I feel like the very people who probably caused those self-doubts in him. People like me—we caused his pain.” Chad toyed with a straw wrapper. “ I wonder how common that is? ” he wondered to himself.
    “ How common what is? What were you guys talking about? What are you talking about? ”
    Chad sighed. “ Didn ’ t you notice anything unusual about him? ”
    “ Well, ” she admitted, “ he ’ s a little girly , but I expect it ’ s just because he works with fabric , and the few men I know don ’ t. He probably spends a lot of time with women or something .”
    “ It ’ s something like that. Mind if I explain some other time? ” Chad stood and grasped her hand helping her from the booth.
    “ Sure. Or I can ask him —”
    “ I ’ d rather you didn ’ t, ” Chad insisted sadly. “ I think you ’ d make him uncomfortable .”
    “ I think, ” Willow said remembering the walls of glass and water, and the afternoon ’ s conversation, “ I think people overcomplicate things. Let ’ s go home .”
     

Chapter 10 7
     
     
    The shearers arrived on Friday. Willow hung over the fence, fascinated with every movement. It took almost no time for the two men to produce two full skirts. Willow nudged Chad. “Ten minutes—from start to finish, two fleeces in ten minutes. I’ve got to learn how to do that.”
    “Really? You want to do that? It looks like a hassle.”
    “Looks fun to me.” She called out a few questions and turned to Chad, excited. “Did you hear that? A shearing school in New Cheltenham! I want to go.”
    “Then you’ll go.” Despite his personal lack of interest, her excitement appealed to him. “I love how into all this you get.”
    “Even though you think I’m nuts.”
    “You are. I agree with Mother on that one. Sheep are stupid and obnoxious.” He nudged her boot. “Kind of like chickens.”
    “They’re tasty like chickens too.”
    “How would you know?”
    Willow giggled at the gawky-looking sheep before answering. “Had it with Bill at that restaurant the day you made me wear my slippers to town.”
    “They were flip-flops.”
    “I felt like I was walking around town in my pajamas.”
    Chad shook his head. “I remember thinking you looked amazing.”
    “You acted like I looked ridiculous. ” She winked. “That’s probably because