Plain Jayne Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’m actually a European royal. Sorry I didn’t mention it earlier.”
    â€œIt took me years to get over the stigma of being ‘the Amish boy.’ ”
    â€œI was the elder’s daughter. Didn’t slow me down.”
    I looked into his eyes. Levi had very nice eyes; I tried to remember if I’d noticed his eyes before. I caught myself before I continued down that mental road. He had lied to me. Well, he hadn’t exactly lied to me, but he had deceived me, and I didn’t much appreciate it.
    Frankly, being a reporter, it was fairly embarrassing. That’s what I got for not asking the right questions.

    At Levi’s suggestion, he and Grady grabbed some wood for a ramp and rolled my bike into the back of the pickup. I sat and waited for them, teeth chattering. My clothes had refused to dry, despite the fact that Levi turned the heat on until it felt like inner Qatar inside the cab.
    Levi never complained.
    He dropped me off at my hotel and helped me unload my bike. “I could arrange a time for you to interview my parents, if you’re interested.”
    I chewed on my lip. “I’ll let you know.” Frankly, I was feeling pretty forgiving at the moment and I couldn’t trust myself to be rational.
    Inside my hotel room, I stripped off my work clothes and wished I’d brought my sweatpants. Instead, I made do with the softer clothes that I had, rolled up my pant legs and soaked my feet in the bathtub.
    I called Shane while my toes turned lobster red.
    â€œJayne?” He sounded surprised. “Where are you?”
    I was surprised to hear the amount of noise surrounding him. “In my hotel room. Where are you? It sounds like you’re at a club.”
    â€œSomething like that. How’s the story coming?”
    I’m spending a lot of time with a guy you probably wouldn’t like. “Fine. Taking some interesting turns. I miss you.”
    â€œYeah. Good. Good for you.”
    Okay… “Can you hear me?”
    â€œIt’s pretty loud in here. Can I call you back later tonight?”
    â€œOkay,” I said, trying not to feel blown off.
    He never called back.

    I considered my options the next morning.
    First, my absence from the paper was limited. I really did need to manage my time well, which meant I needed to use the resources I had instead of wasting time finding new ones.
    And second, if I was going to use my existing resources, I needed to forgive Levi.
    What a pain.
    I took a shower and checked my phone afterward. Still no call from Shane. Where had he been the previous afternoon, anyway? He’d never been that much into the club scene…and usually when I called, I very nearly had his complete attention.
    Unless he was watching a game. At that point, my only chances for conversation came at commercial breaks. Maybe.
    Shane aside, I put away my pride and called Levi’s shop.
    Spencer answered the phone. “Albany Amish Woodcraft, how may I direct your call?”
    â€œMay I speak with Mr. Burkholder?” I asked, trying not to sound like myself.
    â€œI can see if he’s available,” Spencer replied. “May I tell him who’s calling?”
    I sighed on the inside. There was no avoiding it. “Jayne Tate.”
    â€œJayne?” The tone of his voice switched from phone automaton to best buddy. “When are you coming down here?”
    â€œIf you transfer me to Levi I’ll be able to find out.”
    â€œI can ask him for you. Wouldn’t want to add to your stress level.”
    â€œI’ll live.”
    Spencer gave a dramatic sigh and I heard a click before being transported into harpsichord land.
    When Levi picked up, I heaved a sigh of relief. “I hate harpsichord.”
    â€œWho is this?”
    â€œThis is Jayne. Tate. Sorry—you have harpsichord music playing while your listener is on hold. I hate harpsichord. Makes me want to jump off of things. Tall things.