Page 40 - My FlipBook

L IS A J. L A W R E N C E

“What did you tell your dad?” Greta asked Nate.
“I told him you guys needed a ride and moral support to
get some testing done at a clinic.”
“Testing? What kind of testing?” Ash sat up straight, his
eyes bugging like Nate’s.
“I was deliberately vague.” Nate cleared his throat. “I may
have implied it would be embarrassing for you if I shared
more.”

A damp, dirty feeling settled over Greta, catching her off
guard.
Ash’s face turned purple. “Why,” he sputtered, “why
would you say that?”
Nate swallowed and glanced between Ash and the road.
“Look, I’m sorry. It was the only explanation I could think of
where he would let me miss school and wouldn’t offer to take ADVANCE READING COPY

you himself.”
Ash rubbed his eyes and turned to face the window.
“Yeah, okay. I just…” He trailed off.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Nate asked.
Point taken.
Greta tried to clear a path through the feeling she had,
tried to find some logic. “Yes, Nate. It worked,” she said. Let
the lumberjack think she was pregnant, an addict or had an
sti. They were in a car on their way to Whitecourt, weren’t

they? “And we’re grateful.”
Nate nodded and smiled at her in the rearview mirror.
“That’s all right. I’ve been wanting to meet you guys for a
while now.”

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