Free Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom

with her decision to keep things on a friend-and-neighbor basis, but there was no sense in tempting fate. Especially when the night air seemed to wrap them in a soft cocoon and the simple act of meeting Michael’s eyes made her feel warm all over.
    “What’s the favor for tomorrow?” she asked, and he told her about his friend and the clinic shift he had to cover.
    “I won’t be back until eight, so I’m hoping we can reschedule for another night.”
    “Sure, of course. That’s no problem at all. I’m free most nights next week.”
    “Claire was mad at me for taking the shift,” he said, looking out over the porch railing at the quiet, tree-lined street. A soft breeze teased through the leaves. “I told her you’d be okay with it, but…”
    Jenna shrugged. “She’s a teen. Teens don’t like to wait for things. She’ll probably be fine with it by tomorrow morning.” A thought occurred to her. “I could still spend the evening with her, if she wants.”
    He looked at her in surprise. “Really? You’d do that?”
    What was it about this man and his daughter? Something about them just made her want to help. “Of course. I’d love to have dinner with Claire. And, you know, eight o’clock isn’t so late. The three of us could still get together for a little music appreciation, if you’re not too tired when you get home.”
    “That would be great.”
    “Okay, then, we have a plan. What time does your shift start?”
    “I’ll be leaving around two in the afternoon.”
    “Tell Claire I’ll stop by around then. We can spend the afternoon together, if she wants.”
    “I can pretty much guarantee that she will.” He paused, and Jenna reminded herself not to close the distance between them, no matter how much she might want to. “So…what made you feel insecure tonight? At the fundraiser,” he reminded her.
    She smiled a little. “It was your ex-girlfriend, actually.”
    He stared at her. “Denise made you feel insecure?”
    “Well, not just her. But she was at our table at dinner, and at one point people started talking about where they’d gone to school. Everyone went somewhere impressive, but Denise kind of took the cake. Summa cum laude from the University of Chicago, top of her class at Johns Hopkins...”
    She shrugged. “Before the conversation could get around to me, I left the table and went to the bathroom. And I stayed there until I figured they’d moved on to a different topic.” She sighed. “Stupid, huh?”
    He was frowning at her. “But you went to school, too. For music education.”
    “Sure, at a college no one’s ever heard of. And before I could enroll, I had to get my GED. I never graduated from high school.”
    Michael was still frowning. In spite of herself, she felt a rush of insecurity, just like she had at the fundraiser. “I bet you don’t hang around with a lot of high school dropouts,” she said, trying to speak lightly. “Do you think I’ll be a bad influence on Claire?”
    She was only half joking.
    “Do you really want to know what I think?”
    Did she? “Um…yes.”
    “I think you’ll be a great influence on Claire. You’re caring and smart and passionate, and I bet you’re an incredible teacher. And an incredible musician.” He paused. “As far as high school goes, I won’t lie to you. I hope Claire graduates. But you left to follow your dreams, and you made them come true. That’s what I want for Claire. I want her to find out what she wants in life, and go after it with everything she’s got. Like you.”
    Jenna felt unexpectedly warmed by his words. “Thanks, Michael.”
    After a moment he spoke again. “I have to admit, it surprises me that anything or anyone could make you feel insecure. You seem so…I don’t know, comfortable with yourself.”
    “I am, most of the time. I don’t usually waste energy comparing myself to other people or worrying what they might think. But with this reunion tour coming up, I’ve been thinking a lot