Free The Edge of Juniper by Lora Richardson Page B

spots.”
    I glanced nervously at Abe.  He and I had never talked about the Dearings.  He seemed to know what I was thinking.  He shrugged, like he didn’t know what to do either.
    I wiped my hands on my jean shorts.  “Are you mowing here today?”
    “Yeah.  Paul and I got a few jobs with the town.  We mow here, two cemeteries, and the little strip of grass in front of the stores on Main.”
    “Where is Paul?”
    His smile slid down a fraction of an inch.  “Why?”
    I bit my lip to keep from grinning like a fool.  He didn’t want me to be interested in Paul’s whereabouts.  “Why not?”
    Malcolm crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive posture.  He was incredibly easy to tease.  “He had to make a gas run.  He forgot to check our cans before we left this morning.”  He gestured toward a riding lawn mower parked up by the dirt lane that led from the park to the pond.  “Come wait with me?”
    I swallowed, rooted to the spot.  Celia wasn’t here to lecture me.  The only other people around aside from Abe and Jeremy were some old men on the other side of the pond.  I couldn’t make out their faces, so they probably couldn’t see me either.  Something inside was pulling me toward Malcolm.  I was curious about him, and about this warm fizzling I felt when he was near.  Maybe there was nothing more to this than physical attraction.  I wondered how I’d feel once I got to know him.  I couldn’t deny that I wanted to follow him and find out.  I also couldn’t deny that I shouldn’t.  “I can’t, Malcolm.”
    “Go ahead, Fay.  I won’t say a word,” Abe said.
    Malcolm looked at me, a little startled, comprehension dawning that Abe was also supposed to stay away from him.  My chest squeezed—in fact, every muscle in me seemed to clench up tight.  This wasn’t right.
    Malcolm walked over to Abe and put his hands on Abe’s shoulders.  “I don’t sneak around, Abe.  I don’t do secrets.  You don’t owe me anything, okay?  I wouldn’t put that on you.”  He nodded his head toward Jeremy.  “You either, Jeremy.”  Jeremy had been watching us, but turned back to the pond.
    I studied Malcolm.  His voice was pleasant and calm, but held something deliberate as well.  He had his teeth clenched; I could tell by the way the muscles in his jaw ticked.
    Malcolm’s words broke something loose in me.  He was right; it was stupid to make kids in charge of the fallout of bad adult decisions.  Suddenly I wanted to go with Malcolm, and though my heart pounded at the idea, I thought that if someone should happen to see us, I wanted that too. Uncle Todd deserved that for holding on to such undeserved righteousness.  But I didn’t want to show my uncle he was wrong by using Malcolm to upset him.  That wouldn’t be right either.  Of course, I had more reasons for wanting to go with Malcolm than just sticking it to my uncle. I had never been so confused.
    Abe interrupted my thoughts.  “But Fay, it has to be a secret.  Mom said so.  If Dad knew, he wouldn’t like it.  It would make him grouchy, like he gets sometimes.  You know what I mean?”
    The bravado I’d felt just a moment ago deflated.  Maybe it shouldn’t be up to kids to keep things from falling apart, but that didn’t change the fact that sometimes it was up to the kids.  My uncle was a loose cannon.  I would be leaving soon.  Abe was stuck here.  I looked at Malcolm, wavering.
    I knew Malcolm probably didn’t understand the subtext in the conversation between Abe and me, but he seemed to be able to read my expression.  He held out his hand to me, and looked at me intently, and asked again, “Do you want to come keep me company while I wait for Paulie to get back?”
    “Thanks, but I don’t think so.  I’m here with Abe and Jeremy.  I’ve been ditched before, and I don’t want to do it to anyone else.”
    “Okay then, I’ll join you.”
    I stared at him.  I had to admit I admired