Page 52 (1/2)

"There We’re even" He set her back on her feet and dodged her swat "Take care of yourself, baby girl"

"Bastard" She gave hi before she stalked off

Matt had insisted on buying her a new bike to replace the one she’d ditched in Atlanta, and she hadn’t refused She was never going to be a car chick, and she needed to be on the uest rooed her to stay with theood sport, she wasn’t a ht as she straddled her bike Sooddess Someone ill never, ever eat a Filet-O-Fish in front of ht," she answered herself "But hoill I know for sure?"

Drew pulled to a stop by her bike in time to hear her "Knohat?"

"How does souy really cares?" she said without thinking

"That’s easy" He selina Jolie" He waved and took off

She watched his taillights disappear, and laughed all the way to the interstate

Rowan rode through the night, and arrived in Tennessee just after dawn She made her way across fields and down dirt roads that didn’t exist on any map except the one in her head Another hour passed before she arrived at the gates to the sprawling grounds of the farm

Matthias had planted so many trees around the house she could hardly see it froates invited her to press its buttons, but as she looked out over the acres of good, rich soil waiting to be planted, she dropped her kickstand and got off the bike

Before leaving Savannah, she had gathered a few things for the up in her favorite tablecloth Now she tucked in a hastily written note and left it at the foot of the gates With one last, long look at her friends’ hoot on, pressed the call button at the gate, and took off, heading north toward her future

Jessa woke to the sound of Matthias getting dressed She stretched with the pleasure of a cat before she pulled off the covers and joined hiate," he said before he kissed her "It is probably Rowan Go back to bed"

"I spend too much time in this bed already," she teased as she went to the closet they shared and took out a pair of faded jeans and a suede blouse "You are going to talk her into staying with us, I hope She won’t listen to anic pluate, Jessa saw no Rowan, only an oddly shaped red-and-white-checked bundle sitting outside the gates Matthias opened the doors and then picked up the heavy bundle, untying the knot to reveal a blue teddy bear, the bronze sword from his library, and a folded piece of paper