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He raised his eyebrows "True, but I figure you owe rade"

"I didn’t ditch you I…I got caught up in circuht, but consider it common courtesy to explain what happened"

He’d obviously been taught etiquette She, on the other hand, didn’t know anything about it

"Listen," she said aggressively, "we can spend the rest of the evening arguing about sorade school or we can talk You decide"

It was all too apparent that Jordan intended to pester her until he got the answers he wanted She’d already decided she’d rather not get involved with a , she slid into the booth across fro, Alix?" Jordan asked

This was an interesting approach but before she could answer, the waitress appeared Alix knew Jenny, orked swing shift, and she watched as the older wo to hide her surprise

Folding over the top sheet of her pad, Jenny asked, "What can I get you two?"

Jordan closed the plastic-coated er with the works" Then he looked at Alix "How about you?"

Her ht of one of Annie’s ers But first she had to find out as paying for it "You buying? Or a my own?"

"I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t"

Alix tucked the ar canister "I’ll have the saers," Jordan said "And two Cokes" He gave Alix a questioning smile and she nodded

Jenny wrote down the order and left

As soon as the waitress was gone, Jordan rested his hands on the table "So," he began

Squarely hed heavily "So I’m not interested in church," she said

"Why not?"

"In case you haven’t noticed, I’ kind"

"And what kind is that?"

Alix rolled her eyes "Ladies ear hats and gloves and exchange polite conversation with a few ‘praise the Lords’ thrown in"

Jordan’s head reared back and he snorted with laughter "You’re describing a garden party, not church I can tell you haven’t attended in a while"

"I went to Sunday School back in grade school but skipped the church part," she told hione a few ti "Like I said, I’ht their Cokes and Jordan waited impatiently before he responded

"How do you know?" he burst out when she was gone "Jordan, I think you’re great" She took a long sip of her drink "I remember your dad and he was nice, too" Jordan’s father had come to the house once to talk to her mother, after Alix had been awarded that prize Bible It was the one and only time he’d stopped by, and she didn’t blaain

"How do you know you’re not interested in church unless you try it? Why don’t you co to be as honest as possible "I don’t need anyone to save ht"

"You’ve certainly gotrude was natural for her, but she was deterer After all, he was paying for it And she was hungry

"Why is it so io to church?" she demanded, and then answered for hiued "I want to see you"

Sure he did!

"I liked you in sixth grade and I like you now Do I need an excuse?" He leaned across the table, unwilling to break eye contact

"I’m not your type"

"Did you decide that on your own, or did someone else make up your mind for you?"

She bristled at his question "I ry His hand clenched the silverrapped in a paper napkin "Letwith until you found out I’o--who just happens to be a minister?"

Alix lowered her eyes and refused to answer

"You liked rade school, and now you don’t?"

That bacon cheeseburger had better show up fast, because holding her tongue was damn difficult Alix bit the inside of her lip

"The least you can do is answer me"

"What do you want me to say?" she snapped "That it doesn’t ed?"

She opened her mouth and then faltered, unsure of herself "You’re…You’re…" She gestured toward hiood"

"Good?" Jordan repeated "What do youdesperation for Jenny It never took this long for an order to corowled and reminded her it’d been ry As soon as her meal arrived, she could say what she wanted and take her cheeseburger ho her All she could think about was how badly she’d wanted to attend that valentine party She hadn’t told him, but she’d had a valentine for hied

"No, I don’t," Jordan said, "so you’d better explain it to ood?"

She blinked and realized he was serious "God," she whispered

His expression went blank "God?"