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Jesse stretched out the ainst the wood, took a pencil from behind his ear and made a small mark on the oak

A s a Johnny Cash tune and Jesse hu with it for a moment

Julia felt aglow, relieved and happy in the way of a person finally setting down a burden “I got a job”

“Good for you” He obviously meant it There was no sarcasm in his voice

“Out at Petro, the truck stop I start on Saturday”

“I used to dream about their meat loaf”

“You’re kidding” Julia laughed

“God, I wish The big secret about life in theabout food And sex That’s it”

“Did you like it? Theat what point all of Jesse’s walls would go back up and the relaxed, laughing man in front of her would revert to the cold solider she dreaded

He selected another piece of wood and measured it “Some of it Some of it I loved”

That was all he said Shenoise and let the subject drop

“What about you?” he asked “What did you do before you ended up being a helicopter pilot’s wife?”

“Itables One day I went for a run on the beach and ran into Mitch” She shrugged “That’s my whole life story”

Jesse wiped his hands on a cloth from the bench “Mitch used to talk about you nonstop But I could never knoas real and as bullshit”

“Most of it was lies I bet” She laughed, feeling aard under his sideways gaze “I never wanted to go to college and I never wanted to be a dancer—”

“Really?”

She glanced up at hi “Well, h school I took so serious”

He smiled “You look like a dancer You move like one”

Julia blushed like a schoolgirl and loved everywooed