"Doug's birthday is coming up in a week," Annie said as she put Jess's breakfast plate in front of her one Saturday morning. 

"Oh?" Jess replied, realizing Annie was taking advantage of the fact that Doug was sleeping in.

"He's going to be sixteen," she added with a proud smile.  "I can't believe it.  I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday."  Jess smiled, watching her almost tear up at the thought.  Annie really was like a mom to both of them, she thought, just like she'd told Louise.  "How about I take you shopping so you can get him a birthday present?  We can buy you a winter coat and boots while we're at it." 

"Okay," Jess agreed happily.  Over the last few weeks, the weather had gotten progressively cooler, but when the temperature suddenly dropped below freezing the day before, Jess was surprised to find she'd grown since last winter and her old coat no longer fit. 

"We'll go Monday right after school, alright?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, giving Annie a smile to hide her disappointment.  That meant she wouldn't be able to see Marty. 

"Swell!" Annie said on her way to the sink with the frying pan.

While Jess ate her eggs, she looked out the window at the nearly barren trees beyond the garage.  At least she'd be able to tell Marty so he wouldn't be wondering where she was on Monday, and they had the whole weekend together.  They could even do some extra homework so he wouldn't get behind. 

Jess knew he'd never admit it, but homework had become very important to Marty.  Now that he'd seen how his teachers reacted to him doing better in school, he was no longer willing to put it off.  He'd even insisted on doing homework the day before, even though they'd had the whole weekend to get it done. 

Or perhaps he'd insisted on it because it was so cold outside, Jess thought.  He'd been keeping fires going in the fireplace and cook stove to keep the cabin warm for a few weeks, but it had been so cold on Friday that even though he'd been wearing his heavy cloth coat, and she'd had on jeans and two sweaters, both of them had sat shivering at the table for the longest time.  Even after the fires had been going for a few hours, the little cabin never did warm up completely. 

"Annie, do you have any old blankets I can take outside," Jess asked.  "I want to do homework, but it's so cold."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Jess," she said while she dried the frying pan with a dishcloth.  "I know you're doing your homework in the woods.  They'll get too dirty."

"I promise I'll keep them clean," Jess said earnestly.  "I swear it!" 

Annie looked perplexed as she gazed at Jess, but when her expression changed to realization, Jess's heart sped up, understanding what a terrible mistake she'd just made.

"You're going to the cabin," Annie said in a hushed voice, her eyes widening with alarm.  Jess frantically tried to think what she should say while her heart pounded in her chest.  She considered denying it, but from the look in Annie's eyes, she knew it wouldn't work.  Annie already knew it was true. 

"Please don't tell Uncle Jonathon!" she begged as she jumped up from the table to go to her.

"You're right that I shouldn't tell him, Jess!" Annie exclaimed with fear.  "No one is allowed to go to that cabin!  You can't go back there ever again," she stated emphatically.

"No!" Jess cried.  "Please, Annie!" 

"Do you know what he'll do to you if he finds out?"

"I need to go there!  I have to!" Jess begged desperately.  Seeing bewilderment in Annie's eyes, she realized she was treading on dangerous ground.  She couldn't let her guess any more of her secrets. 

"You don't understand!  It's been really hard for me since I moved here," Jess explained with tears welling up.  "Everything is so different from –."  She couldn't continue and wiped her eyes.  Annie began tearing up and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.  "I found the cabin a long time ago, and it helped me a lot.  I – I can't explain why, but I love it.  Please don't take that away from me!  I'll never let Uncle Jonathon – or anyone else know.  I promise!" 

"If he catches you –."  Annie shook her head, unable to continue.  "Jess, if he finds out I know about this, he'll fire me!" she added, as tears rolled down her cheeks.  "I'll never get to see you again!" 

Jess threw her arms around her, hugging her tight as the enormity of what Annie had just said sank in.  She'd never realized she might lose Annie, but she believed her uncle would be that vindictive.  She couldn't let that happen.  But when she thought about never going to the cabin again, of never being able to speak to Marty again, a terrible pain overwhelmed her.

"I swear I'll be careful!" Jess pleaded into her chest.  "I can keep secrets really good!"

"You sure had me fooled," Annie muttered, smoothing her hair while Jess continued to cling to her.  "At least until now."

"Please don't take this away from me!  Please!" she cried, desperate to convince her.  She couldn't lose Marty.  She'd die without him.

"Alright, alright," Annie said, finally giving in.

"Thank you, Annie!" Jess exclaimed as a tremendous wave of relief washed over her.  She lifted her head and Annie wiped the tears off her face. 

"I can see how much this means to you, but – I'm doing this against my better judgment.  Don't make me regret this, Jess," she pleaded, her eyes shiny. 

"I promise I won't," she replied fervently, and hugged her again, fighting back new tears.  She hated that she was hurting Annie by putting her in this position.  When she felt she'd recovered, she let go of her.

"I guess I better go find some blankets in the attic," Annie muttered, still sounding upset.  "The last thing I need is your uncle to start asking questions because you've come down with pneumonia."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"I know.  I know," she muttered as she headed up the back stairs to Jess's room. 

Jess went the kitchen table and sat.  Pushing her plate away, she slumped forward and put her head in her hands, feeling horrible.  How could she have been so dumb to ask for those blankets?  Of course, Annie would figure out something was fishy the minute she mentioned them.  She didn't want to put Annie's job at risk by making her keep it secret, but what else could she do?  She couldn't stop seeing Marty.  He meant too much to her.  And he needed her just as much as she needed him.  She couldn't bear thinking about how sad and lonely he'd be without her.

Feeling the weight of all the secrets she was carrying pressing down on her, she wished more than anything she didn't have to live like this.  It was all because of her uncle and his strict rules, she thought bitterly.  Because of him, practically everyone she cared about was in danger if she made a mistake; Marty, Annie, and even Doug.  If Annie was banished from their home, Doug would lose the only mom he'd had since his real mom died.  He didn't deserve that. 

With a heavy heart, she stood and took her plate to the trashcan to scrape off the breakfast she was no longer interested in eating.  She was just going to have to do her best to never make a mistake again, she thought firmly.  She wouldn't allow any of them to suffer because she was careless. 

Annie came down the back stairs with two wool blankets, still looking sober.  "I suppose you'll want to take a lunch?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jess said quietly, hardly able to meet her eyes.

"When you go out, use the back door," Annie continued.  "And go behind the back side of the garage in case Doug is looking out his bedroom window."

"I will."

"We can't have him asking questions either," she added sternly.

"I know," Jess whispered, feeling ashamed that she'd now forced Annie to be sneaky.

When she was ready to leave the house, she checked to be sure the garage door was closed and James was nowhere in sight.  Carrying the blankets, school books, and basket, she went out the back door and to the path as quickly as she could.  Still feeling shaken from getting caught, she was looking forward to being with Marty.  He'd make her feel better.

The front door of the cabin was closed, but smoke was already rising from the chimney when she stepped into the clearing, and she hurried, anxious to get out of the cold.  Struggling to turn the door knob with her arms so full, she finally managed it and stepped inside.  Marty was still wearing his cloth coat and putting wood in the fire box of the cook stove, but when he saw her he came in the living room while she pushed the door closed with her back.  She noticed that even though a roaring fire was going in the fireplace, it was nearly as cold inside the cabin as it was outside.

"What are those for?" Marty asked, eyeing the blankets.

"Since it's so cold, I thought we could use these to keep warm," she said, forcing her voice to stay light while she set them on one of the chairs.

"Didn't they ask questions when you took them?" 

"No," she said straightening up.  When she met his eyes, the wariness in them immediately made her uncomfortable.  Was he seeing right through her lies like Annie had? 

"Uh, well –," she started, searching for something to say that would sound believable.  "I had to promise I wouldn't get them dirty."

"Oh," he replied. 

He examined her carefully and she held her breath as she kept her eyes on his, willing him to trust her.  Then he turned and went back to the cook stove to finish filling it with wood and she slumped, finally able to breathe again.  Following him to the kitchen with her basket and books, a heaviness came over her.  It didn't make her feel good to know she was keeping secrets from Marty now too. 

"Do you want to do homework?" she asked, anxious to change the subject.

"Sure," he said with a shrug as he struck a match, and bent to light the fire and she smiled at his pretending not to care. 

Soon the two of them were seated at the table with blankets wrapped around them, bickering lightheartedly about which subject to start on.

 ~

Two days later when Jess walked out of the front entrance of the high school with Louise, she spotted Annie standing next to the big black car parked at the curb.  She was dressed stylishly again, this time in a fitted dark blue tweed suit and matching hat.  Saying good bye to Louise, she headed to her with a smile and gave her a tight hug. 

"Hello!" Annie said smiling down at her, smoothing her hair with her gloved hands.  "Ready to go shopping?"

"Yes!" Jess said happily.

After purchasing a long brown wool coat and a matching pair of fleece lined winter boots, Jess and Annie went to the boys department so Jess could look for a gift for Doug.  Wandering around the display racks, nothing seemed right.  He already had plenty of clothes, she'd never seen him read a book, and he didn't listen to music except on the radio in his car.  What do you get the richest boy in town for a present?  Trying to come up with something, she thought about what she'd given her dad for gifts. 

"I know what I want to get him," she said suddenly to Annie with a smile.  "I need to go to a drug store so I can get him aftershave lotion."  It was something Doug could use every day, and she could pick out one with a nice smell.  Donna would like that. 

"Are you sure?" Annie asked, suddenly looking worried.  "Why don't you get him a tie?"  Jess made a face.

"He already has ties!"  Annie didn't say anything but it was clear she was still unconvinced.  "I'm sure this is what I want to get him," Jess said firmly. 

"Well, okay," she said, turning with a resigned sigh.

They left the store, leaving their packages with James, and then Annie led her down the sidewalk on Main Street.  Ahead of them, a building had a large sign over the entrance that said, 'Dwyer's Drugs'.  As they approached it, she debated whether to get Doug the same aftershave lotion she'd given her dad or a different one.  If the smell reminded her too much of him, it might make her sad.

When they entered the drugstore, Jess was delighted to see a soda fountain along one wall.  A short middle aged woman with an apron over her flowered dress was waiting on several teens sitting on stools at the bar.  Jess recognized some familiar faces and was about to ask Annie if she could have a chocolate malted when she heard a man's deep voice.

"Miss Montgomery!" 

Even though it was a greeting, there was a harshness to the tone that got her attention and she turned around.  A tall elderly man with thinning grey hair was gazing at Annie and Jess was surprised by the coldness in his piercing blue eyes. 

"Mr. Dwyer," Annie replied in a tight voice. 

Neither of them said anything as he continued to glare at her, the tension between them unmistakable, and Jess wondered what was going on.  Why would he be so angry with someone as kind as Annie?  Then his eyes shifted to Jess and the intensity with which he stared at her while his brow furrowed made her uncomfortable. 

"This is Jess," Annie said, placing an arm around her shoulders protectively.  "She's – Doug's cousin."  Jess knew she'd just avoided using her uncle's name.  No doubt Mr. Dwyer was yet another citizen of the town who hated him.  "She's living with us now."  He seemed confused by Annie's words for a moment, and then his face fell.

"Billy?" he gasped, and Annie nodded somberly, while Jess felt a familiar pain in her chest. 

"His wife too," Annie added quietly.

"Why is it always the young ones?" he lamented as he gazed at the wall behind the soda fountain, his eyes full of pain.  Jess turned in the direction he was looking as he bowed his head and walked away.

Hanging on the wall behind the bar was a framed black and white portrait of a strikingly handsome young man in a military uniform.  She immediately recognized it as an army uniform because it was the same one her dad had worn in a similar portrait that had hung in their Manhattan apartment.   Unlike her dad, who'd been smiling and happy in his picture, this young man's expression was serious, as if he was already concerned about what might be coming.  Then she noticed the small red and white service flag with a single gold star hanging next to it and understood.  Mr. Dwyer had lost his son in the war.

"Come on, Jess," Annie urged quietly.  "Let's find your gift."  Jess didn't need to see her face to know she was feeling sad for Mr. Dwyer too.

Searching for the barber section while Annie silently followed, she couldn't help wondering if Mr. Dwyer's son and her dad had been friends.  Perhaps they'd even signed up to go to war together.  Her dad had never liked to talk about what happened in the army, but he'd once told her how he'd enlisted the day he'd graduated high school.  Trying to shake the sadness she felt for both her dad and Mr. Dwyer's son, she finally found the aftershave lotions.  After considering them a moment, she picked one that was different from all the ones her dad had used.

When they went to the cash register, Mr. Dwyer was there waiting for them.  Jess was uncomfortable, not only by the tense silence between him and Annie, but the way he scrutinized Jess with his intense blue eyes while Annie counted out the right change from her coin purse.  She looked away, pretending not to notice.  As they walked back to the big black car, she was about to ask Annie if Mr. Dwyer's son had been a friend of her dad's, but then she noticed how sad Annie looked and decided against it.  She didn't want to make her even more sad by bringing it up.

Once they were in the car, James pulled out of their parking place and began driving down Main Street towards the two lane highway.  While Jess looked out the window, her heart leapt in her chest.  It was Marty.  He was on the sidewalk, walking towards them with his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets.  She kept her eyes on him, praying he would lift his head and see her, but just as the car drew close, a woman stepped out of a store, nearly walking into him.  His shoulders curled inward as he shied away from her and picked up his pace, his head dropping lower.  Not wanting Annie to notice, she kept facing forward even though she wanted to turn around and watch him.

Picturing him walking down the sidewalk with his head down and shrinking from that woman when she got too close to him, all she could think was that he looked so alone, and her heart ached more.

                                ~~~~~

While Marty walked down Main Street, he debated whether he should just give up and head back to the cabin.  When Jess had told him she wasn't going to be coming to see him that day, he'd decided to stay in town after school and try to find some work.  He had to get his hands on some money, and soon.  It wasn't going to be long before Principal Petersen and the rest of the teachers were breathing down his neck about his hair.  If he didn't have the money for a trip to the barber by then, he'd have to stay out of school until he could get it.

But the day had been a complete bust.  He'd already knocked on the doors of practically half the town with no luck.  Since it had been cold for so long, grass was no longer growing and the flower and vegetable gardens were fallow.  There weren't even any leaves to rake since they'd all fallen long ago.  Why had he waited so damn long, he wondered angrily. 

"Hey!" a man shouted behind him, and he tensed, immediately sensing danger.  "I want to talk to you!"  His heart began beating wildly.  Without even looking back, he knew the man was shouting at him.  "Stop!" 

When adults were shouting at him to stop, he had enough sense to know it was time to get the hell out of there.  He was about to take off running when he heard something that stopped him in mid-stride.

"Aren't you Stevie's little brother?" 

****

I hope very much that you enjoyed this!  Annie guesses the truth about Jess visiting the cabin.  Why do you think no one is allowed to go there?  Will Jess and Annie be able to keep this a secret forever?  What's going on between Mr. Dwyer and Annie?  If you're guessing there may be some history between these two, you would be right.  Why do you think he's so interested in Jess?  And then finally, what do you think was going on with Marty?  Who do you think was shouting at him? 

The picture in the multimedia is exactly how I imagined Mr. Dwyer's son looks.  You can also see what a U.S. service flag looks like.  The video is the amazing Connie Francis singing Who's Sorry Now.  I love that song!

Thank you so much for reading!  I have to say, I have the very best readers and I appreciate each and every one of you!  Your fantastic and insightful comments warm my heart and help me so much as I write this.  If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider giving it a vote!