May 1961

"Who here can't wait for the junior prom?" Janet White asked loudly to the group of girls eating at the lunch table.

"Me!" rose a chorus of answers.

"Next question!" she announced. "Who do you want to ask you?"

"I already got asked," said Patty Melleville with a smug smile.

"You did?"

"By who?"

"How did it happen so fast?" Janet asked over the other girls. "They only put up the posters this morning."

"It was Bobby Baker. I guess he wanted to make sure he got to me before anyone else," she said casually.

"Him? Oh, my gosh! You're so lucky!"

"Well, he is the handsomest boy in our class."

Jess and Louise gave each other a look. It was so typical of Patty. She'd always been full of herself since her father was the mayor, but she was wrong, Jess thought decidedly. Marty was the most handsome boy in their class, even if he wasn't attending school.

"Well, I'm hoping Arthur Mullen will ask me," Janet informed them. "Or Vic Cromer. I can't decide."

While the girls debated the merits of each other's choices, Jess and Louise remained quiet. Jess didn't know if Louise was hoping to go to the junior prom or not, but she wasn't. When they were back at their lockers to collect their text books for afternoon classes, Jess heard a male voice behind her.

"Uh, hi. Uh, Louise?"

Jess turned around to find Harold Krueger, a tall gangly boy who was so shy, Jess wasn't certain if she'd ever heard him speak before. Four boys stood behind him, giving her the impression they were there to back him up.

"Oh, hello Harold," Louise said with a smile, and he dropped his head, his face flushing a deep red.

"Do you, uh, you want to, uh, go to the prom?" he asked his shoes, his voice cracking on the last word.

"Why, yes, Harold," Louise said, her face lighting up. "I'd love to!"

"Oh?" he said, looking up with a shocked expression. "Oh," he repeated, still staring at her, and Jess wondered if he hadn't expected her to say yes. When he said 'oh' again, one of the boys behind him stepped forward.

"Okay, champ," he said, good naturedly slapping his hands on Harold's shoulders. "Time to go. He'll talk to you later," he said to Louise, pulling Harold backwards. "When he's recovered!" he laughed.

While he steered him away, Harold still looked like he was in a daze, followed by the other boys, except one. As Davey Stone stepped towards Jess, her stomach sank.

"How about you, Jess? Would like to go with me? We can do a double date." Louise looked at Jess excitedly.

"I'm sorry, Davey," Jess said gently. "No, thank you."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were already going with someone," he muttered, dropping his head.

"Actually, I'm not going at all." He looked up with surprise.

"Oh, uh, okay. Maybe next time," he said backing away.

"You're not going?" Louise asked, the disappointment evident in her voice, and then her eyes widened. "Don't tell me your uncle won't let you go?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm sure he would, as long as the right kind of boy was taking me. I - just don't want to." The look on Louise's face let her know she saw right through her.

"Because the boy you want to go with isn't the right kind of boy," she stated with conviction.

"He doesn't even go to school anymore. So it doesn't matter," Jess grumbled sourly. Both of them knew it wasn't exactly true, but she couldn't help feeling angry there were so many roadblocks keeping her and Marty from doing normal things out in the open. It would be a dream come true to go to the junior prom with Marty, she thought sadly.

"You gotta forget about Marty," Louise urged gently. "You should be considering other boys, boys your uncle would approve of. There has to be at least one you like."

"I'm not interested in any of them. They're all dumb."

"It's all that studying," Louise said decidedly. "You're getting too smart for them."

"You forget I'm studying for a reason. Once I go to college, I'll be away from my uncle, and then I can see any boy I want."

"You don't want to wind up an old maid, Jess," Louise warned, but Jess laughed.

"That's the last thing I'm worried about. And besides, maybe I'll meet that special boy in college," she said with a smile.

"I suppose," Louise said quietly, shifting her eyes away.

"What's the problem?"

"I knew you were going to college, but I guess I didn't realize you weren't planning on coming back. I mean, if you find a boy your uncle doesn't approve of, you can't," Louise said, and Jess's happiness evaporated. Louise was right. Even if she wanted to be with Marty, he was tied to the drug store, and no matter how hard she'd tried to think of a solution that would allow them to be free to be friends, there was none.

"I'll just have to figure something out when the time comes," she said as the bell rang. It was what she'd been telling herself over and over.

Later that afternoon, Jess sat beside Marty at the table in the cabin, the only sound the birds outside the open back door and the scratching of pencil on paper. Picking up a pickle, she bit into it and looked out while she chewed. Final exams were almost upon them, and then after that, school would be over. Thinking of the long summer ahead of her, Jess sighed.

Marty set down his pencil and stretched, then rubbed the back of his neck, while she looked over at him. He was already tanned from his time spent on his bike making deliveries, and the sun had added blonde streaks to his golden brown hair.

"What?" he asked when he noticed her looking at him, a smile spreading across his face.

"Nothing," she replied, and looked out the back door again. "I wish school lasted all year," she said with another sigh.

"Yeah, I know," he said soberly.

When she turned to face him, she saw understanding in his eyes. He knew how hard the summer was going to be with her stuck on the property all alone while he worked long hours.

"I decided I'm going to ask Annie to teach me how to make clothes on the sewing machine," she said brightly, not wanting him to feel bad about something that wasn't his fault. "That'll kill a lot of time."

"I have something to tell you," he said, his serious tone surprising her. "Now that I'm going to graduate, I've been thinking about what comes next. I talked to Mr. Dwyer about it too. He wants me to go to college so I can get my degree and take over the drug store."

"What are you saying?" Jess asked, her heart speeding up.

"He reckons he can figure out a way for me to go, maybe like a loan or something. I won't be with my old man after I get out, and I can work for almost nothing to pay him back."

"Really?" Jess squealed.

"It looks like we're going to college," he grinned, clearly excited to share the information.

"Oh, Marty! That's the best news ever!" she cried, hugging him tight and feeling like she was bursting. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"I reckoned you'd be happy to hear it," he chuckled.

"We have to study extra hard now!" she said, letting go of him. "We're not going to take any chances now that you can go."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, giving her a mock salute with his brown eyes twinkling.

Jess was still feeling giddy with happiness while she dried the dishes Annie was washing after dinner that evening. In the silence, she relived the day the family had dropped Doug off at college, except now it was she and Marty who were moving into their dorm rooms. It would be the beginning of four years together, four years of freedom, and she couldn't wait.

"I can't wait till Doug comes home next week," Annie said, interrupting Jess's thoughts. "Things just haven't been the same since he left," she added sadly.

"Yeah," Jess agreed tiredly, knowing the conversation that was coming. Uncle Jonathon was still taking Doug's absence hard. It was like once his son had left, he couldn't stand to be home anymore, and that had been hard on Annie. She was lonely without him to take care of, and it killed Jess to see how much it affected her.

"I thought your uncle would get used to him being gone, but - he's just so attached to him. At least this summer, everything will be back to the way it used to be," she said, smiling at Jess.

When Jess considered what that really meant for her and Annie, Uncle Jonathon back to ruling over them with an iron hand, she couldn't help the anger that rose up in her. "I just can't understand why you -," she blurted out, but managed to stop herself before she finished the sentence.

"Why I what?" Annie asked, frowning at her while her hands stilled in the soapy water. Jess searched her hazel eyes, wondering if she should just say it. Maybe she could make Annie see reason. And if she realized it was wrong to love him, he wouldn't have the power to hurt her any more.

"Why you excuse his behavior," she said finally.

"I know he's not easy to live with. He wasn't always like that," Annie explained, and it angered Jess even more. This was the same excuse she'd offered before. "When your Aunt Helen died, he -."

"My parents died but it didn't make me into a terrible person!" Jess insisted, and Annie's mouth dropped open.

"Jess!" she said with shock, stepping back from the sink and drying her hands on her apron. "He's not a terrible person!"

"How can you say that when he treats you the way he does?"

"Because of everything he's done for Doug!" Annie shouted, tears springing to her eyes. "I don't know of any man who would love that boy like he has!" she said fiercely.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Jess replied angrily. "Of course he loves Doug. He's his son!" Annie's face blanched as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"What is it?" Jess asked, taking a step towards Annie, suddenly concerned seeing the color drain from her face.

"You parents never told you," she said in a hushed voice.

"They never told me what?"

"I shouldn't have said anything," Annie replied with a shaky voice, turning back to the sink. "Just forget it."

"Annie, what's going on?" Jess said, going to her, but Annie began vigorously scrubbing a pot. "I don't understand. What didn't my parents tell me?" Annie slumped as a sob escaped her.

"He's going to be so - angry when he finds out I'm the one who told you," she cried, as she wiped her face. "No one is supposed to talk about it."

"You know I would never tell him," Jess said gently, putting her hand on Annie's shoulder and Annie gave her a sad smile.

"I suppose you have the right to know. Maybe your parents were waiting until you were older and could understand. Doug -," she started, and then stopped as she sighed deeply. "Doug is adopted." Jess's mouth dropped open as a jolt went through her.

"That's impossible," she gasped. The boy Uncle Jonathon had devoted his entire life to wasn't his real son?

"It's true, Jess."

"Who - who are his real parents?"

"Helen was - already in the family way when your uncle married her," Annie said, dropping her head and looking ashamed. That news was even more shocking. Her aunt had - done that with another man when she wasn't married.

"Did he know?" Jess whispered.

"Yes, he knew," Annie said, meeting her gaze with sad eyes. "He did it to protect her from the scandal. And after Doug was born, he adopted him and the records were sealed so he would be protected too. No one outside the family can know!" she said fervently as she grasped Jess's hand. "It would bring terrible shame on Doug if anyone found out he was a bastard child." Jess's mind was reeling, struggling to believe what didn't seem possible.

"Does Doug know?"

"Yes, pumpkin. He knows."

"It's - it's -," Jess stuttered, searching for words to express her thoughts, but her mind was racing and nothing coherent would come to her.

"I know. It is hard to believe. But your uncle loved Helen, even after she -." Annie's face flushed and she looked away. "From the moment Doug was born, he loved him like he was his own. He gave him a name, a secure future, everything he's had to give. Yes, he has his faults, but I don't know of any man who would be so selfless with a child that isn't his. That's why I know he's a good man," she finished firmly.

Jess stared at her, still unable to speak and after a moment, Annie turned to finish washing the pot. Jess felt like her entire world had shifted. Doug wasn't Uncle Jonathon's son?

"But - what about Doug's real father? Who -?"

"I won't discuss that!" Annie said sternly, refusing to look at her. "I won't bring shame on another family by dragging them through the mud! What happened is in the past. Doug is your uncle's son now, and that's all that matters."

"Yes, ma'am," Jess said quietly as she hung her head, regretting she'd asked. Annie was right. Doug didn't deserve to have her prying into his secrets.

"I'll finish the rest of these," Annie said more softly. "You should go up to bed, pumpkin. You look tired."

"I am tired," Jess said, grateful for the excuse to be alone with her thoughts.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Annie said, giving her a tight hug.

As she climbed the stairs and then began undressing, she tried to come to terms with what she'd just learned. No wonder Doug was so determined to be a good son, doing what his dad wanted even if it hurt him, like breaking up with the girl he loved. She remembered once when he'd said he felt lucky to be a member of the family. Now she understood what he'd really meant. She couldn't deny that her uncle had done a lot for Doug. From the time she'd lived with them, his love for Doug was apparant.

He must have been a completely different person back when Doug was born, Jess thought, because she couldn't imagine him to be that loving and selfless now. When she tried to understand how he might have changed so drastically, it suddenly occurred to her that when his wife died along with his real son, it had to have hit him hard. That must have been what turned him into the man he was now.

But it finally made sense why Annie would be so devoted to him. She'd been there with him through it all, him marrying Helen when he knew she was carrying someone else's child, and then loving the baby as if it was his. After Helen died, Annie would have had to take care of both of them. Going through something like that must have been horrible, but it explained the strong bond between all three of them. Annie had devoted herself to Doug just as much as Uncle Jonathon had, and somehow it had ended up with her falling in love with him.

Just before she got into bed, she heard the black car's engine coming up to the house, and she went to her desk. Watching Uncle Jonathon climb out of the back seat and stride purposefully to the house carrying his briefcase, she studied him, trying to see the man whose heart was so large he'd accepted and loved another man's child. But instead, she saw the same Uncle Jonathon she'd always known.

Climbing into her bed, she thought about how her uncle had rejected her when he'd been given the chance to love his brother's child. If only he hadn't closed off his heart to anyone except Doug, she thought sadly, her life would be entirely different, and so would Annie's. Instead, all of them were caught up in his grief for his dead wife and son.

****

Whew! Big secrets revealed in this chapter! Lots of you were guessing about Doug's past, and you're probably pretty happy to know your suspicions were justified. Does this new information change anything in your mind? What about Uncle Jonathon? Do your feelings for him change at all? What about Annie's feelings for him?

And let's not forget that Marty's prospects for college look like a done deal. I know you're all rooting for him, but suspect things may not be so solid for Jess's future. What do you think will happen? I really can't wait to hear what you think about this one!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I really hope you enjoyed this roller coaster of a chapter, and that you'll consider giving it a vote to help support it in the Watty's! Your excitement about this story and love for it's characters warms my heart. I can't tell you how much your support for me and my writing means to me!

The song is Where the Boys Are by the great Connie Francis, and the wonderful cover art is by @daisypicking. Thank you! I love it! :)