Page 44 of Her Hidden Smile

“Explain that to me, sweet girl.”

“He kissed the palm of my hand. Then he carried me to the sofa.” I nodded to the couch across the room. “I know he was going to kiss me, and I wanted him to, but I froze up.”

“Why did you freeze up?” she asked gently.

“Because he touched my hip.”

“Your scarred hip?”

I nodded.

“Did that bother him?”

I shook my head. “He said he looked up burn scars on the internet, and they don’t bother him. He said he read burn survivor’s stories and oftentimes they were living good lives and smiling.”

“Oh.” She said that one word with buckets of sympathy.

“Yeah. You understand. I said goody for them, and kicked his condescending ass out of my house.”

“Was he really condescending or was he trying to put your mind at ease?”

I didn’t answer her. I didn’t want to think of him being nice and empathetic. It was easier seeing him as an ass, then I wouldn’t have to deal with him. Except I didn’t. I really thought he was wonderful and I wanted him to come back and kiss me.

“Millie?”

“I looked up some of the same pictures and stories he must have seen. He was right, they were smiling. Their stories were uplifting.”

Little Grandma traced her fingers along my cheek. “Did they make you feel better?”

“A little bit.”

“Then that’s what’s important.”

I loved her smile. I loved her touch.

“And your young man?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I have to think.”

“You do what you need to do, sweet girl. You call me anytime, you hear?”

I nodded. “I hear.”

Chapter Ten

She still wasn’t answering my calls or calling me back. It had been ten days. On Saturday, it would be two weeks, and that was when I was just going to show up. I was sick of this. I wasn’t angry.

Okay, I was angry.

But not really.

I was frustrated.

And hurt.

God, I hated feeling like that. It had been years since I’d felt so abandoned.

Abandoned?