Scraps of Love Read online

  Adam’s gaze on Colleen made her self-conscious. She turned and smiled at Jenny. “I’ve got some bacon ready for you. How do you like your eggs cooked?”

  “Scrambled please.” Jenny laid her head on her knees and faced Adam.

  “I shouldn’t have left home like that last night, Adam. I’m really sorry, and as soon as I get done with breakfast, I’ll call Sarah and tell her I’m not going to Durango today.” She rubbed her cheek against the sleeve of her yellow terrycloth robe.

  Blue eyes shimmered with tears. Truth shined in their depths. Adam wondered what had caused the change in her attitude. “Why didn’t you just tell me you were meeting David and the other boys and going up there together, instead of trying to sneak around and do it?”

  Jenny glanced in Colleen’s direction. Colleen gave a slight nod of encouragement.

  “I was afraid you wouldn’t let me go.” Jenny turned to face him once more. “Honest, that’s the truth.”

  Adam stared at his sister, and then glanced at Colleen. She smiled and nodded to show him she believed Jenny.

  Adam scowled. “You were right. I wouldn’t have let you go.”

  Jenny sighed heavily.

  “I expect you to tell me the truth, Jenny.”

  “I’m sorry”, she whispered.

  Adam reached over and patted her leg. “Me, too.”

  They sat in silence for several long minutes. Colleen felt a little left out. She wished she had a brother who cared as much about her as Adam did about Jenny. She set a steaming plate of food in front of Jenny. “More coffee, Adam?”

  “Please.” Adam held his cup out to her.

  “How about you, Jenny? Coffee or hot chocolate?” Colleen took Adam’s cup and smiled at her young friend.

  “Chocolate.” Jenny picked up her fork and moved the eggs around.

  “Jenny?”

  She looked over at Adam.

  “I’ll make you a deal. Agree to always tell me the truth and never run away again, and I’ll agree to drive you and Sarah to Durango.” Adam accepted the coffee from Colleen. He took a sip, his eyes on Jenny.

  Jenny searched his face. “Aren’t you letting me off easy?”

  The guarded look in his eyes spoke volumes. “Maybe. But I’m praying I can trust you and your word.”

  Jenny lowered her eyes and chewed her bottom lip.

  Adam gaze flickered to Colleen. Colleen couldn’t help herself and directed a beaming smile of approval at him. He was handling this just right.

  “I promise to never run away again, and I’ll try not to lie anymore.” Jenny’s statement drew his attention once more.

  Adam laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Jenny snapped.

  “I appreciate your honesty, Jen. You thought about it and decided you might need to lie to me again, so you said you’d try not to lie. That’s not quite what I meant.”

  Jenny gave him a sheepish look. “I didn’t want to lie.”

  He hugged her to him. “I appreciate that.” He tightened his arms around her, and then let her go. “So how soon can you ladies be ready to drive into Durango?”

  Adam meant her too? Colleen almost dropped the coffee pot. Maybe the day wouldn’t turn out to be so bad after all.

  Chapter 5

  Colleen enjoyed Jenny and Sarah’s chatter on the way to Durango. They talked about everything from boys to magazines and back to boys. She hoped Adam wasn’t too bored with their girl talk.

  Adam drove with expertise. He took the curves up and down the mountain with skill and alertness. His eyes remained trained on the road, but every time Jenny mentioned David, a frown marred his features, a sure giveaway that he was paying attention to the girls.

  As they passed on of the many small waterfalls, Colleen smiled.

  “I notice you’ve smiled every time we pass one of those.” He grinned at her, and then returned his gaze to the winding road.

  “I love waterfalls. I’m not sure what it is about them that I enjoy. Grammy always said it was because they were so peaceful and soothing.” Colleen eased back into her seat and allowed the scenery to comfort her. When would the pain of losing her grandmother diminish? She wondered as surveyed the passing scenery.

  Cottonwoods and pine trees lined the highway. In some spots, large walls of rock hugged one side of the road, and on the other side a steep drop-off took her breath away.

  The girls squealed in the backseat as a truck passed a little too close to them. So much for relaxing. Colleen sat up straighter in her seat. The road curved and twisted all the way into Durango.

  “Adam, don’t forget we’re meeting David and Matt at Denny’s.” Jenny leaned against the seat. She flashed a red, white, and blue grin at colleen, then scooted back into her seatbelt.

  “Do you want to eat at Denny’s or someplace else?” Adam turned his head and asked Colleen.

  His boyish grin turned her stomach into a cage of hovering hummingbirds. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans.

  “Denny’s is fine.” Did her voice quiver? Colleen sneaked a peek over her shoulder. Both Jenny and Sarah were deep in conversation. If her voice had trembled, they would have looked up. She relaxed to see them still attentive to one another.

  Once Adam parked, the girls wasted no time getting into Denny’s and finding the boys. The four of them were seated at a small table with their heads together behind menus when Adam and Colleen caught up.

  A waitress led them to a nearby booth. She waited until they were seated and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

  Colleen answered first. “I’d like an iced tea, please.” She took the offered menu.

  Adam watched Jenny smile at David. “I’ll have the same.” He made eye contact with his sister. She nodded slightly as if to reassure him. Adam relaxed and turned around to face Colleen. He immediately didn’t like having his back to his sister and her friends.

  “Looks like we’ve been abandoned for the boys.” Colleen drew his attention. She studied her choices from the menu with a slight frown.

  “Something wrong?” he asked, picking up his own glossy menu.

  A soft laugh answered him. “Not really. I’m looking for chicken-fried steak and don’t see it here.” She continued to study the lists.

  Adam’s gaze moved over the menu with speed. “Here it is.” He pointed it out for her.

  “Where? I still don’t see it.” Her gaze darted from his menu to hers. Her frown deepened on her forehead.

  Adam moved from his side of the booth and scooted in next to her. He noticed she didn’t shift away from him but leaned forward to see where he pointed.

  “Oh, my menu is missing that page. See?” Colleen held hers up for his inspection.

  He smiled; glad it was missing a page. It gave him the perfect excuse to move into her side of the booth.

  She returned his smile and quickly looked back at his menu as she pushed a black curl behind her ear.

  Adam watched a pink flush travel up her neck and into her cheeks. He wasn’t sure what caused her to blush but had to admit he enjoyed the freshness of her shyness. The feeling of being watched drew his head up.

  He looked toward Jenny’s table. She wasn’t looking at him at the moment, but he felt pretty sure she had been watching them. He wondered what she would think if he asked Colleen out on a date.

  The waitress came by and took their orders. Colleen surprised him by ordering a ham and cheese sandwich with chips.

  “I thought you were going to order the chicken-fried steak,” He commented when the waitress left their table and moved to Jenny’s.

  She scooted away a little and turned her seat to face him. “I was, but it’s pretty heavy and I plan on walking up and down historic Main Street.” She took a sip from her tea.

  He faked a sour face. “I wish you’d told me that before I ordered a steak and baked potato.”

  Colleen laughed. “You still have time to change your order.”

  Two hours later, Adam wished he had
changed his order. His meal rested in the pit of his stomach like heavy metal.

  Jenny and David stood on the opposite side of the street. Jenny called, “Hey Colleen, I found the scrapbook store.” She motioned for them to cross the road.

  Colleen grabbed Adam’s upper arm and attempted to pull him across the busy street. “Come on slowpoke. You’re going to get us run over.”

  Adam reached for her hand and slipped it into his as they ran across the street. The warmth from her soft palm lightened his heart. He continued to hold it even after they were safely across. They fell into step behind the two teenagers.

  “It’s called Scrapaholics. It’s right up here.” Jenny called over her shoulder as she and David continued to lead the way.

  Adam noticed that David held Jenny’s hand. His gaze moved to his and Colleen’s interlaced fingers. Was he acting like a lovesick teenager?

  As they traveled up the small hill, Colleen tightened her grip on his hand. He moved his gaze to her face. She rewarded him with a smile.

  “Here it is,” Jenny announced needlessly.

  Disappointment spread over him when Colleen released his hand and followed Jenny and David inside. Through the glass window of the scrapbook store, he could see Jenny and Colleen already engrossed in a wall of stickers.

  Adam decided to stand outside for a few moments and enjoy the fall air. He leaned against the red brick building and looked up and down the side street. He could see Main Street from where he stood.

  Adam glanced around Durango’s downtown. Many of the original buildings were constructed by Durango’s pioneers. He wondered if Colleen would like to visit the Rio Grande Land that contained the restored depot in 1881. It had been years since he’d been inside it.

  Colleen had already mentioned she’d like to have dinner at the Strater Hotel. Adam admitted he enjoyed the quaintness of the building that was built in 1887. A reflection of the town’s prosperity, it remained a central attraction in downtown Durango for locals and visitors.

  He prayed she wouldn’t want that dinner anytime soon. His stomach still felt full from lunch. Adam smiled. He’d enjoyed the teasing and lightness during the meal. Colleen, quiet and shy one moment, proved quick-witted and playful the next.

  “What are you all smiles about, Adam Walker?”

  Adam turned to see Cassie Masters walking down the hill toward him. “Cassie, how good to see you. What did the doctor say?”

  Cassie laughed. Her cheeks filled with color, and she nodded.

  “You are? Really?” Adam hugged her to him. He released her quickly and held her out to look at her.

  “Yes. Really.” She laughed again. “Oh, Adam, I am so very happy.”

  Chapter 6

  Colleen and Jenny stopped inside the doorway. They couldn’t believe all the things one could use for scrapbooking. There were stickers, eyelets, die cuts, scissors, punches, accessories and many different types of papers.

  “Where do we start?” Jenny asked, her voice filled with awe.

  “I’m going to start by sitting right here at this table and not moving.” David pulled a hot-rod magazine out of a deep pocket in his cargo jeans and sat down.

  “Well, why don’t we start by choosing a couple of photo albums?” Colleen stepped down the steps and moved toward the walls of paper.

  Colleen moved around the papers and came into an aisle with photo albums of different sizes and shapes. “Wow, I had no idea there were so many decisions to make when starting a scrapbook,” she muttered to herself.

  “I know exactly what you mean. Are you just getting started?”

  She looked over at a dark-haired woman who had several pages of papers and a fistful of stickers. “I’m afraid so. Do you work here?” Colleen asked, praying she wasn’t about to get suckered into buying the whole store.

  “Oh, no. I have enough stuff that I could open my own store, but I’m not brave enough to take that step just yet. I’m Shelly Young. I’m just hooked. Do you want me to get Debbie? She owns the store.”

  Colleen shook her head. “No, thanks. Jenny and I need albums, but I’m not sure what size. I guess I’ll just have to study them for a moment.”

  Jenny chose that split second to come around the corner. She held several stickers in her hand. “Colleen, did you know you have to use special pens to write in the albums if you want to keep your pictures forever?” She stopped and looked from one woman to the other. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You have a very nice daughter.” Shelly smiled at the two of them.

  Jenny spoke first. “She’s not my mom.”

  Shelly laughed. “I’m sorry. She doesn’t look old enough to be your mother.”

  Colleen smiled. She didn’t know what it was about this woman, but she found herself liking the total stranger. “It’s okay. I hope to have a daughter just like Jenny someday.” She placed an arm around the teenager’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

  “Oh, you found the photo albums.” Jenny stepped away from Colleen and knelt down in front of the many books. She chose a blue one, turned it over and asked, “What size do we need?”

  Colleen noticed Shelly standing a few feet away looking at the many different precut paper picture frames. She hesitated for a moment, then asked the other woman, “Shelly can you recommend a good size to buy?”

  The small woman looked to be in her mid-fifties. She hurried to assist them. “Well, it depends. What are you going to do with it? Is it going to be a heritage album? A school album? A gift album for a relative? A sports album? It really depends on what you are going to use it for. “

  Colleen thought of the many shoe boxes at home. She knew she’d need a big one. “I’ve just inherited the family memorabilia. So I guess mine should be a big one.”

  Shelly turned to Jenny. “What about you?”

  “Mine Is for a school project. I don’t think I need a real big one.” Jenny ran her hand over the front of a five-by-seven album. “Do you think this will be big enough?”

  “If all you plan to put on a page is one or two pictures, a few stickers and a place to journal, that should be okay for you. Jenny. Plus, with that one you can add extra pages. See?” Shelly found an open album and showed Jenny where she could add extra pages if she wanted to.

  Colleen picked up a twelve-by-twelve book. She made sure she could add pages, too, if need be. “Thanks, Shelly.”

  “No problem. Like I said earlier, this hobby can be over whelming.” She paused as if thinking about her next question. “Do you know what to do now?”

  Jenny looked up. Colleen saw the familiar flash of red, white, and blue braces. “I thought we’d go look at those magazines over there. They will probably help us.”

  “Good idea, Jenny. Well, if you ladies don’t need me right now, I will get out of your hair. But please feel free to ask me any questions if you need help.”

  “Thanks Shelly.”

  As the woman walked away, Colleen silently thanked the Lord for sending Shelly to help them get started.

  After looking at the suggestions in the magazines and choosing two of their favorites to buy, Colleen and Jenny moved about the store selecting paper, stickers, different-shaped scissors, glue pens, and a few die cuts to get started.

  Colleen walked to the front of the store. She looked out the big glass window. The scene occurring outside caused her heart to feel as if someone had just stepped on it.

  Adam stood hugging Cassie. A smile as big as the San Juan River graced his handsome face. She saw his breath move the other woman’s hair as he said something to her.

  She moved back into the aisle and away from the window. Colleen fought the tears that threatened to spring forth. How could she have been so stupid to forget that Adam was dating Cassie? Had they planned on meeting in Durango? What must he have thought when she’d held his hand?

  Twenty minutes later, Colleen was still wandering around the store. She’d picked up various papers, die cuts, and stickers.
The sound of Adams voice carried back to her.

  “Are they buying up the store, David?”

  “Did you find everything you needed?” Shelly asked, coming up behind her.

  Colleen exhaled and turned with a pasted smile on her face.

  “I think so.”

  If Shelly noticed anything out of the ordinary, she didn’t act like it. “Don’t forget to get an acid-free pen to journal with. Some people get all the colors of the rainbow, but you only need one to start with.”

  This time when Colleen smiled, it was genuine. “I’d forgotten about the pens. Jenny said we need a special kind.” At Shelly’s nod, Colleen pressed on. “I don’t know how I could have done this without your help, Shelly. Thanks again.”

  Shelly patted her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you where the pencils and pens are.”

  Jenny sat between Adam and David at the round table showing them all the items she had chosen.

  Colleen continued to follow Shelly past the table and to the front wall. When she walked by Adam, he gave her a warm smile. She prayed the smile she returned was as warm as his.

  “Jenny, did you choose a pen?” Colleen asked. She studied the wall. This, too, was a little overwhelming. Pens of all shapes and sizes were displayed, some in packs and others as stand-alone.

  Jenny joined them. “I looked at them. Do you want to get a pack and share them? Or do you want to just get one color each?”

  “If y you’re going to share them, it would be cheaper to buy a small pack. Just make sure you have one black and one blue pen.” Shelly advised, and then moved to the register.

  “Let’s get a set,” Colleen decided.

  Jenny hugged her. “I hoped you’d say that.”

  They picked out a collection they both liked and turned toward the register. Shelly had just finished paying for her purchases.

  “I want you two to have these.” She held out double sided tape dispensers, one for each of them.

  Colleen gasped, “Oh, you shouldn’t have done this.”

  Shelly laughed. “I wanted to. Just don’t blame me when your projects become hobbies.” She used her fingers to put quotes around the words projects and hobbies as she said them.