Chapter 2
Elizabeth stared at the handwritten note. She had read it three times. She was impressed with the neat handwriting. All her guy friends had horrible handwriting. She was impressed that he knew the book. While she may have been impressed with his handwriting and his knowledge of the book, the note also infuriated her. How dare he call her 'Princess Beth'? She hated the name Beth, but furthermore she hated the title even more.
"Jack…" She whispered his name for the first time. She loved how it rolled off her tongue. He must have read the book before, but what does he mean that I'm wrong and I need to learn from Elizabeth Bennet? She thought to herself slowly shaking her head. Then her attention was drawn to his title for her. "And how dare he call me a princess? And Beth…and Princess Beth?" She huffed to herself.
Elizabeth's anger was beginning to grow a little at the thought of his name for her. She glanced in his direction for a few moments. If she was honest, she would have been frustrated with this Jack fellow, but she also wanted to see him. She watched him walk down the beach. He sat on the little chair and picked up a book. She was too far away to see what he was reading, but the color looked a lot like her book cover.
"Did you hear what I said?" Julie's voice broke Elizabeth away from her watching Jack.
"I'm sorry…what?" Elizabeth shook her head tearing her eyes away from this guy.
"I asked if you were alright?"
"I'm fine." Elizabeth slowly stated.
"I'm not so sure…you're muttering to yourself and you're huffing." Julie smirked with a younger sister's smile. "I think you may be a little smitten."
"I am no such thing!" Elizabeth glanced back down in Jack's direction. "He just returned my book, that's all."
"Yeah…the guy that you accused of hitting on you. Did you see him? Oh…my…gosh…he is the most handsome guy I have ever seen!" Julie was looking down in his direction.
"Julie!" Elizabeth admonished her little sister.
"Those eyes…those muscles…" Julie fanned herself. "Those were perfect, but did you see his dimples?"
"Yeah…" She softly whispered. Elizabeth completely agreed with her sister, but she would never admit it.
"Too bad you told him you had a boyfriend."
"Yeah…" Elizabeth whispered. She once again looked down in Jack's direction. However, she didn't see him this time. Somehow, he just disappeared. His beach chair was still there, but he wasn't. She quickly sat up and began to scan the beach in his general direction. She figured the yellow shorts would be easy to spot. After looking several times, she just didn't see him. Over the course of the next hour, Elizabeth constantly looked for this Jack guy.
…
"Hey Ms. Abagail." Jack gave her a huge, dimpled smile as he walked into the café with his brother.
That smile will get you in trouble. Abagail thought to herself. She watched as Jack and his younger brother walked to the counter and sat on the stools. "Hey, how are you?"
"We're good. We were in town. Ma texted me and asked if I would stop by to pick up dinner."
"Great. It's great to see you again. What would you all like?"
Jack placed the order after taking a seat on a stool. He smiled watching Abagail communicate with her staff. His smile grew when she walked around the counter and sat beside him.
"I have a friend who gave me this information." Abagail stated as she reached into her apron pocket. "It's volunteer information for the library on Main Street and the children's center."
"Thanks!" Jack quickly looked over the brochures. "That's very kind of you to do that."
"Where you are the beach?"
"Yes. Tom and I went for a little while today."
"Did you enjoy it?"
"It was nice weather and a beautiful beach. The water was nice. I did meet someone." He shook his head in disbelief.
"Really?" Abagail tried her best to hide her disappointment.
"I can't explain her."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…I walked up to her to let her know that she was about to drop her book, but she cut me off. She kept telling me that she had a boyfriend and that I needed to leave her alone. When I continued to try to tell her about her book, she just said that I wasn't listening to her. She just walked away. She was pretty rude, almost snobby. She acted like she was above everyone, like a princess."
"Wow. What did you do?"
"I picked up her book and took it to her after she left me standing there. I told her I wasn't hitting on her, dropped the book on her towel, and then walk away."
"Wow…Did you want to talk to her after?"
"No. She was a very beautiful girl, but she was rude." Jack shook his head.
"So, beauty doesn't outweigh personality?"
"Absolutely not. Who a person is, is much more than their beauty. Of course, you want to find your person beautiful, but if her personality is bad, then it just makes her ugly."
Wow…he is a perfect match for Elizabeth… Abagail thought to herself as Jack spoke. She kept trying to find ways to get them together. In her opinion, they really needed to meet.
They continued to talk while the food was being prepared. The more Abagail talked with Jack, the more she liked this young man. He was kind. His smile would make any woman swoon, but it was his humor and genuineness that was his greatest qualities. She was trying to formulate a plan to introduce him to Elizabeth. She just knew they would be good for each other.
"Make sure you follow up with the library and the children's center. They always need help."
"I will. Thanks Ms. Abagail." Jack gave her a dimpled smile. "So, what's your story?"
"Well, I already told you my first husband and son died in a car accident. That was ten years ago. That was difficult to get through. I was a wife and mother. That's all I ever wanted to be. I loved it."
"I bet you were great at it."
"Thanks." Abagail smiled at his compliment. "After a couple of years trying to find myself again, I had this idea one morning to start this café. I took some of the money from my husband's life insurance and started Abagail's Café. I've been doing it ever since."
"That's great. You have a nice place here." Jack stated as he looked around.
"Thank you."
"If I remember correctly, you told me you remarried?"
"I did. Frank Hogan walked into my café one morning. He just moved into town. He is a minister. He moved here to become the pastor of one of the churches, Crossroads Church."
"That's nice. I guess it took you a while to open up to him?"
"Well…" An embarrassed Abagail stated. "It was five years after my husband died when Frank walked in the first morning for breakfast. He said he was walking the new town and just loved the outside of the café with the flowers in the window boxes. It was the strangest thing…I always closed my heart off. I thought I already had the love of my life. You only get that once. When I walked up to Frank for the first time, it was just different. I don't know how to explain it. I guess I just knew he was the one for me. I became so nervous I spilled his coffee on him. I was so flustered."
"What happened?" Jack was sitting completely engrossed in the story.
"I walked up with his coffee, and he smiled at me."
"So you dropped the coffee?"
"Yeah…that silly smile of his still gets me to this day." Abagail shook her head.
"Oh, that's a great story."
"He asked me out when I was trying to clean up the table. We went out for ice cream and began to date a few days later. We were married in less than a year."
"Wow!" Jack smiled. "That's quick."
"I guess we just knew. It has been great ever since."
…
"Good afternoon, Mr. Thornton. How is your first day going?"
"Hello, Mr. Thatcher. It is going as well as expected." Tom held up several pieces of paper. Tom was a doer. He wasn't a paperwork kind of guy and this huge stack of papers were requiring his attention.
William chuckled. "I understand. I usually have my secretary deal with that." He nodded toward the stack of papers.
"Thank you for this opportunity, sir."
"Thank you for taking the position. When I inquired about filling this position, you were on everyone's short list."
"Well…" An embarrassed Tom lowered his head. He didn't like the attention on himself.
"I never thought I needed a security team, but my people thought it was best."
"Have there been any trouble before?"
"A couple of times, I guess." William shrugged his shoulders.
"Better safe than sorry."
"Yes. I promise I will do as you suggest. I just ask that you let me live my life as close to normal as possible."
"I promise I will do that. However, there may be times that security overrides that."
"I understand." William conceded.
"I promise to do my best. If there are any conflicts, we can discuss it to find a common ground to keep you safe and let you live your life the way you want."
William was impressed with Tom's statement. The other security supervisors tried to steamroll over him. They would always push safety above everything else without any consideration for what William wanted. He understood there may be times where he didn't get his way, but Tom was suggesting a conversation to find the best solution. That made William soften up a little.
"Are those your boys?" William nodded toward a framed picture of Jack and Tom.
"Yes, sir. Jack is on the right. He is seventeen and Tom is on the left. He is fifteen."
"Does that make Jack a senior and Tom and sophomore?"
"Yes, sir. They will be attending Hamilton East."
William pulled out his phone and found a picture of his Elizabeth and Julie. "These are two of my three girls. Elizabeth is on the left and Julie is on the right. They are the same ages as your two boys. They also go to Hamilton East."
Tom blinked his eyes rapidly at the realization of seeing Elizabeth. That was the young lady who he and his wife saw walking out of Abagail's Café a few days ago.
"Is everything ok?" William asked when he noticed Tom's reaction.
"I have seen your daughter before."
"Really?"
"Yes, a few days ago at a café close to our home. It's called Abagail's."
"Oh yes. She goes there often. She is good friends with the owner, Abagail."
Tom paused for a moment, not sure if he should say anything or not. He didn't want to come across as creepy or anything like it to his new boss. He looked up from the picture into William's face. For some reason, he felt comfortable with Mr. Thatcher. He began to speak.
"My wife and I noticed her as we parked in the parking lot of the cafe. That young lady was walking out of the café. I don't understand it, but there was just something about her…" His voice trailed off. He really didn't know how to explain it. "…I watched her walk down the sidewalk and then looked at my wife. Charlette noticed her too. There was just something different about her. I can't explain it. We didn't even talk to her. She didn't even see us. But…"
"Wow…that's a little strange."
"Yeah…I'm sorry Mr. Thatcher. I know that sounds crazy."
"Maybe a little, but I understand. Elizabeth is a special young lady."
"It took a few moments before Charlette quit looking in her direction. Even after the young lady vanished around the corner. We just…I'm sorry sir, I just can't explain it."
William and Tom spent a few minutes talking about their other children. The conversation flowed freely. William couldn't ever remember discussing topics with the other bodyguard supervisors. He was quickly becoming to like Tom. Tom set him at ease. It was like they were old friends just catching up on the latest news in their lives.
William and Tom turned to the door when there was a knock.
"I'm sorry sir, but your lunch meeting is here. It's twelve thirty." William's secretary stated from the doorway.
William looked at his watch. Wow! Where did the time go?" He stated as he stood. Tom stood along with him. William reached for Tom's hand and shook it.
"Thank you for this opportunity and discussion, Mr. Thatcher."
"Thank you, Mr. Thornton."
William leaned in across the desk, still holding Tom's hand.
"Please call me William." William stated softly.
Tom gave William a smile and then leaned in as well, matching William's posture.
"Maybe in private, William. However, in public, it will be Mr. Thatcher."
William smiled at this man's grin. "Good enough, Tom." William whispered.
The two men tightened their handshake for a moment before releasing it. In that moment, their friendship was formed.
"Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Thatcher."
"You too, Mr. Thornton. Don't let that paperwork win." William laughed pointing at the stack of papers as he made his way to the door.
"It's touch and go, sir."
…
Elizabeth was sitting in her room. The house she grew up in was a large house. People called it a mansion. She assumed it probably was, but to her it was just home. It was the only home she had lived in. She had a window that looked over the backyard and pool. Under the window was a cushioned sitting area where she loved to curl up with a good book and read. The sun coming in from the window was warm. During the winter months, she would curl up under a blanket and watch it snow as she read. It was her favorite place in the house.
Instead of reading her book, she was reading the handwritten note on the inside. For whatever reason, she just couldn't sit it aside or turn the page. She read the words Jack wrote over and over again. She was intrigued with what Jack wrote. She examined each word and noticed that he wrote his lower case "E" almost like a "C". The handwriting was very neat, and she was impressed with it. As much as she was impressed with the short sentence, what he called her still infuriated her to no end. Yet, it all intrigued her as well. She didn't understand how she could be intrigued and frustrated at the same time.
"What are you doing dear?"
Elizabeth looked to see her mother standing in her doorway. She quickly closed her book and turned her attention to her mother.
"Just reading, mother."
Grace stepped toward Elizabeth's bed. She picked up her phone and handed it to Elizabeth. "Didn't you hear your phone. It's chirping."
"Mother…" Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her mother's statement. "I wasn't paying attention."
"It's been chirping for a while."
Elizabeth looked at her phone. "I was getting a notification of a text."
"Must have been several of them. It's been chirping since I was standing at the door."
Elizabeth looked down and noticed six texts from Charles.
"I guess I didn't hear it."
"You were too consumed in that book of yours." Laughed Grace. "That isn't the first time I've seen you lost in a book." Grace looked down and noticed the well worn book Elizabeth was holding. "I guess it still holds your attention?" Grace asked as she nodded toward the book.
"It does…" Elizabeth's voice trailed off as she thought about Jack's note. Then her attention turned to his eyes, his smile, his dimples, and his chest. She shook her head trying to get those thoughts out of her head with her mother standing beside her.
"Your father just called. He is on his way home. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."
Elizabeth glanced at her phone. "Wow! It's already six?"
"It is. You must have been lost in those pages for a while."
"I guess so." Elizabeth's face turned a little pink with embarrassment.
"Are you alright, dear."
"I'm fine mother. Do you need any help with dinner?"
"No. Everything is fine. Enjoy your book."
Elizabeth watched her mother walk out of her bedroom. Then she turned her attention back to the inside cover of her favorite book.
…
"Good evening, Grace."
"Good evening, William." Grace stated as she tiptoed to kiss her husband on the cheek. "How was your day?"
"It was good." William smiled.
"What's with the smile?" Grace asked.
"I met Tom today."
"That's good. Who is Tom?"
"Oh…he is the new head of my security team. He was in his office working on paperwork."
"You called him Tom?" Grace asked a little surprised. William was always very proper at the office. He has never called a new employee by their first name. She can only think of one other employee at the office that he calls by their first name, and it is his secretary. She has been with William for over twenty years. This Tom gentleman must have made a huge impact on William for him to use his first name on his first day.
"I did. I stopped by his office to introduce myself." William spent the next ten minutes sharing his conversation and his feelings about Tom and his wife. Grace couldn't get over William's smile during the discussion. She thought William was almost beaming. William was a happy man generally speaking. However, he wasn't soon after work. It usually took him a few minutes after getting home to cheer up from the day. Today, he came home happy.
"Wow! This Mr. Thornton really made an impression on you."
"He did, Grace. He felt like a lifelong friend in just a short period of time. I asked him to call me William."
"You did?" A surprised Grace squeaked.
"I did. He said in public it will be Mr. Thatcher, but he will call me William in private." William also shared with Grace the photo of Tom's two boys. He also shared the story about Tom and Charlette when they saw Elizabeth a few days ago walking out of Abagail's Café.
"That's a little weird." Grace stated as she pulled out the rolls from the oven.
"It was at first, but I got the sense it was very sincere. Especially when Charlette wouldn't stop looking in Elizabeth's direction even after she turned the corner."
"I wonder what that means…" Wondered Grace. William wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or just said it out loud to herself.
"I'm not sure…" William's voice trailed off. He has been thinking about it the entire afternoon as well.
"Dear, do you think they will play a role in Elizabeth's future?"
"I'm not sure how." Then William remembered the photo on Tom's desk. "Maybe his son will play a role."
"Oh William, please do not try to set Elizabeth up with their son. She has no interest in dating."
"I know, and I have no intention of playing match maker. I tend to think Charles wishes to occupy that role."
"I think you are right, but Elizabeth keeps saying she isn't dating him. He texted her several times today. She didn't seem too interested in returning his texts. She always said that she didn't want to date during high school."
"That's true. I guess I'm just over thinking this thing with Tom and his son."
"Do you remember his name?"
"I don't." William shook his head. "He mentioned it, but I don't."
"What are you two talking about?" Elizabeth and Julie asked as they walked into the living room.
"Oh, nothing young ladies. I was just telling your mother about Mr. Thornton. He began work today."
…
The weekend passed very quickly for everyone. Jack woke up this Monday very excited about the day. He had spoken with the library, and they invited him to come in that morning to help with the first of two reading times. The woman in charge called the library from Jack's hometown. She received a glowing recommendation concerning Jack. He was also going to the children's center after lunch to volunteer for a couple of hours. He was just excited to be involved with something. He was always one who wanted to do something.
"You're up?"
"I am." Sassed Jack. He wasn't always the easiest to wake up in the summer. As a typical teen, he liked sleeping in when he could.
"When are you heading out?"
"Nine. I should be there before ten. I will help for about forty five minutes. There is a reading hour before lunch and one following lunch. They needed help with the earlier one."
"Then you are going to the children's center?"
"Yeah…after lunch. I don't know what I'll be doing there, but I should be there for about two hours or so."
"Would you like the car?"
"No. I'll just ride my bike. I may stop by Abgail's for lunch, but I don't know yet."
"That's fine. Just keep your phone on you. Let me know if your day changes."
"I will, Ma. I think I'm going to go ahead and leave. I would like to ride around a little and make sure I don't have trouble finding the library."
"Here, take this." Charlette tossed him a bottled water and a bag full of chocolate chip cookies.
"Thanks Ma. I have my cell phone if you need me."
"Have a good day." Charlette stated as he walked toward her and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you, Ma."
"Love you, J."
…
Jack walked into a large library after locking his bicycle in the bike rack. It was the nicest library he had ever seen. He assumed everything in Hamilton would dwarf things back home. He walked up to a smiling librarian who was sitting behind the front desk.
"Good morning. My name is Jack. I am scheduled to be here at ten o'clock for reading hour."
"Oh, yes. We have heard about you."
"I hope it was good." Jack shyly grinned.
"It was good, I promise." The woman smiled at this shy young man. "The first reading hour is usually a co-op of home school kids. Not everyone will be from the program. The second reading hour is usually the largest, but it is already filled with a volunteer."
"That's fine. How many kids are usually in the first group?"
"About twenty or so."
"Awesome."
"You may stay for the second reading group if you would like."
"Maybe some other day. I'm supposed to be at the children's center after lunch."
"That's very impressive, young man. I only know another person who volunteers at both places. She is a gem."
Jack's smiled at this older lady. She was very nice. She instructed Jack toward the second floor in the back left corner. There should be another volunteer already waiting. There was about twenty minutes before the kids were scheduled to show up.
"While I am here, may I pick up a library card?"
"Sure." The woman filled out the card and handed it to Jack.
"Thank you."
Jack made his way up the stairs to the second level. He admired the library. It was very nice. When he found the small corner of the library for the reading group, he was amazed at the decorations in the corner. He was looking at some of the paintings on the walls waiting for the kids to show up. He noticed a name and small saying on a plague. This reading corner is in honor of all children who love books. William and Grace Thatcher
"Thatcher…I wonder if that is my Pa's employer?" Jack asked himself. "That was very nice of them to do that."
"Good morning. You must be Jack?"
"Good morning. I am. It's nice to meet you." Jack stated as he turned around to a smiling woman.
"My name is Amy. I volunteer with both reading hours."
"Just let me know what you would like for me to do today?"
"Are you ok with reading some to the children?"
"Absolutely. I did that back home and loved it."
"Perfect."
…
Amy was standing just outside of the group of children. She was intently watching the children. As they continued to laugh, Amy couldn't keep the chuckle from escaping her lips. Amy looked up when the librarian touched her on her shoulder.
"What's going on?" Amber whispered. "I can hear them downstairs."
Amy nodded her head toward Jack. "He's good. Almost as good as Elizabeth."
"Wow…that's high praise. Elizabeth Thatcher is the best reader we have ever had."
"Jack may give her a run for her money. This is his second book. He's reading 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.'"
Amber smiled. "That's always a popular book among the children."
"It is, but I'm not sure if it's the book or the person reading the book."
They both watched as Jack spoke in a funny voice imitating Alexander. All the children, and many of the adults, were intently listening.
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair…" Jack playfully rubbed his head. "…and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." Jack exaggerated the last part of the sentence. He was very animated with his hand gestures and facial expressions.
Everyone laughed, including Amy and Amber. They stood and listened for a few more moments.
"He is in in element." Amber stated.
"Yeah…reminds me so much of Elizabeth. She does the same thing. Those children sit on the edge of their seat listening to her. Just like they are with this young man."
"Is this the new kid that just moved into town?"
"It is. We called the library from his hometown. They highly recommended him."
"I can see why." Amber stated. "His name's Jack?"
"Yeah. I don't know his last name."
"It doesn't matter. He's good. Can you imagine him and Elizabeth doing this together?"
"That would be something to see." The ladies smiled when the children erupted in laughter again.
…
Jack finished his reading time and immediately left for the children's center. He figured he would just find a place to eat on the way. There were so many places in Hamilton to choose from. A sandwich shop would have to be on the way. He looked at the GPS on his phone and noticed he had ten minutes before reaching the center.
Elizabeth walked into the library a little early. She had ordered a book that was being brought in from another library. It was supposed to be delivered today. She was greatly looking forward to the book. With school beginning in just under two weeks, this would probably be her last book before school.
Amber and Amy were at the front desk when Elizabeth approached the desk.
"Good afternoon, Elizabeth." Amber and Amy stated at the same time.
"I have your book." Amy stated as she reached for the book that was laying on top of the counter.
"Thank you."
Amy and Amber shared a look between them.
"What?" Questioned Elizabeth. She knew they were up to something.
"We had a new volunteer this morning."
"Oh, that's great."
"Yeah, he did a great job." Amy smiled.
"That's good…right?" Elizabeth was a little confused.
"Yes." Amy nodded.
"What am I missing?" Elizabeth looked between both ladies.
"Well, let's just say he is very handsome." Amber stated.
"Aren't you married?" Elizabeth sassed. She had a feeling what Amy and Amber were up to.
"I am happily married. This young man isn't."
"And…?"
"Elizabeth Marie Thatcher!" Exclaimed Amy.
The three ladies smiled at each other.
"His name is Jack. He is new to the area. He just moved here."
Elizabeth paused for a moment. There's no way that could be my Jack. She thought to herself. Then she scolded herself for thinking that this guy named Jack was her Jack. She was amazed that she was thinking that way. She never thought that way before now about a guy. She quickly decided that there was no way this was the same guy from the beach. There are way too many people that live in Hamilton that this one guy would be in both places.
"He did a great job reading to the children. He used different voices like you do." Amber began before Amy took over.
"The kids were so engrossed in his story telling just like they are with you."
"That is a great thing. Those children need all the happiness they can get."
"True. We were thinking you two need to read together."
"Is he coming for this reading hour?"
Amber thought she heard a little bit of hope in Elizabeth's tone. "He is on his way to the children's center. He is volunteering there this afternoon."
Elizabeth was a little impressed that this young guy was volunteering at both places. "He must really like kids."
"Almost as much as you do."
"Well, I need to get ready. The children will be here soon."
"Have a good day."
…
"Mr. Thatcher." Tom stated as he knocked on the door frame of the opened door of William's office.
"Mr. Thronton…please come in."
"Thank you, sir."
"Nancy, thank you for catching me up. Would you mind to please bring us something to drink and then closing the door?"
Nancy looked toward Tom to see what he would like to drink.
"I'm fine. I have some water."
Nancy closed the door after bringing William a cup of coffee. William looked up into his new friend's eyes when the door closed.
"What do you have for me?"
"Sir, I believe we have everything figured out for you to enjoy your time with your family out this evening."
"Great."
"With your desire to enjoy your evening, the bodyguards will drive you and your family to the opera. They will park underground garage, and they will escort you to the seats. They will be under cover and will give you all a few feet of space."
"Fine." William huffed a little. He didn't like having chaperones.
"Sir…" Tom stated before William cut him off.
"I know, Tom…I know."
"It's the best we can do. At least the body men will give you all some space."
"I appreciate that greatly, I do."
"Will it be the five of you?"
"No, Elizabeth said her friend, Charles, isn't going."
"Yes sir."
"I always thought they were dating, but she continues to deny it. I thought she asked him to go but she said she never did."
"That's fine, sir."
"Tom, do you really feel like there is a threat?"
"Professionally speaking?"
William nodded.
"I'm not sure. I have a feeling that it is a disgruntled employee who is full of bravado. He is just upset that he lost his job or something. However, we really do have to take the threat seriously. I will not face Mrs. Thatcher and tell her that I did not do my best to protect you."
"Thanks Tom." William paused for a moment. 'Tom, do you have a few moments to talk with me?"
"Of course, William." Tom sat down in front of William's desk.
William quickly found it comforting to speak with Tom. They connected immediately. Tom was good for William. He had a calming effect on William. Their friendship continued to grow with each conversation. William didn't have anything pressing to talk to Tom about. He just wanted to chat.
…
Elizabeth opened her eyes a couple of minutes before her alarm on her cell phone went off. Today was her first day of school. The last two weeks of summer break went by quickly and uneventfully. She always loved the first day of school. It was a new beginning each year. She loved school. She was a little sad that it was her senior year. This was the last year with her friends. They hadn't decided what colleges they were going to attend, but she was certain they wouldn't all attend the same school.
She stretched and turned her head toward her side table. She turned off her alarm before it sounded. She also noticed her favorite book. She remembered the little note that was on the inside cover. Amber and Amy from the library, along with Patty from the children's center, always told her that she needed to meet this new guy named Jack. At first, she thought it was the same Jack, maybe even hoped it was the same guy, but what was the possibility of that? She hadn't seen him since the day at the beach, but he wasn't too far from her mind. She quickly dismissed the possibility of it being her Jack. She didn't understand why that guy took residence in her mind so easily.
At first, she would scold herself for always thinking about him, but she eventually just welcomed it. She figured she would never see him again. They were just passing ships that weren't meant to be. A lost love that was never to be fulfilled. It wasn't uncommon for her to read his little note at least once a day. She usually read in first thing in the morning before her day began.
She climbed slowly out of bed and began to get ready for school. She already had her outfit laid out. All she had to do was get herself ready.
Julie knocked on her door and walked in without being asked.
"Julie! You really need to wait."
"Elizabeth, when have I ever waited? At least I knocked this time."
"What is it that you want?"
"I was hoping you would let me borrow that white shirt you got last week."
"I don't think so. Mother bought you a bunch of clothes for school."
"Yeah, but they don't look as good as that shirt."
"Fine, but if you get it dirty, I will get even with you." Elizabeth stated in a big sister's tone.
"Perfect."
"You two have forty five minutes before you need to leave." Grace yelled up the stairs.
"Thanks mother." They both yelled back at the same time.
…
Jack rode his bicycle to the rack in front of the high school. He locked it and turned to see everyone. There were a lot more students than at his old high school. He felt lost. He knew he was supposed to be in the school office before classes began. As he got his backpack off his bike, he felt like everyone was staring at him. What he didn't realize was that all the girls were staring at him. They were admiring him and wanting to know who the new guy was. They all thought he was handsome in his brown shorts and a long sleeved blue buttoned up shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows. That gave everyone a hint that there were muscles under his shirt. People staring at him made him instantly nervous.
He adjusted the backpack one more time before heading to the front doors. He knew the school office was just inside the doors on the right. As he stepped into the office, he noticed the same woman behind the front desk that was there when he registered. He welcomed a smiling face as he approached her. He was quite nervous.
"Good morning."
"Good morning. I'm supposed to be here before classes begin. This is my first day."
"Yes, young man. Have a seat. It's a pretty big school. We will have someone escort you around."
"That would be great. To be honest…" Jack leaned forward so the other people around wouldn't hear him. "…I'm a little nervous."
The woman gave him a nice smile. "I understand. It's a big school, but I have someone that has the same classes as you. She will show you around for the day. She will make sure you don't get lost."
"Oh, thank you for that." Jack sighed a sigh of relief. "That helps a lot."
"Have a seat." She nodded toward the set of chairs. "She isn't here yet."
"Thank you."
…
Elizabeth pulled into her normal parking spot. She has had this parking spot since last year. She looked at her phone when it buzzed. Mrs. Waters reminded her through a text to meet in the school office. She agreed to show a new student around on his first day. Since they had the same schedule, she was ok with it.
She wasn't running late, but she didn't want to push it. If she was showing someone around, she wanted to make sure she had time to show him everything. She also wanted to make sure he could get in his locker. She needed to show him where the bathrooms were.
"Hey, Elizabeth."
"Good morning, Charles. Are you ready for today?"
"Sure. It's our senior year. This is going to be great."
"I agree." Elizabeth turned to get her backpack out of the back seat.
"May I carry that for you?"
"Charles, it's a backpack. I think I can carry it. I have very few items in it this morning."
"May I walk you into school?"
"Charles, we have been friends since we were four. We usually walk into school together."
"I'm hoping we may move that along this year." Charles stated softly.
"Charles…we talked about this just the other day. I am not dating anyone in high school. We are friends and only friends."
"You can't blame a guy for trying."
"I guess not…still friends?"
"Sure."
…
Elizabeth told Charles and Sam bye at the office door. Sam gave her a smile while Charles gave her a kiss on the cheek. Jack noticed a young lady with auburn hair receiving a kiss on the cheek by the edge of the window of the offices. He didn't see her face. He turned his attention back to what he was reading. Elizabeth walked in and noticed a guy sitting in the corner reading Pride and Prejudice. She couldn't see his face because he was looking down at his book. She also wasn't paying too much attention. She was too concerned about being on time.
"Good morning, Elizabeth."
"Good morning, Mrs. Waters. I'm here to escort the new student around today."
"Thank you. This is his first day." Mrs. Waters leaned in and whispered. "I think he's nervous…plus he's very handsome."
"Mrs. Waters!" Elizabeth gasped.
"Well…he is."
"Is he here?" Elizabeth stated trying to change the subject.
"He is." Mrs. Waters smiled. "He's sitting in the corner reading a book." She nodded toward the young man that Elizabeth noticed earlier.
Elizabeth turned around and walked toward the young man that was still reading his book. She still couldn't see his face because of his book.
"Good morning, I'm Elizabeth. I'm supposed to show you around today."
Jack stopped reading and stood up when Elizabeth was halfway through her statement. He didn't look in her direction as he picked up his backpack and placed it on his shoulder. When he looked up, it took a moment for him to realize who this lady was. He stood with his book in his hand. He was holding his backpack by the strap with the other hand that was resting on his shoulder. He discreetly looked at her from head to toe. She was a tad bit taller than he remembered. She was more beautiful than he recalled when he closed his eyes. Her eyes were sparkling blue. He was lost in her eyes for a moment.
Elizabeth stopped walking and stared at her Jack. "It's you…" She softly stated. The breath she inhaled didn't reach her lungs. She was having trouble concentrating and breathing.
"Princess Beth." Jack gave her a soft smile.