What Love Can Do: A Second Chance Romance

By Katharine Hope Levy

Because the heart remembers what the mind chooses to forget...



Jennifer Bantam had a lot to be grateful for and certainly wasn't one to complain. She had a successful editing business and good friends and family. But her love life was far from perfect. By now, sh

• Language: English
• Publisher: Romance Without Borders Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987457016

Katharine Hope Levy

Katharine Hope Levy is the debut author of What Love Can Do. After studying English and political science in college, she earned her Juris Doctor and went on to practice law in the public sector. During the pandemic, she rediscovered her passion for writing and What Love Can Do is the result. She lives with her husband, two children, and miniature schnauzer in her New England hometown and spends her summers on Cape Cod. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, nature walks, photography, music of all kinds, and she is forever in search of beautiful sunsets, both literally and figuratively. For the latest information on new releases, follow her on Instagram @katharinehopelevy and join her email list at www.katharinehopelevy.com

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2023 by Katharine Hope Levy

Romance Without Borders Publishing

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at www.katharinehopelevy.com

First Romance Without Borders Publishing edition March 2023

For signed copies, visit www.katharinehopelevy.com

Cover Design: Graphics by Stacy

Library of Congress Control Number:

2023900001

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 979-8-9874570-0-9

ISBN: 979-8-9874570-1-6 (e-book)

This book is dedicated to everyone who has ever wished on a star

and wondered if their wish would come true.

With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,

For stony limits cannot hold love out,

And what love can do, that dares love attempt…

~Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, II.ii.66-69.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Part I

Chapter 1: It’s been a while…

Chapter 2: Facial Recognition

Chapter 3: A Little Spark

Chapter 4: The Weekend

Chapter 5: A Day at the Beach

Chapter 6: The Plan

Chapter 7: Where to Begin

Chapter 8: Tom Collins

Chapter 9: Misunderstood

Part II

Chapter 10: The Message

Chapter 11: All the time…

Chapter 12: The Gum Wrapper

Chapter 13: Seven Dates

Chapter 14: The Red Cardinal

Chapter 15: Cassie

Chapter 16: Orange Peel Debacle

Chapter 17: At Last

Chapter 18: Burnt Marshmallows

Chapter 19: Obligatory Shower Scene

Chapter 20: Always

Chapter 21: Chloe

Chapter 22: Birthday Surprise

Chapter 23: The Proposal

Chapter 24: Fiancée to Fiancé

Chapter 25: The Ring

Chapter 26: Girl Power

Chapter 27: The Wedding, Part I

Chapter 28: The Wedding, Part II

Chapter 29: Wedded Bliss

Chapter 30: The Wedding Night

Part III

Chapter 31: A Bad Penny

Chapter 32: The Truth

Chapter 33: What Love Can Do

Chapter 34: The Reckoning

Chapter 35: The Story of Us

A Final Note to Readers and Acknowledgments

PROLOGUE

LOOKING BACK IN TIME can be a mysterious undertaking. It’s a little like being a detective in your own private mystery story. While we would like to believe that our memory of prior events is accurate, even the clearest of minds can distort the past. We painstakingly search for the clues that will aid us in recovering the secrets of our past: the Who, the What, the When, the Where, and the always elusive Why. Ideally, we would prefer that our past fit neatly into our own self-narrative and, to the extent that it does not, the mind has a convenient way of whitewashing and even erasing any incongruities. This the mind will often rationalize for the sake of our sanity, sense of morality, or perhaps to protect our fragile hearts. If we are unaware of such trickery, we may be able to go through life without shame, regret, or remorse over prior transgressions, and without conscious awareness of painful experiences. On our mind’s side is time. The more time that passes, the hazier the unpleasantness becomes, until finally the unpleasantness is—well—gone. Or so it would seem.

For some memories are never truly forgotten. They simply lie dormant until the right person comes along to revive them.

For Jennifer Bantam, today was that day.

Part I

CHAPTER 1

It’s been a while…

~ Present Day ~

TRAINS, MOMMY, TRAINS! a little boy exclaimed as he pulled his mother’s arm towards the toy store window, a popular destination in Shelby Falls.

But the boy’s mother was on the phone, so he released her arm and rushed to the toy store window to get a closer look. The window display contained a colorful array of model trains that wound their way around hills and valleys and through a miniature town center which resembled Shelby Falls. The diorama was extremely realistic and even went so far as to contain a miniature version of the toy store, including the train window display itself.

The little boy watched the trains with fascination alongside a woman who appeared equally enthralled. Upon realizing there was another avid spectator beside him, he looked up at her with wide-eyed excitement. She smiled down at him cheerfully and together they watched as the trains made their way through an elaborate set of tracks. The boy looked to be about five years old and the woman recalled that she was probably around his age when she first started coming to this very toy store with her father. The boy was particularly mesmerized by a shiny red locomotive that was rounding the bend and when the locomotive made its characteristic loud whistle, he jumped back with surprise.

That scared you, huh? said the woman, smiling sweetly down at him.

He nodded slowly, eyes still wide with wonder.

The boy’s mom winked appreciatively at the woman but nevertheless remained on her phone call.

Why does it make that whistle? the boy asked the woman with the seriousness of a curious child.

Hmm…That’s a very good question. I think maybe it’s trying to warn everybody that it’s coming. What do you think?

I think so too, he said confidently, his eyes now glued to the red locomotive as it scooted into a tunnel under a mountain. As the caboose disappeared into the tunnel, the boy became worried, but the woman reassured him that it would return and they waited expectantly for it to reemerge.

See, there it is! she said, kneeling down and pointing out the red locomotive to him as it traveled back towards them. He was delighted and immediately ran to his mother, pulling her arm again to show her. But his mother knew that they needed to be on their way or her son would soon become ensnared by the toy store, and so the boy and his mom promptly left.

After lingering a little bit longer, the woman decided to treat herself to a much-needed iced latte and then continued her stroll down Main Street. She had no place she needed to be and was happy to just explore. It was one of those perfect late summer afternoons in New England that seemed to invariably fall on a work day—in this case a Friday. The sky was a pristine blue, the late day sun no longer oppressively hot, and the breeze, warm and gentle. Having recently returned home to Shelby Falls to help her parents with their upcoming move to a retirement community, Jennifer Bantam had spent most of the day diligently packing boxes and was taking a break to enjoy the beautiful August afternoon. Her expressive dark brown eyes were hidden behind tortoise-shell sunglasses and her wavy medium brown hair fell loosely below her shoulders. She wore a charcoal grey T-shirt with a roughly sketched outline of a lotus flower and white jean shorts which accentuated her tan, toned legs. Although she was a petite five foot four inches, her slender stature made her appear taller and her figure was very pleasing. She had a natural, understated beauty but remained largely under the radar, which is where she preferred to be. And while she was approaching her fortieth birthday, you would never know it as her still youthful appearance belied her age.

Jennifer loved Shelby Falls and had very fond memories of growing up there. The town was a true gem and those native to it tended to settle there because of its warm hospitality, outdoor recreation, and excellent schools. Although she had moved away to Boston several years earlier for graduate school, she always enjoyed coming back to visit her parents and friends. However, this particular visit was a little more sentimental, as she was helping her parents move out of her childhood home. Since she was an only child, many familial responsibilities rested on her shoulders and she was more than happy to help. They were her parents after all, but more than that, she loved them dearly and there was literally nothing Natalie and Carl Bantam wouldn’t do to see their daughter happy. But they had also been careful not to spoil their daughter and had always encouraged her to be independent and self-sufficient—qualities that would surely benefit her throughout her life.

As Jennifer browsed at some of the locally-owned shops, she was soon interrupted by the persistent vibration of her phone in her back pocket. She had some work projects she was juggling, so she found a bench along the tree-lined street and began checking her emails and texts. After she was done tackling those, she briefly moved on to social media. There was very little of interest to her, but just as she was about to exit out, a message notification caught her eye. To her surprise, it was from someone she hadn’t thought about or seen in several years—a classmate named Matt Conroy. Why would he be contacting me after all these years? she wondered. Almost instantly, however, her heart began to stir and as she paused to study his face, a slight smile slowly crept over her own. Those who knew Jennifer well would have also detected a softening of her gaze. She recalled that he was sweet and smart, with a good sense of humor, and she always found him extremely handsome with a nice build, dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and dark features. Yet she didn’t believe he had ever had a steady girlfriend in high school and even seemed a little shy around girls. She couldn’t help but admire him in high school—he was just so good looking, not to mention captain of the cross country team—but more important than that, he had always been very respectful and kind to her. He was universally well liked and she had always regarded him as being way out of her league, though she recalled that after high school he had confided in her that he had always noticed her, but she had somehow remained oblivious. She was too insecure for such egotism and remained safely in her shell in high school. Yet she always presented an outward confidence and, while generally reserved in group settings, when one-on-one with the right person, she could be very talkative. Very few people knew her well, but the right person could trigger her loquaciousness. However, Matt Conroy was not that person, and so, she remained reserved in his presence. Even when he would try to engage her in conversation, she would rarely bite. However, when they became better acquainted after high school through her then boyfriend Jake, she realized that he was very genuine and endearing and they had even become friends during their college years.

But it had been twenty years since they had seen each other and she couldn’t imagine why he would be contacting her now, after so many years. As she opened the message, she realized that it had been sent two weeks earlier but had somehow escaped her notice. The message read:

Hi Jennifer—Hope you’re doing well. I happened to see your picture pop up and thought I’d reach out. It’s been a while since we spoke—about twenty years—but I just wanted to say hello and also just apologize to you for what transpired between us (now so many years ago). I take full responsibility for what happened and I’m sorry. If you’d like to talk, I would love to hear from you. I’m still living in Shelby Falls and work as a graphic designer (finally started my own firm). Anyway, if you’d rather not communicate, I understand. I hope all is well with you. Best, Matt

She reread the message several times but honestly didn’t know what he could be apologizing for. She couldn’t recall anything that had ever happened between them that would warrant an apology, and especially not twenty years later. Could he be confusing me with someone else? she wondered. The whole thing was rather strange and she began to think he wasn’t all there and that she should be careful about how and whether to respond. Yet, as she continued to rack her brain about what he might be referring to, a strange nervousness came over her and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some truth to his words. Her heart inexplicably began to race at the thought of communicating with him and by the time she arrived back home to her parents’ house that day, she decided that she would respond. After all, she reasoned, it would be impolite not to respond. And so, she opened the door.

Hi Matt! Wow, it’s been a while! So sorry for the delay, I didn’t see your message until today. How are you? There’s no need to apologize for anything, really. I’m not even sure what you’re referring to :) Anyway, thanks for reaching out and hope all is well with you. ~Jennifer

And his response? So happy to hear from her and asking if she had time to speak with him. This is probably just an old friend having a momentary spell of remorse for past perceived wrongs, she thought; nothing to be alarmed about. Yet the other part of her was saying emphatically, No, you need to shut this down. And yet, she was so curious as to what he could possibly want to apologize for after all these years. So she gave him her number and he phoned shortly thereafter.

The instant the phone rang, she felt a surge of excitement—a happiness even—though she didn’t understand why. All she knew was that she hadn’t felt like this in a very long time.

Hello, she answered, her heart now craving to hear his voice.

Hi, he said cheerfully. Wow, it’s great to hear your voice.

Yours too, she responded, now remembering how much she had always liked his voice. It’s been a long time. How are you?

Good, very good actually. You? A nervous energy began to engulf him. He couldn’t believe he was actually speaking to her.

I’m doing well, she said, feeling her own nervousness starting to get the better of her and bracing herself to hear what he had to say.

After moving past pleasantries, Matt turned to the reason for his call. He referenced a weekend about twenty years earlier when he had visited Jennifer and her then boyfriend Jake in Boston. But while Jennifer did vaguely remember him visiting, it soon became apparent to them both that she had very little recollection of the visit and Matt was a little stunned. He didn’t know if he should say anything further, but something was compelling him to explain. He needed her to know the truth.

And with that, he proceeded to share an emotionally-charged story about the two of them and all the while it felt to Jennifer as if it had happened to someone else—yet she was beginning to realize that it had happened—and to her. How could I have blocked all of this out? she wondered in disbelief. But as we all know, the mind works in mysterious ways and it seemed that Jennifer’s mind had played tricks on her—for over twenty years.

CHAPTER 2

Facial Recognition

~ Two Weeks Earlier ~

IT WAS A RAINY August morning in Shelby Falls and Matt Conroy did what he always did on Saturday mornings. He fed and walked the dog, made his morning coffee, and read the news updates on his phone while eating a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with cinnamon. He prided himself on eating smart and staying fit and you would never know he had just turned forty. He was very attractive, about six feet tall, medium build, with dark brown eyes and hair, and a warm smile. After running a few miles on the treadmill, he decided that he would just relax for a change. He didn’t have any work to catch up on, so the day was his to fritter away if he wanted.

But first he called his parents as he did every morning to check in on them. He had settled in his home town in large part because his parents relied heavily upon him for emotional strength and companionship ever since Matt’s younger brother Oliver had passed away tragically of brain cancer when Matt was just five years old. The loss of a child was more than Adriana and William Conroy could bear and they never fully recovered from the tragedy. To this day, they leaned on Matt in a way that parents didn’t generally do until much later in life—and certainly not during a child’s formative years. But even as a young child, Matt rose to the occasion and intuitively understood that he needed to be the bedrock for their family. That is not to say that he had an unhappy childhood. He was a very happy, good-natured, tolerant, and affectionate child and assumed his role in the family without question or complaint. He knew how to lift his parents’ spirits through his humor and lightheartedness and he was extremely perceptive and mature, demanding little of them, as he understood their limitations. They were a close-knit family and Matt wouldn’t have it any other way, but if he was being completely honest with himself, there were times when he wondered what it would have been like to live in a normal family where kids could be kids and adults could be adults, and he could relinquish his role as the strong one and be on the receiving end of a relationship.

After calling his parents, he looked for a good book to read but couldn’t find one that interested him and instead began researching a new piece of exercise equipment. The day was turning out to be very dull. He inevitably wandered onto social media out of boredom, mindlessly scrolling, and just as he was about to give up, he noticed an account pop up as someone he may know. He glanced quickly at the face and then did a double take. Wait a minute, he thought, could that be her? His heart instantly began to pound; that hadn’t happened to him in a very long time. He looked more closely at the name (there was no last name, just a first and middle name) and then studied the face carefully. He hadn’t seen her in about twenty years after all. He immediately recognized her deep brown eyes and sweet smile. Yes, it was definitely her—he was sure of it. It was Jennifer Bantam, or Jenn as he had sometimes called her. She was a high school classmate of his whom he had always had a thing for but never had the courage to ask out. While girls had always gravitated to Matt, he could be shy around girls and wasn’t much of a risk taker—he still wasn’t. He always preferred to know the outcome before jumping off the cliff. The only reason he had gotten married was because his wife had chased him until he finally got it through his thick head that she was interested in him. For someone as attractive as him, he was surprisingly cautious.

Ever since Matt’s wife had passed away tragically three years earlier of cancer, he had retreated socially and had no interest in dating anyone. He had loved his wife very much and losing her was not something he had been able to easily move beyond. This was now the second time that cancer had taken someone from him and the loss had numbed his emotions. If he was going to consider dating again, he preferred that it be with someone he already knew, not with a stranger with whom he had no history. He found himself thinking back to his high school and college days. Those were carefree years for him. He made friends easily and girls always seemed to like him. Whenever he thought back to those years, there was one girl in particular who would always return to his mind: Jennifer Bantam. This particular girl was different. She was quieter but with an inner confidence and refinement, and she had a natural beauty that was undeniable. He recalled that she was on the cross country team like him and was a very good student. Matt had always found her very attractive but she didn’t draw a lot of attention from guys, probably because she was more reserved and tended to dress a little more modestly than some of the other girls. But he had always noticed her in class and often tried to sit near her. He would try to joke with her, but unlike other girls, she never appeared eager around him, though she was always very pleasant and courteous. Jennifer was a bit of a mystery and maybe because she wasn’t like the other girls, much more interesting to him. Whenever he thought back to those years, his mind would always return to Jennifer.

But that was not the end of the story where Jennifer was concerned.

It was during Matt’s college years—now about twenty years ago—when he really got to know her. During his college summers, he and his friends would often party. Matt never partied to extreme, but he was always up for a good time. He had a lot of friends and there was no shortage of parties during the summer months. One summer evening following his junior year of college, one of his friends, Jake, invited Matt and a bunch of others over to his house. Matt and Jake had gone to different high schools and weren’t overly close friends, but Jake was a social guy and loved to throw parties. Jake was good looking, about five foot ten inches tall, with light brown hair, and a nice build. He was smart, very outgoing, and always seemed to have a steady girlfriend. When Matt arrived at Jake’s that evening, the place was overflowing with people, very few of whom Matt knew. But that was okay, Matt was easy-going and amiable. Jake greeted Matt at the door and mentioned to Matt that he was dating someone new and wanted to introduce him to her as she didn’t know a lot of people at the party and Jake knew that Matt was always such a gentleman. As they rounded the corner into the den, Jake called to his girlfriend who was sitting on the edge of the couch sipping a beer, with her back facing them.

Hey, babe! Jake called to her. I want you to meet a good friend of mine.

His girlfriend obediently got up and turned towards them, and to Matt’s surprise, walking towards them was none other than his high school classmate, Jennifer Bantam. Matt could feel his heart start to race as she approached. Her wavy medium brown hair, which fell past her shoulders, gently moved with each step and when her eyes met Matt’s, her face turned from politeness to familiar recognition. She was surprised to see Matt and cheerfully greeted him with a smile.

Hi! Wow, it’s been a long time, she said.

Matt was stunned to see her. She looked just as beautiful as ever and he tried not to stare. She was wearing snug faded jeans with a looser-fitting T-shirt, sandals, smaller hoop earrings and just a little bit of makeup. He couldn’t help but notice how adorably sexy she looked and she probably didn’t even know it.

Jake was curious as to how Matt and Jennifer knew each other and Matt deferred to Jennifer for a response.

Oh—well, we went to high school together, she said matter-of-factly.

Yeah, Jennifer and I go way back, added Matt, trying his best to tone down his excitement. But he was excited to see her, probably a little too excited, but he managed to remain low-key.

So how did you two meet? Matt asked Jennifer and Jake.

Jennifer started to speak but Jake interrupted her, as he sometimes did, explaining that they had met in college.

We’ve been dating for about six months now, right babe? Jake asked.

Yes, we have. She gave Jake a content smile.

Jake was suddenly called away to take care of a keg emergency, leaving Matt and Jennifer to engage in some small talk before Matt went to grab a beer in the kitchen. Jennifer returned to chatting with some friends while Matt mingled, slightly bored. He observed Jennifer from afar and noticed that she seemed less reserved than he remembered and just as sweet as ever. Unfortunately, his shyness around girls had kicked in and he felt awkward interrupting her conversation, so he didn’t approach her again. However, when it came time to leave, Matt mustered up the courage to go over and say goodbye to her. It was the polite thing to do after all.

He found her seated in the den, her back towards him, and leaned over her shoulder from behind, clearing his throat so as not to startle her.

I don’t mean to interrupt but I just wanted to say goodbye and that it was very nice to see you again, Jennifer.

As he leaned in, he could smell the sweet vanilla aroma of her hair, which immediately set off his longstanding physical attraction for her. As for Jennifer, she had always found Matt extremely attractive and his physical proximity to her coupled with his low voice in her ear set off her own underlying attraction for him, which she did her best to hide before it was discernible to him or anyone else. Only a slight blush gave her away. But the truth was that from the moment she saw him that night at the party, she had felt a rush. He was as handsome as ever in a collared navy blue golf shirt and golf shorts which showed off his trim build and runner’s legs. She noticed that when he had first looked at her that night, there was a genuine warmth in his smile which she found very endearing. She overcame her shyness and excused herself so that she could walk him to the door. Her excitement at seeing him surprised even herself.

It was nice to see you again, Matt—so nice to see a familiar face, she said, sounding a little relieved. Almost everyone here is a friend of Jake’s from high school, so I don’t know that many people. I didn’t realize the two of you even knew each other.

I actually can’t remember how he and I met—it was a few years ago. I wasn’t even planning on coming tonight, but I’m glad I did. He gave a nervous smile.

The thrill of seeing her again now seemed to be overriding his shyness because he was starting to feel more at ease and wanted to keep talking with her. Or maybe it was the beer, he thought—he wasn’t sure. She was also much more talkative than he remembered her being with him. They stood in the foyer speaking for quite a while and didn’t realize how much time had passed when Jake called over to her.

Hey, Jenn! Can you move your car? My buddy needs to head out and you’re blocking him.

She nodded in Jake’s direction.

Okay, well I better take care of this. I guess you need to leave, right? she asked, hoping the answer was no.

Matt didn’t need to leave and he was really enjoying talking to her.

Actually, I can stay a little longer. If you want, just give me your keys and I’ll move your car for you.

She looked surprised and he hoped he hadn’t overstepped with her.

Are you sure? I don’t want to make you do that. I can take care of it, she said, her heart beginning to beat erratically as she met his kind eyes.

It’s no trouble, really. He was more than happy to help her.

She went to the bedroom to get her car key and handed it to him, their hands briefly touching during the transfer.

Thanks! she said, feeling her cheeks start to heat up. She was feeling the same rush that she had felt when she first saw him that night.

He could tell that she was nervous, which only made her more adorable to him. He waited a second or two and then grinned. She stared back at him, nervous and confused.

Unless you want me to guess which car is yours, I think this may take a while. He smiled as he saw the light bulb go off in her head.

She let out a hearty laugh. Oh, yeah, well that would help, wouldn’t it? It’s the grey Honda at the end of the driveway on the left. She then looked a little concerned. I hope I didn’t leave it a mess in there, and actually, hopefully I didn’t leave an embarrassing CD playing!

Don’t worry, I think I can handle your music choices. There was a hint of flirtation in his voice.

She smiled appreciatively as he exited and he couldn’t help but notice what a beautiful smile she had. There was just something about her that made him feel really good.

He got to her car and noticed that it was very clean inside and he wasn’t sure what mess she could have been referring to. When he turned on the ignition, a female vocalist’s voice came on loudly—something about California. He’d never heard the song before. It wasn’t bad, just not something he knew. He moved her car to the street and returned to the house. By then, Jennifer was talking to someone else but when he entered the foyer, she immediately excused herself from her conversation and rejoined him.

Did you find it okay? she asked.

No, I’ve just been out there smoking pot, he said with a wink, handing her back her key.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, but he could tell she thought it was funny.

"Oh, and by the way, your car is a mess. I don’t know how you can drive around in it like that. I mean really, that gum wrapper on the floor?" He tried to get another laugh out of her like the one she had given him earlier.

She feigned embarrassment at the thought of a messy car. Okay, okay, so I’m a bit of a neat freak…So what music was playing?

It was a female singer singing about California.

Oh, Joni Mitchell. I love that song…Wait, you’ve never heard of Joni Mitchell?

I guess I’ve heard of her, but I didn’t realize that was her.

She explained that she had only recently discovered her and that she had quickly become one of her favorites. She asked him what kind of music he listened to and he named a few bands that she had never heard of, but she was interested. He listened to a wide variety of music—the more obscure the better—and he loved to discuss music; it was one of his passions.

My favorite band at the moment is an indie rock band out of California actually, he said, smiling at the coincidence. They call themselves Modesto.

He paused to try to read whether she wanted him to continue and her eyes showed interest so he happily went on.

They have a really unique sound. They’re originally from Modesto so I’m assuming that’s how they came up with their name. Actually, I was just reading about how the City of Modesto got its name. It’s kind of interesting. He paused again because he realized he was probably putting her to sleep at this point, but to his surprise she seemed eager to hear.

Go on, how did the city get its name? she asked with genuine interest.

He smiled at her reaction.

Well, it was originally named after a guy who didn’t feel comfortable having a city named for him—he was modest. So they changed the name of the city to Modesto, which is Spanish for ‘modest.’ Jennifer listened with interest. So, in spite of himself, the city is still kind of named after him—or his modesty anyway. I just thought it was kind of an amusing story.

Yes, definitely, she said with a grin. Modesto, she repeated, as if trying to commit it to memory.

He was now acutely aware that he was doing all of the talking. He didn’t usually talk this much but there was just something about Jennifer that was wearing away his shyness.

Sorry, I know I’ve been talking your ear off— he started to say, but she stopped him mid-sentence to reassure him.

No, no, no, you’re fine! I’m enjoying your stories. Something interesting to hear about for a change!

But he also did want to get to know her better so he switched gears.

So tell me, Ms. Bantam, what are you majoring in these days?

As soon as he heard the typical what’s your major line come out of his mouth, he cringed inside. But the truth was that he was very interested in knowing what her major was and waited for her answer.

She smiled to herself as she recalled that he always had such a cute way about him. She happily shared that she was majoring in English since she loved to read and it combined her love of books with her studies. She particularly liked nineteenth century British literature and hoped to maybe become a professor or writer one day.

I’m sure whatever you decide to do, you’ll be very successful, he said.

Well, we’ll see. I want to keep an open mind and not lock myself into one career path just yet.

She seemed very level-headed and he liked her open-minded approach.

Do you read much? she asked.

A little. Mainly just news and human interest stories but also some historical nonfiction once in a while…Hence the incredibly scintillating Modesto story, he joked.

She giggled. Well I liked it.

That makes two of us, he said, grinning.

He took in her expression and couldn’t help but notice that she was still listening very intently to him and he found himself drawn to her kind eyes. He felt like he could talk to her all night but tried to hold back, to no avail. She was just as eager to talk with him and continued to ask him questions. They were like two moths attracted to the light, the light being each other.

"So what are you majoring in?" she asked with an underlying excitement unworthy of the topic. It really didn’t matter what they were discussing; she just wanted to get to know him better and every piece of information was fueling her.

Business, along with graphic design. I think I’d eventually like to start my own graphic design firm if I’m lucky.

That’s awesome! Actually, I remember that you used to like to draw, didn’t you?

He was taken aback that she would know that about him since he didn’t share that with many people.

Yeah, actually I do like to draw. But how did you know that?

Oh, well I guess I was a little nosy, she said, slightly embarrassed. Whenever we sat near each other in class, I saw you drawing these cool three-dimensional shapes in your notebook. I think maybe you were bored. She gave a shy smile.

"Well, you know, it’s funny you should say that because whenever I sat next to you, I remember that you used to draw these tiny little stars all over the margins of the page. Maybe we just had a really boring teacher, huh? he said with a twinkle in his eye. You had stars everywhere! Oh, and I think sometimes you would draw the sun with lots of rays shooting out from it. I remember that too."

Her eyes were now sparkling at him. That’s right, I did do that! I forgot about that…Well, your pictures were at least cool. Mine could have been drawn by a second grader. She giggled.

Their smiling eyes latched on to one another and they stared with amusement and a newfound appreciation for one another.

So, since you want to become a graphic designer, I’m assuming you still do a lot of drawing?

I do like to draw, but I don’t do it as much as I used to. Graphic design is based more on computer graphics, but they’re definitely interrelated, he said. Anyway, I feel like all I’ve done all night is talk—sorry about that.

Please, there’s no need to apologize. I’m finding this all very interesting, really!

They continued to talk, sharing some high school memories, discussing Boston—where she went to college—as compared to Shelby Falls where he was in school, having the age-old Red Sox versus Yankees argument, and discussing how it felt being an only child. While Matt did not bring it up, she was aware that his brother had passed away when Matt was very young. It was not something that Matt chose to discuss with many people however. They talked for a little while longer and certainly didn’t agree on everything but they were interested in hearing each other’s perspective and treated each other with consideration and respect. Simply put, they were thoroughly enjoying each other’s company and their minds were very much tuned in to one another.

As the evening drew to a close, it occurred to Matt that Jake had never even once joined their conversation. He thought it was a little odd but Jennifer didn’t seem concerned. Matt didn’t want to leave but he also didn’t want to appear too eager with her. After all, she was dating Jake, so he eventually said goodbye and asked her to let Jake know that he had to leave. He added that he was glad he had run into her and said he hoped they would see each other again over the summer. She nodded happily but was similarly careful not to seem too eager. Yet as she walked him to the door, she felt an odd pang in her heart, almost like she already missed him.

As he pushed the screen door open to leave, she had a sudden, strong compulsion to stop him.

Oh, wait! she said, spontaneously reaching for his arm but then quickly pulling it back with embarrassment once she realized what she had done. But what she had done could not be undone. Her touch had ignited something in them—a spark. Before she pulled her hand back, she felt his toned upper arm and the feel of her hand gripping his bicep caused him to experience a sensory overload. He turned around and met her eyes, and his heart began pounding for her.

Thanks again for moving my car! she said, feeling her cheeks become flushed.

Oh, sure, any time, he said calmly, though underneath his heart was still beating hard.

They robotically repeated their now third round of goodbyes and as the screen door closed behind Matt, Jennifer lingered by the door, her eyes glued to him as he walked to his car and drove away.

CHAPTER 3

A Little Spark

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, JENNIFER DECIDED to leave the party. She needed to get up early the next morning to meet a friend and pulled Jake aside.

I’m a little tired, she told Jake, so I think I’m just going to head home, okay?

Aw…babe…Are you sure you can’t stay a little longer? It’s starting to wind down and then it can just be the two of us. He pulled her close to him and she grinned.

She checked the time and it was already after midnight.

That is tempting, but I’m meeting a friend in the morning and she’s going on a trip for several weeks, so I want to see her before she leaves.

Do I know this mysterious friend of yours? he asked, his arms still around her waist.

Cassie LeBlanc, she said. I’ve told you about her.

He nodded. Ah…yes…Cassie. Well, tell her I say hello and I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night then. They kissed goodbye.

As she got into her car, she was relieved to find that it was clean, as she didn’t want Matt Conroy thinking she was a slob. Nope, not even a wrapper on the floor, she thought; he just made that up to tease me. She smiled to herself. Speaking with him that evening, she was reminded of just how sweet and funny—and gorgeous—he was. In high school, she hadn’t talked to him a lot, partly because he always seemed to have a harem of girls surrounding him. He was very well liked at school, but what made him rise to the top was the fact that in addition to being very good looking, he also happened to be a very nice guy. She recalled that he often seemed to be seated near her in class and was always polite to her, and she responded with equal politeness. But she was never overly receptive to his attempts at conversation and now realized that she may have unfairly judged him when she assumed that he was just being polite, as she found him to be very genuine at the party. The truth was that she had always found him very attractive and sweet and, had she allowed herself, she most certainly would have been infatuated with him. But at the time, she believed him to be so far out of her league that she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge in such fantasies.

But tonight felt different. First of all, the girls weren’t swarming around him, probably because most of the people at Jake’s party weren’t from their high school so they didn’t realize what