Dancing in the Rain by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Author:Shelley Hrdlitschka
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9781459810679
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2016-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

twelve

Love opens your heart, trumps fear, and paves the way for healing in all aspects of your life.

(LISSA RANKIN, MIND OVER MEDICINE)

Ryan doesn’t work on Saturday, but he picks Brenna up after her shift and drives her home.

“How old are you anyway?” she asks as he pulls into her driveway. Her father’s car is parked outside, and it reminds her of their conversation a few days ago.

“Eighteen. Nineteen next month. How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“I keep thinking you’re older.”

“Is that a problem for you?” she asks, not looking at him.

“Is what a problem?”

“That I’m only sixteen.” Now she does look directly at him.

“Why would it be?” He smiles. “Is it a problem for you that I’m eighteen?”

“No.” She smiles back. “But it might be for my father. Especially the almost-nineteen part.”

“That’s because he doesn’t know me. Maybe you should invite him to hike with us.”

“Are you kidding?”

Ryan laughs. “Okay, then invite me in. When he discovers how charming and clever and charismatic I am…”

Brenna laughs and opens the car door. “Come on in then,” she says. “Let’s see how clever you really are. Charming, well, yeah, I already know about that.”

They find her dad and Naysa leaning over a jigsaw puzzle at a small table in the corner of the family room. Before Brenna has a chance to say anything, Ryan extends his hand to her father. “Hello, Mr. Yokoyama. We met once, briefly, at the door. I’m Ryan. I know Brenna from Grouse.”

Brenna’s dad clasps his outstretched hand. “Hi, Ryan. Please call me Brett. Do you know Naysa?”

“Yep, I’ve met the young math genius.”

A flicker of a smile tugs at Naysa’s mouth, but she doesn’t respond. She’s still in her pajamas.

“I’m going to get out of my bear-minding clothes,” Brenna says. “I’ll be right back.”

When she returns to the family room, Naysa is gone and Ryan is leaning over the table, telling her dad about his work at Grouse.

“You’ve finished school then?” he asks.

“For now. I’ll finish when I return to Australia.”

“When will that be?” Brenna’s dad slides a puzzle piece into place, and the completed eye of a bright-green frog stares back at them.

“Not yet determined.” Ryan places a piece to complete the frog’s mouth. It curls up into a pleased expression.

Her father’s phone rings. He answers it and wanders out of the room and down the hall to his office.

“I think that went well,” Ryan says. He grins at Brenna before returning his focus to the puzzle.

Brenna picks up a piece and examines it. She then studies the puzzle. They work in silence for a few minutes.

“Have you made any decisions about the Aid-A-Child fundraiser?” he asks.

Brenna glances at the door to the room, making sure no one is listening. “My heart’s not really in it anymore,” she says. “It was hard to admit to myself that it was never about the kids, only about me.”

While Ryan searches through the remaining puzzle pieces in the box, Brenna’s thoughts return to the meeting the previous night. Before they left, Justin had shared his involvement with Kia during her pregnancy.

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