Love by Degree

Author:Debbie Macomber [Macomber, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488025792
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 1987-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Why couldn’t I see that?” Ellen moaned, looking over the algebraic equation Reed had worked out. “If I can fix a stopped-up sink, tune a car engine and manage a budget, why can’t I understand something this simple?” She was quickly losing a grip on the more advanced theories they were now studying.

“Here, let me show it to you again.”

Her hand lifted the curls off her forehead. “Do you think it’ll do any good?”

“Yes, I do.” Reed obviously had more faith in her powers of comprehension than she did. Step by step, he led her through another problem. When he explained the textbook examples, the whole process seemed so logical. Yet when she set out to solve a similar equation on her own, nothing went right.

“I give up.” Throwing her hands over her head, she leaned back in the kitchen chair and groaned. “I should’ve realized that algebra would be too much for me. I had difficulty memorizing the multiplication tables, for heaven’s sake.”

“What you need is a break.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Twenty years?” She stood up and brought the cookie jar to the table. “Here, this will help ease the suffering.” She offered him a chocolate-chip cookie and took one herself.

“Be more patient with yourself,” Reed urged.

“There’s only two weeks left in this term—and then exams. I need to understand this stuff and I need to understand it now.”

He laid his hands on her shoulders, massaging gently. “No, you don’t. Come on, I’m taking you to a movie.”

“I’ve got to study,” she protested, but not too strenuously. Escaping for an hour or two sounded infinitely more appealing than struggling with these impossible equations.

“There’s a wonderful foreign film showing at the Moore Egyptian Theatre and we’re going. We can worry about that assignment once we get back.”

“But, Reed—”

“No buts. We’re going.” He took her firmly by the hand and led her into the front hall. Derek and Monte were watching TV and the staccato sounds of machine guns firing could be heard in the background. Neither boy noticed them until Reed opened the hall closet.

“Where are you two headed?” Derek asked, peering around the living-room door as Reed handed Ellen her jacket.

“A movie.”

Instantly Derek muted the television. “The two of you alone? Together?”

“I imagine there’ll be one or two others at the cinema,” Reed responded dryly.

“Can I come?” Monte had joined Derek in the doorway.

Instantly Derek’s elbow shoved the other boy in the ribs. “On second thought, just bring me back some popcorn, okay?”

“Sure.”

Ellen pulled a knit cap over her ears. “Do either of you want anything else? I’d buy out the concession stand if one of you felt inclined to do my algebra assignment.”

“No way.”

“Bribing them won’t help,” Reed commented.

“I know, but I was hoping. …”

It was a cold, blustery night. An icy north wind whipped against them as they hurried to Reed’s truck. He opened the door for her before running around to the driver’s side.

“Brr.” Ellen shoved her hands inside her pockets. “If I doubted it was winter before, now I know.

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