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One Small Spark Excerpt Mrs. Kincaid was right. Craig did have a big responsibility in trying to raise his headstrong daughter, and Lauren could feel herself being pulled deeper and deeper into their world. But like an innocent bystander who had slipped into quicksand, she was finding it more and more difficult to keep from going under. She finished her coffee and put her mug on the table. “I need to get home, Craig. Please tell Zoey goodnight for me, and tell Mrs. Fitzgerald her dinner was delicious. Thank you so much for inviting me.” But when she stood up, Craig jumped to his feet beside her. “You’re not going so soon, are you? I was hoping tonight we’d finally have time to get better acquainted. I want to know you, Lauren—to know what makes you tick. Why do I have the feeling you keep avoiding me?” A rakish grin spread over his face. “I take regular baths, use my deodorant, brush my teeth, and even use mouthwash. I’m not such a bad guy. What’s the problem?” Lauren giggled. Put like that, she had to admit he was right. “I’m not avoiding you Craig. In fact, I—I really like you a lot. It’s just—” She almost told him she wasn’t ready to get involved in a relationship right now for many reasons, but she stopped just in time to avoid another embarrassing situation. What was she thinking? He hadn’t said anything about a relationship. In fact, he had never even suggested anything beyond mere friendship. She was letting her heart leap ahead of her brain again. Because she recognized her own vulnerability, she knew how easy it would be to expect so much more. She’d better get out of here before that quicksand pulled her all the way under. She walked out onto the porch to clear her head in the fresh evening air. She raised her eyes to the heavens where stars sparkled in a cloudless sky. Lord, help me to be strong and wise. Please keep me from doing anything foolish that I’ll come to later regret. Although his footsteps were silent, she sensed his presence behind her even before he began to knead the tension out of her shoulder blades. He followed her down the steps to her car and unlocked it for her, but he stood so close that she couldn’t open the door without pushing him aside. Her eyes fastened on his soft, full lips moving ever so slowly, closer and closer toward hers. She had plenty of time to turn her head and avoid them, but she didn’t move a muscle. His kiss was as warm and sweet as a summer breeze. Though it lasted for only a moment, Lauren knew she would cherish it in her heart long after this memorable night was over. “I’ve been wanting to do that all evening,” he whispered. She didn’t trust her voice to speak, afraid she might somehow reveal the secret truth that she had wanted the same.*** ... But maybe on Saturday you could have some kind of a birthday party for her. Would she like that?” Craig snapped up the idea.“Great! She loves parties. Let’s make it a surprise party. Would you help me, Lauren? I don’t know anything about girls’ parties." “Of course I’ll help. But I don’t know her friends, and I wouldn’t know who to invite. Would you?” Craig gave it some thought. “I’ve been pleased to see she’s been spending more time with her friend Lisa lately. For a while, the two of them had drifted apart, but lately Zoey is mixing more with the friends she used to have. Maybe Lisa could invite a few kids over.” His eyes were regaining their sparkle as he planned. He actually sounded excited. “Mrs. Fitzgerald could make a cake and some snacks. I could have pizzas delivered. I’ll get Lisa to help me with the music. How about decorations? Are you good at that sort of thing?” “I don’t know how good I am, but I love to decorate. How’s this?” Lauren spread her hands in an arc over her head to illustrate her idea. “We’ll have lots and lots of balloons everywhere, and crepe paper streamers twirled across the ceiling, and I’ll make a big banner on the computer. I’ll get all the things together and come over Saturday afternoon to put them up. But if this is to be a surprise, you’ll have to come up with a way to get Zoey out of the house for a few hours. Can you manage that?” “Let’s see now.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “How can I get rid of Zoey? Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.” He smiled confidently. “I’ll get her out of this house if it kills me.” Zoey washed her face and combed her hair and began to feel like a human again. This had been the worst afternoon of her entire life. But one person had said she trusted her. Was Lauren sincere, or was she just building up false hopes, stalling until the ax fell and Zoey was sent to detention? She wanted to believe her, but after listening to Mrs. Kincaid all afternoon, it was hard to imagine anyone could really trust her ever again. Zoey was confused. She pulled her mother’s picture from under her pillow and used the palm of her hand to smooth it out. She wondered if she could get it laminated to make it last. It was beginning to show signs of wear from the many times she had folded and unfolded it. Lucky for her Lisa had seen it in that magazine and cut it out for her. Dad would never have permitted her to buy a magazine like that. He thought books about movie stars were frivolous, but then Dad had a lot of old-fashioned ideas. She refolded the page carefully and placed it in her desk drawer, just below her diary. For the first time all day, she was beginning to feel hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast—hadn’t wanted to—but maybe a glass of milk would help calm her nerves. Dad and Lauren were in the living room, so if she was careful, she could slip down the stairs, get her milk and maybe one of Mrs. Fitzgerald’s sugar cookies, and ease back to her room without being seen. She was on next to the bottom step when she heard her father’s voice, excited, deep, and clear: “Let’s see now. How can I get rid of Zoey? Don’t worry, I’ll think of something. I’ll get her out of this house if it kills me.” Zoey’s head began to spin. She grasped the banister to keep from falling. They wanted to get rid of her! Get her out of this house! She couldn’t really blame them. She had done nothing but cause trouble for her dad from the day she was born. She stumbled back up the stairs, tears streaming down her face, and began to pack. |