person was missing. Jack.
Jack had been there for most of her memories. From the time she was ten years old until the moment she left for college, they’d been inseparable. Jack’s family had moved to Dallas Springs when he was just starting middle school. They bought old Mr. Prager’s apple farm, and Jack was constantly working with his father and uncle in the fields. She remembered the first time they met - when Jack brought her a “special apple” from his favorite tree. During lunch one day, he presented it to her and his buddies made such fun of him that he wouldn’t look Danna’s way for two weeks. Of course, she eventually bullied her way right back into his world and the rest was history.
What had she done? Jack had been her best friend and the love of her short life, yet she’d tossed him aside to pursue her dreams. What kind of person did that make her?
She wondered how he really felt about her now. Did he hate her? Would he even care that she was back in town? Would he want to see her?
She decided, in true Danna fashion, that there was only one way to find out. She would have to see for herself whether or not Jack Swanson still cared about her, and the only way to do that was by sneak attack.
Chapter 4
Danna drove slowly up the dirt road leading to the main house of Swanson Farms. The pasture had just been cut, and there were more horses grazing than Danna remembered. She could see the apple trees lining the fields, and it looked like there was a new red barn off in the distance. Some things hadn’t changed at all, but she could tell time had allowed the farm to progress somewhat.
As she parked her car in front of the sprawling white antebellum home that stood on one hundred acres of land, memories came flooding back to her. She and Jack had spent an awful lot of time together running through those fields, picking apples, riding horses and creating mischief anywhere they could.
“ Can I help you?” a man asked who was working on landscaping in the front flower bed.
“I’m looking for Jack Swanson,” she said. Knowing that she was going to a working farm, Danna had worn jeans, brown cowboy boots and a button up plaid shirt. She felt like a real cowgirl again.
“Oh, he’s down in the barn over there,” the man said pointing behind the house.
“Thanks.”
Danna started walking down toward the bright red barn. She could tell that a lot of the fencing on the old farm had been upgraded, and the barn wasn’t that old. As she walked through the big double doors, she could hear a radio playing country music. Jack had always loved country music, and she was sure he was near that radio wherever it was.
Petting one of the horses in a stall on the right, Danna continued walking through the big barn until she saw a pair of cowboy boots on the ground. They were attached to Jack’s legs as he worked on hammering up a board that had apparently come loose.
She stopped in front of where he was lying on the ground, waiting for him to notice her.
“Can you hand me that nail?” he called over the radio, completely unaware that it was Danna standing there. Seeing only boots and jeans, he apparently assumed it was just one of the farm workers.
“Sure,” she said as she reached down and picked it up. When her hand touched his, he stopped cold and sat up.
“Danna?” he said with his mouth hanging open. When she saw him, she almost passed out herself. He’d changed a lot since she’d seen him. Now a real man, he was tough and rugged looking with stubble across his jaw and messed up dirty blond hair. His blue eyes were still as piercing as ever, and she could still smell that cologne he wore in high school wafting past her nose.
“Hi, Jack,” she said softly. He switched off the radio, and stood up, shaking the hay off his jeans.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, still not cracking a smile or looking like he
Jack had been there for most of her memories. From the time she was ten years old until the moment she left for college, they’d been inseparable. Jack’s family had moved to Dallas Springs when he was just starting middle school. They bought old Mr. Prager’s apple farm, and Jack was constantly working with his father and uncle in the fields. She remembered the first time they met - when Jack brought her a “special apple” from his favorite tree. During lunch one day, he presented it to her and his buddies made such fun of him that he wouldn’t look Danna’s way for two weeks. Of course, she eventually bullied her way right back into his world and the rest was history.
What had she done? Jack had been her best friend and the love of her short life, yet she’d tossed him aside to pursue her dreams. What kind of person did that make her?
She wondered how he really felt about her now. Did he hate her? Would he even care that she was back in town? Would he want to see her?
She decided, in true Danna fashion, that there was only one way to find out. She would have to see for herself whether or not Jack Swanson still cared about her, and the only way to do that was by sneak attack.
Chapter 4
Danna drove slowly up the dirt road leading to the main house of Swanson Farms. The pasture had just been cut, and there were more horses grazing than Danna remembered. She could see the apple trees lining the fields, and it looked like there was a new red barn off in the distance. Some things hadn’t changed at all, but she could tell time had allowed the farm to progress somewhat.
As she parked her car in front of the sprawling white antebellum home that stood on one hundred acres of land, memories came flooding back to her. She and Jack had spent an awful lot of time together running through those fields, picking apples, riding horses and creating mischief anywhere they could.
“ Can I help you?” a man asked who was working on landscaping in the front flower bed.
“I’m looking for Jack Swanson,” she said. Knowing that she was going to a working farm, Danna had worn jeans, brown cowboy boots and a button up plaid shirt. She felt like a real cowgirl again.
“Oh, he’s down in the barn over there,” the man said pointing behind the house.
“Thanks.”
Danna started walking down toward the bright red barn. She could tell that a lot of the fencing on the old farm had been upgraded, and the barn wasn’t that old. As she walked through the big double doors, she could hear a radio playing country music. Jack had always loved country music, and she was sure he was near that radio wherever it was.
Petting one of the horses in a stall on the right, Danna continued walking through the big barn until she saw a pair of cowboy boots on the ground. They were attached to Jack’s legs as he worked on hammering up a board that had apparently come loose.
She stopped in front of where he was lying on the ground, waiting for him to notice her.
“Can you hand me that nail?” he called over the radio, completely unaware that it was Danna standing there. Seeing only boots and jeans, he apparently assumed it was just one of the farm workers.
“Sure,” she said as she reached down and picked it up. When her hand touched his, he stopped cold and sat up.
“Danna?” he said with his mouth hanging open. When she saw him, she almost passed out herself. He’d changed a lot since she’d seen him. Now a real man, he was tough and rugged looking with stubble across his jaw and messed up dirty blond hair. His blue eyes were still as piercing as ever, and she could still smell that cologne he wore in high school wafting past her nose.
“Hi, Jack,” she said softly. He switched off the radio, and stood up, shaking the hay off his jeans.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, still not cracking a smile or looking like he
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