Looking Through Windows Read Free

his study.
     
    "You all set, little girl?" He looked up from his desk. "I thought I'd be doing this five or six years ago. I can't believe I'm sending you off again, but at least this time," he said as he stood to hug her, "you're not going to a scary, unsettled part of the world."
     
    "Dad, the Peace Corps was a great experience," she insisted as she hugged him back. "But I'm definitely ready for college now. It would have been a waste of money when I was eighteen."
     
    "I know, I know," he sighed, letting her go reluctantly. "But to tell you the truth, I'm almost as nervous about letting you go to college as I was about sending you off to Africa."
     
    "Dad, please," Ann said, rolling her eyes. "I'm years older than those kids. I'm there to work, not party. I got that out of my system in Europe," she added with a coy look.
     
    "Stop!" Katharine held up her hands. "I don't want to know any more. There are definitely things parents do not need to know." She laughed. "At least that's what I always told my mother."
     
    "I'll remember you said that," Ann grinned.
     
    They all walked out to where the Land Cruiser was waiting with the horse trailer hitched to it.  Ann hugged her parents one more time, promising to call when she got to her apartment, and pulled out of the driveway. Looking back in the rearview mirror, Ann saw Owen slip his arm around his wife and pull her close as they walked back inside.
     
    Ann drove carefully to avoid jarring Meg. Her route took her along a series of large interstates and smaller highways, which offered a more intimate view of the small farms with their neatly painted barns, and fields dotted with cattle. As she drove through Vermont, the terrain became more mountainous. When she arrived at the farm where the mare was to be boarded, Ann found Barbara, the owner. They unloaded Meg and placed her in her stall with some grain. Then she unloaded her tack trunk and saddle, putting them in the tack room. She parked the trailer off to one side of the barn with some others and drove on to her apartment.
     
    She had found an enormous old mansion, which had been remodeled into five separate apartments. She wanted to live alone, though it meant not being able to share expenses. She knew she couldn't tolerate being in a dormitory. This apartment suited her needs perfectly. The tall windows brought in plenty of light, with a rosy glow from the oak floors bouncing off the cream-colored walls. There were two bedrooms, but she had only brought one set of sheets, so the other bedroom served as the receptacle for empty boxes and suitcases as she unpacked. After she brought the last box up from the Toyota, she placed a quick call to her parents and then went to the campus bookstore to get her textbooks.
     
    It was Friday and she knew the bookstore would be open tomorrow, but she was eager to look through the first few chapters before classes started. She hadn't expected the books to be as numerous or as heavy as they turned out to be. She left the bookstore with two heavy bags and regretted not having driven to the bookstore. Taking what she hoped was a short cut back to her apartment; she cut through the park with the old church. There were several people in the park, including a group of guys throwing a football. Suddenly, she heard, "Watch out!" But it was too late. A muscular young man trying to catch a high football pass ran right into her, knocking her flat and sending her books flying.
     
    Emily was up in the bell tower and saw everything. She watched the young man's mouth moving rapidly as he helped the dark-haired woman to her feet. Though she couldn't hear from where she was, Emily was sure he was apologizing profusely. He didn't take his eyes off the woman's face, and even from this distance, Emily understood why. She was beautiful. To Emily's amazement, the dark-haired woman was smiling, not angry. In a couple of minutes a whole crowd of guys had gathered round, picking up her books, asking