The Keeneston Roses Read Free Page A

soaked in the sight of him in his button-down shirt with a loosened tie. His hair was freshly styled and his smile was anything but innocent.
    “I’m glad you can join us. Did you forget your jacket?” Lily’s mother kindly rebuked.
    “How’s it going so far?” Daisy whispered from where the three of them were spying.
    “He brought Mom flowers and complimented her cooking, but she doesn’t appreciate his dressing down,” Lily whispered back as they watched their father glare at him. “Come on, we better get down there before they scare him away.”
    Lily rushed the rest of the way down the stairs. As she came into view, Frank turned and gave her an appreciative smile. “Hey, aren’t you a classy chassis?”
    Lily blushed and practically felt the breeze from Violet’s eye roll behind her. “Thanks, Frank. I like your threads.”
    “Thanks. Hi, Daisy. Hi, Violet.”
    Her sisters murmured their hellos before disappearing into the dining room, leaving them together. Lily grew nervous. She knew this was a crush because she hurt when he wasn’t with her. But when they were together, she felt so insecure. He ran with the cool kids, and it was rumored he had dated a Hollywood actress while he was in the Hamptons over the summer. Yet, he was here, looking at her like he wanted to rip off her clothes. No one ever looked at her like that. No one braved the Rose reputation to see the passionate person underneath the cardigans.
    “I’m sorry you have to do this. It’s just that my parents like to know who I’m going out with.”
    “I understand. Haven’t you figured out I’ll jump through all the hoops to go steady with you?” Frank asked in a low voice and stepped close to her, looking into her eyes.
    “Dinner,” her mother called from the dining room.
    Lily blinked as she broke Frank’s gaze. He had been about to kiss her; she just knew it. Maybe tonight they could sneak away from the dance. She certainly didn’t want to get a reputation for being fast, but kissing Frank was what her dreams were made of.
     
    Frank slid his arm tightly around her as they slow-danced to The Hilltoppers. The dance had been so romantic. Frank was a fantastic dancer, and Lily didn’t miss the wishful glances from the other girls. They had danced slowly, and they had danced fast. They had laughed, they had talked with her friends, and she had loved every minute of it.
    “Mr. Shilling, this is not the appropriate distance,” their principal said with disapproval as he held out a ruler to demonstrate the appropriate amount of space required between their bodies.
    Frank took a step backward and the principal moved on with a nod of his head. “Let’s blow this joint,” Frank said as he steered her from the gymnasium.
    “And where are we going?”
    “Lovers Pond sounds good to me. What about you?”
    Lily gulped. She wanted to, but Lovers Pond was a sure way to ruin your reputation. “I’m sorry but with my curfew I don’t think I can.”
    Frank gave her a lopsided grin. “There’s my innocent bloom. Tonight I’ll just dream about it. How about we go hang with my friends at the water tower instead? I promise I’ll get you home in plenty of time to meet your curfew.”
    “I can do that. It will give me a chance to meet your friends. I don’t know them very well.” Lily thought about Rex and knew her mother would drop dead if she discovered Lily was hanging out with him. But her mother was wrong about Frank, and maybe they were all wrong about Rex. There was only one way to find out, and that was to decide for herself.
     
    Lily waited as Frank jumped out of the car and walked around to open her door. There were six cars with their lights on next to the town’s water tower. Some of the guys were trying to race each other up the tower while others were sitting in the back seats of their cars necking with girls.
    She hated to admit it, but Lily had a sneaking suspicion her mother had been right. Some of them were old