Rum Spring by Yolanda Wallace Read Free Book Online Page A

stockings.”
    A librarian. Surrounded all day by thousands of books. To Rebecca, it sounded like the most wonderful job in the world. She wondered what she would have to do to get a job like that. She knew she would have to go back to school, but for how long? And how much would it cost? She enjoyed working at the bakery but she didn’t want to do it forever. Before she met Dylan, she had never allowed herself to dream such things. Now dreams were her constant companion.
    Dylan pulled a pint of butter pecan ice cream out of the freezer. “Sweets for the sweet.” She fed Rebecca a spoonful of ice cream. “Am I the only girl you’ve ever wanted to kiss?”
    Rebecca savored the luxurious sweetness of the ice cream before swallowing it down. She immediately opened her mouth for more. “I’ve kissed other girls before.”
    “The way you kissed me?”
    “Of course not, silly.”
    “Did you like kissing me?”
    “Yes.” Rebecca’s stomach felt funny. She couldn’t determine if the cause was the alcohol she had drunk, the strange food she had just eaten, or Dylan Mahoney standing so close.
    “Can you still be friends with me knowing what you do about me?”
    “My feelings for you won’t change, no matter who you choose to love.”
    “Wow. I’m supposed to be the writer, but you have an eloquence I could only hope to possess.”
    “Speaking the truth always sounds better than making up a lie.” Unaccustomed to staying up so late—her day usually ended at nine and began at four—Rebecca stifled a yawn.
    “You must be exhausted. Let’s get you to bed.”
    “I can help you clean up.”
    “There’s nothing to clean up.” Dylan tossed the empty water bottles into the recycling bin, put the rest of the ice cream back in the freezer, and placed the dirty dishes in the washer. “See? All done.” She showed Rebecca to the guest room upstairs and kissed her good night. “Sweet dreams.”
    Rebecca grabbed Dylan’s hand. Alone in a strange environment, she clung to the familiar. “Stay with me.”
    Rebecca crawled under the covers and Dylan slid in behind her. “Close your eyes,” Dylan said, gently stroking Rebecca’s hair. Rebecca did as she was told. Dylan softly sang a lullaby several centuries old.
    “What’s that language?”
    “Gaelic,” Dylan said. “Grandma Siobhan, Mom’s mother, is from Ireland. She taught me that song when I was a little girl. She used to sing it to me all the time. Two verses and I was out like a light. I’d love for you to meet her. Even more, I’d love to show you where she grew up. Her village is filled with rolling green hills that go on forever. My family and I went there on vacation once. It was so beautiful I didn’t want to come back home. Sharing that journey with you is item number five on The List.”
    Rebecca rolled over in bed. She was face-to-face with Dylan, their heads just inches apart. “If taking me to Ireland is item number five, what’s the most important thing you want to show me?”
    Dylan grinned. “We took care of item number one when you asked me to kiss you. I’ve been waiting two years to cross that one off.”
    “And what’s next?”
    Dylan grew tongue-tied when she thought of the entry on the second page of her journal. The experience she wanted to save until she was old enough to fully appreciate it. “I don’t think we’re ready for item number two yet, so we’d better skip to item number three. Would you like to learn to drive?”
    “A car? You’re going to teach me how to drive a car? Your car?”
    “My car is a stick shift, which is harder to learn. My dad’s truck is an automatic. It’s a lot easier to practice on. Next weekend, I thought we could go out to the country and I could give you a driving lesson. Would you like that?”
    “Very much.” Rebecca wrapped her arms around Dylan’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Dylan.”
    “You’re welcome.” Dylan could feel Rebecca’s body thrumming with