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smiled. Her entire life revolved around the church. Therefore, so did mine. And every Friday after class, I had to drive home to my grandparents’ house. I wasn’t allowed to return to Lubbock until Sunday afternoon.”
    “Resentful?”
    Was that the word she would use? She nodded. “Yes. Resentful. Once I moved to Santa Fe, I separated myself from them more and more.”
    “You missed out on a lot growing up.”
    “I know.” Jen sighed. “I didn’t know it at the time, of course. Back then, there was never a question of me going against their wishes.”
    “So you didn’t go through a rebellious stage?”
    “I was afraid to. Even in college, I had very few friends. I met Brad there. He was a journalism major, so we had several classes together. He became my first real friend.”
    “And lover?”
    Jen blushed. “We started dating when I was a senior, and even then, I had to keep that a secret from them. He wasn’t from the church, you know,” she said mockingly.
    “Your mother was never in the picture?”
    “Not when I was younger, no. She’s married now. Lives in Dallas. They have two children. To her credit, she tried to get me to live with her, but my grandparents wouldn’t hear of it. We’re closer now, but still, our relationship was already damaged. Actually, my relationship with my grandmother is strained as well. I don’t talk to her very often.”
    “So how did you escape to Santa Fe?”
    “After college, I got a job at Anasazi Press. Brad is from Santa Fe originally,” she explained. “They threw a fit about me moving there, but they couldn’t very well make me move back home with them, even though they strongly suggested it. It was my first act of defiance. Besides, Lubbock offered nothing for me.”
    “And they still didn’t know Brad was in the picture?”
    “No. Ironically, Anasazi Press had published the first self-help book that I ever read.” She laughed. “I’m certain I’m one of the few people who read it. Party Girl! How to Shake the Wallflower Image.” She rolled her eyes. “It was way over the top. Especially for me. But it did open my eyes about a few things. I gradually broke out of my shell, but I never reached that party girl stage.”
    “You’re so attractive, I can’t imagine ‘wallflower’ applying to you,” Ryan said. “You must have had guys hanging around.”
    “Thank you. But I didn’t dress to call attention to myself. And I wore old-fashioned glasses, nothing stylish. Not so attractive. And anyway, as soon as guys found out I wasn’t going to sleep with them, they left. By my senior year, I was pretty much over my shyness. I had a few close friends, and I had Brad.”
    “So he’s your one and only boyfriend?”
    Jen looked away from Ryan’s curious stare. “Yes. I dated a preacher’s son a couple of times, but all he was interested in was seeing if he could get past second base.”
    Ryan laughed. “And did he?”
    Jen blushed again, wondering why she was telling Ryan this. “I let him touch my breasts—through my shirt—and even then I thought I’d burn in hell.”
    Ryan looked at her thoughtfully. “I can’t relate. Certainly not to a boy touching my breasts and not even the burning in hell part. Religion was never a part of my life.”
    Jen watched her expression change. The openness she’d shared in that brief moment was gone, and a mask was in its place. Jen was just barely able to stifle her curiosity. That was the first bit of personal information Ryan had divulged.
    The silence continued, with Ryan tapping away on her laptop and Jen adding to the journal she’d started. Although it was sunny outside, the wind had picked up, making the windows rattle around them. The stove burned hotly, keeping the inside of the cabin warm enough for Jen to lose her sweater. Ryan was in her recliner, her legs stretched out, her jeans replaced by comfortable-looking sweatpants.
    “Would you like a pair?”
    Jen realized she’d been staring