Prologue
Jenna watched in horror as the ball of chocolate ice cream slipped off the cone and landed with a splat on the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she watched it melt until it was a dark blob on the white concrete patio.
“Hey there, little bit.” Someone large crouched beside her, his voice deep and soothing. Locked in her misery, she couldn’t pull her gaze away from the rapidly disappearing mound of ice cream. “Now there’s no use crying over spilled ice cream. I’m sure we can get you another scoop.”
She finally turned to look at him. He was an older boy, his dark hair long and scruffy, dressed in ripped jeans and a red T-shirt. He gave her a smile and a wink. Then he stood and reached out his hand to her. “Shall we go find some more?”
She looked at his hand. “Nancy said I’m not s’posed to go anywhere with strangers.”
He nodded. “Nancy is correct. You shouldn’t. Do you want to go back inside and get the ice cream yourself?”
She sighed, feeling sad. “I can’t. Nancy said I could only have one scoop, ’cause otherwise Momma will get upset.”
“Why would she get upset?”
She shrugged. “She don’t like me eating ice cream.”
“All right then. Wait here and I’ll be back soon.”
She watched as he disappeared into the house. Her bottom lip trembled. She’d wanted that ice cream so badly. She’d been a good girl and said please, and Nancy had actually said yes. But after two licks it had slipped off the cone, onto the ground.
“Here you are, little bit.”
When she looked up, her eyes widened at the sight of a fresh cone with two large scoops of ice cream, one chocolate, one vanilla. It was the biggest ice cream she’d ever seen. And the boy held it out to her.
“For me?” She didn’t dare reach out for it in case it was some kind of joke. Maybe it wasn’t for her at all. Maybe he didn’t want to share.
He smiled. “It’s for you, little bit.”
“Thank you,” she said, remembering her manners as she took the cone from him and took a giant lick.
He grinned. “You’re welcome. Be careful not to lick it too hard, though. Don’t think I can get us a third one.”
She smiled and in that moment, as she gently licked the ice cream, she knew.
She was going to marry him.
And then he’d give her as many ice cream cones as she liked.
Two years later . . .
She sat with her legs dangling between the banister rails of the stairs, watching all the people arrive for the party. If Nancy caught her she’d been in trouble. But her nanny was deep into her favorite TV show so Jenna knew she had a good hour before she was missed. She’d find her way back to her bed and pretend to be asleep before Nancy noticed she was gone.
She couldn’t miss seeing him—her future husband.
She smiled and hugged herself. His dad came over lots to see her daddy and sometimes Curt would come with him. Then he’d push her on the swing or help her build a sandcastle in the sandbox her daddy had put in for her. Nancy and Momma didn’t like when she played in the sandbox but they let her when Curt was around.
She hadn’t seen him for a while ’cause he was living in the navy now. Her daddy had been in the navy. He told her stories sometimes. It sounded so exciting and when she was older she thought she’d live in the navy too, and then she and Curt could play together all the time.
Yep, that’s what she’d do. She’d marry Curt and live with him.
But where was he? She’d heard Daddy say he was coming tonight, but he hadn’t walked in the door yet. Maybe he’d come while she was waiting for Nancy’s program to start. Could she sneak down and find him? She looked back towards Nancy’s room and bit her lip. If she got caught, she’d get in trouble. Momma might even spank her. She’d threatened that a few times, although Daddy didn’t like it when she said that. Then they’d start yelling. And Jenna got scared.
She stood and made her way carefully down the stairs, sneaking towards the large living room that opened out towards the pool. She wasn’t allowed by the pool on her own, but there were lots of people around right now. Besides, Daddy said she was a really good swimmer. Like a fish.
Jenna thought fish were kind of slimy and smelly, but because Daddy seemed so pleased she’d always smile and nod.
She hid behind some of the indoor plants Momma was so fond of. She thought maybe some of the people would see her, but they were too busy talking. She paused a few times to stare at the pretty girls. They all
looked like princesses. Momma liked buying dresses for Jenna, but she didn’t really like wearing them. They just got in the way when she was climbing. She’d ripped the last one when she’d been wrestling Jonty Mason after school. He’d told everyone she slept with a teddy bear. Her feelings had been hurt, ’cause she and Jonty had been best friends last year.
And he wasn’t just any teddy. He was Sergeant Teddy. Her daddy had given him to her. So, she’d had to tell his friends how he still sucked his thumb.
Then it had been on. In a rage, Jonty jumped her. She’d fought back, and it had taken two teachers to separate them. She’d ended up with a bruise on her cheek, a ripped dress, and hurt feelings.
Although Daddy said it was good to stick up for herself, he still had to ground her because you couldn’t fight at school, and it wasn’t nice to fight with friends.
But she and Jonty weren’t friends anymore. They were mortal enemies. Not that she knew what that meant, exactly. Jonty had told her that over the fence the next day—he lived next door.
Momma hadn’t been happy, but she’d later heard Daddy laugh and call her his little warrior princess.
She liked that.
When there was no one close by, she slipped outside. Where was he? Feeling sad that she wasn’t going to see him, she moved further into the garden towards her sandbox.
There he was! Excitement filled her. Maybe he was looking for her and that’s why he was down here. Momma didn’t like her guests seeing her play area because she said it was messy. So, she’d made Daddy put it down at the end of the garden, away from the house.
“Curt, there you are.”
She watched, eyes wide, as her cousin, Amelia, walked up to Curt. He turned with a wide grin then pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
When he kissed her, Jenna made a gagging noise. Ick. That was gross. Sometimes, Daddy kissed Momma. Yuck. Suddenly, Curt turned, peering out. He was dressed all in white. His navy uniform. She didn’t know how he could keep all that clean. Momma never bought her anything white ’cause she said Jenna would just get it dirty. It was just as well Curt didn’t wear all that white when he came to play because he’d just get all dirty too.
“Is someone there?” he called out.
“No one’s there.” Amelia placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him.
What was Amelia doing touching her Curt?