“Hardly,” Nora scoffed. “If you lose this job, you’ll probably have to go right back home to your mother—right back where you started from—right back where you don’t want to be. You’ll either have to take a menial job to support yourself, find a way to go to college, or marry what’s-his-name or someone else just like him. Is that what you want?”

Mary gasped. “Of course not. But you don’t know that any of that is going to happen. You’re scared!”

“You’re darned right I’m scared. We have to protect ourselves.” They were practically nose-to-nose, both of them breathing hard.

“What are you suggesting? That we forget about what happened? That we don’t see each other anymore?”

Nora rubbed the sore spot over her heart. There it was—the only solution that made any sense—except it made no sense to her heart. She cleared her throat as emotion threatened to muffle her words. “Yes.”

“What did you say?”

She straightened to her full height. “I said, yes. Yes, I think it would be best if we didn’t spend any time together or see each other, even casually, at least until this business with Harold settles down.”

Mary slid down the tree and sat at the base. She lowered her head to her knees and rocked herself in mute comfort. “You can’t mean that. You simply can’t.” She raised her head and turned pleading eyes on Nora. “I love you. I refuse to believe you don’t love me back. I know you do. I know you have a heart in there, Nora Lindstrom, and I know it beats for me just as sure as I know mine beats for you.”

“I wish it could be different; truly, I do. But this is the way of the world. It’s not our time. I wish it was, more than you’ll ever know. I’m sorry.” She smiled sadly down at Mary. “Take good care of yourself.” She pivoted and started down the hill. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“You forgot your gloves,” Mary called after her.

“Keep them.” She didn’t turn around. She couldn’t. “I love you,” she whispered. “God help me, I love you.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The bus ground to a halt and Mary exited. As had become her routine, she headed directly for the dorm. The shift had been uneventful, as so many had been for the past several weeks. She’d done what Nora had told her to do, focusing solely on her work and keeping her head down. She hadn’t seen Nora even once, not a brief glimpse of her in the distance, nor a sighting of her in the cafeteria at lunchtime, nor walking the cubicle room floor. And it was tearing her apart inside.