Each evening Justin dropped by on his way home, and each day she was more convinced that his interest in her was genuine. When he was away she missed him, and when he was with her, nothing ever seemed so right. Only one barrier remained between them. She was waiting for him to confess his reason for being in Arkansas. Perhaps Dad had sworn him to silence. Unless she missed her guess, wild horses couldn't drag it out of him until he was released from that vow. But why would Dad want him to hide his identity, now that she knew? Maybe he hadn't talked to Dad since she had.
When Justin announced that he would be out of the state for a few days on business, she wondered if he was actually going back to talk to her father. Had he revealed his feelings for her - or was he planning to?
Whatever the reason for his absence, the days were lonely and meaningless without Justin. That thought brought her to the sudden realization that she had fallen back into the same pattern. Her purpose for coming to Arkansas had been to become independent from Denton and her father. Once again she was allowing someone else to dictate her free time. If she was ever going to learn to be totally self sufficient, she was going to have to take control of her life. She glanced at the book in front of her, an idea forming in her mind. She had been a virtual prisoner in the cabin since she had seen the snake on the porch. It was time to take control. Everyone was afraid of something. Fear didn't make a person a coward. How a person dealt with that fear was the measure of their strength - and she was coming up short on the yardstick. Until she met that fear head on, she could never feel good about herself. Out there in the woods lay a multitude of plants she wanted to see, and no slithering reptile was going to stand in her way.
She slammed the book shut and carried it to the shed, where she searched for something to mark a trail. As she sorted through the items, she noticed two spools of twine. With a smile, she grabbed them and the broken end of a broom handle.
Wheels crunched on gravel as a car stopped in her drive. Her heart skipped a beat. Was Justin back already? A glance from the door of the shed revealed that the visitor was Clara. Megan dropped the twine on a shelf beside the door and stepped outside to welcome Clara.