Title: "The Shirt"
Authors: The DARLings (Debbie H, Allysen, Regina & Lisa3)

 
 Hint: The first sentence was taken randomly out of the book.
 
 "The Shirt"
 
 It was later on while we were eating that Dr. MacNeill made his way
 across the room to me.
 
 "Christy, can I have a moment with you, please."
 
 I hesitated, glancing at the others seated around the parlor, where we
 had convened for dessert.  I noted some disapproval.  "Would you please
 excuse me?" I said to the room in general, then I followed the doctor
 outside to the mission porch.
 
 I crossed my arms over my chest and strode to the other side of the
 porch, away from Dr. MacNeill. The beautiful sunset was wasted on me as
 I wondered what was so important that he had interrupted dinner. I
 didn't know whether to feel angry with him or impatient. "Well,...?"
 
 "Christy," he said putting his hand on my shoulder, "please look at me."
 
 I turned my head and stuck out my chin.  "Humph."
 
 "It wasn't what it looked like.  Do you really think I'd--"
 
 I had heard enough.  I spun on my heel to face the doctor.  "I know what
 I saw."
 
 "And what was that, Christy?  Tell me.  I am waiting to hear your case
 against me, since you seem to have already made up your mind."  The
 glint in his eyes was unmistakable.  It was obviously a challenge.
 
 I hated it when Dr. MacNeill made me explain myself to him.  It seemed
 that my rationales were never quite as clear to him as they were to me.
 I could not count the number of times that I had explained something
 that seemed to me to be a clear cut case and he had ripped my argument
 to shreds as I listened helplessly.
 
 My face heated up just as quickly as my temper flared.  I wasn't going
 to let him get the best of me this time.  "I saw you...and Harriet.  On
 your porch, doctor, and she was wearing one of your shirts!  Really, I
 didn't know your head was up in the clouds with a female pilot.  I
 thought your feet were firmly planted on the ground, here in Cutter
 Gap."
 
 Neil's eyes widened, and before I could tell if it was from shock or
 anger, I fled down the stairs and ran to the gazebo. Neil's
 snort of laughter reach me as he followed, and I whirled around to
 see what was so funny.
 
 Neil bent over and grabbed at a blade of grass and started stripping it
 as he walked up to me. "So, it comes back to you again, does it, Miss
 Huddleston?"
 
 He leaned against the railing and raised an eyebrow.
 
 I threw him a confused look. "What?" I drew myself up as straight as I
 could and in my best school teacher voice asked. "What are you talking
 about?"
 
 Neil smiled mischievously, " You...you're jealous!"
 
 For a moment, I stood facing him in a stunned silence.  Then my anger
 took hold.  "What?" I shouted.  "Me - jealous?  Jealous of what?"  I was
 furious. Maybe I did wish that it had been my skin inside that flannel
 shirt, but who did that *man* think he was, telling me I was jealous!  Even
 if I were, he had some nerve.  "Jealous of what?" I repeated.
 
 This time it was Neil's turn to be speechless.  His mouth opened and
 closed as he started several times to reply.  "Well-. . . I-. . . I
 mean- . . . I thought-. . ."  Finally he found his tongue.  "Well,
 aren't you?"
 
 "Aren't I what?"  I asked.  "Since you always expect me to have a ready
 answer, I should think that you would not need to stammer your way
 around your thoughts, Doctor."
 
 Neil seemed to be taken aback by this sudden role reversal, and in my
 heart, though I was caught up in the moment, I celebrated that I had
 shaken the usually immovable doctor.
 
 My celebration was short lived.
 
 His voice came more softly this time.  "Christy, we are getting nowhere.
 Let's be honest with one another.  Tell me how you felt when you saw
 Harriet on my porch.  Why did it matter so much?"
 
 I hesitated, my breath was lodged in my throat, then from out of no
 where, these words came spewing from my mouth.
 
 "Well...it was the same shirt you loaned me when I had that terrible
 fever after my shoulder was struck by that falling tree."  Neil looked
 at me as if he were waiting for more, not  comprehending.  "Neil!  You
 let another woman wear the same shirt I wore!  Doesn't that mean
 anything to you?  I didn't know you were in the habit of lending out
 your clothes to just anyone. Unless....unless Harriet means more to you
 than..."
 
 "Than who, Christy?" Neil's voice gentled as he understood why I had
 been so upset with him.  He came to me and placed his fingers under my
 chin, urging my eyes to meet his. "Than you?" His voice grew rough with
 emotion. "Let me assure you, here and now, Miss Huddleston, that there
 is no one who means more to me than you." Neil took the blade of grass
 he had been playing with, he had tied it in a circle and now slipped it on
 my finger.
 
 THE END >>