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Prologue
Jenna watched in horror as the ball of chocolate ice crearound 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” So Locked in her aze away froover spilled ice creaet you another scoop”
She finally turned to look at hi 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’ers”
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 Moet upset”
“Why would she get upset?”
She shrugged “She don’t likeice cream”
“All right then Wait here and I’ll be back soon”
She watched as he disappeared into the house Her bottom lip treood 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 creaest 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, re her iant lick
He grinned “You’re welcoh Don’t think I can get us a third one”
She sently 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’thim—her future husband