Page 22

“Pammy? Really? How old are we?” Pam squeezed her tight. Her curly brown hair tickled Jamie’s cheek.
“I’ll always call you Pammy. What are you doing here?” Jamie asked as they let go.
“Your mom called mine. Lamar and I just moved a few streets over from here.”
“You did? That’s amazing.” Jamie couldn’t help but hug her again, despite her soaked shirt. It was so good to see a friendly face, and she knew Pam would be on her side.
“What were you doing with the hose?” Pam asked when Jamie finally let go again.
“Watering the bushes.” She laughed, which quickly turned to tears.
“Oh, girl, are you okay?”
“No,” she whimpered as Pam put an arm around her and corralled her back to the porch chairs.
Pam disappeared inside the house and returned with two glasses of water and a towel to dry them off. “Here.”
“Thank you.” Jamie grabbed the glass and took a sip.
“You’re welcome.” Pam wiped herself down and took a seat, angling her body to look at Jamie as she handed her the towel. “Talk to me, James.”
Jamie wiped at her shirt, smiling at the nickname only Pam had ever called her. She had missed her friend and hated how much time had passed since they’d last spoken.
“You’ve never been one to cry, so I know there’s something big going on with you.” Pam narrowed her eyes. “Spill it.”
“I’m pregnant.” Jamie stuck her lower lip out.
“Unexpected, I take it.”
“Very.” She took another sip of water.
“What are you gonna do?” Pam asked.
“I thought getting out of town, coming home, would give me space to make my decision without certain people in my life judging me, but then I got home and Mom was all upset about the possibility of losing her grandbaby.”
“This isn’t about what they want, it’s about what you want.”
“I know.” Jamie dropped her head back against the chair. “Do you think I should tell the father I’m not keeping it?”
“Are you in a relationship?”
Jamie huffed. “I wish.”
“Is there a possibility that you might be in the future?”
She shook her head, still feeling a pain in her chest over his engagement.
“Then why does it matter if he knows?”
“His sister is my best friend, so I’m pretty sure she’ll tell him if I don’t.”
Pam sucked air in through her teeth. “That’s tricky.”
“I know. I mean, what if I get rid of it and don’t tell him. It would always be this secret I’m keeping from him. And if Shannon tells him anyway, I risk him hating me forever.”
“Maybe he would see it as you doing him a favor.”
“I don’t think so. Their family is very conservative.”