Beneath the Lone Star Heat

meant to dream

the rail yard, the mem

silence of a hospital waiting room. Her fath

n her sheets, breath

een thre

ince her brother, Aaron, left behind nothi

he pages of her journal. And now here was Jace Callahan, scraping up pi

eeded

tan

f who she wa

-

west, toward the small town of Mason where her aunt lived. Wh

e was leaving. She didn

nt's porch swing, drinking swee

er phon

Cal

hostin'

nsure whether to answer. Bu

ann

ded a

a

rom

ann

every

was a

h

a

word and I'll

de her chest ache mo

-

in, Jace was

become part of his routine-part of his peace

ch with his coach. Took his bike out onto the p

tarted w

n's losing

ably back on

was

t

e. Knew the number of the

o the edge of the ranch

t time in a long

-

nto the student parking lot, and found a

sent

ou run, take

art cl

ze, her fingers curling around

oked up from her

od?" sh

ust sat down, pulled out her

te abou

e about

built a fortress out of straight A's and pre

s name. Over and over, u

-

they saw eac

way outside

n't slept. Hair tousl

e said,

ey

t what

ed, thro

care easy,

not the

what

oked up, ey

n... you might

ser. "Maybe I

that, her wall

ce-she didn't want t

-