His eyebrows lifted.
“You spent your lunch money returning my wallet?”
“The bus isn’t free.”
For the first time since seeing the notice, Nathaniel laughed.
It was a soft, surprised laugh.
“No,” he said. “I suppose it isn’t.”
He called over one of the staff members.
“Would you bring Miss Bennett some lunch, please?”
Ruby glanced at the sandwiches.
“Could I just have one of those?”
“You can have anything you want.”
“Just one is fine.”
A turkey sandwich, apple slices, and a glass of milk appeared a minute later.
Ruby ate carefully.
Nathaniel sat opposite her.
He did not touch anything.
Finally Ruby asked the question that had been bothering her.
“Why did my name scare you?”
Nathaniel looked toward the windows.
Far below, cars moved along the streets like tiny metal toys.
“It didn’t scare me.”
“It did.”
Nathaniel looked back at her.
Ruby took another bite of sandwich.
