Chapter 19

With Mary distracted, Joe headed downstairs and outside. He felt confident that Mary had lost all interest in him so he could safely talk to Tasha. Joe realized that there was a lot he didn’t know. Yet, in a way, he felt like he knew Tasha forever. He just needed to learn more.

Climbing up the ladder, he entered the old wooden treehouse. He grinned. “I haven’t been up in years. Dad and I built this when mom was pregnant with Mary. It was my quiet place.”

Tasha sat on a bean bag chair. “It’s comfy in an old rustic kind of way. The squirrels really like it.”

“Tash, I need to know more.”

She smiled. “We all need to learn more. Life is a learning process. That’s what my friend and mentor Natasha says.”

She slid to the side of the bean bag and patted the empty space.

Joe sat next to her. “So, you do have friends where you are from…”

She shook her hea