Just as I Am Read Online Free Page A

jostling men, women, and children. Daisy pushed shakily to her feet and scanned the crowd, searching for Robby’s familiar face. He blended in so well with the other men she wouldn’t have known him if his gaze hadn’t met hers and his jaw dropped in recognition.
    Her heart leaped into her throat as he broke free of the mass and ran toward her. “Daisy! Daisy!” The true delight in his voice brought a rush of rare tears to her eyes. He reached her and swooped her off her feet in an exuberant hug of greeting, laughing boisterously in her ear. He spun her in a circle, sending her hat flying, but she didn’t care. She clung to his shoulders and laughed, too, happier than she’d ever been in her whole life.
    Two other male workers approached, their grins teasing. “Hey, Rob,” the taller of the pair said, “you’re gonna get yourself arrested if you go around grabbing up girls like that.”
    “That’s right,” the second one added, giving Robby a slap on the shoulder. “Better put her down before she calls the cops on you.”
    Robby let Daisy’s feet meet the ground, but he kept his arm around her waist. He’d never held her snug against his hip before, but she liked the secure way it made her feel. He barked out another laugh and shook his head at the pair of workers. “Daisy wouldn’t call the cops on me. She wouldn’t wanna lose her best fella, am I right, Daisy?”
    She gazed into his twinkling blue eyes. He must have grown in the past year because she had to tip her face upward to meet his gaze. Bashful under the perusal of the other men, she only nodded.
    Robby laughed again and gave her a squeeze before releasing her. His coworkers wandered off as he caught both of her hands and swung them gently in, out, in, out. “What’re you doin’ here? Did’ja run away from home?”
    His question was too close to the truth. She ducked her head and formed a careful answer. “I’m almost sixteen. Time for me to take care of myself, don’t you think?”
    “I think I’m happier than a cat with its face in a full bowl of cream, just seeing you again. I’ve missed you somethin’ fierce, Daisy.”
    She lifted her face and smiled at him, more pleased than she could express. How had she managed to go so long without him? She said, “Well, I’m here to stay. I have to find a job and a room, but I plan to live in Sinclair from now on. I want to—” She gulped, gathering her courage. “I want to be with you, Robby.”
    “Aww …” He lifted one of her hands and planted a noisy smack on the middle knuckle. “That’s sweet. You know how to make a fella feel special, that’s for sure.” He took a step back and slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “Did’ja just get off the train? Looks like you could use a wash. And I bet you’d like somethin’ to eat, huh? Whatcha want first—to find a room an’ tidy up some, or do you wanna eat?”
    What she wanted most was just to admire him a little longer. She’d always thought Robby handsome with his narrow, expressive face; thick, wavy hair; and sky-blue eyes surrounded by lashes too long and full to belong on a boy. He was even more handsome now. He’d filled out, gone from lanky to muscular, and his face had taken on a chiseled appearance. Whiskers dotted his chin and cheeks—something new. She marveled at how much a year had carved away the boy and brought forth the man. Although she was only a year behind him in age, she suddenly felt decades behind him in maturity. The realization left her tongue-tied.
    “Daisy?”
    She’d kept him waiting for an answer too long. She released a nervous giggle—something she never did—and started to tell him she preferred to eat first. But before she could say a word, another voice intruded.
    “Rob Miller, there you are.”
    Both Robby and Daisy turned, and Daisy had to practice great self-control not to bristle. A girl with raven-black hair swept beneath a ruffled mobcop, a white apron with its