Jess was in the kitchen with Annie, mashing a big pot of boiled potatoes at the table when she saw Doug's car drive past the window.

"He's here!" she said excitedly, letting go of the potato masher so she could untie her apron.

"Just in time," Annie said with a big smile.

As soon as she had her apron off, Jess rushed out of the kitchen and made her way down the hallway. She reached the front door, just as Doug had come through and closed it.

"Doug!" she cried, lunging at him. He chuckled and it rumbled in his chest, tickling her ear while she gave him a tight hug.

"Miss me?" he asked when she let go.

"Yes!"

"We've all missed you!" Annie exclaimed, looking like she was drinking him in.

"Hi Annie," he said, smiling widely. "Dad!" he added, his face lighting up when Uncle Jonathon appeared in the doorway of the grand parlor.

"Douglas!" Uncle Jonathon said, looking just as happy while he grasped his hand. "How are they treating you at that school?"

"They're treating me just fine."

"You look thinner," Annie said. "I don't think they're feeding you enough."

"He isn't thinner," Uncle Jonathon said to Annie. "You're looking well, son. Very well."

For once, Jess agreed with her uncle. Doug looked really good. Older, and even taller somehow than the last time she'd seen him the day they'd taken him to college.

"We're going to have a good dinner tonight," Annie said. "Jess and I made all your favorites."

"I do miss your home cooking," Doug said wistfully, and Annie practically melted in front of Jess.

"Well, it's almost ready," she replied, wiping her eyes with her apron. "Come along, Jess," she said, and hurried to go back to the kitchen.

Once there, Jess went to finish the mashed potatoes, but Annie handed her a stack of plates.

"You set the table and I'll get the food in the serving dishes." Jess noticed the number of plates in her hand.

"You're eating with us?"

"I asked your uncle and he said it was okay," she said, her face glowing.

"Doug will like that," Jess agreed with a smile, but her smile dropped when she reached the butler's pantry.

She was glad Annie was taking her rightful place as a part of the family, but she shouldn't have to beg for it, and Uncle Jonathon allowing it had probably only reinforced Annie's feelings for him. In a perfect world, Annie would be married to him and a real mother to Doug and her, but Jess doubted Uncle Jonathon would ever allow it. If only he wasn't so rigid and difficult, perhaps he'd allow himself to care for her too, she thought with a sigh. She just couldn't understand why Annie would love someone like him.

When everyone was seated at the table, Doug beamed at the food laid out between them.

"This looks really good, Annie - and Jess," he added, grinning at her, and she worked hard to suppress a giggle while Annie thanked him. Jess knew he'd said it for Annie's benefit, knowing how much it would mean to her.

It was one of those rare nights when Uncle Jonathon was in as good a mood as the rest of them. Doug looked happy and relaxed while he talked about his classes, his professors, the fraternities, and the other students he'd met. It was clear college life agreed with him. Jess was happy for him, but she couldn't help thinking of Marty. He'd thrive at college too, if only he'd have the chance to go.

When they were finishing their apple pie, Annie said, "Your roommate seemed very nice. Are you getting along with him?"

"Con? Oh, yeah. He's a fun fellow. We've rushed all the same fraternities together, and we let them know they better bid for both of us because we're joining together."

"That's wonderful, Doug. You should invite him to come home with you when you come back for your birthday." Jess looked up at Doug, and when he met her gaze, it was obvious he was just as startled by the suggestion as she was.

"Uh, I'm not sure," he said hesitantly, turning his attention back to Annie. "He's from the city. I think he'd be bored by our little town."

When his eyes shifted back to Jess, she understood. He was trying to protect her again, and she smiled at him gratefully. He hadn't missed Con's interest in her when they'd met in his dorm room, and by keeping him away, he was saving her from a weekend of rebuffing his advances.

"Are you sure?" Annie tried. "I can fix up the spare bedroom for him."

"It won't work," Uncle Jonathon said brusquely. "I need Douglas in the office when he's here. He won't have time to entertain the boy."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Annie said, lowering her head.

"It was a good idea though," Doug offered kindly, and she smiled up at him. "Dinner was the best, Annie! Really."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"I did. I'm going to head out for a while," he said, addressing all of them as he stood, and Jess looked at him hopefully, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I want to say hi to a few friends and catch up."

"Don't be out too late," Uncle Jonathon warned. "We'll be heading to the office first thing in the morning."

"I won't, dad."

Jess stood so she could help Annie gather dishes from the table, feeling disappointed. Maybe Doug had forgotten his promise to take her out when he came home, or maybe he'd decided he didn't want to when seeing his friends was more fun. Since he'd been gone, she'd felt the restlessness return, partly caused by the loss of their weekly nights out.

"Oh, Jess," Doug said, getting her attention from the dining room doorway. "Want to catch a movie after dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure, Doug. That'd be swell!" Jess declared, and he grinned.

"Cool!"

~

The next morning, Jess went to the cabin and in the hours while she waited for Marty to arrive, she looked over her notes and got a head start on her studying so she'd be ready for him. Now that he was working longer hours, she hardly ever got to see him, and she hated it. She still missed him all day at school, and only got to spend a few hours with him before dinner. On Saturdays, he didn't come until the afternoon, leaving her alone most of the day. It was the other reason why her restless feeling had returned.

At least that weekend wouldn't be as bad as most. She was looking forward to going out with Doug that evening, and tomorrow she'd get to be with Marty all day since the drug store was closed on Sundays.

When the door finally opened, she jumped up from the table and went to greet him.

"Hey," he said, a smile lighting up his face.

"Hi, Marty!" she replied, grinning back at him, ecstatic that he was with her at last.

"It's gettin' chilly out there."

"I know. I started the cook stove a while ago."

"Good," he said, taking off his jacket and throwing it on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace on the way to the kitchen.

"I have to get back early today since Doug is in town," Jess explained. "But I got everything ready."

"Okay," he said, taking his place at the table.

He reached for a wrapped sandwich and began eating while she pulled her stool over so she could sit next to him. Taking her seat, she began going over her notes with him, not wanting to waste any of the little time they had together.

They'd worked out a system where she gave him an overview of her lessons during the time she was with him, and then she'd leave the books she didn't need at the cabin so he could do the assignments in the evening.

Since they'd begun, Marty had thrown himself into his school work like he'd never done before, filled with a fierce determination. It was as if being given the chance to learn even though his dad had kept him from school had lit a fire in him. Instead of his dad defeating him, he was determined to get an education as a way to defeat his dad.

But even more importantly to Jess, being able to do school work had made Marty's sadness finally leave. She'd feared his dad had broken him, and it was a relief to see his playfulness return and the spark of humor in his brown eyes once again.

~

After dinner that night, Jess and Doug put on jackets and then headed out the front door. Jess thought James would be outside waiting for them, but the garage doors were closed. As soon as they were in the car, Doug started it up and began driving to the gate. He must be waiting there for them there, Jess thought while reaching over to turn on the radio, but when they reached it, Doug stopped the car and got out. She watched with shock while he pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the padlock.

"You got a key?" she asked when he began driving down the dirt road after locking the gate behind them.

"Yeah, dad gave it to me when I left for college. That way I don't have to stop somewhere to call James when I come home."

"Do you think I could have one too?" she asked.

"Uh, I - don't know," Doug hedged, looking at her sideways with a worried expression.

"Please! I promise I'd be real careful with it. I wouldn't lose it or anything."

"I don't think dad will allow it," he said, and Jess slumped with disappointment. "I'm sorry, Jess. He doesn't want anything to happen to you."

"He doesn't care about that," Jess grumbled to the window, crossing her arms over her chest. "He just doesn't want me to have any fun."

"That's not true. It's not safe for you to be out walking the roads by yourself, Jess. You'd be a target. Someone could kidnap you."

"That would never happen!" she scoffed angrily.

"You don't know that!"

"What about you? Someone could kidnap you, Doug!"

"I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself." Jess sighed deeply, knowing she wasn't going to win the argument. "Look, Jess. I don't want anything to happen to you. You know we have more money than anyone else around here."

"I know," she muttered.

"How are things going - with dad, I mean?" he asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.

"Okay, I guess," she said with a shrug. "I don't see him very much except in the morning when I go to school."

"Why's that?" Doug asked, looking over at her.

"He spends a lot of time at work. Most nights it's just me and Annie having dinner."

"Oh," he said quietly. Judging by the surprise in his tone, this was unexpected news to him.

"He misses you a lot. They both do."

She looked at him when she said the last part, wanting to see if he knew about Annie and his dad, but if he did, there was no reaction. She fought the urge to bring it up. She was dying to talk with someone who would understand just how wrong it was, but if Doug didn't know, she couldn't be the one to tell him. She'd been sick when she found out, and she was still upset about it. It wouldn't be right to make him feel that bad, or possibly worse since he loved both of them.

"I knew it would be hard on him," Doug said, interrupting her thoughts. "But - I didn't know it would be that hard."

Hearing the sadness in his voice, Jess regretted telling him. She didn't want him to feel guilty about going to college. He'd needed to go, not just for him, but for the family business. He should be able to enjoy his time there instead of worrying about how his dad was handling it.

"How has he been treating you though?" Doug asked. "That's what I wanted to know."

"He's been - okay," Jess said, surprised Doug had brought it up. "Like I said, I hardly see him."

"I talked to him about it - about you," Doug said firmly. "I said he shouldn't be so hard on you."

"Thanks, Doug. That really means a lot," Jess said sincerely. She was touched he'd spoken up for her, trying to protect her while he was gone. "But - you know he'll never accept me."

Hearing it, his shoulders dropped and he glanced over at her. She didn't need to see the confirmation in his eyes to know it was true, but at least he had the decency to look ashamed.

December 1960

When Mr. Miller's advanced algebra class ended, Jess took her time gathering papers into her notebook, keeping an eye on the door. As soon as the last of the students had filed out, she rose and approached him.

"Mr. Miller?"

"Yes," he replied distractedly, not bother to look up while he cleared his desk.

"I was wondering about something. What if someone couldn't continue with school - because of family problems, but they kept up with their studies. Could they take the final exams?" Mr. Miller looked up at her with surprise.

"That would be highly unlikely," he said, standing and going to a filing cabinet. "I can't imagine anyone would be able to keep up without attending school."

"But what if they could?" Jess insisted while he opened the top drawer and took out a paper sack. "What if they could pass all the tests? Could they move on to the next grade?"

"I've never heard of anyone doing it that way," he said, turning around.

"But if they could pass the tests, and it was the only way they could graduate, they should be able to, right?" When Mr. Miller reached his desk, he studied her for a long moment.

"Are you helping this person?" he asked suddenly.

"Ye-es, sir," she said hesitantly. She didn't want to admit it in case it would lead to him finding out about Marty, but she was afraid if she didn't answer, he wouldn't give her the information she needed.

"No wonder," he said, taking his seat again.

"What do you mean?"

"Most girls can't do higher math, but since you've been teaching it to someone else, it's helping you learn it too."

"Oh, I see."

"I suppose it is theoretically possible," Mr. Miller conceded with a sigh, and began taking his lunch out of his sack. "But Principal Petersen would have to approve the plan. You'll have to ask him. If he says yes, then your friend can take the exams."

"Here you are, Jess," Louise called from the doorway. "Oh, I'm sorry," she added quickly, looking between them. "I didn't realize you were busy."

"Thank you, Mr. Miller," Jess said, smiling with relief as she stepped towards the door. "I'll do that."

"What was that about?" Louise asked while they walked to their lockers.

"I was asking him about final exams," Jess said, not wanting to tell another lie.

"They're coming up pretty fast," Louise observed.

"Yes, they are," Jess replied, thinking of Marty.

While they made their way to the lunch room, Jess thought about Principal Petersen. There was no way she could approach him, since she would have to admit she was helping Marty, but Marty could come to school and ask him. That way there would be no connection to her.

All she had to do now was to convince Marty, and then hope that Marty could be persuasive enough to convince Principal Petersen to give him a chance.

~

Later at the cabin, Jess and Marty were sitting side by side so they could read their history book, the table pushed close to the cook stove so they could stay warm.

"Ready for the next page?" Marty asked.

"Not yet," Jess said, and he picked up a cookie.

Taking the opportunity for a break, Jess reached for one as well. When she took a bite, he turned the page so he could continue reading while she ate.

"What if there was a way for you to pass the eleventh grade?" she asked, and he looked up at her with bemusement.

"And how would that happen?"

"You take the final exams."

"I don't think so," he said, shaking his head and turning his attention back to the page.

"Why not? I know you'd pass them!"

"You think the teachers will let me just walk in and take them?"

"They will if it's arranged ahead of time. You could talk to Principal Petersen and ask him to let you."

"I don't think he'll do that," Marty said quietly with a frown.

"How do you know if you don't ask? Marty, please try," she begged. "You've worked so hard since the beginning of school! You're doing better than me in some of the classes! Don't you deserve to pass after all that?"

"I - reckon," he said slowly, and then he slumped. "I just don't want to get my hopes up." He didn't say it, but Jess knew he meant 'again', and her heart went out to him.

"It doesn't hurt to ask, does it?" she urged gently. He shrugged his shoulders and frowned down at the book. "If he says no, then at least you know you've done everything you could."

"Yeah," he replied with a sigh, but he still looked troubled.

"You'll do it soon? There isn't much time before the exams." He sighed again.

"I'll ask Mr. Dwyer if I can have an hour off sometime this week," he muttered.

She wanted to give him some encouragement, but decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to give him false hope in case he was disappointed again. She just hoped he'd sound confident and convincing when he saw Principal Petersen.

The next day at school, she couldn't help looking for Marty when she walked through the halls even though she knew it was unlikely he would come so soon, or that he would happen to be there at the same time she was.

"You seem so jumpy today," Louise said when they had finished lunch and were at their lockers to get their books for afternoon classes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jess said with a sigh. She was going to have to get a grip, she thought, angrily slamming her locker shut. She was driving herself crazy.

"Oh, my word!" Louise said in a hushed voice, and Jess turned around.

Shocked into silence, she and Louise stared as Mr. Dwyer strode past them with Marty a half step behind, his hands shoved into the pockets of dark blue trousers she'd never seen before. His hair had been combed back with cream and his face was flushing bright red above a white button down shirt - and he was wearing a tie. Students parted to get out of their way, then stared as they passed. When they disappeared from view, Louise turned to Jess with wide eyes.

"Marty looked so - so -."

"Good," Jess finished with a sigh, and then realized she was giving too much away.

"Why do you think he's here?" Louise asked, catching up to her while Jess headed down the hall.

"I don't know."

"I bet he's coming back to school. Why else would he be here?"

"Maybe."

"I bet you'd like him to come back," Louise said with a sly smile, nudging Jess with her shoulder, and Jess couldn't help laughing.

"I'll admit, it would be nice."

"More than nice! Oh, that stupid bell!" she complained while it rang loudly through the hallway. "See you later!"

She rushed to the stairs and Jess hurried to her class, wondering why Mr. Dwyer had come with Marty. He had to the be the reason why Marty was dressed so smartly. There was no way Marty could have gotten those clothes on his own, and Jess felt incredibly grateful to the man. How could Principal Petersen refuse now with Marty looking the way he did? Crossing fingers on both her hands, she prayed everything would work out.

~

When she reached the cabin, she kicked the snow off her boots, and then let herself in. After starting fires in the fireplace and cook stove, she paced back and forth in the living room, entirely too nervous to think about studying. It seemed like Marty was taking forever, but then the door opened.

"Well?" she asked, before Marty had even closed it.

"Well, what?" Marty asked back, his eyes sparkling with humor, and the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Don't tease me!" she yelled, grabbing onto his arms so she could shake him. "You know what I want to hear!"

"Stop it! You're going to rattle my brain loose!" he laughed. "And that would be a shame since I'll need it to take my tests," he smirked.

"Marty!" she screamed, and grabbed him tight. "I knew he had to say yes when you looked so nice," she said into his cloth coat.

"I looked like a stiff," Marty countered, while he hugged her. "But I don't care. It worked."

"And Mr. Dwyer came," she said, letting go so she could look at him. "Why did he do that?"

"Turns out he went to school with Principal Petersen," he said, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe it. "He did most of the talking, and before I even got a chance to say much, Petersen said yes."

"You're taking your final exams!"

"Yep, I just have to show up and take 'em," he said, beaming at her with pride. "And they're going to send the results to the drug store so my old man won't know."

"Marty, that's just so - wonderful," she finished with a sigh, realizing their dream of going to college may come true after all.

****

I really hope you enjoyed this much happier chapter! It looks like Marty is going to be able to finish school after all, thanks to Jess and Mr. Dwyer. Doug also looks like he's doing well at school. What do you think of him talking to his dad about Jess? I can't wait to hear what you think about all the different parts of this chapter!

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a vote to help support it in the Watty's! The video is Bobby Rydell's Swingin' School. It's a happy, peppy song to go with this happy chapter.