Chapter 27

The next morning, I woke up later than I wanted, but still early enough. As I lay in bed, I decided to skip my workout. In my mind, I went over what I wanted to take with us, and how I wanted to pack it all. As I was mentally preparing, a soft moan interrupted my train of thought.

Great, I thought. Mom and Dad are having sex, and I won’t be able to leave until they’re done.

Then I silently laughed at myself. There had been a time when I would’ve eagerly rolled over to watch. I might’ve even jerked off while I peered over the edge of my bunk. But to my jaded sixteen-year-old mind, watching Mom and Dad have sex seemed blasé. Mom would be on her side and Dad would be behind her, his hips rustling the sheet as he thrust into her. He’d probably be playing with her breasts at the same time, and Mom would be struggling not to cry out.

Finally, curiosity got the best of me and I did stealthily roll to the edge of my bunk and peer over. Much to my surprise, Mom was actually on her back, with Dad between her legs. Dad’s hips rose and fell as he pumped into her, and in that position, there was virtually no chance I’d be seen. I felt my dick spring to life as I watched Mom run her hands over Dad’s back and quietly urge him on.

Kendall did the same thing when I was fucking her. With a wry grin, I quietly reached for my erection. Before I’d stroked myself a half-dozen times, Dad stiffened up and I knew he was coming inside her. Silently, I rolled to my back, my dick tenting the sheet. The sound of the birds outside drowned out any hushed conversation my parents might’ve had. But it also prevented me from determining if they’d gone back to sleep or not, so I simply waited.

Soon enough, I heard one of them get up to use the bathroom. I seized the opportunity and rolled to the ladder. Unfortunately, when I reached the floor and turned around, my eyes met Mom’s. She lifted her eyebrows and grinned as she spotted my erection.

“Well, good morning,” she said teasingly. She kept her voice low, to avoid waking Erin, but she still sounded entirely too chipper.

I blushed six shades of red. Despite all that Mom and I had been through, it was still a little embarrassing to have her see my morning erection, especially since she probably knew what had provoked it.

“Sorry, Mom,” I said as I stepped to the sitting area to grab my towel. Then I strategically held it in front of my bobbing erection.

“Don’t worry about it, honey,” she said quietly as she swung her legs to the side of the bed.

When she stood, I couldn’t help but glance at her pussy. Her pubic hair was damp and parted. She smiled when I snapped my eyes back up. Then she put her finger against her lips.

“Shhhh,” she said with a wink.

My blush only deepened.

“I’d better quit teasing you and let you start packing,” she said.

“Um ... thanks.”

While I moved about the cabin, hurriedly stuffing things into my pack, I heard my dad start the shower. Mom stepped close and stood on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

“Time for round two,” she said with a sly grin and a nod toward the bathroom. “Besides,” she added in a more sober tone, “you’ve been waiting for me to get out of the way so you can sneak some rubbers out of your drawer.”

“Mom!” I hissed.

“What? I’m not supposed to know that my son keeps his protection stuffed under his t-shirts?”

If it were possible, I would’ve turned redder still.

“Don’t worry about it, honey,” she said soothingly. “I’m glad you’re being responsible. Gina and Kendall are very lucky young women.” The last was punctuated by a teasing glance at my hard-on.

“Mom, please!”

“Okay, I’ll quit teasing you. Besides, I need to get in the shower before your father uses all the hot water. Cold water turns my lips blue. And it spoils my concentration,” she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Finally, I threw my hands up in surrender.

“Have a nice day, honey,” she said, grinning broadly and kissing my cheek again. Then she disappeared into the bathroom.

I dived for my drawer and quickly pulled three foil packets from under my t-shirts. The last thing I heard before I darted out of the cabin was my dad’s surprised remark as Mom undoubtedly sank to her knees before him.

As I walked down the hill—my towel hiding my bouncing erection—I wondered when, or if, I’d have a chance to jerk off. I thought about simply dashing to the bathroom in the clubhouse, and finally decided that it was my best bet.

To my surprise, I spotted Kendall as soon as I entered the building. Unfortunately, she was already in the shower. Lucky for me, however, no one was in sight. Without preamble, I dumped my things and joined her. When she saw my erection, she quickly looked around. Before she could do anything else, I pinned her against the wall with my body and kissed her heatedly.

As the water coursed down my back and side, she reached for my erection and began stroking it with slippery fingers. Without thinking, I pushed her to her knees, where she continued stroking me. Before I consciously realized it, I climaxed. Semen blasted from my shaft, and as the sensations raced over my nerves, I closed my eyes in ecstasy. Kendall kept pumping my dick as streamers of come shot forth. When I finally looked down, Kendall’s neck, chest, and hands were covered with shimmering drops of my essence.

“It’s a good thing I’m already in the shower,” she said with a grin.

“Oh, my God,” someone said from behind us. “What’re you two doing?”

Alarm lanced through my thoughts and I half turned. Stupid, half-assed excuses like “I was only washing it,” or “she dropped the soap,” died unspoken when I glimpsed the speaker.

“You ought to see yourselves,” Gina said, laughing brightly.

I quickly helped Kendall to her feet. She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she smeared my come over her already wet breasts.

“Now I wish I’d taken a shower down here,” Gina said. “But what were y’all thinking, doing it practically in the open?”

“Well, I didn’t think we’d get caught,” I said lamely.

“You weren’t thinking at all,” Kendall teased.

“So? I mean, at least it was only Gina. It’s not like someone else saw us.”

“You mean like the woman who walked through the door in front of me?” Gina asked sweetly.

Kendall and I froze and stared at her.

“Mmm hmm, she’s from one of the new families.” She shrugged. “I don’t know her, but if you go around the corner into the kitchen, I’m sure you’ll be able to pick her out. She’s the short one with wavy blonde hair.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked in growing horror.

“Nope. She got an eyeful.” Then she grinned at my expression. “I think she might’ve joined you if I hadn’t been right behind her.”

“Oh, no,” Kendall practically moaned. “Do you think she’ll tell my parents?”

“I don’t even think she knows who your parents are,” Gina said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“But what if she tells someone else?” Kendall fretted.

“Then we’ll deal with it when it comes up,” I snapped.

“Uh-oh,” Gina said when she saw Kendall’s expression.

While Gina headed to the kitchen to start making lunch, Kendall and I finished our shower in a tense silence. I was still a little mad that she was constantly obsessing about “what if my parents find out?” but I also felt bad for barking at her. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what to say.

She shaved her legs quietly and then looked around to make sure no one was near. When she determined that the coast was clear, she lathered a washcloth, sat down, and began spreading the suds over her pubic area. With gentle strokes, she touched up her bush. Then she carefully ran the razor over the sides of her labia. She looked around again to make sure no one was near and then repeated the entire process. When she was finally satisfied with her neatly trimmed pussy, she stood.

The look she gave me clearly said, “I’m doing this for you.”

“Listen,” I said as I shut off the water, “I’m sorry.” Before she could reach for her towel, I picked it up and wrapped her in it. “I was upset at myself because that woman saw us.”

She nodded.

“But that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t’ve reacted the way I did. I know you’re worried about your parents finding out about us, but if it happens, it happens. I think Susan’s right, you’d probably be surprised by how they react.”

“You don’t know them,” she said sullenly.

“No, I don’t. And I don’t want them to find out, either. But if they do, it won’t be the end of the world—”

“Maybe not for you.”

“It won’t be the end of the world for either of us,” I said evenly. “I won’t love you any less.”

“You will if my father kills you.”

“He wouldn’t do that, and you know it.”

“My mom might,” she said.

“Well, if that happens, then at least I’ll die happy.”

Her brow crinkled in confusion.

“I’ll be happy just knowing you love me,” I said extravagantly, trying to cheer her up.

Despite her sullen mood, she smiled hesitantly.

“Ah, there’s the girl I love.” I stepped close and gazed into her eyes. “Listen, I’m serious. I don’t want your parents to find out, but if they do, we’ll deal with it then.”

“But what if they won’t let me see you? What if we pack up and leave early? What if—”

“What if you worry almost as much as I do?” I asked with a wry grin. “Let’s not talk about this any more. Your parents like me, and I think they trust me. They’re not gonna be at the quarry today, and we’re careful when we’re in camp.”

“Not always,” she said. “Like in the shower a few minutes ago?”

“Well, I won’t do that again. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve done it. But ... well ... I was horny ... and...” I grinned lecherously. “You have no idea how beautiful you are in the shower.”

She playfully punched my chest and then smiled genuinely.

“What could I do?” I said, shrugging theatrically. I lifted her chin with my hand and then kissed her tenderly. “I love you, and that’s all that matters. Anything else, we can deal with when ... if it happens.”

She nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Okay,” I said with affected good cheer. “Let’s go get ready for our hike.”

“Paul?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I love you too.”

“Good,” I said, smiling. “I’m glad. Now, I’m going to run back to my cabin. Hopefully, my parents will be out of the shower—”

“They shower together?”

“Sure.” Then I leaned close. “And that’s not all they were doing this morning.” I rolled my eyes suggestively. “So I hope they’re done fooling around.”

“Paul! You’re so awful.”

I grinned unrepentantly.

“Would you walk me back to the Winnie?” she asked, suddenly shy.

“I’d be honored,” I said in my best Rhett Butler voice.

She took my arm and we headed for the door. Her mother was just stirring when we reached the camper. Melissa smiled at me fondly before I turned and headed toward my own cabin. There, my parents had finished their shower and were sitting on the porch—with Mom in Dad’s lap—and talking quietly. With a few words of greeting, I walked past them and into the cabin.

In the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and quickly went through the rest of my morning routine. Even though I didn’t need it, I shaved, although I started to get hard when I thought about how Kendall’s hand looked as she slowly drew the razor over her mons. I rolled my eyes at my reflection in the mirror and hurriedly wiped my face clean. Then I grabbed a dry beach towel and headed back out.

“Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad,” I said as I passed them.

“Have fun, honey,” Mom said. “Remember, be back by five.”

“I will. Thanks.”

I broke into a trot as I headed back to collect Kendall from her camper. She met me at the door and kissed my cheek before we started down the hill. Behind us, her mother wished us farewell. Without stopping, we turned and waved our thanks.

***

In the clubhouse, Gina had most of our lunch already made. Kendall immediately started making breakfast. None of us wanted anything elaborate, so she fixed eggs, toast, and grits. While the girls were moving about the kitchen, I started packing our gear.

To my surprise, I looked up from my backpack and my eyes fell upon a petite, curvy blonde woman. She was drinking a cup of coffee and watching me. Her eyes smiled as she took another sip. I was positive she was the woman who had seen us in the shower. With an internal grimace, I felt my face and neck heating.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Elaine.” She looked about ten years older than me, but it was hard to tell. Her face was young looking, but her eyes looked mature. She was actually quite pretty, with a light dusting of freckles and round, shapely breasts.

“Um ... hi. I’m Paul.”

“Nice to meet you, Paul,” she said. Then she nodded toward the kitchen. “Is that your girlfriend?”

I followed her glance to Kendall and then nodded.

“She’s very pretty.”

“Um ... thanks.” I paused for a second and gathered my courage. “Um ... sorry about ... um ... you know,” I said vaguely.

“Oh?”

“You know, about earlier ... when we were ... um ... in the shower.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she replied with a grin. “I used to be the same way.”

Before I could say anything else, the clubhouse door opened and she looked up. A man and two small children walked in.

“Paul,” she said, standing up, “this is my husband Dennis.”

“Dennis Raeford,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Paul Hughes,” I replied. He was actually a little shorter than me, but broader through the chest. He wasn’t as well-defined as me, but his arms and shoulders looked like they held a lot of power. As I sized him up, I clasped his hand and shook it absently. His grip was strong, but not challenging, and I smiled internally when I realized he didn’t feel the need to play dominance games.

“And these are Linette and Barry,” Elaine said, gesturing to her children.

“How old are they?” I asked.

“Linette is five, and Barry’s almost three.”

“It’s nice to meet you Linette,” I said, although she hid behind her father’s leg.

“Can you say ‘hello’ to Paul?” her father asked.

“Hello,” she said, then ducked behind his leg again.

I said hello to Barry as well, but he merely stuck his thumb in his mouth and reached for his mother.

“It was nice to meet you, Paul,” Elaine said as she picked up her son.

“Yes,” Dennis said. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I replied.

“Now, Mr. Boo,” Elaine asked three-year-old Barry as she walked toward the kitchen, “what would you like for breakfast?”

I watched as the family walked away and then breathed a sigh of relief. Elaine may have seen Kendall and me, but she didn’t seem to be upset about it, which was a very good thing.

During breakfast, I related the conversation to the girls. After we finished eating, I introduced them to the Raefords. We exchanged pleasantries for a moment and then I started loading the backpack with our lunch. In less than five minutes, we were out the door and headed down the hill toward the lake.

***

Once we rounded the feeder lake, I took the lead, but kept an eye out and made sure I didn’t get ahead of the girls. For a while, they chatted about the new family. They thought the kids were precious, especially Linette. And Barry “Boo” looked just like his father, they said.

For a while they talked about how good-looking Dennis was, but I quickly realized that they were hoping to get a rise out of me. I’m sure they really thought he was attractive, but when I didn’t bristle, the conversation turned to other subjects. Gina asked several questions about Fear of Flying and Our Bodies, Ourselves, and Kendall was more than happy to talk about those books and others.

By the time we reached the quarry, I’d learned all sorts of things about the ERA, feminism, women’s health, and a host of other subjects. Kendall proclaimed that she believed in women’s equality, but she was a traditionalist, and she felt that it was still a woman’s responsibility to raise the children and maintain the household. It seemed like a clash of ideals to me.

Gina wanted to know how Kendall planned to become a doctor—which would take the better part of nine or ten years—raise children and maintain the household. Kendall said she didn’t plan on having children until she finished her residency, and one of the reasons she picked psychiatry was that she could have a home office if she needed to. Gina was skeptical, but Kendall had evidently put a lot of thought into it.

“You can be a strong woman and a good mother,” Kendall said. “Our bras don’t need burning, they aren’t holding us back. The only thing holding us back is the idea that we can’t do something, just because we’re women. So if I want to have a career and a family, then I’m going to do it.”

“Amen, sister,” Gina said.

“I’m responsible for my own body, and my own happiness. But ‘wife’ doesn’t mean slave, and ‘mommy’ is not a dirty word. I may be barefoot and pregnant, but it’ll be my choice. I’ll choose to support my husband and raise our children. And I’m going to marry a man who’s not threatened by that.” She paused for a moment and then squared her shoulders. “I am woman, hear me roar.”

Gina and I simply stared at her, a little shocked by her passion.

Kendall grinned bashfully when she saw our expressions. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I kinda got on my soapbox.”

“Yeah,” I said, “but I like your soapbox.”

“Me too,” Gina said.

After that, we set up our picnic spot on top of the large boulder. I began to inflate the raft as the girls chatted some more about what they wanted to do with their lives. It was interesting to listen to, so I kept quiet and simply paid attention.

Gina wanted to get married and have children, but she really wanted to be a doctor. And with all the time and effort it would take to become one, she didn’t know when she’d have time to start a family. Unlike psychiatrists, OB/GYN doctors didn’t have home offices. She also worried about her grades and getting into med school.

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Kendall had graduated with a 4.0 average and was one of the top students in her class. Gina would’ve had a 4.0, but she’d gotten a C in freshman phys ed, which bothered her. She was concerned that it would keep her out of the med schools she was interested in—Duke, the University of Washington, UC-Davis, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor—but Kendall assured her that most med schools were more interested in college transcripts and MCAT scores. (Whatever those are, I thought.)

For a moment, I wondered how Gina had come up with those schools, but she and Kendall struck up an animated conversation about the merits of each university, so I figured Gina knew what she was talking about.

While I listened to them discuss the differences between primary care schools and research schools, I let my mind wander. Unlike either of the girls, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. For a time, I had thought about going into the military like my father had, but it just didn’t appeal to me. And while I liked the idea of flying for a living, I was only lukewarm about it. I knew my dad enjoyed his job, but I also saw the scheduling downsides of working for a major airline. Unfortunately, nothing really appealed to me. In short, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up.

By the time I had the raft inflated, Gina and Kendall’s conversation had shifted to SAT scores, Advanced Placement classes, and extracurricular activities that looked good on college applications. I threw the raft into the lake and then dived in after it. The girls followed me, simply continuing the conversation once they surfaced. Kendall was giving Gina pointers about the English portion of the SAT, so I decided to swim for the waterfall. Behind me, I could still hear them in animated conversation.

***

“Why’d you take off?” Gina asked when I returned a little later.

“Well, you two were talking, and... , “ I said with a shrug.

In truth, I was a little preoccupied; I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had two more years of high school, which seemed like all the time in the world. But Gina was already thinking about what she wanted to do after she got her bachelor’s degree—in six years—which only underscored the notion that my life seemed rudderless.

Where Gina appeared unaware of my mood, Kendall looked at me insightfully. I suddenly felt like she could see right through me.

“You wanna rub suntan oil on us?” Gina asked.

Kendall and I made eye contact, and the feeling that she understood my innermost thoughts intensified.

“I guess,” I said with a shrug.

“You wanna go first?” Gina asked Kendall.

“No, you go ahead,” Kendall replied distractedly, studying me.

Still oblivious, Gina cooed in delight and then lay on her back. With a shrug that only Kendall saw, I picked up the bottle of suntan oil. She smiled in understanding as I squirted some of the sun-warmed oil into my palm. Then I started at Gina’s feet and slowly worked my way up her legs. My hands glided over her dark, shiny, slick skin and she sighed in delight.

When I reached her pussy, I gently rubbed the oil into her pubic hair, making it shine. She squirmed a little as my fingers brushed over her sensitive labia, but I quickly moved to her soft belly.

Kendall grinned when I looked at her. Then she reached out and began stroking my hard-on. While she did, I squirted oil between Gina’s flattened breasts. Then I ran my hands up the sides and gently teased her nipples. For a few moments, I concentrated on them as she moaned in delight.

Finally, I moved my hands to her shoulders. She languidly opened her eyes and gazed up at me. When Kendall withdrew her hand from my dick, Gina’s quickly wrapped her fingers around my shaft. I scooted my hips forward until my knees were next to her breasts. Then I squirted some of the warm oil onto my length. With a hungry grin, Gina worked it into the soft skin of my shaft. Using both hands, she began stroking me, squeezing gently as she did.

“It’s cool to watch, isn’t it?” Kendall asked softly.

Gina merely smiled and nodded.

“I like watching the pre-come ooze out. And I dunno why, but I like feeling his come on my skin.”

“Yeah,” Gina agreed dreamily. “It’s all hot and slippery.”

“You wanna try something?” Kendall asked. “Something I read about?”

Gina nodded eagerly.

“Stroke him real slow, but use lots of pressure. Not too much, but keep your hands tight all the way up his shaft. Just squeeze at the bottom and keep squeezing as you move up. Right at the crown, squeeze once, then let up. Then slide your hands back down and do it again.”

Gina did as instructed and I closed my eyes in bliss. To my surprise, I felt Kendall’s hand near my ass. I started to recoil, but she reassured me with a quiet shush. She had oil in her palm and she cupped my balls, spreading the warm, slippery liquid over them. Then she pressed her fingers against the slight bulge behind my testicles. My cock surged in Gina’s hands and she cried out in surprise and delight.

While Kendall massaged the bulge, Gina slowly jerked me off. The pressure built steadily, but it wasn’t so quick that it overwhelmed me. It was like I could feel my balls coming to a slow boil.

“What’s really cool,” Kendall said, grinning at me quickly, “is watching him shoot. It’s like he’s a fire hose, and this torrent of semen just blasts out. The way it squirted this morning, it’s no wonder that I almost choke whenever he comes in my mouth.”

“No kidding,” Gina replied, stroking steadily. When she looked up at me, she smiled and her eyes grew glassy. “The first time you came in my mouth, I didn’t think you were ever gonna stop.” Then she laughed softly and glanced back at Kendall. “Now, I can’t wait to feel that first spurt hit the back of my throat. God, I love the taste of come. Don’t you?”

“It’s okay,” Kendall said with a shrug, glancing my direction.

“It’s better than okay. I get hot just thinking about it.”

“Well, I kinda like the feeling, and the taste isn’t bad, but I don’t like it as much as you do. I like the look on Paul’s face more than anything else,” she said, smiling at me.

“I’m getting all wet just from talking about it,” Gina said.

I tried not to chuckle as Gina licked her lips and smiled at me. Then her eyes locked on the shiny purple head of my cock.

“Do you want me to jerk him off on your tits?” Kendall asked. “I think it’s called a pearl necklace.” Then she turned to me. “Would you like that?”

“Huh?” Gina asked.

“When a guy shoots on your tits and chest,” Kendall explained, “they call it a pearl necklace.”

Gina looked at me as if to ask, “They do?”

“How should I know?” I replied with a shrug. Then I nodded toward Kendall. “She’s the one who reads about this stuff.”

Kendall blushed and moved to my right. Then she squirted more oil in her palm and rubbed her hands together to spread it around.

“Well,” Gina said thoughtfully, “Paul has been getting us jewelry lately.” Then she grinned artfully. “Do you think I’d look good in a pearl necklace?”

“I think you’d look fabulous, dahling,” Kendall said.

“Well,” I interjected, “whatever you decide, you’d better do it soon.”

“Ooh,” Gina said. “Then I definitely want a pearl necklace.”

Kendall reached out and her hand replaced Gina’s. With her left hand, she reached behind me and started massaging my prostate again.

“God, that looks so sexy,” Gina said. “I think I like watching you jerking him off.”

Kendall and I smiled at each other and then I closed my eyes as the first twinges of orgasm reached my brain.

“Push your tits together,” Kendall directed Gina.

Using gentle pressure, Kendall had me sit back a little. Then she aimed my manhood at Gina’s proffered breasts. Kendall kept stroking and squeezing my oily dick, her hand almost slipping over my glans each time.

“I think he’s getting close,” she said.

With my eyes still closed, I drew a deep breath and nodded. The sensation was almost indescribable—it felt like Kendall was slowly drawing semen up from my balls. I trembled, ready to explode, but it seemed like everything was in slow motion. Just when I thought I was ready to come, Kendall slowed her pace but tightened her grip. The feeling was exquisite.

Finally, she began stroking me in earnest. Her hand pressed against the bulge behind my balls and I felt a wave of pleasure wash through my groin.

“Get ready,” Kendall said.

With a groan, I arched my back and my muscles went taut. Kendall’s oil-slick hand gripped my shaft and started pumping. A supernova exploded behind my eyes as I loosed a torrent of sperm. Vaguely, I heard Kendall and Gina crying out in surprise and delight as I coated Gina’s chest with my pearly load.

When I finally regained my senses, I sat back on my haunches, panting. I opened my eyes to find both girls grinning at me, their chests heaving as well. Gina was positively covered. From her cheek to the under-curve of her breasts, glistening drops of semen winked in the noonday sun.

“Wow,” Kendall said. “That was a lot.”

“Mmmmm,” Gina agreed, already wiping the come off her face and licking her fingers.

Much to my surprise, Kendall raised her hand to her mouth and tasted some of the semen that had landed there. Our eyes locked, and she smiled coquettishly. She had tasted my come before, but she had never actively licked it up. Her eyes smoldering, she fastidiously cleaned her hand. Though I’d just come, I felt my dick twitch as I watched.

Gina, heedless to the interplay between Kendall and me, smeared my come over her breasts, circling and tweaking her nipples as she did. Finally, she sat up and sucked the remaining few drops of semen from my semi-hard cock. The head was incredibly sensitive, so I didn’t let her suck as long as she would have liked, but she seemed happy enough.

***

After we rinsed off in the lake, we had lunch. Gina had packed ham and cheese sandwiches, potato salad, pickle spears, and grapes. Fortunately, she had made three sandwiches for me, which I happily ate. Afterward, we lounged around and talked about our time at camp.

The topic of going back home came up, and Gina asked about Amy’s letters. As objectively as I could, I told them about the first three.

“It sounds like she misses you,” Kendall said.

Gina’s expression remained wary.

“Yeah,” I said, “but there’s more.” Then I told them about the fourth letter.

“Wow,” Kendall said.

“No kidding,” I replied. “Unfortunately, I read that letter first, since the others were in a larger envelope with a later postmark.”

Kendall nodded in understanding.

“What’s she think she’s gonna do?” Gina asked testily. “I mean, after that last letter, she won’t get you back.”

Kendall and I looked at each other in alarm.

“There’s nothing she can do,” I said reasonably. “Besides, she wasn’t getting me back before I got the letters. I loved Amy once, and I guess a part of me still does, but I don’t want to be with her any more.”