Chapter 2

Mom put fresh sheets on my bed in anticipation of my getting home. Dad was an Architect, with his own business. I got my degree from North Dakota State University; the same place Dad got his. He has been a one-man operation, but has needed another architect for the last couple of years.

He had a few part-timers come and go, so he made me the deal about paying for college, provided I finish in four years with my degree in hand. My degree includes Landscape Architecture, which he was looking forward to having that skill set in his office. I told him about my computer needs, and software needs, and he'd told me they would all be there when I started work.

I'd brought into my room, the small refrigerator from college and loaded it up with bottled water. The house was so quiet compared to college; I actually heard the hum of the fridge now.

I turned out the light, crawled into bed and fell asleep.

I woke up suddenly, looked and saw I had only been asleep for an hour, so I turned the other direction and saw the sleeping countenance of my sister. She was even pretty sleeping. I must've been tired not to feel her get into bed with me.

My first instinct was to wake her up and send her back to her room, but my second instinct overruled my first. I turned back to the way I had been sleeping and closed my eyes.

I felt her 'scooch' up right behind me and drop her arm on my hip. I sure hoped she had some clothes on, or we would both be in a pile of trouble in the morning. I'd gone to sleep in only boxers and I didn't feel skin against my back — so she at least had a shirt on. It felt nice to have a warm body next to me.

When I woke up the next morning, I glanced over, and she was gone — whew! What might've happened if she was there when I woke up?

I smelled bacon — so I skipped going to the bathroom first and put on my NDSU shirt, finding the family all around the table.

Mom passed me, ruffling up my hair, "Hey sleepyhead, how good was it to sleep in your old bed?"

"Fantastic Mom, I even had a dream that someone crawled into the bed with me, but I woke and realized it was a dream, darn it!" I said.

"Do I need to set you some ground rules now that your home, Robert?" mom was quick to retort.

"You mean like giving me a curfew, Mom?" I said.

"You know what I mean, please don't bring any girls back to the house. Your sister is still impressionable, at least I hope she is," mom answered.

"So, if I meet a girl, we need to go back to her place or a hotel?" I asked.

Jen laughed at that, Dad just shook his head and motioned; he was staying out of it.

"Robert, you've been home less than a day, and you're already corrupting your little sister, aren't you?" mom carried on.

Turning to look right at her, I asked, "Jenna, am I corrupting you?"

Her immediate response was "Not yet, but it's only eight in the morning — ask me again later," she said breaking into a smile and adding a bit of a giggle too.

That caused Dad to laugh out loud, which he never does, while Mom was blushing herself.

"Mom," I said, "I'm sorry — you were always a sucker for my wordplay. I promise to be discrete, if and when I find someone to date. Until then, tonight, I would love to take everyone to dinner, my treat — it's my way of thanking you all for letting me find myself and go to college."

"Actually, Robert," dad said, "Your mother and I have plans for tonight already — why don't you take your sister out and have a good time. It's been two years ... I'm sure you have lots of things to talk about."

"OK Dad - Jenna would you like to go out on a date with an older man?" I said touching her cheek with my hand.

Quite unintentionally, she rubbed up against my hand and said, "Oh yeah — I would, Robby!"

"Oh, you two," dad said, "Get a room or something."

Still looking in my eyes, Jen asked, "How dressed up do you want me, Robby?"

"How about a nice dress — I'll wear a tie for my girl, is that OK?"

"I — I'm your girl, Robby?" she said touching my hand which was still on her face.

"Tonight you are — whatever you want to do; I'm yours," I said hoping she might take that the way I had intended it.

"Well, son — for not dating in college, I must say you seem to say all of that very smoothly," dad proffered.

"I'm not so sure if what I just heard my son say to my daughter, didn't sound a lot like what I remember guys saying when they were trying to date me ... you approve of that kind of conversation between a brother and sister, Stephen?" mom said jumping in.

"Oh, yeah Karen - of course our 22-year-old son is taking out on a date his 17-year-old sister with the sole intention of trying to get into her..."

"Stephen, do not finish that sentence!"

We all laughed as I helped clear the dishes to the sink. I headed back to my room but Dad caught me and said, loud enough for Mom to hear, "Stephen, what exactly are your intentions with my daughter Jenna?"

"Well Mr. Moore, I've always thought that your Jenna was the prettiest girl I ever saw. I understand completely you asking me about my intentions, Sir. Actually, I figured we would date for a while, then I would ask her to wear my pin, at the appropriate time ask you if I could ask her to marry me. If you and Mrs. Moore approved - I figured we would get married in your beautiful back yard."