Chapter 28

JULY 4, 1991

“Happy birthday, Jake.”

It was a pleasant way to wake up. No alarm had been set. I was allowed to sleep in a bit. It was mom who woke me up in a gentle way at around 9:30. But it wasn’t her words that woke me up. It was the smell of bacon in the oven.

I rolled out of bed and felt the sharp sting in my lower half.

‘Fucking leg day!’ I swore to myself.

We’d spent the early part of Tuesday morning on the track, running short bursts of sprints on up to a full mile run. Then Wednesday we were back in the gym concentrating mostly on legs again. I was sore as hell.

I yawned and stretched, but practically floated out to the kitchen on a waft of bacon scent.

“Good morning!” I warmly greeted my family, trying to ignore the leg cramps.

Mom, dad and Josh wished me a happy birthday. Mom was still hustling around the kitchen to finish breakfast.

Bacon, hashbrowns, eggs over-easy and toast was piled onto my birthday plate, accompanied by some orange juice and a big glass of cold milk. I couldn’t think of a better way to start my next trip around the sun.

The usual July 4 plans were in place. Mom and dad would be serving food in the park as part of a church fundraiser. Josh would be in the care of grandma and grandpa Parker for the day, and he’d attend the parade and festivities with them.

For me, it would be like a Sunday. The day would be mine. And my legs already felt better.

My thoughts turned to last year’s birthday events, and how the day had certainly turned out differently than I expected. I wondered with a wry grin what this year would have in store for me.

After a pleasant breakfast and some light fun at the table, dad and I helped mom clean up as Josh got ready to head off to grandma and grandpa’s.

Mom was in the middle of scraping her big cast iron skillet when the phone rang.

“I got it!” I called out.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Jake?” an unfamiliar feminine voice asked somewhat shyly.

“Speaking,” I replied with a hint of laughter.

“Happy birthday! Can you guess who this is?”

Now she had me on the spot. The wrong guess would be a disaster. I had to think fast.

“Not fair without a hint,” I gave her my best sexy phone husk.

“Hmmmmm,” she pondered. Her voice was quiet and soft, but had a very smooth, honey-like quality to it. “We had study hall together, and we ate lunch at the same table.”

“That doesn’t narrow it down much,” I teased. At least I knew I was dealing with my own school.

“Hmmmmm,” she hummed again in her warm, but teasing tone. “Never have I ever,” she said confidently, then giggled softly.

“Autumn!” I blurted out instantly. “Hey, thanks for remembering my birthday.”

“Jake, it’s pretty easy to remember. ‘Born on the Fourth of July?’”

“I never cared for that movie,” I quipped.

“Me either,” she said.

I was buzzing with excitement. If you would have asked me a week ago if I’d have been excited to get a phone call from Autumn Kent on my birthday, I’d have laughed. But it was happening.

“So what do you have planned for your big day?”

“Oh, the usual. I was going to meet up with Mikey and watch the parade. Then get something to eat at the park and catch the fireworks tonight.”

“That sounds like fun, and I had pretty much the same plans,” she said, leaving an opening for me to run through.

“What was different about your plan?”

“Our backyard has a great view of the fireworks, and I could have a bonfire.”

That sounded tempting indeed.

“We might just have a deal if you throw in the word ‘S’mores,’” I replied.

“Deal!” she said confidently.

“When do you want to meet up?” I asked casually, not certain that it was any kind of date.

“Do you know where I live?”

“Yeah, west of the big park?”

“Yep, be there at nine and I’ll make you S’mores.”

“I’ll be there,” I said with a grin.

“Bye, Jake,” she said with some promise in her voice. “Have a happy birthday!”

I hung up the phone, and realized mom had been scrubbing the same skillet the entire phone conversation.

“Looks like someone has plans tonight,” mom grinned.

“I do,” I said in light irritation. “Now you know why I take the phone in my room most times.”

“You’d have told us what you were up to anyway,” mom grinned.

“True,” I admitted.

“So, about your present,” Mom began.

“Yes?” I smiled.

“It’s not all here yet. We hoped all of it would be in place today, but the holiday complicated things. I’ll be right back.”

Mom headed toward her room, and appeared moments later with dad and a wrapped present.

“Happy birthday!” dad smiled as mom handed me the gift.

I unwrapped it and looked at the box in confusion. “Is it something else? We already have an answering machine?”

My parents had a penchant for hiding presents in boxes that might trick you. I opened the box expecting something completely different.

It was indeed an answering machine, brand new, in the box.

“OK, uh, thanks guys,” I smiled my best, but was still a little confused.

“It’s almost more for us than for you,” dad laughed. “Did you tell him about the line?” dad asked mom.

“Nope,” she laughed. “We’re hoping to have the phone line installed tomorrow. It’s your own teen line.”

“Wow!”

“Yeah, you can’t make long distance calls with it, but we figured this would keep our phone line clear, and you have a bit more privacy.”

“Wow!”

“Well, he seems happy,” dad teased.

I hugged both mom and dad, thanking them profusely.

“How much does all this cost?”

“It’s like 11 dollars a month more, but not being your secretary anymore is well worth it,” mom said.

That would end up being one of the best birthday presents I’d ever received. Well, not counting the year before...

Not to be outdone, Josh came running into the family room with a medium sized wrapped gift of his own.

“Happy birthday! Open it! Open it!”

I had to laugh at his enthusiasm, and it was contagious. I thanked him for the gift and shook it lightly at my ear for his benefit. It sounded like a box of light gravel.

“What could this be?” I asked.

“Open it!” Josh jumped up and down.

I tore away the wrapping paper, ending the little guy’s torment.

Under the wrapping paper was a Revell 1:25 scale model of a 1968 Mustang Fastback.

“Oh, buddy! Look at that!”

“It’s just like your car, only not blue!” he said excitedly.

“Should we build it together?”

Josh was trying to grab the box from me before I realized he thought I meant right now.

“Wait, buddy, not right now. It’s still the holiday. Let’s get the right paint colors and build it together on a rainy day?”

“OK!” he enthused, almost forgetting his excitement.

Mom and dad looked quite pleased with me.

The day was going well. Some early clouds threatened to bring rain, but cleared out in time to make for a gorgeous Independence Day.

I let the speedometer rest between 55 and 60, applying a little pressure to the pedal. Cool air rushed in through both open windows, as did the echo of loud dual exhaust. My sexy blue Mustang zipped down the road at a low RPM, just waiting to be opened up.

I got to town and headed to Mikey’s. Traffic was a real issue, as many more people were in town than usual for the celebration. Mike lived near the big park and the parade route, so parking was at a premium already. I simply rolled into his driveway.

He was already outside waiting for me.

“Damn, dude, that car is so sweet.”

“Thanks, man,” I nodded.

“But, I have something you should see,” Mike said with a grin.

He hustled back into the house and opened the garage door from inside. It was black, with a lot of straight lines and a little chrome. That much I could see right away. As the last sections of the garage door slipped up, it was all exposed to me.

MIkey had bought himself a car, and it was pretty sharp.

“Eighty-one Malibu,” he said with pride.

I walked around inside the garage looking at it from all angles. It sort of reminded me of Beast’s Monte Carlo, but this car had a shorter wheelbase and was a little older. It was all black, with chrome on the bumpers and the fenders. It sat on a set of Chevy rally wheels, with Goodyear white letters strapped on.

“Sharp!” I said in appreciation. “Where did you get it?”

“Guy had graduated this spring and didn’t want to keep it, I guess. Found her a couple of towns over in the county newspaper.”

“Nice work,” I said as I opened the passenger door.

“The buckets are a nice touch,” Mikey smiled.

Indeed, it had nice bucket seats and a shifter on the console. The interior was brown.

“Rare option for this car,” Mikey intoned. “Most are bench seats.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have a bench seat for date night?” I teased.

Mike laughed out loud. “I suppose in that case, I would. But this is sportier. Sexier.”

“Well, are we going to be late for the parade?”

“Let’s go!”

I was having a serious case of deja vu, but I was not letting it get to me. Of course, last year was momentous, but I had learned to look forward, not back.

Mikey and I grabbed our same spots from last year, crossing the street just a few moments before the mayor and parade marshall crept by in a convertible.

We waved at some familiar faces in the band as they played on, marching by in shorts and T-shirts. Several floats went by, then we spotted the baseball team once again. Fresh hot dogs were being handed out, along with snack pies. It reminded me that next year I’d likely be up on the float working the grill. For this year, I watched as the upperclassmen went by. Only one thing bothered me. Mitch was on the float as well. Why hadn’t I been asked?

The taste of a free hot dog and a fruit pie helped me forget the affront pretty quickly. A lengthy line of old, antique tractors driven by old, antique farmers putted past, and then the riders made their presence known.

It didn’t take me long to pick her out and she saw me at the same moment. Shelby was riding Destiny again, the spirited filly followed her mistresses’ command and sidled over to Mikey and me. Another rider followed suit. It took me a moment to recognize who was riding Doc. It was Mandy Prentice.

“Howdy, ladies,” I greeted the girls with a fake tip of an invisible cowboy hat.

Mandy didn’t quite match Shelby’s western look, but she did have cowboy boots to go with acid-washed jeans and a well-filled-out tank top. She wore a white cowboy hat, which set off her dark eyes. Maybe Shelby had the same idea, her black hat setting off her piercing blue eyes.

“Are you actually going to be where you say you’re going to be this year?” Shelby teased.

“Well, hello to you too,” I grinned at Shelby. “Yes, I will be there this year. Next year, I make no promises.”

“You need a ride?” Mandy drawled, giving me a million watt smile.

“Oh, you’re a brave girl riding ‘Widowmaker’ there,” I said, pretending to be serious. “That’s a dangerous horse.”

“Doc?” Mandy pointed at the old stallion with a look of concern.

“Shut up, you dork!” Shelby laughed. “He’s kidding. He knows Doc is as gentle as a rabbit.”

“A jackrabbit,” I said flatly. “Be careful on that horse, he’s a killer,” I teased.

Shelby rolled her eyes at me and laughed. “Just because you can’t ride, doesn’t mean this horse can’t be ridden.”

Mandy started to get the idea, and my ruse was over.

“He just needs lessons,” Mandy intoned. “You should show him how to ride sometime.” It was fortunate that I wasn’t taking a drink of anything at the time. The spit take would have been incredible.

“Come on,” Shelby laughed and shared a conspiratorial wink with me. “We’ve lost our place over this dork.”

I blew Shelby a raspberry as she rode by, lightly slapping Destiny in the flank. Impressively, the horse didn’t bolt, but turned and gave me a hard look as she trotted off. That horse had some attitude.

Both girls turned in unison and addressed me in harmony at the same time.

“Happy birthday, Jake.”

The view of those two girls riding off was something to see, and I wasn’t the only one to notice.

“That’s quite a pair of asses,” Mikey deadpanned.

“Horses,” I corrected him. “They’re riding horses, not asses.”

The parade hotdog and fruit pie didn’t do much to tide me over. There was a line for pulled pork sandwiches with sides, and another for our church, offering fresh homemade pies. The real deal.

Mikey and I found a table with our piled up plates, and sat down. I was almost ready for pie when I was suddenly, and rudely, tickled from behind.

“Hey!” I yelled out, grabbing my sides.

“Someone is ticklish!” Mandy teased warmly, giving me an apologetic smile. She and Shelby crossed around the table and sat in front of Mikey and me.

“Oh, too bad,” I teased. “We were just finishing up.”

“Sit down,” Shelby said icily. “Be where you’re supposed to be for once.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I deadpanned.

“Dude, you two are like an old married couple,” Mikey said, laughing at his own joke.

Shelby gave me the most brief eye smile, then flicked a morsel of potato salad at Mike.

“We’re not old,” Shelby complained.

Mandy was quiet, unusually quiet for her demeanor. She ate cautiously, stealing shy glances at me from time to time.

In my mind, it was as if she and Autumn had changed personalities.

I let the girls finish their barbecue and offered to buy pie for the four of us.

“I have connections. I can get a deal,” I teased.

I got our order and left the table. Mandy hurriedly caught up to me to offer a hand.

“I can help you carry,” she offered.

“Sure,” I shrugged, playing it as cool as I had all day.

Mandy and I waited in line, making a little small talk. She had done a good job of avoiding the topic of Deedee breaking up with me less than a week earlier. I didn’t take the bait when asked how my summer was going.

“Pretty good,” I admitted. “I can finally take advantage of my car now. Baseball is over, and I’m working out with the guys early mornings. My first race is this weekend too.”

Mom greeted Mandy and me with a smile at the end of the line.

“What kind of pie can we get you?”

“We need one apple, one derby, one cherry and pecan for me,” I answered.

“As you know, it’s a free will offering,” mom said with some trepidation in her voice.

“Do you accept cash?” I asked boldly as I held up a $20 bill between two fingers and slipped it into the offering jar with a flourish.

Mom looked suitably impressed, reaching back on tables for big slices of pie already divided into styrofoam bowls.

I took two and allowed Mandy to take two as well. I would have been lost without her there to help carry.

“You’ll want ice cream with those, right?” His voice froze me in my tracks. Here I was, standing with both hands full and a cute girl in tow.

Rick Rogers was summoning me over for scoops of ice cream to go with the pie.

“Um, sure, not for the derby pie, I guess.”

Mandy followed me down the line until we both stood before Mel’s father. I hadn’t seen him since the funeral, having fought to stay away from the church. I didn’t hate the church. I didn’t hate God, exactly. I just didn’t need the weekly reminder.

“How are you doing, Jake?” Rick asked, his voice taking a serious tone.

“I’m doing a lot better, sir,” I looked him in the eye. “I’m doing better, and I hope you guys are too.”

“We’re all doing a lot better, Jake. But you don’t have to call me sir,” he smiled warmly.

Rick scooped up fresh ice cream for three of the pies.

“Thank you, S ... Rick,” I corrected myself, nodding to him as Mandy followed me back to our table.

Seeing Rick had silenced me. I walked back without saying so much as a word to poor Mandy, haunted by memories that began exactly a year earlier.

I didn’t get much time to wallow. Mike wouldn’t allow it.

“Why don’t I get ice cream?”

“Derby pie. You don’t eat derby pie with ice cream,” I answered.

“Says who?” Mike complained. “I want my ice cream.”

“Go up there and get it,” I said in irritation. “And you’re welcome for the pie, asshole.”

Both girls and Mikey started laughing at me, knowing I was far from serious.

“Now who sounds like an old married couple?” Shelby teased, taking a bite of her apple pie.

Mandy laughed hard in delight of the joke, giggling in a way that made her seem cute and sweet. While I never thought of her as bad natured, I knew she could be a little naughty.

When she had my attention she, pounced.

“Want a taste of my cherry?” she offered.

Mikey coughed at her bold maneuver.

I held my pie bowl toward Mandy in a sort of challenge before showing her two could play at this game.

“Only if you want to sample these nuts.”

She and I didn’t flinch. Shelby and Mike were struggling to breathe. Coughing fits abounding.

Mandy and I stared each other down, each taking a spoonful of the other’s pie at the same time.

“Not this again,” Mike complained, shaking his head.

Mandy and I each savored the flavor of the pie, then smirked in unison.

I liked where this was headed. Mike had probably seen about enough.

“OK, what’s next?”

“I’m sure the ladies have horses to attend to,” I said cooly.

“Taken care of,” Shelby interjected. “Dad is taking them home after the meal.”

“Pool?” Mandy added helpfully.

In my mind, that was Deedee territory, and I wanted to avoid it for now, plus the pool was always overpacked on this holiday.

“Nah, there’ll be like a million people there,” Mikey complained.

A quiet fell over the group before I made my suggestion.

“Let’s just wander around the big park and see what’s going on.”

We did just that, walking around vendors, the car show, the kiddie wagon train pulled by a riding lawnmower done up as a locomotive. We tried a couple of carnival games, trying to win stuffed creatures, but gave up fast. Mikey, of all people, offered to buy bottled waters for us as the afternoon grew hotter.

“You sure you don’t want to go to the pool?” Mandy asked with some promise in her voice. “How about the lake?” Mikey added.

That idea did have promise. We had a small, man-made lake just a few miles from the school. It had a good-sized beach and was relatively clean this time of year.

“Does everyone have a suit and a towel?”

“We’d have to stop at my house,” Mike said.

“I can grab mine from my locker at the pool,” Mandy said.

I looked at Shelby with a question in my eyes.

“At home,” she nodded.

“OK then, how about we meet at Mikey’s after you two visit the pool, then we’ll stop at Shelby’s so she can get her stuff?”

“Deal,” Mandy smiled, grabbing Shelby by the hand and practically racing off toward the pool.

Mike and I headed through the big park for his house. We talked as we walked.

“So, Mandy?” Mike said with a smirk.

“Yeah, Mandy.” I replied without much inflection.

“You work fast,” he teased.

“I’m not ‘working’ at all,” I looked at him. “I’m not doing any of it. She’s chasing me.”

“Well, you’re flirting a little at least,” Mike argued. “‘Sample these nuts?’” he asked in a goofy tone.

“If I’m breathing, I’m flirting,” I replied, giving him a smirk and a shrug.

“Yet another cheerleader,” Mike said flatly, practically complaining.

“Yeah,” I said skeptically. “I’m trying not to hold it against her.”

“You suck,” he said flatly.

“Not a great track record with cheerleaders,” I admitted. “And I’m told I like belong to them, like I’m their property to share around and only cheerleaders can date me.” “Where do I sign up?” Mike asked with hope.

“I dunno, you’ve been there the last year. You still wanna sign up?”

“In a heartbeat,” Mike said flatly.

“All I’ve been through in the last year?”

“You take a minute and think about dating two of the hottest girls in our school, one died, granted, but you had her before that.”

“And the other dumped me,” I complained.

“Still,” Mike said. “You are in need of some, um, perspective from time to time.”

We both stopped in our tracks, nearly out of the park.

“You’re probably right,” I thought out loud, thinking of Mike. He wasn’t exactly a catch, but he was clean and presentable, certainly with his own style.

“Still, I’m seeing someone different tonight anyway,” I said with a little smirk.

“What?”

“Oh, it’s not a date exactly, but I’m seeing a different girl tonight.

“A: You suck. B: Who the hell is it?”

We started walking again. I struggled with whether to fess up or not, but figured it was likely to come out at some point, and Mike was my closest friend not named Shelby.

“I’m going to Autumn Kent’s tonight to watch fireworks.”

“Autumn?” Mike made an odd face. “Autumn Kent?”

“Yeah, she called me this morning and asked me out, well not out, but over, you know?”

“Clearly Mandy wants you. Why would you waste time with Autumn Kent?”

“I thought you liked redheads?” I countered.

“I do, but this is Mandy-freaking-Prentice versus a super-skinny, super-shy redhead,” Mike added. “No question who I’d choose.” “Who says I have to choose?” I said flatly. “I’m not going to have a girlfriend until at least the start of the school year.”

“You’re not going to have any girlfriends at all if you date two at the same time.”

“I’m not dating anyone, at all, until school starts. If other things happen this summer before then, so be it.”

“You sly dog,” Mikey said. “You suck.”

“I’m just going to make sure everyone knows what’s going on up front, and what happens happens,” I said with a note of finality.

“Gonna blow up in your face, dude.”

“We’ll see.”

What started as a cloudy morning truly had developed into a glorious early July afternoon. The sun was bright, with a few wisps of high clouds and contrails criss-crossing a beautiful blue sky. The girls were laughing in the back seat of the Mustang as we zipped down the highway. Mikey was turned around telling them something funny. The warm summer air blew in the open windows, providing our only source of air conditioning.

I had to smile at the moment, looking at two gorgeous girls in my back seat. One I loved already, and one I briefly wondered if I could get closer to.

Mandy caught my eye in the mirror and gave me a brown-eyed wink, her straight raven-black hair fluttering in the breeze. She was darn cute.

We pulled up to the local lake, a small shack was manned by a county park ranger. I purchased a season pass for a paltry eight dollars and let him plaster the little sticker on the inside of my windshield. The car was official now. I could take it to any county park.

The ranger thanked us, and we drove down fresh blacktop toward the beach. The parking lot was less packed than I had expected, and we found a spot easily, overlooking the small lake and beach. At its widest, the lake ran about a half mile, and was about a mile and a half in length. A big earthen dam had been put in toward the end of the 60s, and the lake had been developed for recreation. Our beach sat on the north side of the lake.

We rolled out of the car with our towels and suits. Shelby had also brought a beach blanket and thoughtfully brought a small cooler. We set up a spot well away from the few families and other teens at the beach and headed up to the changing rooms.

Mike and I were quick, changing in just minutes. I was already applying suntan lotion I kept in my mesh bag when the girls finally emerged and headed down to the beach.

Of course, I’d seen much more of her the weekend before, but I had never seen Shelby in a two-piece swimsuit. She wore a light blue bikini, that covered more than most did. The top was more of a sports bra than a string bikini. The bottoms were more like boyshorts than buttfloss. The look was good for her, but her tan lines from ranch work were a little odd.

Mandy, on the other hand, came bouncing down the steps to the beach in a fire engine red bikini that looked like she’d stolen it from the set of “Baywatch.” It was also no string bikini, but it did a nice job of holding her big upper assets and ass in place.

I stared at her as she walked through the sand and she stared at me at the same time.

“Do not tease me about the tan lines,” Shelby threatened. Her words directed my attention back to her.

“So you do, or don’t want some of this sunscreen?”

“Do,” she said flatly.

“Hang on.” I finished my face, neck and shoulders, the only trouble areas I had for sunburn. I would let the rest of my body darken to an impressive bronze every summer.

I tossed the lotion bottle to Shelby.

“Do you get darker than this?” Mandy asked casually, her own skin nearly as dark as mine.

I held my arm up to hers, seeing who had the deeper tan.

“A little, usually it’s all over by the time football starts.”

Mikey skipped the lotion and headed into the small waves, splashing up water with his feet.

“Will you do my back?” Shelby asked, turning and holding her hair up.

I squeezed some lotion from the bottle, smeared it together in my palms and applied it dutifully to Shelby’s shoulders. I took a slight risk and whispered into her ear as I rubbed it in.

“You OK with this?”

She didn’t seem to react, then turned to face me.

“Is it applied evenly on my face?” she asked, then nodded, whispering. “I brought her. It’s OK.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave her a meaningful look for just a moment.

“It’s OK,” she said softly, but with a little more conviction.

I closed down my mouth and shrugged. It was one thing for her to hold off on dating me for the time being. It was another thing entirely for her to hand deliver a girl to get between us. If this was the way she wanted it, this was the way it was going to have to be.

“Me next?” Mandy asked excitedly.

“Where do you want it?” I asked with a little husk in my voice.

“Everywhere you can reach,” she said with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

Shelby laid out on the beach blanket, smoothing some wrinkles and evening out some spots in the sand.

Mandy stepped over to me and handed me the lotion expectantly. I held it in my hand for just a moment’s pause, before doing as I was asked.

I started at her shoulders, rubbing the cool lotion into her skin to her light moans of delight. Mandy had amazingly soft skin, and reacted to my every touch. I applied the lotion down her arms, rubbing each in turn to work the white lotion in. She instinctively turned her back for me, holding her short, straight black hair up and out of my way. I worked both thumbs into her upper neck, just below her hair line. She moaned in pleasure at my attention as I loosened the tight muscles at the apex of her shoulders, then worked the creamy lotion down her tight back. Her hips flared out in a feminine and sexy way. She was not out of shape by any means, but her build was a bit thicker than Mel, and about on par with Deedee, but Mandy didn’t have the soft tummy Deedee had. As she turned around expectantly, my hands rubbed lotion into tight abdominal muscles. Mandy was proud of this body, and she loved having my hands on it.

I rubbed my hands up each of her sides, being cautious not to tickle her, then dropped to my knees to attend to her short, toned legs. With a fresh dollop of lotion, I started at the outside of her hips, working the lotion down the outside of her legs down to her ankles. I looked up at her for permission. She nodded and stood with her legs slightly wider, and I took the daring step of rubbing more lotion into her inner thighs, being careful not to touch her bikini, then down her inner legs to her ankles. I motioned for her to set her foot into my palm, then rubbed the lotion into her foot and toes, repeating the process on her other foot.

“There you go,” I said as I stood up. The poor girl practically fell over, as she stumbled to the blanket.

“You OK?”

“Never better, the dark-skinned girl actually blushed.”

“You gonna do me like that next, dude?” Mikey teased from a few yards away.

Peals of laughter erupted from both girls.

“Well,” Shelby said theatrically. “I’m going in the water.”

“I’ll, um, stay here, for the moment,” Mandy added.

This was clearly planned, but I went along with it.

“I guess I’ll hang here as well,” I surrendered and sat down cross-legged in front of Mandy.

Once Shelby and Mikey were out of earshot, Mandy swooped in.

“So, I’m sorry about Deedee,” she said quietly.

“Are you sure?” I challenged her.

“Part of me is,” she grinned. “Another part of me has no problem with it.”