Chapter 1

"Hey!" I yelled and sat bolt upright, only to smack my head into something soft and yielding. I fell back onto the lounge I had been sleeping on and saw something, someone, falling toward me.

I hadn't even have time to raise my arms to fend her off, when Karen landed on top of me. The lounge didn't even put up a fight. It collapsed and I momentarily panicked from that feeling of weightlessness as the lounge, Karen, and I went crashing to the patio.

Luckily we landed well and neither of us damaged anything important. I didn't know whether to scream at Karen or hug her, but my arms made up my mind for me as they went around her.

Karen was giggling as she pulled her head back to look at me, then she suddenly got serious and asked, "Are you okay, Ed?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. How about you?" I asked, still not knowing if I should be angry or not.

"I'm okay, but your sister isn't going to be when I get my hands on her. She pushed me."

"Was it her that dripped water on me while I was sleeping?" I asked, no longer feeling any anger. It's hard to be angry when you have a bikini clad fifteen-year-old vixen in your arms.

"No, that was me," she giggled.

"Well, you know," I said as I tightened my arms around her, "I can call up the tickle monster any time I want."

"Oh, I'm so scared," Karen laughed. She wasn't making any effort to get away from me, in fact, as she said this; she laid her head on my shoulder and kind of snuggled in.

I'd known Karen most of my life. She had always been my sister, Beth's, best friend. Her family lived three doors down from us. Karen was only three months older than Beth, but it was enough to put her in my grade in school instead of Beth's. That didn't slow the Terrible Twosome down any though. I'd watched Karen change from a gangly child, who was all knees and elbows, into an auburn haired, hazel-eyed beauty.

For the last two years, at least, I'd had a crush on her. She was so damned pretty she scared the hell out of me, so I hadn't done anything about it. Now, here she was, lying in my arms. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't have the guts to do it. Instead, I kissed her on the forehead and said, "Let's go throw that bratty sister of mine in the pool."

Karen giggled then leaned her head back and looked me in the eyes. She hesitated for a second or two, then leaned in and kissed me quickly on the lips. She pulled away just as quickly and got to her feet. She held out her hand to me and helped to pull me up.

"That sister of yours is SO dead," she laughed.

We looked around the back yard and finally saw her hiding behind a lilac bush. "Pretend everything's okay," I said quietly. "When we get close enough, we'll grab her."

We started walking toward Beth, both of us feeling good. It suddenly hit me that Karen and I were holding hands. I was in heaven. I squeezed her hand and Karen looked up at me. We both smiled and I think that both of us knew that something special was happening between us.

Evidently Beth saw the look and assumed she was safe. She came out from behind the bush, smiling, and said, "Hi guys."

"Hi, yourself," I said. "Did you put Karen up to dripping water on me?"

"No, that was all her idea," Beth giggled.

When I grabbed her and lifted her up in my arms, Beth squealed. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I think it's time you took another swim," I said.

"No way," Beth laughed. "There's no way you can throw me in the pool without going in with me," she said as she locked her arms around my neck.

By now I was standing at the deep end of the pool. I looked at Karen and winked. She moved up beside us and started tickling Beth. Beth has always been very ticklish and she was squirming within seconds. She let go of me to slap at Karen's hands, so I dumped her into the pool.

Karen and I were standing side by side. One of my arms was around her and one of hers was around me as Beth surfaced, sputtering. "We make a pretty good team," I told Karen as I looked into her eyes.

"I think we make a very good team," Karen said as she gave me a little squeeze.

"That was for pushing Karen on top of me," I told Beth.

"I'd have thought you'd have given me twenty dollars for that," Beth laughed.

"If I did, you'd have to give it to Mom to pay for the lounge chair," I told her.

Beth got out of the pool and we went back over to the patio. I sat down on the swing, and Karen sat beside me. The two girls started talking about the big 4th of July celebration coming up and I just sort of zoned out.

I was truly amazed at what seemed to be going on between Karen and me. Although she was very smart, Karen was also very popular. Beth had told me that even as a freshman, the football and basketball jocks had been asking Karen out almost every week. I was anything but a jock.

I'm fairly muscular because I swim a lot in the summer and I lift weights in the winter. I also try to run every day, so I have a little stamina. If you asked anyone at Cabot High about me though, they'd tell you I was a sixteen-year-old computer nerd.

They'd be at least partially right. I was into computers. Actually I was into computers, big time. I also got good grades. Most of the popular girls at school looked at me like I was something they'd scraped off their shoe.

Now, here was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, sitting beside me and actually leaning against me. It just didn't compute. Oh, well, in for a penny, in for a pound. I put my arm around her. Karen smiled at me and snuggled in.

"Are you going to the big bash, Ed?" Beth asked me. She was looking at Karen and me, but she didn't act as if anything was strange at all because of the way we were sitting.

"I'd planned to," I said, wondering where this was going.

"Would you like to go with Karen and me?" Beth asked, a little smile twitching the corners of her mouth.

I looked down at Karen and she nodded, so I said, "I'd like that very much, Sis."

Beth smiled from ear to ear then jumped to her feet. "Would anyone like some iced tea?" she asked.

Karen and I both agreed we would, so Beth said she'd be right back and ran into the house.

"I have a bone to pick with you, young lady," I said as I pulled back far enough so that I could look her in the eye.

"What's that?" Karen asked, with a very serious expression on her face.

"Everyone at school will tell you I'm a nerd, and I guess I am. Now, here I am with my arm around the prettiest, smartest, most popular girl at Cabot High. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"I like you, Ed," she said in a quiet, shy voice.

"I like you too, Karen. In fact, I've had a crush on you for at least a couple of years. It just doesn't seem possible to me that you could like me."

"I've had a crush on you since I was five years old," she told me.

I leaned in and kissed her. This kiss was a lot different than the peck on the forehead I'd given her or the peck on the lips she'd given me. It wasn't a passionate kiss. It was a loving kiss, a long loving kiss, a very long loving kiss.

I have no idea how long we were kissing, or how long the kiss would have gone on. Beth said, "Would you guys break it up, or are you trying for some kind of record?"

Karen and I broke apart and saw Beth sitting across from us. She was holding a glass of iced tea and there were glasses for Karen and I on the table beside us.

"Sorry, Beth," Karen said then started giggling. Beth joined in and a fit of mirth overcame me as well.

When we finally calmed down, Beth asked, "So, you two finally realized you like each other?"

"Yeah, remind me to give you twenty dollars when we get inside," I said. This set us all off again.

Mom was in a good mood that evening. She's a realtor and had sold a very expensive house that day. We were sitting around, after dinner, trying to figure out what to do that evening when she asked about our day.

"Ed has a girlfriend," Beth announced.

Mom was looking a little puzzled when she asked, "When did this happen?"

"Today," Beth said. "Karen and him decided they like each other."

"That's old news." Mom laughed. "Ed's liked Karen for a couple of years and she's liked him since she was a little girl. Karen is a nice young lady. How did this come about?"

Beth went on to tell Mom what had happened. "I don't think they let go of each other the rest of the afternoon," she told her after she'd finished her story. "By the way, the lounge chair broke when Karen landed on top of Ed, so he owes you for a new lounge chair."

Mom laughed. "You're the one who pushed her, young lady. I think it's you that owes me for a new lounge chair."

Beth looked like she was going to take up the fight, but Mom laughed and said, "With the commission I made today, I think I can afford a new lounge. Ed, Karen is a sweet, innocent girl. Please don't hurt her."

"I wouldn't even think of it, Mom."

Mom looked at me then said, "No, I don't think you would."

Normally, if Karen spends the day at our house, Beth spends the next day at Karen's house. Today was a little different. Karen showed up at our place even before Mom left for work.

"Good morning, Mrs. Green," Karen said as she walked over beside me and smiled. "Is Beth up yet?"

"Good morning, Karen. No, Beth won't be up for another hour and I'm leaving for work in a few minutes. I imagine Ed can keep you entertained until Beth gets up though," Mom said with a big smile.

"Would you like some coffee, Karen?" I asked.

"Sure. Lots of cream and two spoons of sugar, please," she grinned as she sat down at the breakfast bar.

I got up to fix her a cup then asked, "Mom, I haven't asked Karen or Beth if they'd like to yet, but would it be okay if we took a picnic lunch up to Swanton Lake today?"

"Will that piece of junk of yours make it up there and back?" Mom asked, teasing.

"My car runs just fine, Mom. It just looks bad." I'd bought the car with money I'd earned working at the supermarket and I was pretty proud of it.

"I guess it'd be okay. Check with Karen's Mom first, and drive carefully."

"I will, Mom. Karen, would you like to go up to the lake?"

Karen jumped up as I sat her coffee on the table and hugged me. "I'd love to, Ed. I'm going to call Mom and see if it's okay."

When she'd gone into the living room, Mom said, "Remember what I said about hurting her, Ed."

"Mom, I like her a lot. I may even love her. I'm not going to hurt her."

"Okay, don't let her hurt you, either."

I hugged Mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I don't know if I can prevent that, Mom."

Karen came bouncing back in and said, "She said it was okay, Mrs. Green. I'll have to run home and get my swimsuit after while."

Mom put her dishes in the sink and said, "Well, kids, I have to get to work. You guys have fun and be careful at the lake."

I stood up and hugged Mom, then said to Karen, "Let's take our coffee out on the patio. It's a beautiful morning."

I sat down on the swing again when we got out there. Karen sat beside me, then turned and put her legs up over mine. I leaned in and we shared a soft, gentle kiss.

"This is so nice," Karen sighed.

"Yes, it is, but I still can't believe it. How could a beautiful girl like you want to go out with someone like me?"

"Do you really think I'm pretty, Ed?"