Chapter 14

"Well," said Dave thoughtfully. "I guess you got what you wanted."

"What?" said Sammy in surprise.

Dave looked at her with mild reproach. "Julie and I were both wondering why you and Bobby hadn't gotten together yet."

"Why would you wonder that?" asked Sammy, trying her best to feign ignorance. "We're just friends."

"Sammy... Julie told me how you feel about him."

Sammy visibly deflated. "She did, huh?"

"Yeah. And Sammy... I already knew you loved Bobby."

She began making patterns in the sand as they watched Bobby and Julie walk on down the beach holding hands. She chose not to respond to Dave's statement.

Dave dropped to his side on his towel, resting his head on one hand. He picked up a stick and began adding flourishes to Sammy's growing pattern of furrows in the sand.

"That must have been hard," offered Dave. "You must really love him."

Sammy's eyes began to grow moist, to her irritation. She remained silent, staring at the sand between them.

"What are you going to do while you're waiting for the time to be right?" asked Dave, as gently as he could.

"I don't know," she finally sniffed. "I'll date other people too, I guess."

They sat silently for quite a while after that, the patterns in the sand being wiped clean several times, only to be re-invented by their restless fingers.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Sammy finally asked.

"Hell no, Sammy. I'm jealous actually. I haven't found anyone I love that much. Well, other than my sister, and that's... different."

"But what if he never comes back to me?" said Sammy miserably.

"I have a feeling he will Sammy. I'm sure he will."

Sammy moved to Dave and gave him a hug. Before she knew it, she was sobbing into his chest, with tears running down her face to dampen his shirt.

"Shhhh, it's okay Sammy," soothed Dave over and over as the sobs wracked her body.

When she finally calmed down in his arms, she looked up at him gratefully. "Thanks Dave," she said simply.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "You're welcome," he said sincerely, and they shared another hug. "Want to go for a walk?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." She looked wistfully down the beach where Bobby and Julie had disappeared. "Let's go the other way though."

"Sure," agreed Dave.

They walked down to the water's edge, and then turned away from Bobby and Julie's course.

Dave talked about inconsequential things to distract her, and eventually Sammy joined in. They talked about the differences in their schools, and their expectations for high school at the end of the summer. They talked about baseball, and Dave learned that Sammy had decided to go out for the girl's softball team instead of the baseball team.

"That's cool," offered Dave. "My sister plays for the softball team and she's really enjoyed it."

"I think I could make the baseball team, but I think it's time to ditch some of my 'tom boy' stuff. I mean, school sports isn't everything to me like for some people. And I want people to think of me as a girl, not just a jock."

Dave grinned at her. "I don't think that should be a problem for you Sammy."

"Why thank you kind sir," she said with an exaggerated southern drawl, and she threw in a curtsy.

They walked on, making footprints in the sand that were quickly washed away behind them.

"What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?" asked Sammy, surprising herself with her directness.

"Me? Uh, no, no I don't."

"Are you waiting for the love of your life to come along, like me?" she said teasingly.

Dave chuckled. "No, I don't think that's going to happen for a while. I've just started getting comfortable enough to even talk to girls. I imagine I'll start dating after school starts."