Chapter Six
Aralyn wondered why she was so nervous. In the last few weeks she had been alone plenty with Cam, and last weekend they spent half the night in his Jeep kissing after the dance. Maybe because this was the first time she was actually looking forward to a date. Her first real date with Cam.
Brushing her hair one more time, she checked her lipstick again and fiddled with the sapphire that hung around her neck, wondering if she was dressed all right. Maybe she should change her boots, she thought, but Cam had remarked more than once he liked
them. The jeans fit well, and her ribbed, mock turtleneck clung to her into the right places. Thank God for Tiffany choosing most of her clothes when they went shopping, she thought. She would be happy in a sweatshirt and holy jeans but her cousin insisted she at least look like she knew something about fashion. The cobalt blue set off her eyes and hair, and she knew it was her father's favorite color on both her and Trixie.
Hurrying down the stairs, she hoped to get Cam out the door before the twins decided to have one of their water gun fights. Even though the water guns weren't allowed inside the house, they had no qualms about risking punishment for fun.
Cam rang the doorbell nervously. He had been here a dozen times in recent weeks, but as her tutor, not her boyfriend. Boyfriend. The term made him grin every time he thought about. Aralyn Duke was his girlfriend.
The door opened, and Aralyn was suddenly standing before him.
“Hey, Kent.” Her dark blue eyes sparkled at him.
“Hey, Duke,” he answered, trying not to gawk at her. She waved him in, glancing over her shoulder.
“Hi, Cam.” Bo appeared.
“Sir.” Cam shook hands with Bo, hoping his nervousness wasn’t apparent.
“Her curfew is eleven, since she has a game tomorrow morning, so I expect you to have her back by then.”
“Yes, sir.” Cam smiled. “That won’t be a problem.”
Bo didn’t really think it would be, but he had to play his role of protective father. In truth, he half-wished Cam was old enough to drink legally and have a beer with him. Bo liked the young man and the look of adoration Cam’s face when he looked at Aralyn spoke volumes.
“Seatbelts?” Bo asked. He tried to look stern, but his dark blue eyes were merry.
“Yes, sir. Fully functional and an absolute necessity.”
Bo nodded approvingly.
Aralyn decided she was grateful her father was so outgoing. Dana had told her horror stories of Dan grilling her dates, and Aralyn knew her dark-haired cousin enjoyed looking the part of the menacing father. Bo had downplayed it, which was a good sign he approved of Cam.
“Hi, Cam.” Trixie Duke appeared with a smile.
“Hi, Mrs. Duke,” Cam greeted her cheerfully.
“I saw the twins lurking near the gate, so I suggest you two skedaddle before they decide to launch an attack.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Aralyn grabbed her jacket, and Cam held it for her while she slipped it on. He then opened the door for her, and they departed.
Bo slipped one arm around his wife and hugged her to him as they watched the couple depart, and then Bo shut the door behind his daughter and her beau with a sigh. Trixie wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head against his back.
"I ain't ready for this," he muttered.
Trixie laughed. "Sweetie, you had eighteen years to get ready."
Bo turned to her and enveloped his petite wife in his strong arms. "Not enough."
"At least they're being conventional." she teased. "She hasn't run off to the other end of the country and met some wild boy."
Bo smiled tenderly at her as he kissed her. "She wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
"My eyes! My eyes!" Bo didn't see which twin it was that dashed through the room.
"You know, I bet Uncle Jesse's laughin' himself silly that I got stuck with those two."
"Probably," Trixie agreed, stepping up on her toes so she could whisper in his ear. "But it is Friday night, remember."
Bo's grin grew wider.
***
Aralyn swallowed nervously as Cam drove.
Cam glanced over at her and smiled reassuringly. The energy between them had definitely changed this week, he thought. It was softer, and yet stronger. Maybe because they weren't dancing around each other anymore. Though stealing fast kisses in the hallways at school was fun, Cam had been looking forward to being alone with her all week.
They pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, and Cam was quick to make her wait while he opened her door. Being Friday, the restaurant was crowded, but they sat together patiently, holding hands, and Cam hid his smile when he realized several of the waiters were their classmates. It was a popular restaurant, and when they were finally shown to their table, they saw several couples of their peers dining also.
The conversation flowed easily, and even when it didn’t, the silence wasn’t awkward. Aralyn tilted her head slightly at one point as she studied him.
“Sometimes you get this faraway look,” she said, “and I know I’m usually skydiving when I do, but where do you go?”
Cam didn’t want to tell her the full truth, that this was his dream come true. But he wasn’t about to lie. Reaching across the small table, he took her hand.
“I’m just really glad I finally got your attention this year,” he said with a smile.
Aralyn laughed. He was holding back but that was okay.
“I do have something of an odd question though,” he said. She waited. “I’ve never actually seen you drive, except when your dad picks you up in the General. Do you have a license?”
Aralyn almost choked on her soda.
"You’re kidding right?” she asked, amazed. With a slight frown, he shook his head. "You don't know the story? I thought the whole school knew!"
"Nope."
"Well, I do have a license and I am allowed to drive by myself and I'm not allowed to have my own car yet." She had turned that pretty shade of pink he liked. “Courtesy of Dad and Mom.”
"What happened?" He wondered idly which parent she got the ease of blushing from. He was betting on Trixie.
"Well, first semester, freshmen year, I think it was before you transferred in, actually, I uh, got into a bit of trouble.”
“Really?” he asked, intrigued. “What did the school hockey star do?”
Aralyn laughed. “I wasn’t the star yet. I chalk it up to youthful stupidity.”
“Uh huh. Tell me, now I have to know.”
“Well, the first thing you need to know is that Daddy doesn't let anyone drive the General, except Mom or Luke, and rarely even then. One night, Tiffany was spending the night with me, which happens quite often, really. The twins thought it'd be fun to sneak out. Anyway, they double dared us to sneak out with them, and borrow the General for a joyride. Daddy had been taking me out to drive on weekends in Sleepyside where I couldn’t do any damage, and we wouldn’t get caught, so I knew a little bit about driving. But that particular weekend, he was out of town, extraditing someone to Tennessee, I think. And I didn't know the transmission had been giving Dad some trouble. . .”
"There's no way I'm stealing the General!" Fourteen-year-old Aralyn replied. Tiffany sat on the floor, back against the sofa as her cousin moved her marker piece of the game.
"You're just chicken," Leif jeered.
"Yeah, you're a big chicken! I'd do it if I could drive!" Logan added. The ten-year-old twins exchanged a sly glance.
"Well you can't, so shut it and roll the dice."
"You know, we figured out how to get past the security system,"Leif said furtively. "Logan figured out the code. Pretty simple, really."
"Leif Duke, you had better not be sneaking out!" Aralyn hissed.
Leif grinned. "Are you kidding? We go meet Miles all the time!"
Tiffany's mouth dropped open. Aralyn shook her head.
"You know Dad's gonna bust you."
"Dad's not here, dopey. That's why it's perfect. I'm telling you, meet us at midnight. We'll take the General for a spin and have it back in twenty minutes, tops. Mom'll never know,” Logan insisted.
"You're kidding, right? Mom doesn't sleep well when Dad isn't here—you know that!"
"But she won't hear us. We figured out exactly how to open the door without a sound. You just gotta apply some pressure in the right spot," Leif grinned.
“No," Aralyn said flatly, handing the dice to Tiffany.
"Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat!" the twins chanted. Tiffany groaned as Aralyn's eyes darkened. No Duke could resist a challenge. Well, that depended on the Duke.
"All right, you little gits, we'll meet you at midnight and then you'll see!"
Trixie had expected the girls to be up late so she had made their favorite cookies and fudge, with plenty extra for the twins to swipe. Tired from dealing with a fussy Sean, she had gone to bed early.
Slipping out of Aralyn's room, the two made their way downstairs, knowing which steps would creak a little. Tiffany had begged her cousin not to do this, but of course, she backed her up when she realized that Aralyn could not be dissuaded. The twins were waiting at the door, grinning. Leif had filched the keys from Bo's office. Logan wiggled the door just a bit after he disarmed the security system, and the door opened silently. The four slipped out.
To make sure Trixie wouldn't hear the engine, Aralyn was to put the car in neutral and let it roll back gently, into the street. The twins would push it to the end of the block and they'd start the engine.
All went according to plan until they got to the end of the block. The twins hopped in through the window and into the backseat. Aralyn turned the key and nothing happened.
"What the—" she muttered. The engine turned over on the second try. The twins cheered. Aralyn shifted gears but the car didn't move forward.
"Aralyn, come on! Get it going!" Logan whined.
"Shut it, Logan," she snapped. "I really think this is a bad idea. Like we're not meant to be out here."
"Let's go back," Tiffany added.
The twins groaned. Aralyn moved her foot off the brake and the General suddenly lurched forward as a pickup truck came around the corner. The four youths screamed in terror as the truck plowed into the front passenger corner of the General. The old car swung in and the passenger side slammed against the pickup.
"Tiff, you ok?" Aralyn asked in a shaky voice.
"I think so," her cousin whispered.
"Leif? Logan?"
"Man, you are gonna be in trrouuubllle!" they sang out.
"You're going down with me, I promise you that, you little brats!" Aralyn snapped, undoing her seatbelt and getting out.
The driver of the pickup climbed out through the passenger side.
"You damn kids! What are you doing out this late?"
"Hey, you ran the stop sign, buddy! Where’d you get your license? Cracker jack box?" Aralyn yelled back.
Around the neighborhood porch lights were turning on. Aralyn's heart sunk. Every neighbor would recognize the General.
Sure enough, within minutes several neighbors had come out in their night clothes, a police officer arrived, followed by paramedics, and someone had gone to get Trixie.
Aralyn didn't say a word as her mother approached. Brian arrived quickly and went to check on Sean while the paramedics checked his younger family members. Daisy was at Trixie’s side.
Aralyn leaned against the unsmashed side of the General with her brothers and cousin. Trixie spoke with the officer, and Aralyn waited until the officer approached and then gave her statement. Trixie was at his side, shaking with anger, eyes shooting daggers at her children.
"While that guy is well over the legal limit for alcohol, you four know damn and good you shouldn't be out here stealing your daddy's car. Miss Aralyn, you’re not even old enough to have a permit! If you were my girl, you wouldn’t be getting one until you’re eighteen but that’s up to your mother.”
Aralyn's mouth fell open. Trixie’s level of fury just might swing that way.
"I’m citing you for driving without a legal adult, and breaking city curfew. All four of you. And your mother here even considered grand theft auto."
Logan started to protest but Leif jabbed him in the side to shut up. Tiffany closed her eyes. Her parents were going to be livid.
"But that may be mild punishment compared to what your father is going to do." The officer chuckled. "I know Bo's going to be furious. The four of you can go home, but you're likely going to have to appear in front of a judge to explain this."
The four groaned. The officer knew Bo, and Aralyn wasn’t sure if he was bluffing about the judge or not. Trixie stood with her arms crossed over chest, her petite figure dwarfed next to her rapidly growing daughter and niece.
"Mrs. Duke, they're all yours."
"Thank you, Officer West," Trixie said tightly.
"West?" Aralyn turned pale. Wasn’t Callie’s father…
"Yes, you go to school with my daughter Callie. Have a good night.” He gave them a friendly smile and walked back towards the other driver, who was cuffed and sitting in the back of his cruiser.
"Trixie, you need helping moving this back to the driveway?" one of the neighbors called.
"No thanks, Joe. The kids got it here, they can move it back."
Once the smashed up General was in their driveway, they turned towards Trixie, who pointed to the house, her lips white with fury. She wouldn't dress them down in the driveway where the neighbors could see and hear.
As they filed inside, Tiffany winced as she recognized the woman walking up the driveway. Honey Duke stalked towards her oldest child.
Trixie waited until her best friend had joined them. Honey's hazel eyes were narrowed in anger, and the two women faced the four teens.
"Leif, Logan, to your room, and don't you dare come out until morning."
"Yes, ma'am." They bolted from the room, leaving the astonished girls.
"They get off without punishment?" Aralyn burst out. "Mom, it was their idea!"
"Since when does Aralyn Duke follow her brother's ideas?" Trixie snapped. "When the hell did you stop thinking for yourselves and decide to steal your father's car because your ten-year-old brothers thought it would be cool? Aralyn, I can't begin to voice my disappointment in you!"
That hurt.
"And Tiffany," Honey finally spoke and Tiffany cringed.
"Don't yell at her, she tried to talk to me out of it," Aralyn said quickly. “I’m taking the blame.”
"Well obviously she didn't talk you out of it and even decided to go along for the ride. What's your motto, all for one for all, one for all?" Honey demanded. "If Tim were here, I'd expect this of him! Not you two!"
Tiffany hung her head, her hazel eyes welling with tears.
"When your fathers get back tomorrow, you're going to explain this to them," Trixie said coldly. "And don't you even think about them letting you off easy. Whatever stunts they might have pulled in their youth, they won't be easy on you. As it is, neither of you will be getting your license until you're eighteen, and there will be no more practice driving."
"Mom!" Aralyn protested. Trixie held up one hand. Honey spoke next.
"You're also both grounded for a month. School only, and we'll decide tomorrow if that includes hockey."
"No way!" they cried together. Honey pointed at her daughter.
"You two have pulled some shenanigans over the years but this takes the cake. You could have been killed! Tiffany, get your things, you're coming home with me." Honey's slender frame was shaking with anger.
Aralyn swallowed hard. She had never seen either woman so angry.
"Aralyn, go to your room and do not come down until I call you in the morning." The words were ice chips coming from Trixie.
"Yes, Mom," she said quietly, following her cousin up the stairs.
Trixie looked and Honey and shook her head. They headed for the kitchen.
“Of all the stupid—”
“Hare-brained—”
“Idiotic—”
“Duke—”
“Belden—”
“Traits,” they chorused. The looked at each other and their frowns dissolved into giggles, then side-aching laughter.
"It shouldn't be funny!" Trixie wiped her eyes.
"Especially after all of our stunts," Honey said as she tried to stop laughing.
"Somehow I thought it would be the twins I'd bust on that little stunt," Trixie admitted, “and not for a couple more years!”
"You think Bo and Luke are going to laugh?" Honey asked. "It's the kind of thing they probably did at that age."
"Bo would if the General wasn't damaged." Trixie sighed. “He’ll be furious.”
Honey nodded. Luke loved the old car almost as much as his cousin did.
"They really could have been killed, Trix," Honey said, sobering.
Trixie nodded in solemn agreement. “I know. I think it really sunk in though. That’s probably punishment enough, but dear God. I don’t sleep well when Bo is gone and I thought I was just dreaming about hearing the General start up.”
“Luke will be furious but then he’ll probably laugh,” Honey speculated.
“I don’t want to be the one to tell Bo.” Trixie sighed. “Even if it something he probably did when he was younger! Which is worse though, stealing the car or being kidnapped by gun runners?" she pointed out.
"True." Honey sighed. "I just don't know what possessed them to do this."
"They're young. And they're the children of Bo and Luke Duke,” Trixie said dryly.
“I think the Belden genes had a hand in this too,” Honey said, a twinkle in her eyes.
Trixie had to smile. “You know…I think we’re finally getting what we put our parents through.”
“Takes you back, doesn’t it?” Honey said softly. “The last name may be Duke but it’s like us all over again sometimes.”
Trixie shook her head. “We shouldn’t be surprised, you know.”
“Find any gray hairs yet?” Honey laughed.
Trixie winced.
"Dad was livid,” Aralyn admitted. “He couldn't even speak, he was so mad. He totally backed Mom on grounding us for a month, and he almost said no hockey. Instead, we lost Internet and phone privileges for the month." Aralyn sighed. "But that wasn't as bad as Callie West telling everyone in school. By Monday everyone knew.”
"I never heard it," Cam admitted. "I transferred in after.”
"It was awful. But the worst part was Dad was so mad he couldn't speak to me for several days. I'll never forget the disappointment in his eyes. And Mom. But the very worst part was Dad. It wasn’t even the General getting smashed that disappointed him. It was me sneaking out and stealing the keys. That was hard to take. But you know, if the General had been any further out, Tiff could have really been killed. And Logan. They were on the passenger side."
"Wow," Cam murmured. "Aralyn Duke, car thief."
Aralyn laughed. "Even now, it's a touchy spot with Dad. We don't mention it. It took him weeks to find the right parts to repair it. I don't think there’s an original piece on it these days."
Cam just smiled at her, shaking his head.
"Sometimes Dad'll let me drive it, but not often. They were good on their word though. We didn't get our permits until we were seventeen. Tiffany, however, was somehow able to wrangle her parents into letting her get her license. But Dad? No way. The last time I mentioned it he told me if it was that important, I could wash and wax the General every week for a year.”
Cam grinned, then went back to something she had said.
"So who's Tim? Is he the cousin away at school?"
Aralyn nodded. "You know Dana, right?" Cam nodded. "Tim is her oldest brother. Jesse is the middle child. They belong to Daisy and Dan. Tim is six weeks younger than me. When we were kids, the three of us used to get into all kinds of trouble. Tiff and I kind of grew out of it but Tim got in deeper.
“Dan was in a street gang when he was about fifteen, and it’s no secret. We all know about it, and I think they used it as a deterrent to keep us kids on the straight and narrow but…it didn’t work completely. Tim fell in with a bad crowd, and Dan finally had to resort to sending Tim away. Broke both their hearts, but Tim had gotten in over his head. Not a gang so much, I’m not even sure of what all happened, but I know there were some drugs involved.
“The three of us were inseparable until he fell in with the wrong crowd. We used to say our motto was one for all, all for one, like the Three Musketeers. It was the motto of the old club Mom and Honey had with their brothers years ago, too."
"What's Tim like now?" Cam asked, intrigued by the rich family history.
"I haven't seen him since he was sent away," she admitted. "But we email, and he sounds like the old Tim. Says he's clean, and out of trouble. Hoping to come home for Christmas, if Dan will let him. They aren't exactly on good terms, even after all this time. Sending him away broke Dan’s heart, and Tim swore he’d never forgive him."
"You don't mind telling me all this stuff?" he asked. Aralyn shrugged.
"It's not a secret. Tim's a good guy, he just made some bad choices. He saved my life once when we were kids."
"Aralyn Duke, you know good and well we're not allowed off the paths!" Tiffany protested.
Eight-year-old Aralyn grinned, her golden ponytails sloppy as usual by this time of day.
"Aw, come on, they don't have to know!" she replied. "They" being the adults.
"You know Uncle Jim and Uncle Luke are strict about the path rule," Tim Mangan glanced at his oldest cousin, but he felt the temptation.
"Uncle Jim won't know,"Aralyn persisted. "Or Daddy, unless one of you squeals!"
Tim and Aralyn both looked at Tiffany, who pouted.
"Fine. You two scaredy cats stay here, I'm gonna go 'splore!"
The vivacious girl stepped off the path and began to wander into the darker areas of the preserve.
Tiffany looked at Tim. "Well?"
"We're going to be in trouble whether we go with her or not," he said with a sigh.
"Yeah. Come on." Tiffany sighed. The pair followed their oldest cousin into the woods.
A little while later, Tiffany sighed again.
"Aralyn, we've been out here for ages. Are you ready to go back?"
"I don't see what the big fuss is." Aralyn shrugged. "There's nothing out here but more trees and rocks."
"Hey, it's kinda getting dark," Tiffany said as she looked up and noticed the darkening sky. "We should go back."
Aralyn stepped closer to a big rock to look at it, ignoring her cousin's protests.
"There's a kind of—I don't know what it is. Like a big ditch," she called over her shoulder.
"Aralyn, get back here!" Tiffany's heart started to pound. "Come on, this isn't funny!"
"Hang on!" Aralyn called back, irritated. Next time, she thought, she'd come out here alone.
"Aralyn, come on!" Tim started to follow, and Aralyn sighed. Turning back, the dirt under her foot gave way and she screamed as she slid down into a large hole.
"Aralyn!" Tim leapt forward to grab her hand but missed. "Aralyn!"
Tiffany ran to her cousin, gripping his arm. "Aralyn!"
"I'm ok!" came the sob from the hole. "But I hit my head and I hurt my foot. I think it's broken!"
Tiffany had gone ashen, and Tim pushed her down to the ground. "Stay here," he ordered, "I'm going for my dad."
Tiffany nodded and Tim took off, winding his way back through the preserve.
At Manor House, Trixie had just sat down in the swing on the porch, with Di beside her. Hallie was four weeks away from her due date with her second child, and Trixie was a week away from delivering her fourth. This pregnancy had both her and Bo worried. The baby's heartbeat wasn't as strong as the other three had been, and the baby wasn't nearly as active. Bo and Trixie had lost plenty of sleep over something being wrong, and Trixie had been ordered off her feet the last two months.
Hallie sat with her cousin, moody as usual. Jim didn't hover over her the way Bo did Trixie, she noted bitterly. In fact, Jim barely looked at her.
Dan leaned against the railing, watching with amusement as five-year-old Dana was directing her four younger cousins around. Leif, Logan, Miles and Mabon obeyed their cousin, but Leif and Logan had the look in their eye that meant trouble.
"Dad! Uncle Bo!" Tim came tearing across from the lawn from the woods.
The adults froze. Where were Tiffany and Aralyn? Dan ran to greet his son, catching by the shoulders.
"Where are the girls, Timmy?" he demanded. Tim panted to catch his breath as Bo and Jim reached them.
"Aralyn…went off the trail…Dad, I swear we tried to stop her…she fell…" Tim was wheezing, "in a…a hole or something. She hit her head!"
Bo was already racing towards the woods. Luke reached them as Dan scooped Tim up.
"Show me," he ordered, running for the woods.
Trixie had started to rise but couldn't.
"Stay put, sugar," Daisy ordered. "They'll take care of it. You're in no shape to go tearing through the woods."
Jim detoured to the lake house once he had an idea which way they were going, and grabbed some strong rope.
Dan's heart raced as they headed for the girls. He remembered another time, another child loose in the woods and trapped in a cave.
And his heart almost stopped when they reached the exact point.
"Aralyn!" Bo shouted, kneeling next to the small hole.
"Daddy? I'm sorry, Daddy." The girl was crying." I knew not to leave the path!"
"It's ok, sweetheart, you just sit tight and we'll get you out!" he called back. His face ashen, he looked up at Dan. Luke had gathered the sobbing Tiffany into his arms.
"That hole is too small for me to get down there," Bo said.
"Too small for any of us," Dan muttered.
"I can do it, Dad!" Tim piped up. The three men looked at the boy. "I'm not much bigger than her. I can crawl in and get her!"
Jim arrived with a heavy rope slung over his shoulder.
Dan made a swift decision and nodded. "All right, but we're going to secure you first."
"Can we move that boulder back?" Bo's sharp eyes realized the large boulder hanging over the entrance to the hole didn't look secure.
"Good idea," Jim agreed. Stepping up to his in-law, the two men leaned against the boulder and pushed. After a moment, it began to sway, and they finally pushed it backwards, sending into the ditch and away from the hole.
Jim tied the rope around Tim's feet securely and the thin boy began to crawl forward.
"Too big this time?" Jim grinned at his old friend. Dan gave him a half smile, worriedly watching his son. Bo was running his hand through his blond hair, eyes riveted on his little cousin who disappeared into the hole.
"Aralyn?" Tim asked softly.
"I'm down here," she said weakly, her voice still full of tears. "My foot hurts.”
"Hang on." he answered. He knew Aralyn didn't like small spaces. "Hold your hands out."
Aralyn whimpered as she reached up. The light was blocked by Tim’s body moving towards her.
A few seconds later he felt her hands and grabbed on.
“I’ve got her!” he called.
Wiggling his feet, he felt the tension began to pull him backwards. Dirt was scraping his arms and stomach but he didn't get to care. Aralyn's whimpering scared him more. Nothing scared her.
A moment later and they were out, the children being scooped up by fathers. Aralyn was crying, tears streaking the dirt smudges on her chubby cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she kept saying as Bo held her tightly, running his hands over her dirt-covered hair as he kissed her round cheeks.
Tim beamed as he was passed around his cousins and hugged and told he was the hero. Bo hugged him tightly, whispering "thank you" in his ear, and the rescue party started back towards the house, Bo carrying Aralyn in his arms, Tim riding on Dan's shoulders.
"I’m sure they would have found a way to get me out, but Tim really was a hero that day. And that’s just a taste of the antics we’ve been up to over the years. So tell me about your wacky family," she requested with a grin.
Cam laughed. "I wish I could. My family is about as boring as they come. My dad's a hot shot lawyer who's never home. Mother is a socialite. My sisters are a royal pain and hog the bathroom in the morning." Aralyn laughed. "One's a genius, one seems hell bent on setting a record for basketball, and the other is a bigger nerd than me."
"You're not a nerd," she protested with a giggle.
“My sister Natalie—the nerd—she uses words that even I can’t pronounce.”
Aralyn laughed. “My uncle Mart does that! Miles does it sometimes when he wants to annoy the rest of the family. He and Mart got into a contest one night trying to out word each other. I thought Mom was going to kill them both!”
Cam grinned as she suddenly blushed.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” she said shyly.
“Don’t worry about it. Trust me, my family is as boring as it gets compared to yours.”
Cam paid the check when it came, and they strolled outside, where Cam proposed a walk. Aralyn eagerly agreed and they wandered down Main Street, holding hands and chatting happily.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
Author’s Notes
- A huge yee-haa to Dana, the fabulous editor for this Universe!
- Word Count, 5,097
|