He released her slowly. “A guy could get used to a send-off like that,” he whispered.

Cassie was breathless and leaned her forehead to his.

“I can’t remember a time I’ve wanted to travel out of town less.”

“It’s only for a few days. We’ll talk again when you get back, okay?”

“What about Saturday night?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered, “that will work.”

He grinned and gently placed his lips over hers. The kiss made her knees weak. It frightened her how quickly he could melt away her resolve. Many more of these exchanges and she’d agree to just about anything.

“Dinner, then—just you and me—on Saturday,” he said.

“Someplace quiet where we can talk.”

“Sure.” He held her gaze a moment longer and then whispered. “Until Saturday.”

“Saturday.” Cassie repeated and stepped back from the pick-up. She remained standing on the curb until Steve’s truck was well out of sight.

Amiee was waiting for Cassie when she returned to the apartment.

“I was thinking,” her daughter said thoughtfully, “about you and Steve marrying and then sometime later you giving me a sister.”

“Amiee, please. Steve and I aren’t getting married.”

A horrified look came over her daughter. “You’re not?”

“Well, who knows—maybe someday, but not anytime soon. You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”

“But Mom, Steve said—”

“I know what he said and he shouldn’t have.” She walked into the kitchen and reached for a hand towel to dry off the last drops of water from the dishes she’d washed earlier. It was completely unnecessary, but it occupied her hands and it helped her avoid eye contact with her daughter.

“Why not? You really like him; I can tell. You were kissing just now. I saw you.”

Naturally, Amiee would have been watching them. It wasn’t like Cassie could deny that she was strongly attracted to Steve. “You’re right, I … do like him … a lot.”

Amiee slapped her hands against the sides of her thighs. “Then what’s the big deal? You heard Steve. He’s serious. He wants to officially start dating you. That’s like one step away from marriage.”

How kind of her daughter to enlighten Cassie on the ins and outs of romantic relationships. “No matter what it means,” Cassie clarified, “any talk of marriage is premature. Do you understand that just because a man wants something in a relationship, that’s not all she wrote? You will have to know this when you are old enough to date—you need to make sure your voice is heard in any relationship you’re in.”

Amiee slumped down on the sofa. “But I’ve wanted a sister since forever.”

“I know you have.”

“When can I meet my aunts and cousins?” Amiee asked her.

“I actually talked to my sister on Friday,” Cassie said, happy to steer the conversation away from Steve.

“You did?” Amiee immediately sat upright. “Aunt Karen or Aunt Nichole?”

“Your aunt Nichole. She called me. We’re going to get together, with Karen, too.”

Right away Amiee brightened, her eyes flashing with excitement. “Can I come?”

“Of course. My sisters are excited to meet you and I want you to meet them.”

“Can I tell them about you and Steve, or do you want to do that yourself?”

Cassie resisted the urge to groan. “I prefer to tell them myself.”

“Are they coming here? When?”

“I don’t know yet. Karen said she’s hoping it will be in a couple weeks.” She was wading from one crocodile-infested conversation to another. While Cassie sincerely hoped she would be able to truly reconcile with Karen and Nichole, she had no guarantee it would happen.

“Don’t you have homework?” she asked.

“No. I finished my science worksheet and that was it. You made me finish all my other homework before I left for the camping trip. Don’t you remember? You checked my pre-algebra worksheet.”

“I did?”

“Mom, what’s with you lately? You looked at Steve like you were upset and all he wanted to do was be good to you. Didn’t you notice?”

“Notice what?”

“The way he looked at you. It’s like it’s a hundred degrees outside and you’re holding out an ice-cream cone just for him.”

“Please, just stop.” Setting the pan and the cloth aside, Cassie turned her back to her daughter and pressed her hands against the edge of the kitchen counter while she gathered her thoughts. Duke had rushed her, too. She’d wanted to wait before they married, give her family a few weeks to adjust to the fact that she loved Duke and then tell them about the pregnancy. Duke refused to listen. He made it sound like marrying her was the honorable thing to do and her wanting to wait was a slap in his face. When they finally did come before a justice of the peace he’d made it seem like it was the two of them against the world. He’d convinced her that he was her family now and she didn’t need her parents or her sisters. For the first couple months she’d believed him. By the time she saw her mistake, it was too late.

“Mom?” Amiee’s voice seemed to be coming from a long distance away.

Cassie had to pull herself back into the present, and it seemed to be a long, treacherous journey through the years. “Yes?” she asked.

“Tell me what you and Nichole talked about.”

“Oh, we had a nice chat.” Cassie had been thrilled to hear from Nichole. She suspected Karen put her up to it—not that it mattered. The conversation had gone well after a strained start. Cassie understood her sisters’ hesitation to let her back into the circle—she didn’t blame them.

Amiee interrupted her musings with a loud yawn. “You’re tired,” Cassie said. She checked her watch and was surprised to find it was after eight.

Amiee yawned a second time. “Camping was a lot of fun, but sleeping on the ground wasn’t all that comfortable.”

“I thought Claudia said there were air mattresses.”

“There were, but it wasn’t like sleeping in a real bed.” She stifled yet another yawn. “I’m going to bed.”

After the busy day she’d had, Cassie was more than ready to turn in herself, but she had a few more things to do around the house first.

It was around nine-thirty when the phone rang. She was just getting ready to crawl into bed with her book. It was her friend Rosie from Goldie Locks. “I called to see if Steve made it to the Hoedown.”

“He was there.” Although she tried, Cassie hadn’t been able to hide from her friends how badly she’d missed Steve while he was away.

“So? Did you have a good time?” Rosie asked.

She remembered the way he’d looked at her from the other side of the dance floor. He’d started walking toward her and it was as if an invisible thread had pulled them together. “We had a fabulous time,” she admitted, and then added, “The best ever.” No matter what happened between her and Steve in the future, she would always have the romantic memory of that night.

“Tell her about you and Steve,” Amiee insisted, shouting from her bedroom, not asleep yet herself.

Cassie walked to the doorway of her room and glared at her daughter.

“What did Amiee say?” Rosie asked.

Cassie sighed and shot her daughter a warning look. “Nothing much. Steve was by earlier and very kindly asked me out to dinner next week.”

“You’re going on a date?” Rosie sounded as excited as Amiee had.

“He wants to start officially dating Mom,” Amiee shouted.

“Officially dating Steve?” Rosie asked. “What does that mean?”

“According to my daughter, it’s the step right before getting engaged, which is ridiculous.”

Rosie laughed with what sounded like glee. “So when’s your first date?”

“Next Saturday.”

“Wonderful.” Rosie reeked excitement. “I’ll set up an appointment for you with Shirley late Saturday afternoon.”