"Oh, God," Marlee shut her eyes for a moment. "You suck me in with those brown eyes of yours every time."

Susie's smile grew wider. "Let's not even go there, Miss crystal-blue eyes."

Marlee pulled Susie closer, and Susie laid her head on Marlee's chest. Susie was dying to take their relationship to the next level, her body ached for it, but Marlee obviously needed a little more time before they went further. For now, Susie would have to ache in silence.

Marlee stroked the head resting on her chest. "So, tell me about the first time you knew."

"Again?" Susie lifted her head to look at Marlee and grinned.

"Again." Marlee pushed Susie's head back down.

"Okay." Susie draped an arm across Marlee's tight stomach, like she had imagined doing just before she made the error in the game. "Well, you know about Sam's yearlong crush on Lisa, right?"

"Yeah. Well, I didn't know about it back then."

"Okay, so me and Christy are totally teasing Sam on the bus, and I said something like, 'So are you going to get her phone number this time?'"

"And what did Sam say?"

"She told me to shut up, of course." Susie trailed her fingers gently along Marlee's stomach. "She turned beet red, though, and then Christy said something like, 'Lisa's probably going out with that cute blonde pitcher of theirs.' Sam looked so devastated. It was as if the thought had never occurred to her."

"Did you think I was cute?"

Susie picked her head up and flashed Marlee a look of disbelief. "Of course I did. All Sam and I ever talked about was the Clarksonville softball team, so I thought about you a lot actually."

"I thought about you, too, but you didn't know I had a major league crush on you then, did you?"

"Nope. And especially not when you threw that pitch at my head."

"Ahh, c'mon," Marlee groaned. "It slipped. Am I ever gonna live that one down?"

"Probably never, mi vida, but, hey, it's kind of what brought us together."

"I guess."

"So, anyway, you knocked me down, I picked myself up, and got right back in the batter's box. You were turning the most glorious shade of red. You were so cute that I think I fell in love with you right on the spot."

"You grinned at me. I thought you were plotting your revenge."

"No way. I was plotting how to get your cell phone number. I asked Christy if I could invite you guys to hang out with us at her house. She was cool with that. You know how she likes to party."

"Yeah really."

"So I gestured for Jeri to come over. I feel bad. I kind of used Jeri to get to you. I didn't really know her that well. My dad knew her dad and all, but I was desperate. I said, 'We're having a party Friday at Christy's. Why don't you guys come out? The more the merrier.' Then I nodded my head toward you and Lisa."

"I saw Jeri talking to you guys," Marlee said. "I should have walked over. I was too shy, I guess."

"If you had, we could have saved a whole lotta time and gotten together so much sooner."

"Oh, man, the whole world would have seen how much we liked each other."

"No kidding, but don't forget that somebody had un novio."

Marlee inhaled through her teeth. "I know. Me having a boyfriend must have been totally confusing for you."

"Yeah, just a bit."

"One time when I was kissing Bobby, I imagined I was kissing you."

"You did?"

"Yeah." The embarrassment was clear in Marlee's voice. "I started getting excited and kissed him harder."

"Dios mio."

"Yeah, he thought I was totally responding to him. When I realized what was happening, I made him take me home."

"What a tease," Susie said with a grin.

"I didn't mean to be." Marlee grimaced. "He pretty much broke up with me right after that."

"Sorry."

"Nah, it gave you and me the green light."

"Ahh, very nice." Susie reached under Marlee's shirt and ran her finger nails lightly across her stomach. "So that day at the field, I saw you watching me and Christy talk with Jeri."

"You did?"

Susie nodded. "I smiled when you glanced over, but you looked away so fast you must have gotten whiplash."

"I didn't want you to catch me staring at you."

"Again, you might have saved us some time."

Marlee laughed. "After the game, when you whispered in my ear about serving you up a grand slam pitch? I just about had a coronary."

"I remember how good you smelled."

"I did? You never told me that. I was all sweaty and gross from the game."

"Mmm. You don't smell bad after games, Marlee. You smell like--"

"What?"

"You smell like you, my heart-stealing pitcher." Susie burrowed her nose into Marlee's uniform jersey.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Mm hmm." Susie sat up on one elbow and gazed into Marlee's eyes. "A very good thing." She brushed a lock of hair off of Marlee's face and caressed her cheek. She let her fingers move over Marlee's mouth. Marlee opened her mouth slightly as her breathing got heavier. Susie traced Marlee's lips with a finger and then slid her finger in slightly. Marlee caught the finger in her teeth and ran her tongue along the tip.

"Kiss me," Marlee said around the captured finger.

Susie scooted up higher on the blanket and gently extracted her finger. She pressed down gently on Marlee's lips with her own. Marlee threw her arms around Susie's neck and pulled her closer. Susie felt the blood rush to her face when their bodies pressed together. Dios mio, how she wished she could feel Marlee's actual skin against hers, but she wasn't going to rush her.

Marlee pulled Susie away for a moment, her breathing labored. "I want--"

"What, baby, what do you want?"

"I want you on top of me," Marlee whispered shyly.

Susie didn't hesitate and threw her leg on the other side of Marlee's. She let the weight of her body fall gently.

"Mmm," Marlee moaned. "That's so nice."

Susie held herself up with one arm so she wouldn't mash Marlee to bits and leaned closer for more kisses. She felt Marlee move rhythmically beneath her. A rush of heat flushed Susie's body as they rocked together.

"Oh, God," Marlee said. "I want to feel more of you." She tugged on Susie's uniform jersey.

Susie shifted her weight off Marlee and sat up. She encouraged Marlee to help tug the shirt off. Susie felt the warm July breeze on her bare torso covered only by her sports bra.

Marlee ran her fingers over Susie's bare stomach sending delicious shivers through Susie's entire body. Just as Susie leaned in for another kiss, Marlee jerked her head to the side. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"It sounds like a car."

They sat stone still for a moment.

Susie heard the distinctive rumble of an engine approaching. "Mierda! It's heading right for us. C'mon."

Marlee threw Susie's shirt at her and leaped up. She grabbed the edge of the blanket in panic and pulled at it before Susie was done putting her shirt back on. Susie leaped off the blanket and couldn't help the nervous giggles bubbling up from her stomach. Marlee started giggling too as she balled up the blanket. Laughing hard, they flew toward the van, tripping over each other on the way. Once inside, Marlee gunned the engine, threw it into reverse, and took off as if their lives depended on it.

Chapter Three.

I Saw You Kissing Her "DIOS MiO," Susie said in frustration. "I can't believe we almost got caught by that farmer."

"You don't think he saw us, do you?" Marlee slowed the van down. She had been speeding down C.R. 62 as they made their getaway.

"Nah. I'm just glad his stupid tractor was slow, 'cuz that gave us time to get the hell out of there."

They drove around East Valley for a while trying to find a good spot to be alone, but every time they thought they had privacy, a car would pull up, or somebody would walk by. The last place they tried was an elementary school parking lot, but apparently there was some kind of school function going on that afternoon, and their privacy was, once again, invaded.

Marlee banged the steering wheel in obvious frustration. Susie figured Marlee was as frustrated as she was. After a while, Marlee pulled the van onto Susie's street and then into her driveway. The three bedroom two-story house sat on an acre of land, giving the house and yard plenty of elbow room between neighbors.

Marlee grinned. "We have to find a new spot now, you know."

"I know."

Marlee put the car in park and turned off the engine. "Oh, your house is so cute."

"Thanks. A whole acre is a bitch to mow, but it's nice."

"Can I come inside?"

"Umm--" Susie hesitated.

"C'mon. You met my mom."

A thousand thoughts rushed around Susie's brain, and she couldn't think of a single response.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"Never, mi vida, never."

"Then what is it?"

Susie looked away and undid her seatbelt. She didn't know how to tell Marlee that her mother would kill her, probably kill them both, if she found out her daughter was una lesbiana. She had no idea how her father would react. "You have to give me time, mi amor. I need to break it to them gently."

"You can tell them I'm your friend. They don't have to know anything else."

"My mother will know instantly that we're more than friends."

Marlee pressed her lips together as if she were holding back something she really wanted to say. After a moment she nodded and looked away.

Susie opened the passenger door and went around to the back of the van. She pulled out her softball bag and then closed the door gently. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the open driver's side window and leaned her elbows on the frame.

"I'll see you on Tuesday?" Susie flashed her toothiest grin at Marlee.

"I guess."

"Don't be mad."

Marlee took a deep breath. "It doesn't seem fair. I mean, I've talked to your mom, your brother, and even your grandmother on the phone, but for some reason I'm not allowed to meet them."

Susie checked the time on her cell phone. Her mother wasn't due home from work for at least another hour. If she could get Marlee out of the house and headed back to Clarksonville before then, it might work. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"Come on in."