"I'm scared shitless." Susie leaped away from Sam's backhand. "You missed."

Before they went their separate ways, Susie hugged Sam and whispered in her ear, "Any progress on getting the lake house for Labor Day weekend?"

Sam pulled out of the hug with a frown. She shook her head. "I'm going to ask my father again in a couple days, but so far he's not cool about four girls staying there alone."

Susie groaned inside. Too bad. It had been a good idea.

They said their goodbyes, and Sam and Lisa made their way toward Sam's car. Susie headed to the passenger side of the van and called back to them. "Have fun on the yacht."

Sam and Lisa both turned around with wicked grins on their faces. They were lucky that Sam's family owned a yacht where they could go to be alone. Aay, Susie hoped she and Marlee would get some time alone together after dinner. They didn't have access to a yacht, but Marlee's van had lots of room.

Marlee drove the van back toward East Valley, and the conversation was pretty limited to the game they'd just won. That is until Marlee blurted, "I don't know if I can do this."

Susie jumped. She took a second to gather her composure before answering. "You can do this. I'll be right there with you."

"But your mother--"

"--is making pollo agridulce for dinner, and we're both going to love it." Susie grinned at Marlee in an attempt to keep her calm and steady although she felt completely the opposite herself.

"What's pollo agridulce? Some kind of chicken?"

Susie was glad Marlee was letting herself be distracted. "Sweet and sour chicken."

"That's Chinese food."

"They don't have a monopoly on sweet and sour chicken, you know. My mother makes it way better than any Chinese place anyway."

They distracted each other talking about the menu, which included Susie's description of the orgasmic delights of flan. Susie's nerves shot to full attention, though, when Marlee pulled the van into the driveway. They were both relieved to see that Marlee's mother wasn't there yet.

"Let me take you inside," Susie said after getting out of the van. "Mami said you can shower and change in the upstairs bathroom. She made me clean it yesterday."

"Oh, sorry." Marlee slipped her flip flips off in the mud room. "I told my mom about the no shoes thing, so she wouldn't wear socks with holes in them."

Susie laughed. "Company's allowed to leave their shoes on." She opened the door to the house, and the most delicious smells wafted toward them. "Dios mio, I'm in heaven."

Marlee nodded her agreement, even though she looked petrified.

Susie's mother walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel. She gave Susie a hug and then said to Marlee, "I'm so glad you were able to come for dinner."

"Thanks for the invitation."

Susie's father stuck his head out of the kitchen door. "Nice to see you again, Marlee."

"You, too, Mr. Torres." Marlee smiled at him and then back at Susie's mother. "My mom will probably be here soon."

"Bueno," Susie's mother said.

Susie's grandmother shuffled toward them with her arms open. "Nice to see you, mi querubin."

Marlee gave her a big hug. "Mucho gusto, Abuelita."

Susie's mother turned toward Susie. "Go ahead and show her where to shower. I need you in the kitchen as soon as you get showered and changed. Me entiendes?"

"Okay." Susie ushered Marlee up the stairs and into the bathroom. She snuck a peak behind her to make sure her pesky brother wasn't listening in. She whispered, "Now don't freak out later. I'm wearing a dress."

Marlee's mouth dropped open. "Really? Was I supposed to wear--"

"Shhh," Susie put her finger over Marlee's panicked lips. "You're fine. I'm surprising my mother by wearing the sundress she bought me at Wal-Mart last week during our peace mission."

"Oh." Marlee nodded her understanding. "I'm not leaving this bathroom until you come back up for me, okay?"

Susie nodded and couldn't help the grin spreading on her face as she turned to go. What she didn't tell Marlee was that she was also wearing the dress to turn Marlee's head.

Susie ran out the front door and sprinted up the garage stairs to her bedroom. She showered in record time, blow dried her hair, and then put on her dress. She struggled with the back zipper, but finally managed to pull it all the way up. She put her hair up into a loose bun on the back of her head. She wanted her neck exposed to entice a certain blue-eyed pitcher from Clarksonville. After applying eyeliner and a subtle touch of eye shadow, she inspected herself in the mirror. She ran her hands down her hour glass figure, liking the way the thin strapped black and white dress clung to her curves. Her mother said the dress looked tailor made for her. When she'd come out of the dressing room that day at Wal-Mart, she'd turned more than a few heads.

"Look out, Marlee," Susie said to her reflection. "You're about to be rendered powerless."

She threw on the pair of flats they'd found to match and practically skipped down the stairs. Marlee's mother's new Cadillac was in the driveway, so obviously she must have gone inside. Susie headed into the house, keeping the flats on, and greeted Marlee's mother in the kitchen.

"Hello, Mrs. McAllister. I'm glad you found the house okay." Susie smiled her best future daughter-in-law smile.

"Being a realtor has its perks. I pretty much know where every street is in the entire North Country." Marlee's mother looked nice. She'd worn a light olive green dress that flattered her light brown hair and slim figure nicely. Marlee, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, definitely looked more like the pictures of her father that Susie had seen.

"Let me run upstairs to see if Marlee needs anything."

Susie headed toward the stairs, but before she was out of earshot, heard Marlee's mother say, "That dress is stunning on her. Oh, to be seventeen again."

Susie smiled at the praise. There were three seconds until Marlee's meltdown. Susie knocked gently on the door. "Hey, it's me." Three, two-- "Oh, man. I've been done forever." Marlee unlocked the door and swung it wide open. "How long was I--" Her mouth dropped wide open.

One. "Everything okay?"

Marlee gulped and looked down either side of the hallway. She grabbed Susie's hand and pulled her in the bathroom with her. She shut the door behind them, locked it, and kissed Susie with a passion they'd just begun to discover together.

Mission accomplished, Susie thought when they pulled apart. Marlee held her at arms' length and then stroked Susie's bare arms and shoulders.

"You are so freakin' gorgeous." There were tears in Marlee's eyes. "Oh. My. God."

Susie felt her face flush.

"I hope to God you found a private place for us somewhere." Marlee didn't wait for Susie to answer. "Let's eat really, really fast-- turbo--so we can get out of here. Man, I need a cold shower."

Susie felt her face flush. "C'mon. It's time." She unlocked the door and opened it a crack. She looked back at Marlee, eyeing her up and down. She looked good, handsome even, in her khaki pants and tight blue oxford shirt that totally brought out her eyes. "Oh, and, uh, you're no slacker either. You look good enough to eat."

Marlee blushed to the roots of her blonde hair.

They headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Marlee greeted her mother with a hug. Within ten minutes the food was on the table, and the Torres and McAllister families were seated around it. Marlee sat in between her mother and Susie.

After they said grace, the conversation seemed to be limited to, "pass the rice," or "this is some heat wave we're having," but inevitably the conversation turned to Marlee and Susie.

"So," Susie's mother said to Marlee's mother, "what are Marlee's plans for college?"

"Well," Marlee's mother beamed, "she wants to study engineering. Right, honey?"

Marlee nodded, but then probably realized she needed to actually speak, so she added, "Engineering or physics. Brockport has a really good physics program."

"Brockport?" Marlee's mother and Susie's mother said at the same time and then everybody laughed. Marlee's mother said, "I never heard you mention Brockport before."

Marlee shrugged. "I don't think we can afford Cornell. I mean, who knows if I'd even get in. Brockport will be way cheaper, and their softball team looks good from their website."

"I guess we have to explore all the options." Marlee's mother smiled.

Susie raised her eyebrows in wonder. Marlee must have done some research about Brockport without telling her. She reached under the table and squeezed Marlee's hand. Without taking her eyes off her mother, Marlee squeezed back.

"My Susie wants to study geology. She wants to study global warming." Susie's mother looked very proud.

Aay, maybe her mother's switch had finally flipped all the way over. Susie raised an eyebrow at her father. He smiled ever so slightly as if to say he knew her mother would come around.

Thankfully the conversation turned away from Susie and Marlee. Marlee's mother asked Miguel what grade he was going into in the fall and if he liked school. Susie chuckled when he only gave one-word answers, but that was okay. At least he was behaving himself.

After discussing what Susie's father did for a living, he asked Marlee's mother about her career, so she gave a brief description of her job as a residential and commercial real estate agent in the North Country.

Marlee's mother then asked Susie's mother, "And what do you do?"

"I'm a nurse," Susie's mother said. "I used to work at the hospital."

"Used to?" Susie blurted before she could stop herself. "What do you mean 'used to'? Que paso, Mami?" Did stupid Mrs. Johnson fire her mother, too? Susie's anger boiled inside her.

"Aay, aay, hija," Susie's mother put out a calming hand. "I gave them my two-week notice yesterday. I can't work with those bigoted people anymore." She sat up tall and jutted her chin out to show everyone she was serious.

"Did you know, Papi?" Susie looked at her father. He nodded once. So he knew. When were they going to tell her? "Mami, what are you going to do now?"

"I seriously don't know." Susie's mother sighed. "I'll land somewhere, I suppose."

An awkward silence grew around the two families. Marlee reached for and squeezed Susie's hand.

"I may be able to help, actually," Marlee's mother said. "I recently negotiated a very large commercial space for Dr. Webster's pediatric practice right here in East Valley. She's expanding her practice and may be looking for help. It's a long shot, but I can at least make introductions to help you get your foot in the door."

Susie's mother's face held a mixture of pride and gratefulness at the suggestion. She hesitated, but finally said, "Thank you. I may take you up on that."

"I'm fairly certain Dr. Webster has a website. You could look it over, and if it's something you think you might like doing, I'll make a call."

"I--Yes, I would like that." Susie's mother smiled, and it was then that everyone at the table seemed to relax. Susie was happy to see that her mother was able to put her pride aside and accept help.

Once everyone had eaten, Susie's mother said, "Susie, can you find that website for me?" She pointed to her laptop in the living room.

"Dr. Webster's?"

Her mother nodded.

"Sure." Susie stood up and started to clear the dishes with Marlee's help.

"Aay, no, hijas," Susie's mother said. "I'll get this. Go ahead and find that website."

"Okay, Mami. Gracias." Susie and Marlee put the dirty dishes back on the table. Susie tapped Marlee on the arm. "C'mon."

Before they headed into the living room, Marlee said to Susie's mother, "Dinner was really good. Teach Susie how to make that, okay?"

Everyone chuckled, including Susie's mother who said, "She's the one who taught me." That got an even bigger laugh.

Susie, relieved that Marlee and her mother seemed to be hitting it off, or at least getting along, led the way to the computer. Luckily her mother's computer was already on, and the internet was up and running. She was just about to type the doctor's name into the search window when she noticed that someone had already typed something there. She pointed it out to Marlee.

"Earth Science at Clarksonville," Marlee read off the screen. "Hit the search button and see what sites it brings up.

Several websites popped up. Susie clicked on the link that had obviously been taken before, and there it was--the high school internship page for the science department at Clarksonville Community College.

"My mother had that application sent to me," Susie said in a low voice, so she wouldn't be overheard. "This is her computer. She's the only one that uses it."

Marlee pulled a chair closer to the computer and sat down. "I think you're right, Sherlock. I think your mother's switch definitely turned in your favor. You have more support in this house than you realize."

The relief that Susie felt was almost tangible. "You may be right, mi vida."

Just then Susie overheard Marlee's mother say, "Our daughters are all grown up, aren't they?"

Susie snuck a peek into the dining room. Her mother's smile looked like one of resigned acceptance as she slowly nodded her head. "Aay, this is true. I have to keep reminding myself that she's not a baby anymore. They're both beautiful young women now."

Marlee must have overheard their conversation, too, because she put a hand on her chest and whispered, "And this beautiful young woman would like to be alone with that beautiful young woman." She pointed to Susie.

"Aay, Santo. Me, too. After dessert let's get out of here, okay?"

Susie found Dr. Webster's website, and she and Marlee liked the looks of it. Susie was proud of her mother for finally standing up for herself, and it would be fantastico if her mother could get a job so soon after sticking it to Mrs. Johnson.

After a delectable flan dessert, Marlee's mother said her goodbyes to the Torres family. Before walking her to the car, Susie told her parents she and Marlee were going out for a short drive. Susie was astonished when her mother actually gave Marlee a quick hug and told her how nice it was to meet her, as if it was the first time.

Once they made it to the driveway, Marlee's mother told them not to stay out too late since Marlee had a long drive home ahead of her. They watched until her mother's car was out of sight and then dove into the van.

Marlee accidentally revved the engine. "Oops."

"Slow down there, mi amor," Susie said. "Let's get there in one piece."

Susie guided Marlee back to Sandstoner Fields to what she hoped would be their new private spot in East Valley. One day after a game she had noticed a dirt road leading from the parking lot to a big maintenance shed behind a tall stand of trees. No one would ever find them there. Maybe it wasn't as private as their hideout in the meadow, but it would do just fine.

Marlee pulled in behind the shed. "I never realized this was back here." She turned off the van engine, undid her seatbelt, and practically threw herself in the back.

"In a hurry, mi vida?" Susie gingerly climbed through the two front seats and sat down in the open space as best she could in her tight dress.

Marlee pulled her into a fevered embrace, one that Susie returned with equal passion.

"You're so hot in that dress," Marlee whispered.