ONE SUMMER EVENING.
by Mary Lynn Baxter.
Printed and bound in Spain by Litografia Roses S. A; Barcelona G "Know what?"
Cassie Wortham removed her attention from the low- flying seagull and
turned to face her latest boyfriend. "What?" she asked.
"I think we ought to get married."
Cassie's mouth gaped in shock.
"Now I know you've lost it. Your mind, that is."
Lester Sullivan frowned, deeply grooving an otherwise smooth forehead.
"I'm a long way from losing my mind. In fact," he stressed in a
conceited tone, "I'm probably the smartest person you know."
This time Cassie rolled her expressive green eyes. "Well then, you must have a fever."
"Ah, come on, Cassie, give me a break."
Cassie lifted her head and focused once again on the same bird, which
continued to breeze through the sky as if it hadn't a care in the world.She should be experiencing that same freedom. After all, today was hereighteenth birthday.
She and her parents had come here a few days ago, to their summer home on the Louisiana coast, not far from Jasmine, where they lived.
Yesterday her friends had driven down, and they had partied all day, swimming, eating and laughing.
This evening her parents and their friends planned to celebrate in grand
style.
Wealth could do mighty things, and Cassie considered this luxurious beach compound to be mighty. Her mother's parents had owned it, and with their passing, her mother and aunt had inherited it. Cassie couldn't imagine her life without this wonderful place made up of hot sand and secret coves.
She had already celebrated her coming of age in her style, alone.
Before her friends' arrival, she had slept for hours on end, and played in the ocean and the pool until her heart was content.
"Cassie."
The curt frustration in Lester's tone broke into her thoughts and
angered her. She almost wished she hadn't invited him. He had arrivedyesterday and had been in one of his moods since. Apparently popping thequestion to her had been preying on his mind.
Marriage. Heaven forbid. That was the last thing she wanted, at least at this timein her life. And even if she did have the hots to get married right out of high school, like so many of her friends, Lester wouldn't have beenher choice.
"So, what's your answer?"
Cassie looked back at him, swallowing the giggle that was dying to comeout.
But then that giggle died on its own. When she watched Lester's scowldeepen, she actually believed he was serious. No, she corrected herselfmentally. He couldn't be; he had to be toying with her. Though for whatreason, she had no idea.
Something didn't ring true, or maybe she didn't know Lester as well asshe thought. The Lester she knew was too focused, too driven, toounbending in his desire to reach his goal, which was a career in themilitary, to let anything interfere. And marriage would certainly dothat.
Even so, she would go along and let him down gently.
"You're sweet to ask, and I'm flattered, believe me. But the answer isthanks, but no thanks."
"You think I'm full of shit, don't you?"
Cassie thrust a hand through her cropped brown hair, then sighed. Shewished her best friend, Jo Nell, were there. She would know how tohandle-this unexpected crisis. But Jo Nell had a bad case of strepthroat and couldn't come. Her friend's timing sucked, Cassie thought,her gaze returning to Lester.
"No, I don't think that," Cassie said carefully, "but somethingobviously snapped inside your brain. You don't want to get married anymore than I do."
"You don't know what I want."
Lester's tone had turned sullen now, which meant he was gearing up foran all-out argument. But she wasn't about to let him get away with that.Today was her day, and he wasn't going to ruin it.
"Look, Lester, why on earth would you want to get married now, whenyou're just a sophomore in college? I thought getting your degree andjoining the service was what you lived for?" Cassie paused and squintedat him.
"My plans haven't changed, but that doesn't mean we can't get married."
"You think marriage wouldn't throw a kink in those plans?"
He didn't so much as blink.
"Nope."
"Dammit, Lester, what's really up with you?" Cassie's tone wasincredulous.
"I think I love you."
"Think?" This time Cassie's laughter did erupt.
He flushed.
"Okay, so I do love you."
"And what's that love based on?" Without waiting for him to answer, she
went on.
"Our having had sex twice?"
"That's part of it."
Cassie shook her head.
"This conversation is getting too weird. And we both know sex is not
love.
Besides, it's been almost three months since we've even done anything."
Hopefully that would remain the case, she thought silently. She hadn't
enjoyed sex with him. Maybe it was because he had taken her virginityand hadn't known how. Right now, she didn't care to analyze the reasonbehind her feelings or his. It didn't matter.
"That's not my fault." Lester's tone was as hard as his blue eyes.
"What's not your fault?" Cassie asked absently.
"Us not having had sex more often."
Cassie did not respond, but she didn't back down from the look in his
cold eyes, either. She liked Lester and would concede that he wasgood-looking, though a bit on the short side. Besides, he more than madeup for his lack of height by lifting weights. Actually, he had too manymuscles for her taste, but then, that was his business.
He was different, too. That was part of his attraction. He seemed moremature than the other guys she'd gone out with, more mysterious, too,like he was hiding something. What that something was, she had no idea.
Still, Lester was not the man she wanted to spend her life with, sosomehow she had to pour cold water on his unexpected desire to marryher, especially since, come the fall, she would be attending the sameuniversity.
If she couldn't stop this now, a nightmare was in the making.
"How do you feel about me?" he asked into the growing silence.
"You're a good friend, and we have a good time together." She paused,
not knowing quite how to finish.
He cursed.
"I don't like the thought of anyone else touching you."
"Holy cow, Lester. Is jealousy what this is all about?"
"That's part of it. I want you to myself. Marrying you is the only way I
can be sure of that."
"God, you make me sound like some kind of trophy you want to flaunt in front of your friends."
Lester's flush deepened, which made her think she'd nailed him.
"Well, it would be great to have everyone know that we were a couple."
"We are not a couple, Lester. Granted, we've gone out together a lot.
But make no mistake, when I go to school, I want no strings attached.
I want to be free to date anyone I choose."
"I don't like that," he muttered darkly.
"If your daddy knew we'd had sex, he'd expect us to get married."
"You're saying that just because he's a preacher."