One Summer Evening - One Summer Evening Part 3
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One Summer Evening Part 3

At this rate, she wouldn't have any time to spend kicking through the sand.

Her mother would have a hissy fit if she was late to her own dinner

party.

"If you're going with me, you'd best get the lead out."

Cassie wasn't certain he had followed her until he appeared at her side.

They walked for a while in complete silence. Cassie breathed in the

tangy smell of the ocean and watched as the waves, though gentle, white capped as they came ashore. She lifted her eyes and noticed there wasn't

a cloud in the sky. She couldn't have asked for a lovelier day to turn eighteen years old. What a trip, she thought, hugging herself.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just stuff."

"Do you know yet what you're going to major in?"

"General business, probably. I sure don't want to teach."

Austin massaged the back of her neck, then peered at her from under thick lashes.

"I still can't believe you're eighteen and on your way to college."

"Why not?"

Austin shrugged his lean shoulders.

"Don't rightly know. It's just that you've always been James's little

girl who wasn't supposed to grow up."

Cassie snorted.

"Hey, what brought that on?"

"Well, Daddies' little girls do grow up, you know."

"Hey, brat, cut the sarcasm. You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. Suppose you tell me."

"In some ways, you could almost be my " In spite of herself, Cassie felt

her face flame.

"Oh puhleeze, don't say what I think you're about to say. Trust me, I've never thought of you in that way."

Austin seemed to think on that for a moment before asking in a tight

voice, "What about you and that boy?"

"That boy has a name. It's Lester.

"Okay. So where is Lester?"

Cassie shook her head.

"Probably in his room, sacked out. Beer makes him sleepy."

"Shouldn't drink if he can't handle it."

For some reason, his veiled criticism of Lester annoyed her.

"That's Lester's call, not mine."

Austin's brows shot farther up.

"Did I by chance hit a raw nerve?"

Cassie gave an evasive shrug.

"So how serious is it between you two?"

Cassie cut her eyes at him, her voice taunting when she asked, "What you

really want to know is if I'm sleeping with him, right?"

Austin pulled up short, his eyes narrowing.

"Okay, are you?"

"What do you think?"

"Shit, Cassie, you ought to" -- He broke off, scowling.

"Why does that upset you?"

"Because that's not something you take lightly."

"Now you do sound like my Daddy."

Austin's face drained of color.

"What I'd like to do is turn you over my knees and wallop your bottom."

"Lester asked me to marry him."

Austin cursed.

"Why, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

You're just starting college, for God's sake."

"I told him the same thing."

"You don't love him, do you?"

"I'm not sure I know what love is, actually."

"Believe me, you'll know it when it hits."

"So are you in love with Alicia?"

Bingo. This time she'd hit the raw nerve. His eyes narrowed even more,

until she could barely distinguish their color.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Because she's in love with you." Cassie paused. "Or maybe she's just in

lust."

Austin made a choking sound.

"Kid, your mouth needs a good sudsing."

Cassie wrinkled her nose.

"Turnabout's fair play. So, are you sleeping with her?"

Austin gave her a fierce look.

"That's none of your business.

Besides, our situations are different."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. I know what I'm doing."

"It may surprise you, but so do I."

"Good, then I can assume y'all used birth control."

"You're not my parents," she snapped.

"So stop acting like them."

"I don't like that guy."

"You'll get over it."

He smiled, but she sensed it was forced.

"You're getting brattier by the second."

"What if I said I didn't like Alicia?"

"Of course you like her. She's your aunt."

Cassie shrugged, suddenly feeling depressed, unsettled, as if demons