Jesus, man, Dan said, only half kidding, don‘t grovel.

I‘m not groveling, Jim said, patiently for him. I‘m just tired.

There was a wealth of weary in his voice. Kate‘s heart melted. Sure. I‘ll do it. Jim pulled the folder out of a capacious inner pocket and handed it over. Thanks. I owe you.

You‘ll pay me, Kate said.

She was rewarded by what she felt was only a pale simulacrum of his trademark shark‘s grin. In legal tender, or you want to take it out in trade?

She shook back feathered wisps of hair from her forehead and gave him a speculative glance from eyes that were momentarily more seductive green than innocent hazel.

What the hell, a tired shark still had teeth that could later be put to creative use. How about both?

Dan labored to produce an appropriately gagging sound, but what came out was only a long, drawn-out sigh of pure envy.

They stepped out the door and again had to leap out of the way of another fourwheeler, driven this time by a completely different young man, also a stranger to them, and this one with six friends hanging off the back.

Dan stared after them. Either of you guys ever see a movie called Local Hero?

Four

Kate picked up Johnny at the school potluck, and was persuaded without difficulty to give Van a lift as well. As girlfriends went, in respect to the now sixteen-year-old male Kate had taken in tow three years before, Vanessa Cox ranked right up there. A slender, self-possessed brunette, she seemed far older than her years, which might have had something to do with her early orphaning and her later adoption by Park rat relatives who had turned out to be less than satisfactory guardians. Absent any other living relatives, Kate and Jim had pulled all available state strings and custody of Vanessa had been granted to Billy and Annie Mike, who had raised six of their own and recently adopted a half Korean, half African-American baby from Seoul. There was always room for one more at the Mikes‘ house. Vanessa, once she was sure she was wanted, had blossomed in Annie‘s care from a tomboy in bib overalls and a ponytail to a very attractive young woman dressed in a Realitee cardigan over !iT jeans tucked into a pair of Ugg boots that laced up the front. She was even wearing makeup, although Annie‘s fine hand could be detected in how much, amounting to a touch of mascara to emphasize already ridiculously long eyelashes and a gloss of lipstick on a firm mouth notable for its placement over a decidedly square if delicate chin.

Johnny had noticed. That they were now a couple was taken for granted. Kate had had The Talk with Johnny, and again with him and Vanessa together, both times to his excruciating embarrassment. She‘d repeated it a third time when he bought his pickup, this time to his exasperation. Jeez, Kate, you think I didn‘t hear you the first hundred times?