Under the Open Sky

Chapter Fourteen

Dreading the rest of the year, Amanda returned from Christmas break; winter stretched long and dreary. Chris seemed more enamored with her than ever and took to following her around and slipping his arm around her like she was his possession. Amanda always politely extracted herself and offered a smile. She liked him well enough but she wasn’t interested in becoming attached to him exclusively. It seemed the more she politely put distance between them, the more aggressively he pursued her. When a new girl arrived at school and distracted him, she actually felt rather relieved.

Amanda and Jenny continued to spend their weekends together hanging around town at various gathering spots. As her sixteenth birthday approached, Amanda began trying to convince her dad to buy her a truck; it was all she had ever driven. He was under the impression that trucks were for men. When he bought her Jeep, Amanda decided it was the best compromise for both of them.

When Kevin Johnson asked Amanda on her first real date, she agreed. He was good looking with light brown hair and hazel eyes, and rather quiet in nature; he usually hung back and observed rather than being in the middle of things. She found him to be nice and enjoyed talking with him. They could talk for hours it seemed without running out of things to discuss. He kissed her lightly on the cheek at the end of their date and asked to see her again. She readily agreed. They went out several more times as the end of the school year approached and Amanda found herself wondering if Kevin was going to prove to be her first real boyfriend.

When he announced he would be spending the summer in Idaho with his grandparents, Amanda was disappointed. They had no understanding and Amanda preferred it that way, though she would admit to feeling a twinge of regret.

She received another disappointment when her brother and Cade called to announce that they were being offered the chance to be a part of special program at the college that would keep them there until July but gain both extra credits toward their degrees. They would only be home a few short weeks before they were off to college again.

A job at a local diner kept her busy and gave her the opportunity to earn her own money. She had trouble finding time to spend it and squirreled most away into the bank. She did make a couple of purchases, both for an upcoming party: a white two piece consisting of shorts for a bottom and halter top on top. She had also purchased an adorable red sundress scattered with little white flowers to wear over her suit. The party was being held at the home of one of the “summer crowd”, apparently his parents were out of town. Amanda didn’t know him but her friends would be there so she would be as well.

Amanda surveyed her appearance and nodded; she looked fine. She grabbed her bag with her beach towel and other needed items inside and grabbed her purse and keys. She was picking Jenny up in a few minutes. Jenny came rushing from the house, also wearing a sundress, a yellow, flouncy number that would never work with Amanda’s color but complimented Jenny perfectly.

“We ready?” Jenny asked as she climbed into the Jeep.

“Ready,” Amanda circled the drive and headed for the lake where the summer houses lined its shores.

“So who is this guy anyway?” Amanda queried.

“Chloe said his family is here from California. Apparently he knows Charlie Finnegan’s grandparents and met Charlie while he was visiting. Anyway, one of the other cheerleaders was telling Chloe that Charlie said this guy is throwing a party and said to invite all his friends so…”

“Now we’re invited by a friend of a friend,” Amanda smiled.

“Right,” Jenny smiled in return. The lake house was gleaming in the afternoon sunlight as Amanda parked on a spot in the grass.

“So let’s go see if this party is any fun or if it gets out of hand and we need to abandon it,” Amanda suggested.

“Let’s,” Jenny grabbed her bag and hopped from the Jeep. The temperatures had been steadily climbing until it was finally warm enough for a swim. July was only a couple of days away.

“Welcome ladies, welcome, I’m Morris, your host,” a young man smiled as they entered the large cabin style home. “If you need anything let me know,” he winked at them. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and held no appeal for Amanda, though she noticed Jenny did a double take.

“He was kinda cute,” Jenny glanced over her shoulder.

“Not my type,” Amanda crinkled her nose. He was too pretty boy; she liked her men, well, manly and tall, dark, and handsome.

“Mandy; Jenny,” Dede, dragging Chloe behind her approached. “Did you see the host?”

“Not my type.”

“I thought he was pretty hot,” Jenny admitted.

“Want a drink?” Dede extended a red plastic cup to her.

“What is it?” Amanda peered inside.

“Beer silly,” Dede, looked rather pleased with herself.

“No!” Amanda held a hand up. “Not only would my dad and then my brother kill me, I have never had any desire to make a fool of myself and have no memory of it.”

“Jenny?”

“I’m with her,” Jenny declined.

“Suit yourself,” Dede shrugged.

“Isn’t this place amazing?” Chloe was looking around in amazement. It was impressive, all soaring timbers and balconies.

“I’m ready to swim,” Jenny announced and made her way through the crowd. Amanda waved at some friends from school and found herself wondering who the others were. Outside, the yard was littered with more guest and several people were already in the lake.

“Mandy,” Chris sidled up to her and dropped an arm around her waist.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Amanda queried.

“She dumped me,” he admitted; then shrugged. “Can’t say I’m too disappointed.”

“Well, at least you aren’t heart broken,” Amanda offered with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“Yeah, I know; right? I was kinda wondering what happened to us actually. We seemed to be off to a good start and then…” he shrugged.

“Hey are you coming or aren’t you?” Jenny grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the dock.

“Thanks,” Amanda muttered.

“Welcome,” Jenny grinned as she shed her dress. She wore an adorable light green and white polka dot two piece underneath.

“How cute!” Amanda admired her friend’s suite.

“Isn’t it?” Jenny turned and pivoted so Amanda could admire it further. “Now see, I could never wear white and I certainly couldn’t wear that style. I would look all sawed off and deathly pale; the curse of being petite and red headed,” Jenny surveyed Amanda’s suit.

“You are adorable, Jenny,” Amanda assured her friend.

“And you are all long legs and green eyes; it’s disgusting!” Jenny joked. Amanda knew she had filled out over the school year. She had finally taken on shape. According to Naomi, Amanda was built like her grandmother on her dad’s side. Amanda could vaguely remember an old woman from her early childhood who had resided at the retirement home. According to Naomi she had been a knock out in her youth. Amanda didn’t mind the comparison; she was just glad to have finally grown some boobs.

Amanda sprinted down the dock and launched herself into the water with a cry of exaltation; summer was finally here! She heard a splash behind her and knew that Jenny had done the same. The water was cool but Amanda didn’t mind. She and Jenny splashed and playfully flirted with a couple of guys from school for the next hour as the sun, bathing the lake in golden red light, dipped lower and lower. It was the first real fun Amanda had enjoyed all summer thanks to her grueling work schedule.

“Amanda; Mandy!” she heard someone call. She had swam a good distance out into the lake and turned to squint at the distant dock.

“Manny!” she spotted a tall figure waving and smiled.

“Trent! Cade!” she waved for a moment and then swam hard for the dock. They were early! How had they found her? Her brother wasn’t going to like her being here, she realized. Oh well.

It didn’t take her long to reach the dock and scramble up the ladder. She was prepared to launch herself at her brother when he raised a hand.

“Woe! You are sopping wet and I am dry,” he offered her a cheek and she obliging kissed it, before he kissed her forehead. She turned to find Cade waiting for a hug and flung herself into his arms. He lifted her off her feet before setting her back down.

“How are you, Manny?” a wide smile split his face.

“I’m good,” she smiled in return as she leaned back in his arms. She felt her nerves jump and stomach flip. Crap! It was still there she realized.

“What are you guys doing here?” she finally stepped away from Cade.

“We could either stay and get our final results and grades or we could have them mailed; we chose to have them mailed,” her brother explained.

“I’m glad you did,” she smiled.

“So you two are back huh?” Jenny had joined them on the deck and was smiling widely at them.

“Hey, Jenny,” Cade offered her a hug.

“Hey, handsome,” she returned it.

“I know, I’m wet. I saw you turn your own sister away,” Jenny teased Trent as she turned to him and offered her hand.

“Hey, Jenny,” Trent, gaining a frown and sigh from Jenny, kissed her forehead as he had his sister’s.

“Does Dad know where you are?” Trent asked of his sister.

Amanda plopped her hands on her hips and glowered at her brother.

“I’m glad to see you too.”

“I am glad to see you, Mandy. Does Dad know where you are?”

“He knows I’m out with Jenny,” she dodged the question.

“Does he know you’re at a party with drinking and who knows what else?”

“No, but I am not drinking or who knows what else. I am swimming. Now, quit being uptight and come swim with us,” Amanda ordered.

“I don’t have my swim wear with me,” he returned.

“Neither do half the people in this lake,” Amanda offered on a smiled and watched her brother flush.

“Why not,” Cade responded as he pulled his shirt off.

“Woo hoo! Take it off!” Jenny teased.

Amanda snorted, embarrassed laughter over taking her.

“Alright, both of you in the water,” Trent ordered.

“What?” Amanda demanded.

“In the water!” he ordered. Amanda and Jenny jumped back in the water. “Now turn around,” Trent made a circle in the air with his finger. The girls did as ordered.

“Your brother is too funny,” Jenny leaned over to comment to Amanda.

“He’s something,” Amanda returned. Amanda heard a splash in the water behind them. “Can we turn around yet?” she queried.

“You can turn around now,” her brother agreed.

“I can’t believe you did it!” Amanda stared at her brother in disbelief.

“Somebody has to look out for you two,” he informed them.

“We have yet to get in any trouble,” Amanda informed her brother.

“Being here is a good way to start,” he countered.

“How did you find us?” Amanda finally asked.

“I started asking around and somebody said they thought you were coming to a party up here. Finding the house with the party was easy.”

“Oh. Well, the worst thing we have done since we’ve been here is flirt a little with a couple of guys from school so chill.”

“I thought you had a boyfriend or something,” her brother said it like an accusation.

“Nope,” she shook her head. “Kevin and I have gone out a few times but that’s it.”

“So are you going around kissing this one too?” her brother asked, his brows drawn.

“A few kisses here and there but our relationship isn’t like that really; we talk for like hours on end.”

“Good I like this guy, why’d you run him off?”

“She didn’t. He’s in Idaho for the summer and left without asking for any kind of promise,” Jenny rolled her eyes as she explained.

“Who started calling you two the Dynamic Duo?” Trent demanded. “When I asked where you two were that’s how Dede referred to you.”

“Not sure,” Amanda admitted with a shrug.

“I would ask why but I’m afraid of the answer,” her brother teased.

“How’s school going?” Amanda asked to change the subject as she laid back to float on the water.

“Fine.”

“How are you, Cade, as usual, you’re talking my ear off,” she shot in his direction.

“I’m good, Manny; how are you?”

“I am fine,” she responded.

“Hey!” Jenny yelped a moment before she found herself sitting on David’s shoulders. “Where did you come from?” she demanded of him.

“I just got here,” he answered her with a smile.

Amanda couldn’t quite decide if the pair was a couple or not. They dated some but neither seemed quite willing to define their relationship.

“Come on, Mandy, it’s war!” Jenny invited.

“I learned that one from your sister,” Amanda admitted.

“Me too,” Jenny grinned, her smile nostalgic.

“You game?” Cade extended his hand.

“Of course,” Amanda accepted.

Amanda and Jenny were fairly well matched and unseated each other in equal turns. They finally called it a draw.

“That was fun,” Amanda laughed.

“It was,” Jenny returned.

“Get ‘em!,” David yelled to a couple of the guys around and grabbed Jenny to throw her in the water. Dede, a short distance away, squealed and started swimming for shore but wasn’t fast enough before Troy caught up with her. Amanda watched Chris coming her way and wrapped her arms around Cade’s neck and legs around his waist from behind.

“Please don’t let him get me, I do not want to spend the night dodging his lips,” Amanda requested in a near whisper; Cade laughed.

“I’ve got you,” he promised.

“Thank you, he just about drove me crazy at the start of the year,” Amanda admitted as Cade walked further from the water fight that had ensued between the girls and guys. Trent even seemed to have gotten in on it.

“Traitor!” David called to where Cade and Amanda were removed from the fight.

“Hey you catch more flies with honey,” Cade called back; Amanda laughed. Her brother, however, had taken notice of them and didn’t look so amused.

“Leave it to Mandy to find a way out,” Jenny, pushing her wet hair out of face, laughed.

“I knew who would be nice and who wouldn’t,” Amanda called back.

Over an hour later Trent had climbed from the water and sat in his jeans as he watched Amanda, Jenny, and Cade swim and talk. Many of the others had abandoned the water as the night air cooled.

“I’m pruning,” Amanda announced.

“I pruned a long time ago,” Jenny admitted.

“I’ve had fun; I’ve worked so many hours it doesn’t feel like I’ve had a summer,” Amanda admitted.

“I can’t get enough hours at the video store,” Jenny complained.

“Apply at Joe’s they could certainly use more help,” Amanda recommended. “We’ve been swamped…” Amanda froze. She could feel something swirling around her lower calf and unless she was delusional, it had scales.

“Um, I think there is a snake around my leg,” she informed them.

“What?” Jenny’s eyes widened.

“Snake,” she repeated forcing herself to stay calm as it slid along her skin. Jenny squealed and swam for the deck.

“What’s wrong?” Trent called.

“You okay, Manny?” Cade was beside her now.

“Snake!” she yelled at her brother.

“It’s not likely to hurt you, silly.”

“It is wrapped around my leg!” she shot at him in impatience. “Which leg?” Cade asked her.

Amanda felt the snake, provided it was indeed one, uncoil from her leg and threw her arms around Cade’s neck and her legs around his waist from behind as she had done earlier.

“It’s gone; get me out of here!” she insisted. She could feel Cade laughing.

“Don’t make fun of me!” she chastised him.

“I’m sorry I wouldn’t have thought a rancher’s daughter would make such a big deal over a snake.”

“It was wrapped around me; ugh!” she shuddered.

“It was probably looking for somewhere warm; the water is starting to turn cold.”

Cade was moving toward the dock, his arms supporting her legs.

“Your sister is afraid of snakes,” he called to Trent.

“Yeah, I know,” Trent called back.

“He used to chase me with them,” Amanda admitted. “He was a brat; still is.”

“I heard that,” Trent informed her.

“Good,” she returned.

“Here you are, safe from snakes,” Cade had brought her to the dock.

“Thanks,” she offered in relief as she wasted no time climbing onto the safety of the dock. Jenny, already wrapped in her towel, stood a few feet away.

“Here,” Amanda reached into her bag and pulled an extra towel from her bag to drop it on the dock for Cade.

“Thanks for telling me you had a towel,” her brother shot in her direction.

“He rescued me from Chris and then a snake, you sat here safe and sound,” she informed him before grabbing her bag and flouncing off toward the house in search of a bathroom.

Several minutes later she and Jenny emerged redressed; hair and makeup back in place.

“Here’s your towel back,” Cade was waiting when she emerged.

“Thanks,” Amanda smiled at him. He followed her as she and Jenny took their bags to Amanda’s Jeep and stowed them inside. Amanda grabbed the jacket Cade had given her and pulled it on against the evening chill.

“You kept it,” he noted.

“Yeah, it’s like the perfect worn jean jacket; I don’t know why you wanted to replace it,” Amanda shared her opinion. Cade shrugged.

“Where’s Trent?” Jenny queried as they approached the house.

“He ran into someone he knows and stopped to chat with him,” Cade explained.

“I wonder if there’s any food around here,” Amanda skirted the crowd as she made her way to the kitchen. She found a few finger foods and fixed herself a plate before moving onto the back patio and perching on a low wall of planters.

“There you are,” Trent approached. “I plan on keeping a close eye on you two,” he teased his sister and her friend.

“Sorry, I don’t need a big brother,” Jenny informed him irritably.

“Of course you do and in absence of one I’ll fill in for you.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Jenny scooted off the wall and stalked back into the house.

“What did I say?” Trent looked genuinely confused.

Amanda rolled her eyes and followed her friend into the house.

“You want me to hit him for you? We won’t even have to tell him why; I’ll just say it’s because he’s such a pesky brother,” Amanda offered.

Jenny smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, Mandy, but I should be used to it by now. I’m his kid sister’s best friend; how do I expect him to see me?”

“Maybe in a few years he’ll look at you one day and wonder why has never seen you in quite that light before,” Amanda suggested as she linked her arm through her friends.

“Mandy, dear, you read way too many romance novels; you know that right?” Jenny was grinning.

“Yeah, I know,” Amanda admitted as they entered the large main room. At the opposite end of the room from where they stood, a karaoke machine was being set up on the raised entry. Amanda grinned, grabbed Jenny’s hand, and dragged her across the room.

“You game?” Amanda queried.

“Can I join you on the chorus? You know firsthand I don’t sing as well as you,” Jenny offered a smile.

“Fine. Let’s pick a song.” Amanda asked their host to look through the options.

“Here you go ladies,” he grinned and nodded to a binder filled with discs.

“Thanks,” Amanda smiled at him. Several minutes later they had agreed on a tune; Amanda dragged Jenny to the bathroom to pull their hair up into sloppy buns. They reapplied their gloss and made notes as to what they wanted to do when and where. Both knew the song well.

“Come on,” Amanda, spotted Cade and dragged Jenny back into the crowd.

“Hey, can I borrow your shirt?” Amanda requested as she neared him.

“What?” Cade frowned at her.

“Please? I know you’re wearing an undershirt; it’s not like you’ll be undressed,” Amanda reasoned.

“What are you up to?” he looked rather amused as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“You’ll see; thanks,” she kissed his cheek.

“What are you doing, Mandy?” Trent walked up beside Cade.

Dragging Jenny behind her, Amanda waved at her brother as she pushed through the crowd.

“There’s David; go ask him for his shirt,” Amanda nodded in his direction. A moment later Amanda and Jenny stood waiting for Morris to finish checking the equipment, Cade and David’s shirts unbuttoned over their dresses.

“Okay ladies, the floor is yours,” Morris grinned at them.

Guests, gathering closer, were already looking their direction with interest as the first strains of Shania Twain’s Man I Feel Like A Woman started playing. Amanda grabbed the mike and took the lead to sing the first verse with animation as she played to the audience. During a pause in the lyrics, she raised both arms over her head and shifted from side to side as she threw her head. The singing resumed Amanda, skipping and dancing along the entry platform they stood on. When she came to the chorus she and Jenny stood back to back and shared the microphone. Both kept sinking lower and lower as they neared the end of the chorus; they stood back up Amanda, delivering the last line of the chorus.

She had their attention now and was feeding off the energy the crowd was throwing her way. She strutted to the front of the platform to sing to those gathered at the front. Toward the end of the second verse she shook her hair down before turning to make her way back to Jenny’s side for the chorus.

Both girls were into it now, dancing and spinning before meeting in the middle of the platform again; Amanda placed the microphone back on the stand. They went into the final chorus, singing as they stood semi-facing each other as they grabbed the collar of the shirts and then ran their hands down the skirts of the dresses. By the time the song finished Amanda and Jenny were laughing as they bowed to applause and cat calls before hopping off the raised entry that had served as their stage.

“That was sooo fun,” Amanda slung her arm around Jenny.

“Yeah, but I don’t think your brother is too happy about it,” Jenny nodded to where Trent was glaring at them.

Amanda sighed and rolled her eyes, “What else is new? Come on,” Amanda led her friend toward where they stood.

“Thanks,” Amanda smiled at Cade as she handed his shirt back to him.

“Welcome,” he grinned. “I think we just figured out why they call you two the Dynamic Duo.”

“You two do that often?” Trent was glowering, his gaze bouncing off Jenny as though unwilling to meet her gaze.

“We only do karaoke on occasion and we save the strip tease for really special occasions,” Jenny assured Trent; Amanda snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing. Her brother didn’t look amused.

“That wasn’t very nice, Amanda,” Trent chastised her.

“What? What was so bad about that, Trent?”

“That was very…”

“Hot,” Cade supplied what her brother couldn’t bring himself to say.

“Cade,” Trent shot him a look that would have left him dead on the spot had the old saying held.

“Just saying what you were thinking,” Cade shrugged as he buttoned his shirt.

“I suspect that people will still be talking about that when school starts back,” David informed them as he approached.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your shirt,” Jenny smiled as she handed it back to him.

“Welcome, it was worth the show. You two planning on starting a band?” David teased.

“No, but that was fun,” Amanda admitted.

“I don’t know, screaming fans might be fun,” Jenny joked. “Lots of cute, horny guys,” she cut her gaze to Trent.

Amanda laughed at her brother’s enraged expression.

“There was nothing funny about that,” Trent pinned his sister with a look.

“Yes, there was: your expression,” Amanda argued.

“Trent, they are intentionally pushing your buttons and you are playing right into their mischievous little hands,” Cade informed his friend on a chuckle.

“Hey, Jenny, wanna dance?” David asked. Someone had put a song on, no one having yet stepped forward to take Amanda and Jenny’s place.

“Sure,” Jenny agreed.

“Have fun,” Amanda called after her friend. “Come on,” she took Cade’s hand and pulled him toward the dance floor.

“Where are we going?” he queried of her.

“To dance,” she informed him as slid her arms around his neck.

“You’re going to get me in trouble, Manny,” he warned her.

“How’s that?” she wanted to know.

“Your brother is already plenty angry without me dancing with you,” he nodded to where her brother still stood, his expression dark.

“He’ll get over it,” she predicted.

“For my sake I hope so,” Cade smiled down at her.

“How’ve you been, Cade?”

“I’ve been busy but good,” he settled his arms more firmly around her.

“You meet any interesting women?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“Yeah, there’s one girl on campus that must have a piercing in every available facial surface. Multiple piercings in each ear, eyebrow, her nose, lip; I keep waiting for her to come back with something through one cheek.”

“Funny. That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she smiled up at him.

“I’ve been out a few times with a couple of girls but they were just into my looks,” he joked.

Amanda laughed, “I have no doubt of that.”

“I’ve missed you,” he admitted.

“I’ve missed you too.”

“You and Jenny keep life interesting, waiting to see what outrageous thing you two will come out with next.”

“See, I keep telling you that it just isn’t as interesting without you and Trent here to shock. We’re down right boring when you two are gone,” she informed him.

“You aren’t capable of downright boring, Manny. And I’m pretty sure that you and Jenny didn’t gain the nickname the Dynamic Duo by sitting on the sidelines; I suspect tonight’s performance wasn’t out of the norm for you,” he teased. “So what happened with you and Chris? When we left from Christmas break I figured you two would end up a couple, but it seems you started seeing someone else.”

“Chris is alright but I wasn’t feeling it. It seems the less I was feeling it the more he was. He about drove me crazy,” Amanda admitted.

“Playing hard to get, Manny?”

“No, just not all that into him. He seemed to think the way to spend an evening was making out. Trying to have a conversation with him was like trying to talk to a fence post!”

“So you ended up with great conversation guy?”

“Kevin. Sort of; we aren’t really a couple, we just go out some. He’s nice.”

“Nice? Usually that’s the kiss of death with a girl,” Cade mused.

“We’re not really all that romantic, does that sound odd?”

“It sounds like you’re good friends,” he told her.

Amanda nodded, “That’s probably true.”

“Your brother would love to hear you say that.”

“Do me a favor? Let him sweat it; it’s good for him,” she joked.

“You’re mean, Manny.”

“No, my brother is over protective.”

“He loves you.”

“Yeah, I know,” she smiled.

She glanced over to see if her brother was still glaring at them and frowned.

“What is my brother doing talking to her?” Amanda demanded.

“He’s been a little wild since Angie’s death; at least at school,” Cade admitted.

“And he lectures me?” Amanda frowned up at Cade.

“Only because he loves you.”

“What makes me better than the women he uses?” Amanda’s anger was rising.

“I didn’t say it was right, Manny; just telling you the truth,” Cade offered as an explanation.

“Excuse me, Cade,” Amanda ended their dance abruptly and made a bee line for her brother. She watched her brother lean in closer to Bianca Smiley and felt her anger rise.

“I need to talk to you,” she ordered her brother. Bianca was not someone she liked.

“Now?” her brother asked impatiently.

“Now,” Amanda insisted.

“Excuse me, Bianca,” Trent nodded to the young woman beside him. She and Trent had graduated together. The only thing she seemed to be doing since was men.

“What do you need?” Trent demanded.

“What are you doing with the likes of Bianca Smiley?” she demanded to know.

“Excuse me?”

“Bianca Smiley? Really? You yell at me for kissing a guy and you’re pursuing Bianca. Talk about hypocritical!” Amanda was steaming now.

“I was talking to her…”

“With Bianca that’s practically a guarantee to her bed. Don’t cheapen what you had with Angie with a slut like Bianca Smiley!” she yelled in his face. Her brother looked like he had been slapped. Amanda, digging her keys from her jacket pocket, shook her head in disgust and turned to storm away.

“You aren’t driving angry,” Cade caught her by her arm as she passed.

“I need to go,” Amanda insisted.

“Come on, let’s go outside where you can cool down,” Cade led her through the crowd and out the door. “You okay?” he asked after they were outside; Amanda leaned against her Jeep.

“No.”

“Mandy, are you alright?” Jenny’s eyes were huge as she rushed their way.

“Give me a minute,” Amanda requested.

“Wow, I think the entire party heard you, music and all,” Jenny teased.

“She has a habit of calling people sluts and bimbos in their hearing. Never let be said she talks about people behind their back,” Cade teased her.

“I shouldn’t have lost my temper,” Amanda admitted. “I’m just tired of being lectured by him at every turn about my actions. It’s okay for him to make out in the barn with Angie or sleep with a slut but I’m bad if I kiss a guy? He claims that his relationship with Angie meant something, so I don’t see how could even entertain the thought of a woman like Bianca.”

“He’s a guy,” Jenny shrugged in resignation.

“Gee thanks,” Cade shot at her.

“You were the one making out in the barn with Miranda; you have no room to talk,” Amanda reminded him.

“Your barn sees a lot action doesn’t it?” Jenny joked.

Cade’s gaze snapped to Jenny and then Amanda. “Damn, Manny.”

Feeling some of the tension in her belly uncoil, Amanda snorted and laughed. “I didn’t tell her,” Amanda defended herself.

“I figured it out,” Jenny nodded; “I’m smart like that.”

“Oh man,” watching as Chris approached, Amanda groaned. She watched his gaze land on Cade; Chris’s steps faltered.

“He bothering you?” Cade wanted to know.

“His girlfriend dumped him,” she admitted on a sigh. She could tell he was debating whether he should join them or not.

The decision was made for him.

“What the hell was that, Amanda?!?” Trent was stalking her way now. He brushed past Chris to stop in front of his sister.

“I just don’t see how you could have a meaningful relationship with Angie and then settle for that,” Amanda explained.

Her brother seemed to deflate all at once.

“Women like Angie don’t come along every day, Mandy.”

“No, they don’t but don’t miss another Angie while you’re foolin’ around with a Bianca,” Amanda shot at him. To her consternation there were tears in her brother’s eyes.