Under the Open Sky

Chapter Twenty

Amanda studied her reflection in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. She had pulled on a jean skirt, a halter top, and her boots before pulling her hair up into a twist. Jason, one of her old friends from high school, had called that morning to invite her to a gathering at his grandparent’s farm before everyone returned to college; Amanda was now especially glad that she had come to spend the weekend with her dad. She was looking forward to seeing everyone again. Amanda grabbed her jean jacket and several items she was taking before heading down stairs to load her stuff.

“You got your sleeping bag? It’s supposed to be cool tonight?” Naomi fretted over her.

“I’ve got it,” Amanda kissed her aunt’s cheek.

“Behave yourself and have fun,” Naomi cautioned.

“I will,” Amanda promised.

“Where are you going?” Trent demanded as he and Christy stepped onto the porch.

“Out with some old friends from high school,” Amanda opened the driver’s side door. She had wanted to invite Cade but her brother seemed to be determined to make certain she wasn’t alone with Cade. Too bad she hadn’t learned of tonight’s gathering until today; last night she’d had ample opportunity to tell Cade, though her brother didn’t know that.

“Have fun,” Trent offered.

Amanda turned to stare at him, a brow quirked in question. “Did you just tell me to have fun without giving me the nth degree?”

Amanda’s question made both Naomi and Christy smile.

“Go on, brat, and stay out of trouble,” her brother growled, though he was smiling.

“That’s better,” Amanda nodded and turned to climb into her Jeep; she was waving as she cranked the engine and started down the drive.

She picked Jenny up and then continued on her way to Jason’s grandparents'. Several minutes later she turned into a long driveway and followed it past the house and down into a valley by a large barn. A small fire already burned in the field beside the barn and a large screen sat several feet out into the field. Jason had borrowed the screen and projection equipment from a friend of his and was going to show movies. Everyone was bringing food and sleeping bags and they were going to make a night of it.

“Well, if it isn’t the Dynamic Duo,” David greeted them with a hug. “How are you, Jenny?” he asked of her.

“I’m good; how are you?” Jenny returned.

Amanda had to smile, she still wasn’t certain if Jenny and David had actually been a couple or not.

“Mandy; Jenny!” Chloe waved as she jogged up. “I haven’t seen you two in ages; how are you?” Chloe hugged them both. They were soon joining the growing group by the fire.

“Claim a space,” Jason invited and indicated the half circle of hay bales that sat opposite the screen.

Amanda and Jenny spread a blanket before they dropped their things on top and moved to put their food items on the makeshift tables inside the barn. A couple of guys were running extension cables out the door to the equipment for watching movies.

“I am so glad that Jason is doing this; can you believe how long it’s been since we were all together?” Chloe was following them.

“I know, I had thought I would keep up with everyone but I’m always so busy it doesn’t happen,” Amanda admitted as they made their way back outside and greeted friends as they went. Amanda spotted Samantha several feet away and excused herself. She still wasn’t certain exactly what had happened between Samantha and herself.

“Hey, Sam,” Amanda greeted her old friend with a smile.

“Hi, Mandy,” Samantha smiled back.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw you,” Amanda admitted. She didn’t add that she was surprised to see her tonight. Samantha had never run with the group that was here.

“It’s been a while,” Samantha nodded in agreement. “Troy invited me tonight; he and I have a few classes together,” she answered Amanda’s unasked question.

“You and Troy huh? He’s nice,” Amanda offered.

“He is,” Samantha agreed. “Tonight’s our first date so we’ll see what happens next.”

“How have you been, Sam?”

“I’ve been real good.”

“You look nice,” Amanda complimented her friend. Samantha had never spent much time primping; tonight she was dressed very nicely, her hair and makeup in place.

“Yeah, I finally decided to change my look; a little slower than you were,” Sam offered with a shrug.

“Hi, Mandy,” Troy smiled as he joined Samantha and handed her a glass of soda.

“Hey, Troy; it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too. I hear you and Jenny are rooming and attending down at Haddon together?”

“We are. I’ll let you two enjoy your date. Maybe we can talk more later,” Amanda suggested to Sam.

“I’d like that,” she nodded with a smile.

Amanda smiled and turned to go and rejoin Jenny where she was talking with Chloe, Dede, and David. Chloe was telling about a small fire in one of the dorm rooms one night that sent the entire dorm into the courtyard in the middle of the night.

“It was freezing cold and here we were in our gowns and pajamas, every guy in the school was suddenly outside just to spy on us,” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“I can imagine,” David was grinning. “They should have invited all you ladies back to their warm dorm rooms,” he joked.

“Men!” Dede rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think I would care much for dorm living,” Jenny commented.

“Uh, huh; me either,” Amanda agreed with her. Amanda watched Jenny grin, her gaze going past Amanda. Before she could turn, two hands covered her eyes, a familiar scent enveloping her a moment before lips brushed her neck just below her ear.

“Cade!” Amanda turned to throw her arms around him as his arms settled around her waist. He greeted her with a kiss.

“How did you end up here?” Amanda demanded of him.

“A little birdie told me about the gathering,” Cade winked over her shoulder at Jenny.

“Thank you, Jenny,” Amanda turned; Cade’s arms remained around her as she leaned into his embrace.

“So I guess you two don’t have to sneak around to see each other anymore, huh?” David teased.

“We never snuck around,” Amanda argued. “That aside, my brother has no idea he’s here.”

“Trent still trying to tell you who you can and can’t see?” Chloe guessed.

“Yep, but I am eighteen and he has no say.”

“So why don’t you just be done with it and tell him you’re seeing Cade,” Jenny challenged.

“Are we seeing each other? I’m not sure what we’re doing,” Amanda joked as she tilted her head to look up at Cade.

“We’re seeing each other, we just don’t get to see much of each other,” he grinned down at her.

“You two are cute together,” Dede grinned at them; Amanda smiled back. She glanced over to find Samantha watching her and smiled. Samantha offered a strained smile in return and turned to say something to Troy. Amanda frowned, still puzzled by Samantha’s distance. Amanda turned back to the group around her; they continued to talk and laugh as the sun began to dip behind the mountains. The smell of burgers and hot dogs cooking began to pull everyone toward the barn where Jason and a couple of other guys were grilling.

Amanda seated herself on the tailgate of Cade’s truck, Cade joining her as others followed. Conversation flowed as they ate and Amanda felt content and at peace with life. It felt good to be seated beside Cade, everyone accepting them as a couple instead of trying to pretend he was merely her brother’s friend.

As soon as she had finished eating, Amanda moved to stand in front of Cade, where he was still seated on the tailgate. Cade wrapped his arms around her as she leaned against his chest, her arms resting on his knees on either side of her.

“I heard your brother was getting serious about a girl; who is she?” Chloe queried.

“Her name’s Christy; he met her at school. She’s nice enough I guess but I can’t say I’m really thrilled,” Amanda admitted.

“Oh?”

“I don’t want her for a sister-in-law,” Amanda answered honestly.

“I don’t think they’ll make it to the alter,” Cade predicted.

“No?” Amanda twisted to look at Cade.

“No, I can’t put my finger on it but something is missing between them. Not to mention she isn’t quite his type.”

“I noted that,” Amanda nodded.

“She basically chased him until she caught him,” Cade informed her.

“Like me?” Amanda grinned at him.

“I wasn’t running,” he informed her, “just staying a step ahead until your age caught up,” he smiled at her before leaning down to kiss her.

“I think I’m going to give these two some space,” Jenny was fanning herself when Amanda turned back to the group. Amanda laughed as her friend walked off, the others following her.

“We ran everybody off,” Amanda informed Cade as she turned to face him.

“Fine by me, for a moment anyway,” he kissed her again and tugged her closer by her belt loops. It was several minutes later before Amanda snuggled against Cade’s chest with a sigh.

“What was the sigh for?” Cade asked her as his thumb caressed the bare skin at her waist.

“I would invite you to ditch the party in favor of a quiet evening at my place but I know you would turn me down,” she admitted.

“I’m not making love to you tonight and leaving tomorrow,” Cade confirmed her prediction.

“You are so mean!” she accused as she leaned back to stare up at him.

“No, if I were mean I would do just what you suggested,” he countered.

“So you’ll head off to school and all the women waiting there,” Amanda frowned up at him. The closer they got, the more it bothered her to think of him with other women.

“Manny, I have slept with exactly three women since meeting you: the first two just after I went to work for your father and the third was at a party my sophomore year. It was another reminder of why I don’t usually drink and I didn’t again until the other night when I was watching that guy put his hands all over you,” Cade informed her.

“Three women?” Amanda queried. His reputation, which she had set out to learn after she met him, didn’t quite match that. “Look, Cade, what you do isn’t really my business.”

“Until now, no; what you did was none of mine and what I did was none of yours. But I would say that’s changed; wouldn’t you?” Cade was watching her intently.

“Do you want it to change?” Amanda asked.

“Yes, I do and I want you to know that I haven’t been off at school fooling around with a bunch of women.”

“What about this Nicole?” Amanda couldn’t help asking.

“I doubled with your brother a few times with a few of Christy’s friends, Nicole was one of those and she was fun and we spent a lot time laughing together. She was the one who wanted to change that.”

“You didn’t?” Amanda surveyed him with a raised brow.

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this,” Cade sighed and shook his head. “She came over and started trying to seduce me. I was trying to politely turn her down when she reached into my pocket and found your letter.”

“Oh?” Amanda waited.

“She demanded to know why I was dating her and writing another woman and to know who you were but stormed out before I could answer. When she came back the next weekend to apologize for blowing up at me and asked who you were I relayed your answer, credited to you incidentally, and she really did blow up. That was the last time I saw her in more than passing.”

“Good,” Amanda was smiling at him.

“Your brother is quite put out with me.”

“Why?” Amanda demanded.

“Because he keeps trying to set me up and I won’t go out more than once maybe twice with any of them and won’t sleep with them.”

“And this makes him angry?” Amanda was smiling in confusion.

“He suspects that it has something to do with you but he can’t prove it. I think he has it in his head that if I’m sleeping around it will ensure I’m not with you,” Cade shared.

“Does it have something to do with me?” she asked him and watched him smile.

“It has everything to do with you, Manny.”

“Good,” she smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.

“Manny?” he cupped her face.

“Yes?”

“We’ll both be finished with school by next summer. Wait for me and I’ll wait for you,” he requested.

Amanda nodded and closed her eyes as he kissed her again.

“We should join the others,” he recommended.

“We should,” she agreed almost reluctantly. She stepped back to let Cade hop down and then took his hand as they made their way to where everyone was starting to gravitate to the fire.

“Decide to join us?” Jenny teased.

“Figured it would be the polite thing to do,” Cade returned with a smile.

Jenny grinned back at him.

“Hey, we ready to start a movie?” Jason called.

A few minutes later the movie was going, the crowd settling down to watch, some seated on the hay bales and others leaning against them. Amanda settled with her back against Cade’s chest and his arms around her and sighed in contentment. Jenny plopped down beside her; a pleased smile on her face as she surveyed them.

“I’ve seen this movie; I don’t like it!” Chloe called a moment later. “It’s a horror movie!”

Amanda shuddered; she’d never been a fan of horror movies.

“I won’t let anyone get you,” Cade promised in amusement.

“I’m not a fan of scary movies,” Amanda admitted.

“Me either,” Jenny agreed.

A few minutes later Amanda was hiding her face against Cade’s shoulder. “She’s going to die,” Amanda predicted.

“Why do you say that?” Cade asked her.

“Because she’s having sex; the girls who have sex in these movies die,” Amanda informed him; it made him laugh.

“She’s dead,” he confirmed a moment later.

“Told you,” Amanda smiled up at him.

“Okay, I know he’s your man but I am so borrowing Cade’s other shoulder,” Jenny hopped up to move to Cade’s other side.

“The Dynamic Duo is scared of horror flicks?” Cade asked a laugh.

“Yes!” they returned in unison.

“I’ll protect you both, one of these days Trent’s going to come to his senses and you have to be in one piece when he does,” Cade teased Jenny.

“If only,” Jenny sighed.

“Ew!” Amanda shuddered and turned away from the screen again.

Chloe screamed from a nearby blanket and then jumped up. “Michael Lewis I’m going to murder you!” Chloe punched his arm. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“I’m sorry; I couldn’t help myself,” Michael was laughing.

“So I’m guessing the guys picked the movies,” Cade commented.

“Jason never said what we were watching but I’m guessing he decided,” Amanda, still refusing to look at the screen, answered.

Jenny startled and Amanda chuckled.

“Ugh! If we do this again, the women are choosing the movie,” Jenny grumbled.

“Hey, Mandy; isn’t that your brother’s truck?” Dede asked. Amanda sat up and peered at the truck coming down the drive.

“Yes, it is,” she sighed and settled back against Cade; let her brother deal with it.

“How did he find out about this?” Jenny queried. “I was careful to seek Cade out when he wasn’t around. I waited until after you and Trent were supposed to run to town.”

“Naomi knew where I was going; he might have asked her,” Amanda shared.

“I didn’t want him glaring and ruining your night,” Jenny was scowling.

“He’ll have to deal with it,” Amanda shrugged. A moment later Trent, Christy, and Shauna were approaching. Trent frowned at Amanda, Cade, and Jenny.

“What they hell are you watching?” Trent turned his frown from them to the screen.

“Ask Jason,” Amanda responded. “What are you doing here?”

“Jason sent Freddie for ice and I ran into him in town; he said you were all here and invited us,” Trent explained as he seated himself; his expression was still drawn.

“If you like horror flicks you’re in luck, otherwise,” Jenny shuddered as one of the women on the screen ran through woods, blood down the front of her skimpy gown.

“She’s dead,” Amanda predicted again.

“Most likely, but then most are by the end of these things,” Cade noted.

“Hey Christy; hi Shauna,” Amanda finally greeted the women with her brother.

“Hey, Mandy,” Christy smiled. Shauna, her face set in a pout, nodded.

They fell quiet, each watching the movie, or not in Amanda’s case. She kept hiding her face or watching the other’s around her. Several couples were snuggled close as Amanda and Cade were, Trent and Christy included. Several of the other women were huddled in their sleeping bags only half watching. Trent kept glancing over to glare at Amanda and Cade; Amanda ignored him. When the movie ended there was an audible sigh of relief from the women.

“Where did Jason get the equipment?” Trent asked of Amanda.

“One of his friends from college is a tech junkie and let him borrow it,” Amanda explained.

“What are we watching now?” Dede called as Jason started another movie. “I hope it isn’t another horror flick.”

“No, it’s great. A revenge movie with lots of really awesome effects,” Jason responded.

“Yep, the guys definitely chose the movies,” Jenny sighed as she righted herself. “Thanks, Cade.”

“Welcome,” Cade settled his now free arm around Amanda.

“I think Trent has kinda figured you two out,” Jenny muttered.

“I think he’d already figured it out,” Cade admitted.

“He doesn’t seem too happy, huh?”

“Nope,” Cade agreed.

“He’ll get over it,” Amanda offered.

“He’ll have to,” Cade pulled her closer. Amanda smiled up at him before turning back to the screen. The movie was starting out well enough, everyone looked happy; including the sweet young woman they were currently focused on. Based on what Jason had said, Amanda didn’t hold much hope it would stay happy long. She was proven right a moment later when the young woman found herself being dragged beneath a set of bleachers, the crowd above not hearing her cry for help as they yelled and screamed and the band played. Feeling suddenly nauseous, Amanda found herself shaking when one of the guys who had grabbed her pinned her hands and kissed her as she struggled to get away.

“I can’t watch this,” Amanda jumped up.

Cade stood and followed her as she retreated inside the barn.

“You alright, Manny?” Cade pulled her close and stroked her back.

“No,” she admitted.

“Look at me, Manny,” Cade lifted her chin. “He isn’t here; he’s in jail and he can’t hurt you. Besides, if he tried again I’d kill him this time.”

“I know he can’t hurt me now but it stirred up bad memories,” Amanda told him. “I had nightmares for weeks that I didn’t get away,” Amanda shared.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Cade hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head.

“You okay, Mandy? It’s just a movie you know?” Trent, his expression puzzled, entered. Jenny was right behind him.

“Think about it a moment, Trent; she’s been there,” Cade bit off impatiently.

“Ah man, Mandy; I didn’t even think about that. Are you okay?” Trent, standing closer now, leaned down to meet her gaze.

“I will be,” Amanda nodded.

“What happened? Is Mandy okay?” Christy entered the barn.

“No, the movie stirred up some bad memories,” Jenny answered.

“What?” Christy’s eyes were huge.

“Her prom date tried…” Trent wasn’t able to finish the sentence.

“Oh,” Christy winced. “No wonder she doesn’t want to watch it.”

“What do you say we sit this one out?” Jenny suggested as she claimed a seat on a nearby hay bale.

“Good idea,” Trent nodded and followed her example. Amanda offered them a smile and allowed Cade to lead her to join them.

“I don’t want to make things worse but he’s in jail, right?” Christy asked them.

“Yes, Amanda agreed to press charges.”

“Good. I’m glad you were brave enough to confront him, Mandy.”

“If I hadn’t Cade would probably have been the one in jail.”

Christy frowned. “Why?”

“He beat the hell out of Chris,” Trent supplied.

“Good for you,” Christy nodded at Cade.

“I was in town that night,” Troy told them as he and Samantha approached. “I thought he would kill him.”

“Can we please change the subject?” Amanda requested.

“We can’t watch the movie either. Her boyfriend’s getting his revenge but it’s too gruesome even for me,” Troy explained why they had joined them.

“It’s awful,” Samantha shuddered.

“Hi, is this where the party is moving to?” Chloe asked as she and Dede entered the barn.

“Join us,” Amanda invited. One by one or two by two, people began to drift inside and form groups here and there as the movie continued. Trent, Cade, and Christy were discussing their upcoming return to college when Amanda spotted Samantha seated by herself; Troy was talking with a couple of guys a few feet away.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Amanda told them before she moved to join Samantha.

“Hey, Sam,” Amanda smiled as she seated herself.

“Hi, Mandy.”

“Want to come join us? I never intended to choose a new friend over an old friend, Sam; I’m not quite sure what happened to us,” Amanda finally gave voice to her confusion.

“I’m sorry, Mandy. It was more my fault than yours,” Samantha admitted.

“Why, Sam?”

“Do you realize that in all the years we were friends that most of our conversations were about horses, books, or what silly thing the popular kids at school had done now?” Samantha asked.

“The same popular kids I ended up hanging out with; is that it?”

“No, not entirely. You realize we never discussed boys?”

“We didn’t did we? I mean I told you I thought Chris was cute, but we didn’t did we?” Amanda was frowning.

“No, we didn’t. Our sophomore year we were two of a kind, both more interested in books and horses than boys, well until you got into Chris but even then you didn’t say much about it.

“I was thinking about it earlier and realized we didn’t giggle over boys the way my sister and her friends did.”

“That bothers you?” Amanda was still puzzled.

“In of itself? No. By summer I was in turmoil and didn’t know how on earth deal with it.”

“Deal with what?”

“I thought if I avoided you it would be easier but my sister kept telling me how she kept running into you and how different you were but I wasn’t prepared for how different. You left for the summer unsure of yourself with guys and came back a knock out who was turning them all on their ear; I didn’t know what to do with that. You were leaving me behind and even more than that….but I realized that I never told you.”

“Told me what?”

“I had the worst crush on Cade.”

“What?” Amanda felt her eyes go wide. She hadn’t been aware that Samantha was even aware of the opposite sex.

“I did and after he went to work for your father I thought that was a good thing. You were always talking about him and your brother, which suited me fine. Until it was ‘Cade started calling me Manny; I wish he would stop.’ or ‘Cade taught me to drive but don’t tell Trent and Daddy.’ I wondered what else he was teaching you but I didn’t have the guts to ask. I kind of figured out you liked him without you saying so.”

“I didn’t know how to deal with it so I thought maybe if I avoided you over the summer I would be over it by the fall but I wasn’t. There you were so different and wearing his jacket…I didn’t know what to say so it was easier to say nothing.”

“Sam, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Amanda was the one at a loss for words.

“No, you didn’t; as I said: I never told you.”

“Now, I don’t know what to say,” Amanda admitted.

“I’m happy for you now, Amanda, but it was hard for me then.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t know,” Samantha shrugged. “Who’s the chick throwing herself at Cade?” Sam nodded to where Cade stood; Shauna smiling up at him.

Trent and Christy had drifted over to where one of Trent’s classmates had just entered with one of Amanda’s classmates and Jenny, Chloe, and Dede, were fussing over a litter of puppies in a nearby stall.

“I am going to end up hurting her,” Amanda predicted. “Excuse me, Sam,” Amanda’s eyes had narrowed.

“Go set her straight,” Sam grinned.

“I will.”

Amanda crossed the barn; Shauna’s flirting was setting her nerves on edge.

“I would really like an opportunity to make up for getting sick on our first date, Cade. You should let me cook dinner for you at my place,” Shauna offered.

“It’s chilly in here,” Amanda announced as she slid her arms inside Cade’s jacket and snuggled up to him. “Hello,” Amanda greeted Shauna coolly.

“Hi,” Shauna’s expression was stony.

“You cold?” Cade wrapped his arms around Amanda.

“A little,” Amanda smiled up at him; his grin told her that he knew she was making a statement. “Warm me up?”

“I guess we’ll finish this conversation at school,” Shauna made it clear she intended to pursue Cade.

“You can try,” Amanda turned to offer a brittle smile to the older woman.

“Excuse me?” Shauna’s eyes narrowed.

“He made his decision last night, Shauna; don’t be a sore loser,” Amanda returned.

“What does a kid like you know about pleasing a man?” Shauna’s expression was demeaning.

Amanda felt her blood boil and was considering clawing the woman’s eyes out when Cade intervened.

“Manny’s right; I made my decision. As for pleasing me I’m sure she’ll make a very astute student; if you’ll excuse us,” Cade nodded at the woman opposite them. Amanda glanced back to find Shauna watching them, her face red whether from embarrassment or rage Amanda wasn’t sure; maybe both. Cade led her out the open barn doors to lean against the side of the barn furthest from the movie screen.

“You’re red,” Cade accused as he surveyed her in the light from a nearby street light.

“Am I?” she laughed as she slid her arms around his neck.

“Mmm, hmmm.”

“So when are you going to start these lessons?” she teased.

“Not tonight,” he chuckled.

“You drive me mad,” she informed him.

He kissed her before responding.

“The feeling is mutual, baby,” he assured her before kissing her again. He pulled away with a groan a few minutes later. “We should join the others,” he told her.

“Or go to my place,” she countered.

“Nice try,” Cade pushed off the barn and claimed her hand.

“Fine,” she sighed and allowed him to lead her back inside.

“There you are,” Trent frowned as they entered. “Where have you been?”

“Amanda needed to cool off a moment; she got her temper riled,” Cade explained.

Trent looked ready to ask questions but was cut off before he could.

“Why’s everyone in here?” Jason entered and addressed the group at large. No one seemed willing to answer him. “You don’t like my movie? Okay,” Jason sighed. “I brought a couple of chick flicks, since the guys are obviously going to go where the girls are, I’ll put one of those on instead.”

“Thank you!” Jenny called after him.

“I think I can stomach a chick flick; want to go watch the movie?” Cade offered Amanda.

“I think I can manage that too,” she smiled in return. They headed back outside and reclaimed Amanda’s vacated blanket and started unrolling sleeping bags to ward off the increasing chill in the night air. The semi-circle was filling again, as everyone settled down for the movie.

“You can borrow my sleeping bag,” Cade offered Trent. Having come at the last minute, Trent hadn’t come prepared. Cade and Amanda were snuggled up under Amanda’s.

“And I have an extra blanket Shauna can use,” Amanda added.

Trent glared at them a minute before accepting their offer.

“Thanks,” he finally offered begrudgingly.

“You’re welcome,” Amanda smiled at him before snuggling back close to Cade to watch the movie. The movie was more to Amanda’s liking but she found herself closing her eyes and simply enjoying being close to Cade as he and Jenny talked. She liked the rumble of his voice in his chest.

“Cade,” Trent called.

“Yeah?”

“Watch yourself with my sister,” Trent cautioned his friend.

“I have no more desire to see Manny hurt, than you do,” Cade returned.

“See it to it you don’t and keep in mind that she doesn’t have your experience,” Trent added.

“Butt out, Trent,” Amanda opened her eyes to glare at her brother.

“I thought you were asleep,” Trent admitted.

“No,” Amanda stood and grabbed her bag. When she sat on the edge of a bale of hay and removed her boots, her brother frowned at her.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded when she pulled a pair of flannel pants on under her skirt.

“Changing,” Amanda unbuttoned her skirt and pulled off.

“Here?” Trent stared at her in disbelief.

Amanda pulled a long sleeved t-shirt over her halter top, untied the neck and shimmied out of it as well.

“Done and I didn’t even expose myself,” Amanda rolled her eyes at her brother as she stuffed her cloths into her bag.

Cade was laughing and shaking his head at her.

“Will I offend your delicate sensibilities if I do the same?” Jenny teased Trent and watched him turn red.

Amanda snuggled back under the sleeping bag and watched her brother’s face redden further as Jenny, trading her own skirt and top for flannel pants and a t-shirt, repeated Amanda’s actions.

“I think she actually unnerved your brother,” Cade commented for Amanda’s hearing alone.

“You think?” Amanda smiled up at him.

“Something like that can really get a man’s imagination going,” Cade informed her. Amanda felt her face flush; Cade laughed.

“I won’t do that again,” she commented.

“Feel free,” he teased.

“What did you say to Amanda to make her light up like that?” Jenny demanded as she reseated herself.

“You don’t want to know,” Amanda assured her friend and watched her brother frown. Relishing the feeling of Cade’s thumb caressing her hip, Amanda closed her eyes again.

“What time is it?” Amanda asked.

“Three-thirty,” Jenny offered on a yawn.

“I’m going to sleep,” Amanda announced.

“Hold on, before you do; sit up,” Cade instructed her. Amanda sat up and watched him scoot down until he was lying down. “Okay.”

Returning her head to his shoulder, Amanda laid back down.

“Night, Jenny; night Trent,” Amanda offered.

“Good night,” Jenny returned.

Trent glared at her. She closed her eyes and shut him out. Within moments she felt her eyes growing heavy.