wide, curious eyes. “Because my education in that department is really sad. This one boy tried to kiss me and missed and almost broke my nose. After that, I didn’t get another date until the junior prom.” She leaned forward. “He was gay and so sweet and shy about it...well, he asked me and told me the reason very honestly. And I said I’d go with him to the prom because of the way my other date had ended. I mean, he wasn’t likely to try to kiss me and break my nose and all... Why are you laughing?”
“Marshmallow,” he accused, and his smile was full of affectionate amusement.
“Well, yes, I guess I am. But he’s such a nice boy. Several of us know about him, but there are these two guys on the football squad that he’s afraid of. They’re always making nasty remarks to him. He thought if he went with a girl to a dance, they might back off.”
“Did they?” he asked, curious.
“Yes, but not because he went with me,” she said. She glowered at the memory. “One of them made a nasty remark to him when we were dancing, next to the refreshment table, and I filled a big glass with punch and threw it in his face.” She grinned. “I got in big trouble until the gym coach was told why I did it. His brother’s gay.” The grin got bigger. “He said next time I should use the whole pitcher.”
He burst out laughing. “Well, your attitude toward modern issues is...unique. This is a very small town,” he explained when her eyebrows went up.
“Oh, I see. You think we treat anybody different like a fungus.” She nodded.
“Not exactly. But we hear things about small towns,” he began.
“No bigots here. Well, except for Chief Grier.”
He blinked. “Your police chief is a bigot?”
She nodded. “He is severely prejudiced against people from other planets. You should just hear him talk about how aliens are going to invade us one day to get their hands on our cows. He thinks they have a milk addiction, and that’s why you hear about cattle mutilations... You’re laughing again.”
He wiped his eyes. She couldn’t know that he rarely laughed. His life had been a series of tragedies. Humor had never been part of it. She made him feel light inside, almost happy.
“I can see the chief’s point,” he managed.
“Cow bigot,” she accused, and he almost fell on the floor.
She wrapped her cold hands around her mug. “I guess I shouldn’t be cracking jokes, with Roberta dead...” Her eyes burned with tears. “I still can’t believe it. Roberta’s gone. She’s gone.” She drew in a breath and sipped coffee. “We’ve done nothing but argue since Daddy died. But she wanted me to hold her hand and she was scared. She said she was sorry.” She looked at him. “She said it was Bert’s fault. Do you think she was delirious?”
“Not really,” he replied quietly.
“Why?”
“That can wait a bit.” He grew somber. “You don’t have any other family?”
She shook her head. She looked around. “But surely I can stay here by myself? I mean, I’m eighteen now...”
He frowned. “I thought you were seventeen.”
She hesitated. Her eyes went to the calendar and she grimaced. “I just turned eighteen. Today is my birthday,” she said. She hadn’t even realized it, she’d been so busy. Tears ran down her cheeks. “What an awful one this is.”
He caught her hand in his and held it tight. “No cousins?”
She shook her head. “I have nobody.”
“Not quite true. You have me,” he said firmly. “And Sara’s on her way down here.”
“Sara. Your sister?”
He nodded.
“She’ll stay with me?” she asked.
He smiled. “Not exactly. “You’ll stay with us, in my house. I won’t risk your reputation by having you move in with just me.”
“But...we’re strangers,” she pointed out.
“No, we’re not,” he said, and he smiled. “I told you about my stepfather. That’s a memory I’ve never shared with anyone. And you won’t mention it to Sara,
“Marshmallow,” he accused, and his smile was full of affectionate amusement.
“Well, yes, I guess I am. But he’s such a nice boy. Several of us know about him, but there are these two guys on the football squad that he’s afraid of. They’re always making nasty remarks to him. He thought if he went with a girl to a dance, they might back off.”
“Did they?” he asked, curious.
“Yes, but not because he went with me,” she said. She glowered at the memory. “One of them made a nasty remark to him when we were dancing, next to the refreshment table, and I filled a big glass with punch and threw it in his face.” She grinned. “I got in big trouble until the gym coach was told why I did it. His brother’s gay.” The grin got bigger. “He said next time I should use the whole pitcher.”
He burst out laughing. “Well, your attitude toward modern issues is...unique. This is a very small town,” he explained when her eyebrows went up.
“Oh, I see. You think we treat anybody different like a fungus.” She nodded.
“Not exactly. But we hear things about small towns,” he began.
“No bigots here. Well, except for Chief Grier.”
He blinked. “Your police chief is a bigot?”
She nodded. “He is severely prejudiced against people from other planets. You should just hear him talk about how aliens are going to invade us one day to get their hands on our cows. He thinks they have a milk addiction, and that’s why you hear about cattle mutilations... You’re laughing again.”
He wiped his eyes. She couldn’t know that he rarely laughed. His life had been a series of tragedies. Humor had never been part of it. She made him feel light inside, almost happy.
“I can see the chief’s point,” he managed.
“Cow bigot,” she accused, and he almost fell on the floor.
She wrapped her cold hands around her mug. “I guess I shouldn’t be cracking jokes, with Roberta dead...” Her eyes burned with tears. “I still can’t believe it. Roberta’s gone. She’s gone.” She drew in a breath and sipped coffee. “We’ve done nothing but argue since Daddy died. But she wanted me to hold her hand and she was scared. She said she was sorry.” She looked at him. “She said it was Bert’s fault. Do you think she was delirious?”
“Not really,” he replied quietly.
“Why?”
“That can wait a bit.” He grew somber. “You don’t have any other family?”
She shook her head. She looked around. “But surely I can stay here by myself? I mean, I’m eighteen now...”
He frowned. “I thought you were seventeen.”
She hesitated. Her eyes went to the calendar and she grimaced. “I just turned eighteen. Today is my birthday,” she said. She hadn’t even realized it, she’d been so busy. Tears ran down her cheeks. “What an awful one this is.”
He caught her hand in his and held it tight. “No cousins?”
She shook her head. “I have nobody.”
“Not quite true. You have me,” he said firmly. “And Sara’s on her way down here.”
“Sara. Your sister?”
He nodded.
“She’ll stay with me?” she asked.
He smiled. “Not exactly. “You’ll stay with us, in my house. I won’t risk your reputation by having you move in with just me.”
“But...we’re strangers,” she pointed out.
“No, we’re not,” he said, and he smiled. “I told you about my stepfather. That’s a memory I’ve never shared with anyone. And you won’t mention it to Sara,
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