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who had traveled a similar path, was intent on saving Jordan from the mistakes he’d made. Smiling, he stood on the ridge where he’d encountered April scant hours before, and watched Jordan clean up the remains of the party, grumbling all the time that it wasn’t his responsibility alone. The two neighbors didn’t much care.
    A familiar scent wafted to Jesse’s nostrils. April’s scent. His pulse accelerating, he turned quickly, half expecting to see her. But then he realized the scent was on his jacket. He just hadn’t noticed before.
    His gut tightened, and he banked down the smoldering images that leapt into his mind. He could still see her creamy flesh. Sucking his breath through his teeth, he scrambled and slid down the path to the riverbank.
    “Jesse?” Jordan asked in surprise, weaving on his feet as he squinted at his brother.
    “Shut up and pick up. I’ll help.”
    “What’sa matter with you?”
    “Nothing.” Jesse grabbed the plastic sack from his brother’s slack fingers and began tossing beer bottles inside. By the time he was finished, Jordan was sitting on a rock, his head nodding. Jesse nudged his shoulder and strode back up to his motorcycle with Jordan trailing behind.
    “Put this on and don’t let go,” Jesse ordered while handing Jordan a helmet.
    A thousand stars glittered in the sky now swept clean by a soft spring wind. But still he could smell April’s tantalizing perfume.
    A bad sign, he decided, kick-starting the motorcycle. A very bad sign.

Chapter Three

    T he blast of a familiar horn awakened April. Rolling over, she squinted one eye at the clock. Eleven o’clock. Lance was up and around awfully early for him.
    An incredible weariness stole over her as she recalled last night’s events. She didn’t want to see Lance. She didn’t want to face what this meant for their future.
    Tossing on a robe, she ran her fingers through her hair, grimacing at the nasty tangles, which refused to uncoil. The wind had done its job well. She doubted one brushing would resolve the problem.
    The doorbell chimed as she ran barefoot down the thickly carpeted stairs. “I’ll get it!” she hollered, before her mother could appear.
    “Hi.” Lance smiled sheepishly as April opened the door a crack.
    “Hi.”
    “Can I come in?” he asked holding out her purse as a peace offering.
    She pulled the door open, just wide enough for Lance to squeeze inside and hand off the clutch. He hovered in the entry hall, a hulk out of place amongst the delicate Queen Anne furniture.
    “Could we, er, talk?” he asked uncomfortably.
    April led the way into the living room. Her mother would frown at her appearance, but she didn’t much care. She wanted to punish Lance, and indifference seemed as good a way to reveal her feelings as any other.
    “Sorry about last night,” he mumbled. “You just… ran off.”
    “I ran off?” And what did you do? Or should I say, what did you and Tasha do?”
    A brick-red flush climbed up his neck, but before he could answer, April’s cell phone chirped. She pulled it out of her clutch and murmured, “It’s Carrie.”
    Standing up from the table April casually walked away from Lance toward the sun room before answering her cell.
    “Hey,” she answered.
    “April, have you seen Lance yet?” Carrie demanded without preamble.
    “Uh… yeah.”
    “Is he there? Are you talking to him?”
    She hesitated. “Well, yeah. Shouldn’t I be?”
    “You know what happened between him and Tasha? I already heard from Phillip. You do know, don’t you?”
    April heart began to beat heavily. She wanted to clap her hands over her ears. “I think so,” she said unevenly.
    “Has he told you? I can’t believe they were together. I mean together. Where were you? I looked all over for you.”
    April’s head spun. “Look, Carrie, I’ll talk you later, okay? It’s kind of hard right now.”
    “Okay… ” she said slowly. “Call me later.”
    “Yeah.”
    Lance’s dark eyes were