Chapter 3

Saturday, May 19

While I’d lain awake all last night worried about how much time I had remaining on this earth, Kacie had apparently lain awake scheming.

After admitting to herself that she liked sex and that she liked sex with me, her brother, it was just a matter of setting things up so she could get what she wanted. Hence the encounter in her bedroom.

But Kacie also knew we had to appear to not be involved with each other, lest Mom and Dad — especially Mom — become suspicious. That’s why our second time had been standing at her vanity. We couldn’t use either of our beds; Mom did the laundry.

“Look, I know we aren’t going to be together forever,” Kacie said, “I mean, you’ll be going off to college next year and I’ll still be in high school. It would look kinda strange if I never went out with a boy that whole time.

“But I like what we’ve done. I was just about to come last night before everything got so crazy and I did come just now. I want to do that again, and we’ll have all summer to practice.”

With that, Kacie raised up and walked over to her dresser.

“We both smell like sex and need a shower,” she said, answering my unasked question. “You go get yours first while I open a window to air out my room. We’ll both need to wear clean clothes to supper.”

While Kacie stated her intent of spending as much time with me as possible this summer, she also knew we couldn’t do that just by ourselves. We needed to be part of a group. We needed camouflage.

That’s where Morgan came in.

Morgan Ensberry was probably Kacie’s closest friend and longtime co-conspirator in all sorts of mischief. The Ensberrys had moved into the subdivision about six or seven years ago and, Morgan and Kacie being in the same grade at the same school, the two had been thick as thieves almost from the day they met.

Morgan was a pixie, or maybe an elf. There’s really no other way for me to describe her. Petite, bespectacled, brunette doesn’t even scratch the surface. Maybe 5-foot-0 if she stretched (and wore heels and teased her hair really high). Maybe 100 pounds in her winter parka and snow boots. And so much energy she made others tired just watching her bounce around. And that’s what her friends said about her.

She was also incredibly cute. Morgan had a dimpled smile that I’m sure she knew how to use to her benefit before she even exited the womb. Not that she was manipulative ... well, no more than any other teenage girl, really ... but she had a way of getting what she wanted. And it appeared that I was on that list.

The news that I would be taking her to the first club function of the summer wasn’t exactly unwelcome. And it beat the hell out of what I expected to happen to me today.

“I guess I should call her up and ask her, just to make sure,” I said to my sister.

“Don’t bother,” Kacie said. “She’s coming over after supper. You can ask her then.”

It sounded like they had everything planned out. I wondered how much of the rest of my life they had decided for me. Where would I go to college? What would my major be? What career path would I take following graduation? Had they picked a wedding date?

“Does she know?” I asked. “About us?”

“Hell, no,” Kacie gasped. “I haven’t said a word to anyone. But we’ll have to tell her sooner or later. She’ll figure it out faster than Mom if we don’t, and I don’t want that to happen.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I’ll think of something,” my sister assured me. “Tonight, you just treat her like the girl you’ve always dreamed of dating.”

That shouldn’t be too difficult. I mean, Morgan was cute and perky and all.

Supper was quick and efficient. Dad sequestered himself in his man cave, er, home office, to do some paperwork and Mom headed over to the club to do more planning for Memorial Day. Kacie and I returned to the scene of the crime — the sofa in the family room — to watch TV and await Morgan’s arrival.

It was almost 7 p.m. when the doorbell rang and Kacie jumped up to answer.

“I’ll get it, Daddy,” she shouted toward the other end of the house.

Two teenage squeals signaled that she had accomplished her mission, and seconds later Morgan and Kacie came bouncing into the family room, chattering away.

“Hiya, Gary,” Morgan said as she plopped down on the sofa beside me, but not too close. Rather than join us, Kacie dragged one of the easy chairs over to the corner of the coffee table.

“Hello, Morgan,” I replied, remembering my manners. “Ready to get started on summer vacation?”

That brought forth a recitation of all the camps, shows and college visits Morgan had on her agenda for the next three months, not to mention driver training. Morgan had turned 16 in March and most of the sophomore class, including her and Kacie, had taken the classroom part during the spring.

That Morgan was able to say all this without appearing to pause for breath was typical Morgan. I couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you doing for Memorial Day?” I asked, figuring I’d better get it over with.

“Nothing special,” she said.

“Would you like to go to the club picnic with me?”

“Yes!” she squealed excitedly, then suddenly changed expression and whirled toward my sister.

“Kacie, did you put him up to this?”

Kacie just sat there with a stunned look on her face, as if she could hardly believe her BFF could make such an accustation.

Damn, these girls were good.

“She didn’t put me up to anything,” I lied. “I just thought that now that you’re a junior and almost have your license that your folks might be willing to let you go out with an older guy.”

“Oh, please,” Morgan sighed, a little too dramatically, I thought. “You’re, like, nine months older than me. It’s not like you’re in college or anything.”

“So you don’t want to go?” I said, just to make sure.

“I didn’t say that,” Morgan snapped. “You already asked and I accepted. You’re not getting out of it that easy!”

“Just wanted to make sure,” I grinned. “What time should I pick you up.”

“Are you driving or walking?” she replied.

“Which would you prefer? I haven’t received my orders from Mom yet, but she’ll probably have me hauling some stuff over in her minivan that morning. They haven’t really finished the schedule yet.”

“Let me check with my parents,” Morgan said. “They may be willing to let you drive me over there, but I’m not sure. Daddy may not like the idea of me being alone in a car with some guy he doesn’t know that well. You could just drive off with me to parts unkown and do unspeakable things to me.”

Man, she was laying on thick.

“I could drop by tomorrow afternoon to let him scope me out,” I said. “Besides, it’s not like he knows nothing about me. There’s been lots of school and club events we’ve all been to together.”

“Yeah,” Morgan grinned, “but that was before you were a threat to his precious daughter’s virtue.”

I got the feeling that I’d better learn to exercise self control with this girl. While all my previous dates were willing to fool around a little as long as everything stayed within reasonable limits, limits the girls themselves set, Morgan seemed ready to test hers.

“It’s a first date at a public gathering with lots of adult supervision,” I said in my own defense. “The thing will probably wind down pretty early and you’d be home before dark.”