I found that not being alone was suddenly pretty appealing after all. I pulled out of the parking space and said, "If he pesters you, just tell him to call me directly, like I said. You guys may not be in town, but I'll bet he has a cell."
"You really meant that about taking to him?"
"Sure," I said, brimming with sudden confidence. "What else do I have to do? The prett..." I choked myself off. I wasn't that confident.
"What?" Carrie asked at my suddenly swallowed words.
"Nothing."
"Come on. What?"
In a rush, I blurted, "I was going to say that the prettiest girl I know is not going to be around, so what else do I have to do?"
She actually blushed brightly enough for me to see in the dash lights. And then she smiled so brightly that I nearly drove into a ditch. That made me think fas
