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  "Where's Amanda?" she asked, changing the subject fast.

  "With Tom and Will. I can't keep her away from them."

  His eyes seemed to be searching hers. How could a little kiss hurt anything? she wondered. She wanted it—didn't he?

  Judging from his reaction, he didn't want any part of her. And why should he? He only wanted to keep her away from Kevin. She had to remember that. There was nothing between her and Mike, so why was she reacting to him like this?

  She jerked herself out of his reach, held her head high and walked away. She didn't need him or his kisses.

  She felt an immediate coldness surround her that had nothing to do with the weather. Thinking about it rationally she realized how she must seem to him. All he'd ever witnessed from her was her blind one sided love for Kevin.

  Silly girl, she thought. A man like Mike could never really be interested in her. He had a girl—a little one. And he had a dead wife, a memory. Everything she didn't have.

  Suddenly, Mike was acting as though his life depended on them reaching their destination, as he jerked her by the hand, and led them to the same side of the creek where her brothers and Amanda waited.

  Dixie had to get hold of herself. This wasn't the time for an emotional outburst. Besides, what could she say? She'd been guilty tonight. She wanted to act out a romance, and she almost had. Perhaps she'd been reading too many romance novels, lately.

  Crickets chirped their merry tune and grasshoppers flew and buzzed about their legs as they padded through the tall grass. It wasn't long before she heard the familiar croaking of frogs along the banks and knew they were in the right spot.

  Will and Tom wasted no time; they were already scuttling the banks. Amanda kept close to her father now.

  Will motioned for Dixie to come see his prize. He waved her up the creek banks, informing her there was a thick patch of frogs to her left.

  Quietly, Dixie began working her way along the edge of the water, toward the weeded area where Will pointed. Tom waved, but didn't say a word.

  Squatting, she adjusted her headlamp until it flickered on, and aimed it in the right direction. If Mike saw that, he'd swear she lied about the headlamp. But it had gone out—she thought. The frogs were mesmerized by the light, allowing Dixie and Will time enough to bring the gig closer before the actual strike.

  It was apparent that some of the older, bigger frogs were wise to their actions, for as the light centered on them, they sank underwater and swam away. Still, some of the bigger frogs could be gigged if they followed until they surfaced. Teaming up, Dixie flashed her light in pursuit, and Will followed, wading through the shallow waters until the frogs surfaced.

  "Remember what I taught you," Mike said as he hoisted Amanda onto his shoulders and worked his way to the shoreline. Dixie watched and listened.

  Dixie saw Amanda put her finger to her lips.

  "Shush daddy, the frogs will hear us."

  With a rather large prize dangling at the end of her gig, Dixie whistled for the sack. Mike brought it up, a serious look on his face until he saw the frog, then even he smiled. "Not bad!"

  "For a tomboy?" she queried with a soft chuckle.

  "She's good, huh Daddy?" Amanda chuckled in a hushed tone. "I like her better than Janet, don't you Daddy? She's pretty don't you think?"

  "She's very pretty, pumpkin."

  It was nearly half an hour later when Dixie began to tire and found a comfortable ridge to sit on while she watched through the darkness for her brothers. She turned her lamp off and lay back against the hard warm earth. Her ankle ached and she knew she probably overdid it.

  It was a lovely summer night, with a sky full of stars and a not-so-brilliant half moon. Still, it was heaven to her. It had been too long since she'd allowed herself any kind of relaxation like this. The closest she'd come to relaxing at home was in her tub.

  She searched idly for the Big Dipper, with an occasional whisper to Will as to what direction she should look. Will, an enthusiastic astronomer, knew everything about the stars.

  Dixie hadn't been laying there more than a couple of minutes before she suddenly began to scratch. At first it was here and there, but the longer she sat still, the worse it became. The itch intensified down her legs and into the seat of her britches. Her constant squirming and little yelps brought Will's attention to her and he flashed his light on her.

  "Hey, sis, you need to be quiet."

  It didn't take long to size up the situation. She'd been sitting in the middle of an anthill.

  Flailing her arms and legs at the same time, she dashed for the creek. She ran kicking and screaming, slapping angrily at her bottom. She knew she probably looked like something out of an old Buster Keaton movie, but at the moment she just didn't care.

  Wet, and still flogging herself, she suddenly stared up into a bright light that was shining directly above her. It was Mike's light, and to her consternation, he was breaking up with laughter. He let Amanda down so she could chase some of the baby frogs that Tom and Will found for her to play with.

  Dixie stood up in knee-deep water, sopping wet, her hair plastered limply against her neck and shoulders, her clothes clinging. "I'm glad you find it so amusing."

  He roared with laughter. "In more ways than one, sweetheart. I see your light's working now." He glanced down at the shirt that clung to her like glue. "You've got to admit, it isn't every day Dixie Rose Kincaid gets caught looking like a wet tuna."

  "Very funny." She grimaced. How could he reject her one minute, and call her sweetheart the next? Innocent flirting.

  He obviously enjoyed her discomfiture. "Since you've been home, you've been more wet, than dry, I'd say."

  "And I'm so glad you think it's funny. Why don't you try it yourself?" she shouted and then, without thinking, she jerked him off balance and into the creek.

  Amanda giggled, running toward her daddy to help him out of the water. "That was funny Daddy."

  "I'm glad you enjoyed it, pumpkin," Mike called in a good-natured way.

  At least he was a good sport, Dixie concluded with a smile.

  She heard the boys snicker as they moved up the creek bed, assured she was all right and merely clowning around.

  Mike didn't help her out of the water, and she didn't help him either—he simply stepped aside. He hollered at the boys. "Let's pack it in, boys. Dixie and I need to get out of these wet clothes."

  Tom and Will and packed up their gear.

  "Half of these are yours, Mike," Tom said, catching up to them.

  Mike glanced at the silent Dixie, and then smiled at Tom. "Tell you what, sport. Invite us to supper tomorrow night, and have your mom cook the whole bunch. How's that?"

  "Done," said Will, coming up behind them.

  Dixie wished she could jump up and say no, but that would have been childish. She would endure his company again tomorrow night. She sighed as they traipsed home with hushed voices. Her life seemed centered around Mike Dalton these days, and he didn't seem to like it any more than she did. So why did he keep coming over—inviting himself over?

  ***

  The ant bites were driving her wild, she needed to doctor herself before she went to bed, she quickly decided as she took a shower and found no relief.

  What Mike had said to her on the creek bed worried her. It was Kevin she needed to see, and yet the urge to see him nettled.

  But what puzzled her most was the way she felt such a let down when Mike barely said goodnight to her, and the sweet gesture of his daughter kissing her on the cheek so unexpectedly. What a little doll. "Methinks my biological clock is ticking!" She laughed at herself.

  The phone rang in the middle of the night, and Dixie grabbed it before it woke the others. She laid stretched across her bed.

  "Dixie, love, it's good to hear your voice. I've missed you terribly. I can hardly wait to see you. How are things on your end? Getting any rest?" Ed asked throatily.

  "Maybe not rest, but at least I'm relaxing," Dixie answered.
"Actually, tonight I've been out frog gigging with my brothers." She left out the fact that Mike and Amanda had been with them. No use stirring more flies into the ointment. "We had a great time."

  "Oh? Who's we?"

  "My brothers and I."

  "Oh, good."

  She heard him yawn. "Wish you had been there. I ended up having to jump in the creek, clothes and all. Everyone got a big kick out of it, except me, of course. It seems I fell victim to an anthill," she said with a laugh.

  "Good grief, what in blazes is frog gigging? And what were you doing on an anthill in the first place?" he asked with apparent annoyance. "You sound hoarse. Have you lost the better part of your mind? I suppose this gigging as you call it is some primitive sport, still practiced by the locals in your area?"

  "No, silly!" she reprimanded lightly, ignoring his tone of voice. Ed had little patience for anything that didn't concern music. "It's about the only way to catch frogs, though. And as far as the anthill, I didn't go looking for it, it found me!"

  "Now I know this is a ridiculous question, but why on earth would anyone want to catch a beastly, slimy frog in the first place?"

  Dixie chuckled indulgently into the phone. "To eat them, of course."

  "Good heavens, you've taken complete leave of your senses. You can't mean you actually eat those little green creatures that belch all the time." He sounded mortified and Dixie could picture his expression perfectly.

  "You've eaten them yourself. You told me so. When you were in Europe."

  "Frog's legs? Oh, yes, but I never realized anyone would eat them right out of a local creek. I thought they were domesticated, or something."

  "No, in fact they're better from a creek, or bayou. They have more flavor."

  "Oh, I'll just bet. Now look, seriously, are you all right?"

  "Of course I am," she answered.

  "You do sound more relaxed. I haven't heard you laugh so much before. But I'm a little disappointed. You haven't asked about me!"

  "I'm always interested in you, Ed. And I do miss you. It's just that I'm not dwelling on you or work right now. I'm on vacation, and trying my best to enjoy it. I don't want to think about getting back to work, and unfortunately, Ed, you're a constant reminder."

  "Would you rather I not call?"

  "Don't be silly. Please don't be offended by everything I say. I'm very fond of you, Ed, but I don't want to think about anything too serious right now." When he got quiet, she added, "I just don't want to talk shop all the time. I've really tried to rest and relax. I think this trip home is exactly what I needed. You just said yourself I was laughing more. And laughter is good for you, Ed. You should try it sometime."

  There was another prolonged silence then he asked softly, "I need you, Dixie. How about you? And I'm not talking about business now. Don't you feel the need, too?"

  Dixie shook her head. "Ed, no pressure—please."

  A muted sound of disgust came from his end. He wasn't pleased with her. Still, she didn't want to lead him on, lead anyone on. She simply wasn't ready to commit herself to a heavy relationship with Ed. Not yet, anyway. She liked him. Very much in fact, but …

  "We'll talk when you get back. Enjoy your visit. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, if all goes well." Ed seemed so capable of turning his emotions on and off like a switch.

  Could that be real love? Romantic he wasn't!

  "That soon?" she countered, knowing he was deliberately trying to cut her vacation as short as possible. What was he afraid of?

  "I'm afraid so, darling. Two to three weeks are all we can possibly spare you." He chuckled. "Your work is already piling up, and your secretary is going wild trying to shut down all the interviews. Have you managed to find out what was so important with your mum?"

  "I think so. She's seriously seeing a man, and I think there might be wedding bells."

  "Do you approve?"

  "That's what she wants to know. But yes, I do. I think she wanted me home for the wedding, actually."

  "Well, sounds as though everything isn't as serious after all. Enjoy your time with her, Dixie. I'll talk to you later." Ed sighed and hung up.

  Dixie turned off the phone and didn't move. The conversation left her feeling lost. There seemed to be a forked road ahead, and she knew she was about to make a lot of heavy decisions about her future. Was she ready for this? If only dreams came true. If only she could find a real romance and live it, instead of reading about it all the time!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next morning Dixie busied herself hanging laundry in the backyard, a chore long forgotten by her generation. She loved smelling the sunshine in the sheets at night. Funny how one could miss a smell. She looked over as Emily joined her.

  "I'd like to ask a favor of you." Emily sounded hesitant, as she picked up a garment from the laundry basket and hung it on the line.

  Dixie took the clothespin from her mouth and clipped it to the material of her shirt on the line. "Sure, what's up? And don't look so glum. I haven't said no, yet."

  Handing her another garment, Emily's brows knitted. "It's about the bazaar, dear. We're still needing volunteers to work some of the booths."

  Dixie paused only long enough to shoo away a yellow jacket as it danced about the clothespin. "Is that all? From the look on your face, I thought it was something serious. Of course, I'd love to help. Sounds like fun. Which one did you have in mind for me?"

  Emily bit her lower lip. "That's just it, actually. It's absolutely the worst one. The baseball throws."

  Dixie laughed. "What's so bad about that? It sounds like a lot of fun. I can't imagine why you're so hesitant to ask me. I love selling tickets!"

  "No, dear." Emily chewed on her bottom lip again and covered her chest with one hand in frustration. "You wouldn't be selling tickets, I'm afraid. That's why I was so hesitant to ask you." She studied Dixie's expressionless face and waited for some reaction. "You'd have to wear a bathing suit and sit for hours—and get dunked."

  Dixie pinned the last piece of clothes to the line and picked up the laundry basket. Looping an arm in her mother's, she walked toward the back door with her. "Of course I'll do it … for you."

  Emily's gray eyes sparkled, but she still frowned. "Oh, I just knew you would. But I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd refused. It's not exactly a joy to be dunked by half the town. And I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing by asking you, of all people." Dixie waved away her mother's fears. As they entered the kitchen Emily added, "Bernie says you'd make a great attraction to the booth, really draw them in. Everyone would want to see you."

  Not for the world would Dixie let her mother see how nervous she was. "You really over-rate me, Mom. And I'm probably a very unpopular candidate at this particular time. I'm sure I could draw a good crowd though."

  Emily fretted still. "I wouldn't say you were unpopular."

  "I'm the outsider now since I've moved away. It's the old story of the southerner and the northerner. I've become a Yankee, I'm afraid."

  "If you don't want to do it …"

  "It'll be fun. Now quit worrying so much. I think you're taking this much too seriously."

  Later that evening though, Dixie began to have a few doubts of her own—especially when Mrs. Butie paid a social call on her mother, with several other lady-friends, all with a curious eye on her.

  "Why, Dixie," Mrs. Butie said, smiling curtly at her. "I didn't know you were still in town. We figured you'd be too busy to stay long." She sipped her tea and bit into a cookie.

  Emily was quick to step in. "Why, yes, Dixie is here for a couple of weeks at least."

  Adjusting the beads at her thick neck, Mrs. Butie attempted to cross her fat legs as she went on. "Been seeing a lot of Mike Dalton, I've heard."

  "Strange you should mention him, Mrs. Butie. Mike's been invited to dinner tonight. You know how fond he is of frog legs."

  "Yes, well, I told my niece, Janet, it was quite unseemly for a young lady to go hunting with a bunch of men. She was qu
ite surprised when she heard about it, Dixie. He's been over nearly every day, hasn't he?"

  "Has he? I hadn't noticed. A bunch of men? Oh, you mean my two brothers and Mike's cute little daughter, Amanda? Well, I don't consider my brothers' men yet, Mrs. Butie. Although, I wouldn't tell them that." She offered a slight smile. "And Amanda certainly isn't a man either. My brothers are in the habit of inviting Mike and Amanda along. They happen to be very good friends. It really makes little difference; hunting isn't exactly a romantic sport." She suddenly realizing that her cut-off shorts and halter-top would be another topic of conversation later.

  "Did you know Dixie is singing a solo in church this Sunday?" Emily offered, trying to clear the air.

  "In church?" Mrs. Butie burst out loud, nearly choking on a cookie.

  How could anyone make singing in church sound so indecent?

  "Yes, I used to sing in church a lot, before I moved away. I think I remember a few of the songs."

  Mrs. Butie stood up and puffed like a bullfrog. "The entire town is liable to turn out for that performance."

  Dixie eyed her evenly. "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of a performance in church."

  For the moment, it looked as though Dixie had scored the last word, but Mrs. Butie wasn't going to let her enjoy it for long.

  "You are aware of the impending engagement of Janet to Mike Dalton, aren't you?"

  "Engagement? No. He's never mentioned it. But then, we don't talk much about his personal life. How wonderful for the both of them, and for Amanda." Dixie forced a plastic smile. "It's the first I've heard of it, but then, I'm not prone to gossip."

  Not satisfied, Mrs. Butie went on, as though the war weren't over. "I guess it's of no consequence to you since you'll be going home soon, anyway."

  Emily was obviously stunned by her friend's rudeness, but Dixie didn't let her own discomfort show.

  "You're right, it's of no consequence to me," she replied steadily. "Tell me, just out of curiosity, what does Janet think of Amanda?"

  "She plans to take Amanda in hand. Mike is a bachelor and hasn't realized that Amanda doesn't belong everywhere her father goes. There'll be a lot of changes when they marry, I can tell you. I imagine I'll be doing a lot of babysitting for those two before long. Good day, Emily, Dixie," the older woman huffed and the ladies all shot up at once.