Feedback: Any comments are welcome. As this is my first fanfic, please be gentle: kslmoran@comcast.net

A/N: A budding romance for Mark. This fan fic introduces and establishes characters that are important parts of future (I hope) fan fics. It continues the story of Mark’s life toward the end of law school. Not much adventure (that comes in later fan fics, I promise).

Rating & Warning: PG for slight language and situations. If you don’t like the idea of Mark in a permanent relationship, do not read.

I have to send a big Thank You to Cheri, for her time and energy in reading this and giving such great feedback. The encouragement I received kept me going at times when I thought I should just give up.  

“McCormick, when are you going to get a life?” The words echoed in Mark McCormick’s head as he reached for the law book on the top shelf in the university library. It was only this morning that Judge Milton C. Hardcastle had tried to get Mark to stop working so hard and go out and have some fun. Ordinarily Mark would have loved to hear the judge say this, but over the past few years Mark had been on a mission. He had started law school without the judge knowing. Eventually, the judge did find out and Mark had “won” a bet that had Hardcastle paying his full time tuition. Since then Mark had done his absolute best not to let the judge down. He felt like he had something to prove. Not just to the judge, but to himself.  

All his life people had told him he was a loser and would never amount to anything. He almost believed them at times. But the judge seemed to have faith in him, a faith few others had ever shown him. So he had taken as many classes as the university would allow each semester (and sometimes getting permission to add just “one more”) and done several classes over the summer as well. He had only a year left and he would have his law degree. He had spent much of his time right here in the university library in order to keep his grades up and to stay out of the judge’s way so he wouldn’t heap him with yard work. The fact was, though the judge had relaxed a bit with his slave labor policy over the last few years, Mark still felt guilty when he saw a hired hand or the judge doing some of the work that Mark used to do. So he would spend most of his days and many of his nights studying or doing papers. He wanted the judge to be proud of him when he graduated at the top of his class. It hadn’t been easy with the extra classes but he was determined to succeed.

“Why do you think I’m doing this Hardcase?” Mark mumbled under his breath. “It’s so I can have a life, a normal life.” One that doesn’t include being in jail or getting shot or blown up or pushed off a rapidly moving train, his thoughts continued. Mark had not grown up in “normal” circumstances when his dad had abandoned him and his mom when he was five, he pretty much had to grow up on his own. His mom had worked several jobs just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. The last five years with Hardcase had been necessary to bring Mark to the point he was at today. But he was looking forward to a time when he could be on his own and have a family (The judge was his family but he wanted more).  

He had realized this years ago when he and the judge’s plane had crashed in the Oregon wilderness. The first night had been cold and rainy and their thoughts had turned serious as they tried to warm up in front of a fire. Mark had admitted that he had a ton of regrets in his life. He had really surprised Hardcastle when instead of saying “like winning the Indy 500” Mark had said one regret was not falling in love, for real and having a kid. The judge always teased him about how often he fell “in love” and his “bimbo” brainless girlfriends, but Mark knew they were the only kind of girls to date when you weren’t interested in getting serious. Although, lately even the “bimbos” had been absent from his life. He had to concentrate on his law degree. Time enough for serious relationships after he graduated and passed the Bar Exam.

Mark grabbed the book he had been fishing for and gently jumped off the stool he had been on, unaware that someone was walking right behind him. He felt and heard the books, then the person fall to the floor. He swung around and immediately began apologizing, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were there.”  

He took a second to assess the damage. There were about half a dozen books lying on the floor next to the pastel pile of fabric. A dark head of hair in a very long braid, looked up, smiling. “It’s okay, nothing broken.” The words floated up to him and he reached down his hand.  

“Here, let me help you up.” He took her hand in his and pulled lightly. That was when he felt it. It was a tingle that started in his fingers and worked its way up his arm. Mark looked around to see if he had stepped on a frayed wire or something to explain the slight jolt that coursed through him. When he looked into the widened green eyes in front of him, he wondered if maybe she had felt it too.  

She immediately looked away and started to gather the books that had fallen. Mark started to help and handed her back some of her books, noticing that she was careful not to let their hands touch again. “Thank you,” she said.  

Mark nodded, “No problem, it’s the least I can do after almost flattening you.” She took the last of the books and went over to one of the tables in the larger part of the library.  

Mark picked up his book and headed to his table just a few over from where she was sitting. He took a minute to check her out. She was younger than Mark but not as young as some of the undergrads who were always throwing themselves at him. She was average height and seemed thin although it was hard to tell as she was wearing some kind of loose, lightweight sweater and a flowing pastel skirt that reached to just about her ankles. Personally, Mark preferred girls who wore their skirts very short and their tops very tight, but there was something about this one that intrigued him. She had her thick, sable hair pulled back in a loose braid that ended somewhere around her waist. She had very little makeup on, but Mark noticed that she really didn’t need it. She definitely was not trying to impress anyone with her looks but Mark found himself unable to take his eyes off her. And what the hell had that arm thing been? “Okay, Mark, back to work” he muttered to himself as he started back to studying for the final exams he had the next day.

Just breathe deep and keep your eyes on the paper in front of you. Julie’s thoughts drifted through her mind. He’s just a guy and probably an arrogant, chauvinistic, conceited one at that. They all are, it seems. Another voice echoed through her head. But he did apologize, and he sounded very sincere. And he’s damn cute!! The first voice came back. Watch the swearing and keep your mind on your work. Your Master’s Degree is only a year away and you can finally go back to work full time and move out on your own. Julie tried to ignore the voices and concentrate on her work. She loved her family and they had been so helpful and supportive. But she was getting tired of working all weekend and going to school all week. She had refused her parents offers to help pay for her graduate degree. They didn’t want her to have to work and go to school at the same time but she didn’t want to owe them anything. They had been such great parents she hated to put that extra burden on them. Now, if she could just get her mind off the tall, curly haired guy with the really cute dimples.

When the lights flickered indicating that it was closing time in the library, Julie started packing her things and was fairly happy with the amount of work she had gotten done. She peeked one last time over at the cute guy with the dimples and noticed he was trying to charm a few extra minutes out of the old battleaxe who ran the library. As she passed by, she was surprised to hear the Dragon Lady almost giggle and say, “All right, Mark, but only five more minutes.”  

His deep voice returned, “Thanks Verna. You know if only I were ten years older…”  

Julie didn’t hear any more as she left the building but she had to snort, “Ten years, what is he talking about? She’s got to be at least sixty and he can’t be much more than thirty. Some guys will do anything to get their way.”  

Mark finished up the last of his studying, flirted with Verna one last time just to make her day and headed out to the parking lot. As he headed in the direction of the Coyote he heard the sound of a car attempting to turn over but not quite making it. He looked in that direction to see if he could offer any help and realized it was the girl he had knocked over. Through her open car window, she looked more than annoyed and even a bit frightened. No wonder, her car was hardly new and the parking lot was almost deserted. He walked in her direction.

“Damn car!! This is not what I need right now!” Julie was frustrated and hated the thought of calling her dad to come and get her and fix yet another problem. She was an adult; she should be able to handle this. She wasn’t prepared for the voice at her elbow that said, “Need some help?”  

Her head whipped up, eyes wide when she realized it was the cute guy from the library. “I know a bit about cars if you want me to take a look.”

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t arrogant and some of the other things she called him. Right now it didn’t matter, she needed someone to fix her car. Hopefully he wasn’t one of those guys who claimed to know everything but in reality knew very little. She popped the hood when he asked, then got out to look. She handed him the little flashlight her dad always made her keep in the car in case of emergencies.  

“Thanks!” he said and went back to looking at the engine. He continued, “Try starting her up, I want to see something…Okay, thanks, turn it off for a minute.”  

He looked up and asked if she had some sort of a rag or paper towel. Again, the old emergency kit came in handy and he spent a few more minutes on the engine. “Try it again” came the voice from the front of the car and this time her old junk actually started. She got out as her hood was being shut and smiled her thanks.  

“Your spark plugs need replacing. I was able to clean them off a little for now but you really should get some new ones installed.” He wiped his hands on the rag he had used and handed it back to her. As their hands touched, she felt that funny feeling travel from her hand into the pit of her stomach. Again.

Mark purposely made sure that he touched her again as he handed back the rag. He just had to be sure. He figured he had imagined the reaction he’d had the first time and now he was confirming that it had not been real. Unfortunately, confirmation was denied. He again felt some tiny flutter crawling its way up his arm. When he looked up he realized that she was staring at their clasped hands as well. Damn! She felt it too. He dragged his hand away and opened the door of her car saying, “This should get you home tonight but I would definitely get it checked out soon.”  

Julie got in the car and nodded, “I will and thanks uh…”  

“Mark, I’m Mark McCormick, and you’re welcome…” Mark looked at the relieved young lady sitting in the now running car with an expectant grin.

“Julie DeRoche,” she replied and returned his smile with only a tiny bit of reservation.

“Well, Julie DeRoche, you drive carefully and make sure you go right home. Finals this week and we can’t have you out partying till all hours. Besides, if the car didn’t start, I can’t guarantee there would be someone as talented as me to get it working again.”

The smile in Mark’s voice reached her ears and she again mouthed, “Thanks” and then put the car in gear.

“Too late, McCormick, the popcorns all gone!” thundered the judge as Mark walked into the house at Gull’s Way. John Wayne was on the TV (who else) and the judge was in his usual spot with an empty bowl on the table beside him.

“What, you couldn’t even wait until I got home before you scarf all the snack food?” growled Mark. He didn’t really want anything; he just liked to grind the judge’s gears. He was pretty tired from all the studying and papers due, now that it was the end of the semester. He really just wanted to go to bed. But he sat down and figured he would spend some time with Hardcastle. They hadn’t spent much time together lately due to his course load. They watched in silence with the occasional remark or quote coming from the judge. Mark was not really watching the movie. His mind was on a dark-haired girl in pastel colors who must have some electrical appliance hooked on her, if the sensation in his arm was any indication.  

As a commercial came on, Mark cautiously asked the Judge, “Hey, Hardcase, how did you know that Nancy was the right girl for you? I mean, what made you realize that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?”  

Judge Hardcastle looked up and laughed, “What, meet the girl of your dreams tonight, McCormick?”  

Mark’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he replied, “Well, you know I’ve been spending a lot of time with Verna at the library and I was just wondering if I should make my move.”  

“You don’t mean Verna with the pencil in the bun and the cat’s eye glasses?” Hardcastle cackled. “She was there when I was!”

“Yeah, that Verna, but I figure I better make my move quick or some other guy is bound to scoop her up. Seriously Judge, Nancy, how did you know?” Mark leaned in closer hoping Hardcastle would just answer the damn question.  

“Well…” the judge began, “first I had to get over the shock of having her shout “Move it or lose it!” since I was blocking her driveway while writing someone a ticket.” He looked closer at McCormick and saw that he was looking very intently like he really wanted to know. The judge wondered what was going on, but decided to answer the question honestly, first. “At first, I thought it was just her audacity to actually talk to me that way, but the more I saw her the more I realized that just the sight of her made my heart beat faster.”

Mark nodded, “Your heart beat faster, but any tingling in the arm or anything weird like that?”  

The judge just looked at Mark and smiled, “Oh yeah, she was a regular bolt of lightening. What is this all about? Someone send an electric current into you today? You sure you didn’t just step on a frayed wire or something?”  

“Yeah, maybe I did. I don’t know.” Mark answered.  

“Let me guess,” the judge began, “Cascading blond hair, vacant expression, short skirt and tight top and she fell all over you?”

“No actually…” Mark started quietly “she had dark hair pulled back and a kind of loose outfit so I really couldn’t see her figure. She paid very little attention to me other than when I accidentally knocked her over.”

Hardcastle looked at McCormick. He was certainly acting bizarre right now. He looked like he was a hundred miles away. Usually Mark went for the girls who had big chests and small minds. And he would rant and rave about each one like he would never love anyone else. At least for a week or so, until he realized that it’s no fun trying to hold a conversation with a Barbie doll. Especially if her pull string is only set with a few phrases like, “Can we go for a ride in your car?” or “ I just have to go shopping for a new outfit.” And this thing with the electric current… Where did he say he met her? The library? Definitely not his usual type. He didn’t think McCormick’s typical girlfriends knew how to read more than a price tag. Mark stood up with the lost _expression still on his face and announced that he was going to bed as he had finals the next day. The judge watched him go and wondered who this girl was that had McCormick’s knickers in a twist. He only hoped that she was good enough to deserve someone like Mark.

“Four down and only two to go,” groaned Mark as he looked down at the pile of books on the table in front of him. Tomorrow was the last day of finals and then he would actually have a few weeks off before the summer term started. He was taking three classes over the summer. Most of his classmates thought he was crazy taking any, but he was determined to graduate next May. And if that’s what it took, he would do it. Besides, when he took summer classes, Hardcastle didn’t bug him nearly as much about yard work.  

Mark got up and started looking for a book he needed a few aisles over from where he had dropped his stuff. After a few minutes, he noticed the girl from yesterday, Julie, wander in and begin scanning for a seat. As it was final’s week, empty chairs were at a premium. A small smile formed on her lips and she seated herself gracefully in a chair, right across the table from where he was sitting!  

Of all the luck! Mark wasn’t sure he was happy that she would be sitting next to him or not. She had definitely screwed up his equilibrium yesterday. He was really curious about the effect she had on him, but he knew it wasn’t the right time in his life to follow up on that curiosity. But what if… Oh, too many what ifs… Just be nice, say ‘Hi’ and go back to studying. Remember finals. The judge is counting on you to do well.

Julie was trying to find the page in her book that corresponded to her notes when she sensed someone sitting across from her.

“Hey there, Julie! How’s the car running?”  

Julie’s heart started racing as soon as she recognized the voice. Why was he sitting here? Then she noticed the backpack on the chair opposite and realized he had already been sitting here. She looked up and smiled, “Hi, Mark! The car started today. That’s always a good thing. Thanks again for helping me out yesterday. My dad really appreciated it since he was already in bed at the time.”

“You live with your dad?” Mark questioned.

“Yeah, with my folks and two sisters,” she replied embarrassed. She hurried to add, “Just until I finish my master’s degree next May. I couldn’t quite swing an apartment and grad school at the same time.”  

“I hear you on that one,” Mark responded then added, “sometimes I can’t even scrape up lunch money…” and trailed off as he saw Verna come around the corner seeking out the people who dared speak out loud in her library. Mark gave a quick nod of his head to Julie, who had also noticed Verna. They both stared at their books until Verna had shuffled off, satisfied that all was quiet.  

Julie waited a few more minutes, then spoke up softly. “I thought you had her wrapped around your finger.”

“I do,” Mark replied. “She’s secretly in love with me but can’t let anyone know. It just wouldn’t look right, seeing a student. So we have to keep it under wraps.” At this, Mark gave a big wink and went back to reading his book.

Okay, he definitely is a big flirt not to mention a comedian, Julie thought as she also bent her head to try to study. She wasn’t sure what to make of this guy. He was absolutely adorable with the curly hair and dimples, no doubt about that. But Julie had seen too many guys who knew they had good looks and tried to use it to their advantage. He had been helpful and nice so far, but she had also run into guys who treated you great and then bored you to death bragging about themselves all through the first date. And then they had the nerve to think you should pay them back for this treat by sleeping with them. Because of this, Julie had concentrated solely on her degree recently. As for this cutie sitting across from her, she had to believe he was just like all the others or she would never get any studying done.

Mark kept trying to concentrate on the words in front of him but his mind was wandering. And he knew exactly where it was wandering to. Right across the table onto this girl who had him so puzzled. Why did she affect him so much? She was definitely pretty, in an Ivory Girl sort of way. Today she had her hair pulled back tighter into a bun at the back. Sort of reminded him of a ballerina especially since she was wearing one of those body suit things that dancers wear. It was sleeveless and black and she had on a pair of loose cotton pants over it. She had a very nice figure, he could see, now that she had taken off her sweater due to the rising heat of all the studying bodies. He wondered why she always kept it hidden under baggy clothes.

Several hours had passed and Mark was more than ready to call it a night. If he attempted to study any more, he thought his brain would explode, and if Verna had to clean that up, she wouldn’t be very happy. Before he could do anything about leaving, he noticed Julie had all her things packed up and was starting to walk away from the table. Wait! She couldn’t leave yet. He hadn’t decided if he wanted to ask her out or not. Would he see her again on campus? It was a pretty big campus with way too many students. Maybe he wouldn’t. He quickly shoved his things into his bag and hurried outside.  

He caught sight of her up ahead and his thoughts started swirling as his long strides attempted to overtake hers. He was almost next to her and the voices in his head were still debating. Maybe I’ll take her out and she’ll bore me to death. Then I don’t have to worry about her anymore and I can get on with finishing my law degree. That settled, he called out to her, “Hey, Julie…”

Julie spun around not expecting Mark to have followed her. He had been engrossed in studying when she had gotten ready to leave. She still wasn’t sure what she thought about him. Okay, he had some sort of physical effect on her, that was undeniable. It didn’t mean she would actually like who he was.  

Julie lowered herself into her car as Mark continued, “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have any more trouble with the car. We wouldn’t want to leave you stranded now, would we?” Julie smiled as the car started right up. She got out to grab the backpack she had dropped on the ground.

“Last round of finals are tomorrow,” Mark began. “I was wondering…?” He paused like he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say and then started again. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out and celebrate? You know, grab something to eat.”  

It was time for Julie to make a decision but she decided to put the ball back in his court. “It sounds great, but I have to get up and be at work before 7am Saturday morning. Late nights make it tough to do my job.” She sounded genuinely regretful.

“Where do you work?” Mark questioned curiously.

“I’m an RN in the Emergency Room over at Memorial. I work weekends 7 - 3 shift. It’s not much, but it helps pay for school.”

“Well, listen, we could go out early and have you home by… what, ten? Would that be too late?” Mark was now hoping she would say yes. Hardcastle was right, he needed to have some fun and school would be over. For a few weeks anyway.

Julie considered. Most guys just let it drop when they heard she had to be up early. Some even tried to talk her into calling in sick. One really clever one promised to have her in bed early. She had gotten the message by the way he was almost licking his lips when he said it. At least Mark had said he’d have her home. There is more to life than work and school. At least that was what her sisters were always telling her.

“Okay,” she drew out the word, “as long as you don’t mind bringing me home by ten, it should be all right.”  

Mark let out a breath and said, “Great! How about if I pick you up around five thirty. That should give us enough time to get there, have a relaxed dinner and still get you home before your coach turns back into a pumpkin.”

Julie nodded, “Five thirty is fine; here’s my address.” She finished as she ripped out a piece of notebook paper with some writing on it. She got back into her car and then thought to ask. “Where are we going so I’ll know how to dress?”

Mark thought for a minute then replied, “ We can go to Jack’s,  I have a friend who works there.”  

Julie nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” and her car rolled away.

Mark had just finished his last two finals and already felt the weight lifted from his shoulders. He didn’t start summer session until the end of June and that was almost four weeks away. Of course he knew the judge would have a million and one things for him to do around the estate. But, as much as he hated cleaning the gutters, pruning the hedges and putting peat moss in the flower beds, at least it was physical labor. He used to hate it, but after so much brain exertion, he could definitely use some physical exertion. Of course he’d never tell Hardcastle that. He’d whine and complain in the usual McCormick fashion every time Hardcase asked him to do something. This way when he actually did what Hardcastle asked, it would be appreciated more. He knew the judge pretty well and he wasn’t going to let the old donkey actually think that he liked doing manual labor.  

As for now, he had to think about his date. He had already called his buddy, Teddy, to make sure he had a reservation for tonight. Teddy Hollins had been one of his cellmates in San Quentin. He was a likable guy who could actually schmooze better than Mark, if that were possible. Mark had helped Teddy out when he had gotten into trouble so Teddy felt indebted to Mark. When he had moved up the ladder from busboy to Assistant Night Manager (with a few steps in between) at the ocean front restaurant Jack’s, he was always happy to let Mark come and have a free meal.  

The only problem Mark could foresee was Teddy letting his prison record out of the bag too early. Usually the girls he dated didn’t care, or they loved the “bad boy” image being an ex-con gave you. But he wasn’t sure about Julie. He would have to spend some time with her first.

He was not really paying attention when he almost ran into someone. He looked up and saw Kurt, a know-it-all from a few of his classes. Mark really didn’t care for him, but smiled anyway. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, Mark, some of the guys are going to an all night beach party at Fred Baker’s house tonight. Why don’t you come along? It’s gonna be great!”

Mark was thankful he already had plans. He couldn’t think of anything worse than hanging out all night with the kind of guys Kurt was friends with. “ Sorry, pal, but I’ve got a date tonight with a pretty lady I met in the library.”

“The library? Sounds romantic,” Kurt squeaked, making a face. “Who is she? Maybe I know her.”  

“She’s a nursing grad student. Her name’s Julie DeRoche.”

Kurt laughed, “You have got to be kidding. I knew her from undergrad. Man, we called her the Ice Princess. I took her out once. She listened to me intently all night long like she’s really interested and then got upset when I wanted more than a kiss. Good luck with her!”

Mark’s eyes narrowed, “Maybe you just don’t know how to treat a lady. See ya around.” Mark departed as fast as he could. Well this Julie was looking better and better all the time. If she blew off Kurt I’m-So-Stuck-On-Myself, then she definitely had taste.  

He made his way to the Coyote and headed home.

“That’s it! I can’t go tonight. There is nothing in this room I can wear!” Julie was almost in tears. The worst part was that she hadn’t gotten Mark’s number, so she couldn’t even call him to cancel. How could she be so stupid? Her mom walked into the room and smiled indulgently.

“Honey, who is this guy who has you so worked up? I’ve never seen you like this before. On your past dates you usually could care less what you wear. Or is it maybe that you could care less whom you were dating and this guy is different?”

“I don’t know, Mom.” Julie groaned. “I barely know the guy. I only met him twice. I think he’s a law student if his books are any indication. He’s the one who helped me with the car the other night. But there is something about him that makes me lose concentration whenever he gets close. And when he touches my hand, I get a fluttering in my stomach.”

“He sounds very interesting!” Her younger sister, Laurie, joined them in her bedroom and sat down on the bed. “Okay, what has he seen you wearing so far?”

Julie got up and threw her pastel skirt and sweater on the bed. “This is what I had on the first time. Yesterday I had just come from teaching ballet at the studio so I had my leotard and warm up pants on.”

“Dance class? That means you had the bun in. Wow! And he still asked you out?” Her sister laughed in amazement.  

“You are not helping any here, Laurie,” Julie got out through gritted teeth. “I want to look great, but I don’t want to look like a hooker.”

“Easy enough, just don’t borrow any of Debbie’s clothes.” Their youngest sister was just 17 and unfortunately liked to follow the newest trends to the extreme. “Look, why don’t you jump in the shower and I’ll pick out a few outfits that should work. I promise, no hooker clothes.”

“Thanks, Laurie, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Julie headed to the bathroom, hoping her sister could indeed find something suitable.

“McCormick, did you get that new filter for the pool installed?” Judge Hardcastle bellowed from the den. “That new pool guy never knows what he’s doing. … McCormick, did you hear me??”

“They can hear you in Cleveland, Judge,” Mark replied as he stepped into the room. “And yes, the new filter is on. I clipped the hedges in the south forty and I even groomed and put new shoes on Scout. Tonto’s been a good boy, Kemosabe, so it’s time for him to run along and play.” Mark was trying his best not to get the judge too worked up but it was just so much fun, sometimes he couldn’t help himself.

The Judge looked at Mark, dressed in a pair of khaki pants, a blue, button down shirt, and a tie. “Where are you off to? They’re having a Western Marathon tonight, I thought you’d enjoy that.”

“I’ve got a date tonight, Judge. You know, that’s something single men my age do on Friday nights.  

“And pass up all these great old cowboy movies?”

“You’re the one who told me to go out and have some fun, get a life. But when it interferes with your plans you don’t mean it huh, Judge?”  

“I’m just kidding, McCormick, you go out and have a great time.”

“You mean it Judge? You’re not upset?”

“Yeah, of course I mean it. You’ve worked hard this semester. Besides, you always hog all the popcorn and you talk through every scene. This way I’ll actually be able to enjoy the movies.” The judge looked nonchalant. “Who’s the girl anyway? The dream girl you mentioned the other night?”

Mark rolled his eyes. “She’s just a girl I met at school. No big deal, Judge.” At least he was hoping it was no big deal. He kept reminding himself it was not the right time to meet someone he could really care about. He grabbed his sport coat and said, “I’ll see you later. Save me some popcorn, huh, Judge?”

Judge Hardcastle looked at Mark and laughed, “Get out of here, McCormick!”

“Julie, is this him? Does he have a red sports car?” Laurie asked from her perch near the front window in her bedroom upstairs.

“I don’t know, I never saw his car,” Julie replied coming to the window and looking out. What the heck! She definitely had not expected this, but it was indeed Mark getting out of the flashy sports car that had pulled up in front of the house. This was not good. Any guy who drove this kind of car must be compensating for something. She hoped it wasn’t manners and personality. She started to panic. “Are you sure this dress is okay? What was I thinking wearing this?”

“You look great!” Laurie reassured her. “And man, is he cute or what?”  

“I’m not ready for this!” Julie wailed.

“You’d better be,” her sister warned, “because he’s already at the door!”

Mark pulled up in front of the white Colonial style house. He looked around, noticing the pleasant neighborhood. Nice, middle class houses with cute, little yards, nothing pretentious but certainly a far cry from where he had grown up. He couldn’t remember the last time he had picked up a date from her parent’s home. Maybe he never had. Most of his dates had not been the live-at-home types. He clutched the flowers in his hand tighter and reached for the doorbell. An attractive, dark haired woman who was definitely related to Julie answered the door.

“Hi, you must be Mark, come on in.” She smiled as she held the door open for him to enter.

“Yes, I am, and you must be one of Julie’s sisters? She mentioned she had two,” Mark responded. He walked from the entryway into the living room where a man, clearly Julie’s father, was just rising from a chair.  

“Ooh, I like him already.” The woman laughed while looking back at the man. She faced Mark again and continued, “I’m Nancy, Julie’s mom and this is my husband, Matt.”

“Her mom?” Mark gulped. “What’d you have her when you were twelve?” Mark usually fabricated this kind of remark to charm people, but this one just slipped out automatically. This woman looked too good to have a kid Julie’s age.

The man, Matt, stepped forward and put his arm around his wife, joining in the laughter. “Yes, that’s exactly right,.” he joked, “she was a child bride.” The two looked into each other’s laughing eyes and Mark felt a twinge of envy. This was what a relationship should be like. He wasn’t sure how he recognized it since he knew so few people that enjoyed something like this. He wiped the wistful expression from his face.  

“It’s nice to meet you Mark.” Julie’s father reached out his hand and shook Mark’s extended one. “Julie will be down in a minute. You know women, never ready on time.”

Julie’s mother lightly elbowed him saying, “I’ve never heard  you complain before.”

“That’s because some things are worth the wait!” Matt replied with a twinkle in his eye. “You remember that Mark, it’s good advice and free, too.”

“I will, sir, I …”

“Sorry to keep you waiting Mark. I’m ready to go,” Julie interrupted, walking into the room.  

Mark turned to reply but the words disappeared on the way to his mouth the moment he saw Julie. She was wearing a red, sleeveless dress that gently embraced her figure, flared out slightly near her hips and ended just above her knees. She had on black, strappy sandals, and had a small black purse clutched in her hands. Her long, dark hair hung in a shiny curtain down her back, pulled up slightly on one side and held with a tiny clip.  

Mark tried again and this time actually managed to get the words out. “You look…amazing! Oh, uh, here these are for you.” He handed her the flowers he had been holding in his fist.  

Julie blushed and accepted the flowers. She gave them to her mom and asked, “Can you put these in water for me please, Mom?”

“Sure, honey. Mark these are beautiful and very different. Where did you get them?” Nancy inquired as she walked to the doorway of what appeared to be the kitchen.

“Well, I actually stole them from the judge’s garden, but don’t tell him that. He’ll kill me,” Mark replied sheepishly.

Matt looked confused and asked, “The judge?”

“Judge Milton C. Hardcastle, Superior Court Justice, retired. Although sometimes he forgets the retired part,” stated Mark. “He’s a good friend. I live with him. You know that affording an apartment and paying for school thing…” He looked at Julie for understanding.

“Yes, I’ve heard of him.” stated Matt.

“Don’t let us keep you. You two have a good time. It was very nice meeting you, Mark.” Nancy ushered the two of them on their way.

“Thank you. It was nice to meet the both of you. I’ll have Julie home by ten. I know she has to work tomorrow.” They said goodbye and Mark walked Julie out to the Coyote.

When they were both seated, buckled and on the road, Mark glanced at Julie and said again, “You really do look incredible tonight, Julie.”

Julie blushed again and remarked, “You clean up pretty nicely, too.” She had only seen him in faded jeans and a T-shirt and she thought he had looked good then, but clean and with the slightly dressier clothes, he really looked appealing. “You said you had a friend who worked at Jack’s?”  

“Yeah, his name’s Teddy. You’ll meet him soon enough. So, tell me about your job?” Mark started the conversation.

Julie sat drinking her glass of wine while Mark told her about some of his classes. They had been exchanging small talk about school and Julie was starting to relax a bit. She had to admit that she had been nervous for a minute when they first walked in and the hostess had started flirting shamelessly with Mark. And he had thrown the flirting right back at her. Then after sitting at a quiet table by the window, almost every waitress had come over and done the same thing. Apparently he knew the staff well. But after giving each one a small taste of his charm, he had turned his attention right back to Julie. He had talked a bit about law school and his professors but had also asked Julie questions about herself and her family.  

Mark finished his story about one of his professors and asked Julie another question. He sat listening to her thinking that she was so easy to talk to. Why was it that he didn’t feel the need to brag about himself or try to embellish any of his stories? He did with all his other dates. The more he listened to her the more authentic he realized she was. She was a truly nice girl from a nice family who lived in a nice neighborhood. So why wasn’t he bored listening to her? Maybe because she was also very smart and sometimes funny and she would turn red at the drop of a hat. Every time he gave her any kind of compliment in fact. This blushing thing really fascinated him. She couldn’t really be that naïve or innocent. Could she? He had stayed away from the topic of his past for now so he could get a feel for how she would react. He was getting the picture that a date with a convicted criminal who had spent two years in a state penitentiary for Grand Theft Auto was not exactly what she thought she was getting. He should just tell her now and get it over with. But he stopped himself each time. That’s not who you are anymore, Mark, and you know it. The voice in his head argued. But she has a right to know. It argued right back. But maybe if she got to know you, the real you, not the one you show to the public because you are scared or hurt, she might not mind what you’ve done in the past? The little voice had to agree. Okay, we won’t tell her now, but sometime in the near future you will have to tell her. The voices finally stopped arguing

When the salads arrived, Mark was just starting to explain about Judge Hardcastle. He kept away from the sending him to prison part and just said they were old friends. He talked about how spending time with the judge had been instrumental in his decision to go to law school. “The judge has been great!” Mark continued. “He’s taught me a lot about the law that many of my professors don’t even know. He’s done so much for me right down to paying for school. If it weren’t for him who knows where I’d be? No place good that’s for sure. The judge has this knack for keeping me out of trouble, at least most of the time.”

“Admit it, you’re always in trouble, Skid, especially with Hardcase.” The voice of Teddy Hollins sounded from behind Mark.

“Hey, Teddy, I was wondering where you were.” Mark turned to look at his old friend. “I want to introduce you to Julie DeRoche. Julie, this is my friend Teddy Hollins. We used to be roommates, a long time ago.” Mark gave Teddy a severe look at this exaggerated word, hoping he would get the message.

Teddy reached down and took Julie’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I’m enchanted by your presence, my lady. If you get tired of this bore, just come see me. I’m much more interesting.”

When he returned Julie’s hand she shook her head and started to laugh. “You two must have gone to the same charm school.”

“Charm school?” scoffed Teddy. “For your information, Skid here learned everything he knows from me.”

Mark laughed, “Well, at least all the illegal stuff.”

“There are things I could tell you about him that would send you right into my arms.” Teddy whispered conspiratorially. Mark looked frightened for a minute until Teddy continued. “He snores. And awful wake-the-dead snores, too. And he’s a slob. Never picks up after himself. It’s criminal! But you need to know before it’s too late.”

Mark rolled his eyes and sighed, “All right Teddy, I’m trying to be captivating here and you’re breaking my flow.”

“Then I’ll say goodbye, it was lovely meeting you,” and he kissed Julie’s hand again. “If you guys need anything, let me know. I’ll talk to you soon, Skid.”

Mark grinned, “Thanks, Teddy,” as Teddy walked away from the table.

Mark was trying not to laugh too hard at Teddy’s usual boldness when he noticed Julie looking curiously at him.

“Skid?” she queried with a slight smile on her face. “How’d you get that nickname?”

Mark shrugged, “It’s from a while ago. Back when I used to race cars. You know Skid Mark.”

“You used to race cars?” Julie questioned. “Professionally? When?”

Mark paused before he answered, thinking about how much he actually wanted to tell her about his past right now. “Yeah, in high school I worked for this old mechanic who used to let me test the cars out before they went back to the owners. After I graduated, his nephew, Flip Johnson, helped me get started in racing. I did pretty well for a while. Won some races, had some fun. Flip was great, a great teacher and a great friend. He designed the car I drive; the Coyote. His daughter, Barbara, gave it to me as a kind of thank you.”

“Awfully expensive thank you,.” Julie thought out loud. “What did you do?”

Mark sobered. “Flip was killed by the guy who built the Coyote, Martin Cody. Barbara wanted me to help her prove it. That’s when I hooked up with Hardcastle again. We went after Cody and put him away for killing Flip.”

“That was nice of Judge Hardcastle to help you. He must be a really good friend.”

“Yeah, a good friend,” Mark tried not to flinch as the partial truth fell from his lips. “Actually, the judge was just retiring and looking for something to keep him occupied. He had this crazy notion to go after all the bad guys that had escaped justice in his court due to technicalities. And since I was at loose ends at the time, he made a deal with me. He helps me bag Cody and I help him play Batman and Robin for awhile.”

Mark was trying very hard to read the emotions passing over Julie’s pretty features. He could tell she wasn’t like most of his dates who thought racing cars and going after criminals was exciting.

“Wasn’t that dangerous?” Julie wondered. “Racing cars is risky enough, but dealing with criminals, didn’t that scare you?”

“Yeah, and Hardcastle going after some bad guy is a heck of a lot scarier than any race I was ever in,” Mark began, “but I’m still in one piece with more or less all of me still intact. Anyway, I owed the judge. And he’s helped me in more ways than I can count. He’s the reason I decided to go to law school. I have such respect for him and what he’s done. I only hope I can make as much of a difference in someone’s life as he made in mine.”

Julie smiled. “You obviously care about him a great deal”

“Yeah, I do,” Mark replied seriously, then started to grin, “but if you ever tell him I said that, I will deny every word. We can’t have the old donkey’s head getting any bigger than it already is.”  

“Not a word about it then, or about the flowers,” Julie promised.

The evening had continued nicely. The food had been excellent but the company had been even better. Mark had regaled Julie with a few of the tamer adventures that he and Hardcastle had experienced. He figured he should start her off slow and work up to some of the more hair-raising ones after she knew him better. And he realized, he did want her to get to know him better. As he wanted to get to know her better. Her innocence was refreshing and she saw things in ways that he never would have thought possible in this day and age. Especially since she worked in the Emergency Room of a big hospital. He figured she had seen a lot. But she still managed to see the good in many situations that he would not have. Maybe it was her upbringing and the fact that she had a loving family surrounding her at all times.

Mark was still concerned with what Julie would think of his prison record. She seemed to be someone who was fair in judgement but she also had a strong sense of right and wrong. He figured it really was best for her to get to know him. The person that he was now. Or at least the person he was trying to be since starting law school. Every now and then he still had doubts about himself. He wondered if his light-fingered ways would be too hard to control if he were really tempted. But it had been so long since he had stolen anything for a selfish reason. In the past five years it had mostly been to help the judge. And before that, he chalked it up to self-preservation. Okay so we get to know each other first, Mark thought. That is, if she’ll see me again.

Julie slipped her sandals off her feet as they started to walk in the sand near the shore. They had finished eating and it was still early enough that Mark had asked if she wanted to take a walk on the beach. The sand was uneven in spots, so Mark had offered his arm and Julie had slipped her arm through his without pausing to think. This was really relaxing. Julie had enjoyed the evening and hoped against hope that nothing would ruin it. She always liked to think positive thoughts, but unfortunately the last few dates she had been on had made her realize some guys were just jerks and only thought of themselves. So far, Mark had been the perfect gentleman but the night had not ended yet. The conversation continued to flow mostly about trivial things.  

After a while, Mark noticed how late it was getting and mentioned it was time to take Cinderella home. Just like Cinderella, Julie didn’t want it to end. But she also knew she had to work the next day and staying up too late would not make her the efficient nurse she needed to be. As they drove home, Julie wondered if Mark had enjoyed himself as much as she had. Would he ask her out again? Or just give her the pat line, “I’ll call you.”

Too soon, they pulled up in front of Julie’s house and Mark turned to face her. “I had a really good time tonight, Julie.”

Julie eyes sparkled, “I had a nice time, too.”

“I’d like to see you again,” Mark began. “I know you have to work tomorrow but you get out at three, right? Any possibility I could see you after that?”

“Well sometimes I don’t get home until after four, and it’s the same thing as tonight. I have to work Sunday morning at 7 am.”

“We don’t need to go out anywhere,” suggested Mark “Actually, you haven’t had those spark plugs changed yet, have you? I could bring what I need and install them myself. That way you don’t need to pay a mechanic to do something so easy. And we can spend a little time together. You’re fun to talk to, Julie DeRoche. I enjoyed that tonight, I really did. What do you say?”

“Well, all right,” Julie teased, “if only to save myself the mechanic’s fee.”

Julie and Mark got out of the car and Mark walked her up to the front porch.

When they reached the door, Mark took Julie’s hands in his and smiled at her. “Thanks again, Julie, I’m glad you said yes tonight.”

“You’re welcome. And I’m glad, too.” Julie looked up and saw Mark’s face descending near hers. She closed her eyes but only felt a brief kiss on the cheek. Her eyes popped open again. Mark was smiling at her.

“I promised I’d have you back by ten and I’m just about at my limit right now. I’ll see you tomorrow. ‘Night, Julie.” Mark watched as she walked into the house then turned and got back into the Coyote.

Julie walked into the house and found four sets of eyes on her. Her parents and two sisters were all in the living room and openly curious about the date that had gotten her so disoriented earlier in the day. Her mother was the first to speak.

“Should we ask, or just assume that the dreamy grin on your face means you enjoyed yourself?”  

Her youngest sister, Debbie, boldly asked the next questions. “So did he spend a lot of money? What’s his car like and where did he get it? It is so cool! I can’t believe I missed him earlier, but he seemed really cute, what I could see of him with Mom pulling me away from the window while you guys were walking up.”

Julie grimaced as she sat down near the rest of her family. “I’m glad we were on display for your amusement. To answer your first question, yes, I enjoyed myself, very much. And none of your business how much money he spent. And the car was a gift from a friend. Mark used to race cars professionally when he was younger and the car was a thank you for helping someone out.” Julie gave a quick summary of the Flip Johnson story and went on to tell her family a bit about Mark’s relationship with Judge Hardcastle, what she knew of it anyway. When she was done, her other sister was still curious.

“Did you get a kiss? Was it any good?” Laurie wanted to know.

“He kissed me on the cheek,” Julie declared. She was still not sure if she was happy or disappointed at that fact. “It was really sweet. He was actually very polite all night long, but he was also funny and entertaining, too. He’s definitely had a colorful life.” Julie stood up and headed toward the stairs. “Now I have to go to bed so I can be awake at work tomorrow. And if you have any more questions, you can ask Mark yourself when he comes over tomorrow afternoon. He’s gonna fix my car for me.”

Julie’s dad laughed, “Well, now I like him already.”

Mark could hear the horse hooves and gunfire before he even entered the room. The judge was in his usual place, watching his Westerns.

“Good guys winning, Kemosabe?” Mark interrupted the judge’s concentration.

“McCormick, what are you doing home so early?” Judge Hardcastle looked up. “What’s the matter, dream girl turn into a nightmare?”

Mark sat down in the other chair facing the TV. “No, she just had to work early tomorrow morning.” Mark tried to sound indifferent. For some reason he wasn’t ready to share this with Hardcastle just yet. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned his attention to the movie.

Hardcastle looked at Mark and wondered what was going on. Mark was trying very hard to make it sound like his date had been a casual thing. But looking further the judge could see that Mark wasn’t really paying attention to the movie at all. He wasn’t even eating the popcorn and there was a little smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The judge didn’t really know what to make of Mark not bragging about his date. Usually he couldn’t get McCormick to stop talking; now he wasn’t saying a word. He should probably just sit back and enjoy it. It wasn’t often he found McCormick speechless.  

“McCormick!” Roared the voice of Milton Hardcastle. “Where are you?”  

Mark looked up from under the hood of the judge’s truck and heard Hardcastle muttering, “Where is that kid? He’s always disappearing when I need him to do some work.”

Mark wiped his hands off on a rag and slammed the hood, startling the judge out of his ranting. “I’m right here, Judge. What do you need?”

“McCormick, there you are. You’ve been flitting in and out of the house all day. What have you been doing all this time?” Demanded Judge Hardcastle.

“Judge, you gave me a list a mile long. What do you think I’ve been doing? I cleaned out the pool house, shocked the pool, and swept all around it and the patio, too. I started putting the fertilizer on the lawn but then I needed to run and get the stuff for the cars before the garage closed. I just finished changing the oil in the Coyote, the ‘Vette and the truck. And the truck needed new brake pads so I fixed those for you as well. You know you have to stop riding the brakes or I’ll be changing them again way too soon.” Mark rattled off his list of chores.

“I do not ride the brakes McCormick! And when are you going to finish with the fertilizer? You know I wanted that done this weekend before I leave on Monday.” Hardcastle grouched.

“Jeez, Judge, you’re welcome.” Mark threw back. “And I’ll get to the fertilizer in a little while. I just finished up with the cars. I thought they might be a priority since you’ll be taking a five-hour drive Monday. By the way, when are you coming back?”

“I’m not sure, it depends on how my little land acquisition goes. Why? Are you planning a big party while I’m gone? Remember the last time you did that,” Hardcastle reminded Mark.

“No, I’m not planning a party.” Mark sighed exasperatedly. “I was just curious how long I have to finish this list. And how many days of peace and quiet I have without you busting my chops if I’m not working every second. You know I just finished finals yesterday. I was hoping to have an hour or two of free time before you started with that slave driver thing again.”  

“Well, I probably won’t be back until at least the weekend,” Hardcastle informed him. “I want to make sure there are some fish in that lake before I go spending any money for this cabin. Judge Taft tells me you can pull ‘em out with your hands there are so many. But he’s always been known for his slight exaggeration when it comes to fishing. Anyway, I’ll call you when I know more. So, what are your plans for the week? Besides finishing the chores around here.”

“I’m gonna relax Judge!” griped Mark. “I’ll get the list finished but I’d like to spend some time outside just doing nothing. I’ve spent the last eight months inside buildings listening to other people talk. I need to spend some time outside listening to nothing but the ocean and the wind. You know, clear my mind.”

“Well that shouldn’t be too hard since there’s not a whole lot in there to begin with.” The judge smiled.

“Thanks, Judge. You’re so good for my self-esteem, you know that. Listen, I’m gonna finish the fertilizer now and then I’m jumping in the shower before heading to a friend’s to help fix a car. I won’t be back too late.” Mark started walking away toward the lawn.

Judge Hardcastle yelled after him, “Just make sure you don’t miss anywhere. I don’t want brown spots all over the lawn. McCormick, do you hear me?”

Mark kept walking but held up his hand and waved back to the judge.

Julie ran into the house and gave a frustrated yell. “It was impossible to get out of work today. We had a million people all show up right before I was due to leave. It’s already 4:30 and Mark should be here any second. Look at me. I’m a mess!”

Her mother just smiled and said, “You look fine, honey; don’t worry about it.”

“Fine?” Julie huffed. “These people had bodily fluids coming out of every possible orifice. I need to take a shower. Can you keep him busy if he gets here before I’m ready? Please Mom? And don’t let Debbie near him! She’ll scare him off and he’ll never come back.” She ran up the stairs.

Mark pulled the Coyote up in front of Julie’s house. Her car was in the driveway next to a few others so she was definitely home. He was looking forward to seeing her again, but was nervous at the same time. He still didn’t know why he was back. He had taken her out to prove she wasn’t as interesting as he imagined. Only it hadn’t happened that way. The dress she had worn had started his blood boiling. And the conversations they shared had intrigued his mind. She was a paradox. She excited him on a physical level but she also made him so relaxed when they talked. He had to keep catching himself so he didn’t say too much about his past. He hadn’t actually had to lie to her, yet, but he was definitely keeping a few things from her that he was sure she would want to know. He hated doing it, but figured he had no choice if he wanted to see her again.

Every time he thought about her, he had such mixed emotions. He kept repeating his mantra. It’s not the right time. You need to concentrate on your law degree. But another voice would pipe in what if you don’t pursue this and she’s THE ONE! You may never find someone like her again. Mark had been listening to these voices all day. He still didn’t know what to do about them as he got out of the car and walked up to the house.  

Julie’s mother met him at the door and apologized. “I’m sorry, Mark. Julie just got home and needed to jump in the shower. Why don’t you come on in and I’ll get you something to drink while you wait.”

Mark smiled, “Thanks, um, maybe I’ll take this time to put the new spark plugs in. If you’ve got the keys I can do this and maybe finish before she’s done getting ready.”

“That’s fine, Mark.” Nancy smiled. “I’ll get them and bring them out.”

Mark returned to the Coyote and got the spark plugs and the new filter he had also bought for the car. He had noticed this could use changing and figured he would do it all at once.

As he approached Julie’s car with his tools, he noticed a young girl, wearing short shorts and a skimpy top, coming his way. Normally he would have been appreciative, but she was way too young. She beamed a huge smile at him.

“Hi, you’re Mark. I’m Debbie, Julie’s sister. I told my mom I’d bring these to you,” she said as she handed Mark a set of keys. Mark took the keys and thanked her.

“Hey, Debbie, how ya doin’? Julie tells me you’re a senior in high school this year,” Mark started conversationally. He opened the hood of the car and went to work. Debbie started chatting about high school and her friends and a million other things that teenagers are interested in. Mark wasn’t really listening but managed to nod his head or murmur a “yeah” every now and then. By the time he was done he figured he knew everything about Debbie there was to know. Or at least he would have if he had really been paying attention. He just hoped there wasn’t a test later. He was also hoping that Julie would be out soon to save him, as there was not much else to do on the engine.

Julie came downstairs with her hair only partially dried wearing a pair of jeans and a short sleeved T-shirt.

She looked around for Mark but only found her mother getting dinner ready in the kitchen. She approached her mom and asked, “Did Mark get here yet?” praying that he hadn’t stood her up.

Without turning around, Nancy answered, “Yes, he’s outside doing the work on your car. He figured he would do it while you were in the shower to save time. It’s awfully sweet of him to do this for you. It’ll save you some money. You know your father isn’t very good with these things.”

“Mom, where’s Debbie?” Julie asked with a sinking feeling, as she realized she hadn’t seen her in the house since she came out of the shower. She had been in the kitchen when Julie had gotten home.

“Oh, she’s out keeping Mark company. She brought him the keys to your car. Does Mark want to stay for dinner?” Nancy said casually knowing what was coming next.

“She’s what!” Julie exploded. “Mom! How could you let her go out there? You know what she’s like with guys, especially cute guys with fancy cars.” Julie ran to the door and headed for her car.

Mark was just shutting the hood and wiping his hands on a rag. He saw Julie burst out of the house and head in his direction. She was barefoot and dressed casually, but she still looked great. Her hair was slightly damp and loose and her face was scrubbed clean of any makeup. How did she do it? Most women he knew wouldn’t leave the house without the full works on their face, and certainly never to meet a guy. But most women didn’t have Julie’s natural beauty. Her look was fresh and innocent, and he suspected that was right on target with who she was. He gave her a smile as she started to apologize.

“Mark, I’m sorry. I ran late at work and…”  

“It’s okay, Julie,” Mark began. “I just finished changing the plugs and the filter. I just need to wash up if that’s okay.” Mark held up grease stained hands.

“Oh sure,” Julie said then noticed that her sister was ready to speak again. “Deb, Mom needs you to help her in the kitchen, now!” Debbie looked petulant but bubbled a goodbye to Mark and headed into the house.  

“Thank you!” Mark sighed.  

“No problem, I know how she can get. Come on I’ll show you where you can clean up.” Julie indicated to Mark.

“Great!” Mark said but held up his tools and headed in the direction of the Coyote. “There’s a clean shirt on the front seat. Can you grab it for me while I put these away?”

Julie grabbed the shirt and showed Mark inside and to the bathroom to wash his hands. Mark started telling her about the other repairs to her car while he washed up, so Julie stayed in the doorway of the bathroom, listening. After getting all the grease off his hands, Mark pulled his dirty T-shirt off and started to put on his new one. Julie blushed and averted her eyes but couldn’t help noticing that Mark looked pretty good without a shirt. He didn’t have the huge body building muscles like some guys wanted to have but Julie had never gone in for that look anyway. He had said that he and the judge played a lot of basketball. Apparently it kept him in fairly good shape.  

When Mark had his new shirt on, Julie looked up and asked, “Mom was wondering if you wanted to stay for dinner. It should be ready fairly soon. Nothing fancy, just mom’s garlic chicken and veggies.” Julie shrugged.

“A home cooked meal!” Mark’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to barge in.” They walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

Nancy looked at Mark and smiled, “We’d love to have you and there’s plenty to go around. So don’t be shy.”

Mark laughed. “Shy? Now there’s one word that hasn’t been used to describe me. Most of the words that have been can’t really be used in polite company, though.” He continued, “I’ll stay, but what can I do to help? The judge expects everyone to pull their weight when it comes to chores.”

“Maybe we should send Debbie to go live with him, then,” Matt joined in as he walked into the room.  

“Daaaaad!” Debbie whined. “I do chores all the time.”

“That’s right sweetheart.” He agreed, placating her. “You’re especially good at answering the phone.”

“Oooh!” Debbie huffed and headed towards the stairs.

The others just laughed and Nancy asked if Mark and Julie could set the table.

Mark was enjoying the family meal very much. Not only was the food good but the entertainment was fantastic. He thought he and the judge went at it, but these people loved to tease each other and took great pride in doing so. Mark was so caught up in everyone kidding Debbie about some recent exploit that he was unprepared when she decided to turn the tables. She looked at Mark and questioned, “Julie says you used to race cars professionally. How come you stopped?”

Mark looked thoughtful for a moment then answered with a shrug. “We all have to grow up sometime, right? It was my time.” Mark didn’t think now was the right time to be telling this family that a two year prison term was what had ended his racing career. They would probably be very nice and polite but he didn’t think he would be seeing Julie again if he did. At least he could throw in a little truth so he continued. “Besides, Judge Hardcastle had other plans for me at the time.”

“When did you start racing cars?” Debbie wondered.

“I always liked seeing how fast I could get an engine to go, so pretty early, I guess.” Mark responded.

“So when you got your license at 16?” Again from Debbie.

Mark looked surprised for a moment and then agreed, “Um, yeah uh sixteen, right.”

Matt laughed, “Why do I get the feeling you might have been a little younger than that?”

Mark looked a bit guilty and gave a sheepish grin but remained silent.

“Was your mom aware of this little habit?” Nancy asked sweetly.

Mark sobered and shook his head. “My mom died before I even got into high school.”  

“What about your dad?” Nancy wondered.  

Mark shrugged, “He left when I was five. I don’t think he would have cared.” He gave a sad little laugh.  

“Oh, Mark, I’m so sorry,” Nancy began, “Who did you live with after your mom died?”

“Some foster homes,” Mark replied nonchalantly. “A few relatives for as long as they could put up with me.” He grinned. “And I spent some time on my own.”

Nancy looked sad. “That must have been hard on you.”

“Nah! It was great!” Mark laughed with an air of bravado. “No one telling you what to do or when to brush your teeth or what time to come home. And nobody got upset when you got a lousy report card.” Mark started to get uncomfortable and thought it was time to change the subject. “Now the Judge would get on my case if my report card was lousy. He’s such a perfectionist. Man he gets upset if…”

Julie watched Mark as he changed the subject to talk about the judge. He always does this whenever things get too personal, Julie noted. He did this last night, too, whenever his past came up. He had managed to change the subject quite a few times. Now that I’ve heard a few things about his family life, I can understand why. She couldn’t imagine not having your parents around to help you with all of childhood’s little dilemmas. She figured there was more to the story. I love the way his eyes come to life and sparkle whenever he talks. But right now, that sparkle is missing. That happened last night, too, whenever anything too personal came up. This mask slips right over his face and his gorgeous, blue eyes lose all emotion. That and the wisecracks that come out of his mouth, must be his way of protecting himself. She thought it was sad that he needed to. She focused back on the conversation where Mark was describing some ridiculous thing the judge had done.

Mark and Julie were sitting in the backyard on the wooden bench swing enjoying the night air. They had finished the homemade dessert and helped load the dishwasher and then Nancy has shooed them outside. Julie was telling Mark about the class she was taking over the summer.

“It won’t fit in my schedule next year, so I need to take it this summer if I want to graduate in May,” Julie informed him.

“Yeah, I have three I’m taking over the summer. That way I can finish in May also and take the Bar Exam when it’s offered at the end of next summer,” Mark added.

Julie smiled, “Actually the class I’m taking is right up your ally. It’s Health Law. They think it’s good for us to know all the legal stuff associated with the health profession.”

“You’re taking Health Law?” Mark looked questioningly at Julie. “With Professor Howard? Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings?”

“Yeah, have you taken the class?” Julie asked.

“I will be,” Mark replied. “This summer in fact. This is coincidental.” He laughed. “It also means I didn’t have to go chasing you down in the parking lot the other day. I would have seen you this summer in class.”

Julie looked confused. “What do you mean, chase me down in the parking lot?”  

Mark grinned guiltily. “I was still debating whether to ask you out or not the other night when I noticed you had left. I guess I panicked for a minute when I thought I might not see you again. I mean, it is a big campus.”

“What was the big debate about?” Julie asked.

Mark sighed. “It wasn’t so much a debate as timing. Right now I really have to concentrate on my degree. The judge has put a lot of faith in me and I can’t let him down. Distractions are not what I need at the moment.”

“And I’m a distraction?” Julie raised her eyebrows.

“Oh, you are definitely a distraction!” Mark laughed.

Julie continued the questioning. “So why did you ask me out if I was too much of a distraction?”

“Because of this,” Mark whispered as he took her hand in his. He looked at her sweet face and continued. “Every time I touch you I get this …tingle that goes up my arm. That’s never really happened before. I noticed your eyes get a little wider when we touch also, so I wasn’t sure if…”

“Butterflies in my stomach.” Julie nodded shyly. “Although right now it feels like a flock of geese. That’s new for me too.”

“Even though it’s not perfect timing, I guess I didn’t want to take the chance of missing out on something special.” Mark said. “I like you, Julie. I like you a lot.”

“I like you, too.” Julie agreed.

“You know what I’d really like?” Mark asked with a mischievous grin.  

Julie looked suspicious. “What?”

“I’d really like to kiss you. Do you think that’d be okay?” Mark spoke softly, his head moving toward hers.  

“You’re asking me?” Julie marveled.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know.” Mark’s head stopped moving closer and then realized Julie was now grinning. “What will happen if I say no?”

Mark flopped back against the seat with his fist to his heart. “I might not make it through the night,” Mark replied dramatically.

“Well, in that case I guess I’ll have to grant permission,” Julie said with a blush.

“You are too kind, sweet lady.” Mark sat up and touched the side of her face with his hand, slipping it into her hair at the back of her neck. His head slowly descended. Julie’s eyes fluttered closed as his lips touched hers. The kiss was gentle and sweet, but Julie was glad she was sitting down. It would have buckled her knees. Julie’s hands slowly slid up around Mark’s neck and she returned the kiss. It was still soft and gentle, but Julie could feel a pressure building up inside her and she was almost lightheaded. The kiss lasted a few more seconds and then Mark slowly pulled away. But only far enough to see her face.

“Wow!” Mark sighed as his thumb caressed Julie’s cheek. He just smiled at her and shook his head. He looked at her and noticed she had a bemused expression on her face as well. He leaned towards her until their foreheads were touching and said, “I guess that answers my question.”

“Question?” Julie whispered dreamily.

“Yeah, I guess it doesn’t stop here.” Mark indicated their hands, which were now clasped together. “Because I swear that one went all the way to my toes.”

“Toes.” Julie nodded still enchanted by the kiss.

“But I better try it again. Just to make sure.” Mark kissed her again. He took a little longer and enjoyed her scent, her touch, her taste and the tiny whimper she made when he reluctantly lifted his head from hers.

Mark smiled, “Definitely the toes.” He pulled Julie close and she curled up on his side with her head resting against his shoulder.

“Mmm” Julie purred. “I could sit here like this all night long.” And they did. Looking up at the stars, each enjoying the peacefulness of the night and the other’s company.

Finally Mark gave her a little squeeze and sat up straight. “I hate to do this, but I know you have to work in the morning and it’s getting late.”

Julie reluctantly followed him towards the house. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I know you have work tomorrow and I have a million things to get finished for Hardcastle, but how about if we get together Monday. I can pick you up in the morning and we can hang around the beach for a while. Sound good?” Mark asked hopefully.

“Sounds very good,” replied Julie. They walked through the house and Mark said goodbye and another thank you to Julie’s mom. They walked out the front and to the Coyote.

“I’ll pick you up around nine, if that’s okay.” Julie nodded and Mark leaned down for one final kiss. He lingered a bit longer than he should have, but not nearly as long as he wanted to. He whispered “goodbye”, got into the car and drove off.  

Mark drove off trying to concentrate on the road. It was hard after kissing Julie. He didn’t know what he was expecting. As much as he hated Mr. Kurt Know-It-All, he had wondered if the Ice Princess title would be accurate. He liked Julie and now her family, but he had to admit that a small part of him was hoping that he would feel absolutely nothing when he kissed her. Then he could just say she was a very nice, interesting girl but there was no chemistry between them. He had one more year before graduation and then a few months of studying for the Bar Exam. And then he had to get a job if he managed to pass the Bar Exam. And then he could think about starting a relationship with a nice girl and settling down. Until that time he could not even think about a serious relationship. But he was thinking, and that's what bothered him.  

And that kiss! He wasn’t kidding when he said he had felt it all the way to his toes. It had started a fire in his stomach and moved lower. It had taken all his self-control to end the kiss when he did. Ice Princess was hardly the word he would use to describe Julie’s reaction to the kiss. Oh, he could tell she wasn’t as experienced as many of the girls he’d dated. But he thought that was what had made it more exciting for him; that her reaction to and participation in the kiss had been genuine. And when he looked in her eyes afterwards, she had seemed equally blown away by the whole experience. Mark was very confused. He figured the only sensible action would be to take this relationship one day at a time and see what happened. Once Julie found out about his prison record, she might bolt anyway. He was going to try and push that day off as long as possible.

Julie got ready for bed automatically while the whole evening played through her mind. Mark had been great. He had charmed her whole family, helped with dinner and clean up. He had been polite and respectful but had also entertained them with stories of his adventures. And then he had actually asked if he could kiss her. It had taken a lot not to shout, “YES!” at the top of her lungs. The kiss had totally knocked her off her feet (or it would have if she had actually been standing). She had kissed her share of guys, not a horde but certainly enough to make a comparison. Mark was a good kisser, but it wasn’t so much his technique as the feelings he evoked in her when his mouth actually touched hers. She was still wondering what could go wrong. He seemed too perfect. Polite, funny, smart, respectful, law student, nice car, and he kissed like a dream. There must be some defect she just wasn’t seeing. No man was that flawless.

“Okay, McCormick, do you have all the numbers for where I’ll be? And the list of things that need to be done this week? Don’t forget that order of peat moss that just came in. You’ll need to get that from the garden center this morning. I’m taking the ‘Vette so you’ll have the truck for all the things you need to pick up. And don’t forget to fix that crack in the fountain where all the weeds are coming through. The whole thing could fall apart if that doesn’t get done soon. And…” the judge continued with his rant.

“Judge!” Mark interrupted rolling his eyes and laughing at the same time. “I have everything I need. I know exactly what needs to be done and I’ll get it done. I know where you are if I need anything, which I doubt I will. Don’t worry about anything. I don’t plan on going very far this week. Okay? Go and have a good time! Catch some fish and exchange exaggerated stories with Judge Taft. I’ll be here when you get back. But don’t rush or anything Judge. Take your time and make sure this lake front cabin is just what you want.”

“Why are you so happy to get rid of me?” Hardcastle asked. “I know it’s not because you can’t wait to get started on these chores.”

“I’m not happy to get rid of you. I’m just looking forward to some peace and quiet now that I have a few weeks without school,” Mark explained.

“All right, well listen, kiddo, I guess you deserve it. You’ve definitely put in some long hours. Just make sure that list…” The Judge started in again.

“I know!” Mark practically shouted at the judge. “Now get going! I’ll be fine.”

Judge Hardcastle relented and got into his car. He put it in gear and headed down the driveway with a wave to Mark. Mark pulled the list out of his pocket, threw it on the seat of the truck and climbed in after it. He followed Hardcastle’s trail down the driveway but turned in the other direction and headed to the Garden Center for the peat moss.

Julie glanced at the clock one more time. She should stop doing this, Mark was just running late. But it was almost ten o’clock and he had said he would pick her up around nine. She couldn’t stop worrying that he would stand her up. Mark was the nicest guy she had ever met. At least the nicest guy who interested her that way. She was about to look at the clock one more time when she heard a vehicle pull up in front of the house. The disappointment she felt when she saw it was a gray truck changed to relief when she saw Mark emerge from the driver’s seat and start up the front walk. She grabbed her tote bag and headed out the door.

“Hi!” Julie smiled her greeting. “Whose truck?”

“It’s the judge’s. That’s why I’m late. I’m really sorry.” Mark’s face showed his regret. “I had to pick up an order of peat moss from the garden center,” he motioned to the back of the truck, “but they screwed up the order and only half of the bags were the right brand. Hardcastle is very particular about his peat moss. He’d freak if I put something different on his precious flowers. So it took me awhile to make sure they ordered the right kind and put enough pressure on them to get it here this week.” Mark walked her to the truck and opened the door for her. When Mark had climbed in, he continued, “Do you mind if we stop at the house first? I’m obviously not dressed for the beach.”

“That’s fine,” Julie answered. As they drove off, “the list” fluttered to the floor of the truck and Julie bent to retrieve it.  

“Hold onto that,” Mark asked quickly. “If I lose that list the judge’ll have my head. He took off for a week or so to go fishing and left me in charge of all the crap that needs to be done around the estate. Lucky me.”

“Now that doesn’t seem fair that you have to do all this by yourself.” Julie frowned as she read the list.

“Don’t I know it,” Mark replied as he headed off down the road towards Gull’s Way.

Mark pulled another handful of weeds from the garden and threw them over his shoulder. He looked up when he heard the soft laughter coming from a few feet over. Julie was sitting on the ground helping him weed the flowerbeds but her pile of weeds seemed a bit more compact than the pile that lay scattered all over the place behind him. He couldn’t believe she had actually volunteered to help him do some of this work. She claimed that she loved to garden and found it very relaxing so she didn’t mind at all. Plus, she had pointed out, if she helped him it would get done twice as fast. And then they could enjoy the day without Mark worrying about it. Of course the way she was moving, they might finish it in less than half the time it would take Mark alone. But she was definitely a distraction. Not that it took much to distract Mark from yard work, but she was more of a distraction than usual. Although, she was the absolute nicest one he could imagine. He looked over at her laughing face.

“Mark, you know you’ll have to spend more time raking up those weeds than you actually spent pulling them,” Julie chided jokingly.

“Nah!” Mark replied. “I’ll just run over them with the mower and no one will ever know they were here.”

Julie just shook her head laughing again and went back to pulling weeds. They continued this way for awhile until Julie heard a soft curse and a string of,”Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!” She looked over at Mark and saw him holding his hand. She moved quickly to where he was and knelt down beside him.

“What happened?” she asked alarmed.

“I jabbed my finger on something, see?” Mark showed her his finger that had a small drop of blood on it.

Julie took Mark’s hand in hers. “Some of these flowers have thorns, Mark, you have to be careful. It doesn’t look too bad. I think you’ll survive,” she said in her best motherly voice as she kissed the injured finger.

“You really are an Angel of Mercy. It feels better already,” Mark declared. Julie started to move away as Mark continued. “But I don’t think I can do any more chores today. Not with an injury like this.” He looked severely wounded.

Julie turned and grabbed a handful of weeds. “You are such a big faker!” She chuckled with false indignation as she threw the weeds at him. Mark flicked the weeds away and started toward her with a menacing look on his face.

“Oh!” yelped Mark. “Adding insult to injury are you?” He continued to advance on Julie. “We can’t have that kind of insubordination now can we?”

Julie attempted to inch backwards away from Mark but her long sundress only allowed her a few feet until she stepped on the hem and ended up flat on her back.

Mark was fairly close at this point, but stopped for a brief second when she stumbled. She was lying on the ground with her hair spread out around her and the hem of her dress riding up. She took his breath away! Mark reached her and levered himself above her, one arm on either side of her head. “You know it’s not nice to make fun of me,” he growled softly.

Julie gazed up at Mark and realized that the fun sparkle had again left his eyes. But this time it was replaced with a look that was intense and full of desire. He lowered his head and kissed her fervently. Julie heard a moan slip from her throat and she inched her hands up around Mark’s neck and slid one into the incredible curls on the back of his head. The kiss deepened and went on for a while until Julie thought she might shatter into a million little pieces. She pushed lightly at Mark’s shoulders and he eased away until there were a few inches between them. They were both breathing heavily.

Mark stared down at Julie and sighed. “God! What you do to me, Angel! You are so incredibly gorgeous.”

Julie peered back but remained speechless. She had never thought of herself as an overly attractive person, but Mark certainly had a way of making her feel that way. He also brought out feelings and urges that she had never experienced before. Some of them were so intense she wasn’t sure she was quite ready for them. She just didn’t know how to stop them, or even if she wanted to.  

Mark seemed to read her thoughts and pulled her up into a sitting position. He took her chin in his hand and smiled. “We’re not gonna get much weeding done that way, are we?”

“No, not much,” she agreed. He stood up, pulling her with him.

“Come on, let’s take a break for lunch. I know I could use some.” Mark put his arm around her shoulder and guided her into the house.

Mark pushed the wheelbarrow full of peat moss across the lawn to where the flowerbeds were. He was getting the list finished so much quicker than he had anticipated. Of course, this was mostly due to Julie’s help and the fact that she loved to garden almost as much as he hated it. He had to admit that it had been pretty fun when he was doing it alongside her. After lunch on Monday, they had weeded for another hour or so and then gone down to the beach for a swim and some plain, old fashioned relaxation.

Lying in the sun had never been so wonderful especially since the health conscience Julie had insisted that Mark put on sunscreen. She had even applied it for him when he didn’t appear to be doing it efficiently enough. And of course he had reciprocated and made sure she had enough on as well. Even with her modest one-piece swimsuit he had had to exert major control. Her incredibly long legs and creamy skin had almost been his undoing. But he had managed, and they had enjoyed a terrific day. They had put together a light supper and then watched some TV before he brought her home.

Tuesday had been pretty much the same with a few different chores being accomplished and dinner being at Julie’s house. Mark had spent some time looking over her car and fixing some things that were long overdue to be fixed. He had played cards with Julie’s family for awhile and gone home a little before midnight.

Now it was Wednesday afternoon and he and Julie were putting the last of the peat moss in the flowerbeds. Once they were done with this, the list would be just about finished. Mark parked the wheelbarrow next to the flowerbeds Julie was finishing.

“Okay, this is the last of it. I hope it’s enough! I really don’t want to go back and have to strong arm that little old lady at the garden center into getting me some more.”

“If she were female, I’m sure you just turned on that old McCormick charm and she ran to do your bidding with her heart beating wildly,” Julie laughed.  

Mark advanced on Julie and smirked, “So, do I get your heart beating wildly?” He pulled her into his arms and examined her face.

Julie grinned back, “Well, I guess it’s a little faster than normal but that’s probably just because I’m doing all your work for you.”

“Only a little faster?” Mark seemed insulted. “I’ll have to work harder then.” He pulled his arms tighter around Julie to bring her closer for a kiss.

Julie’s pulse started racing and her thoughts got cloudy. Oh, she really liked kissing him. And he had kissed her often enough in the last few days. Sometimes just a quick kiss but other times he would pull her close and she would lose track of time. And where she was. And who she was. Like now.  

Mark loosened his hold on her but did not take his arms away. It was probably a good thing since Julie thought she might collapse if he did. She didn’t understand what it was he did to her.  

He grinned at her. “Beating any faster now?”

Julie’s breathing wasn’t even under control yet, so she just laughed. “You’re impossible!”

“You know the judge tells me that all the time.” Mark said. “And now that we are just about finished with the dreaded LIST, I think we should take the rest of the afternoon off and lounge by the pool. Interested in joining me? I could mix up a batch of margaritas and we could pretend we were in some exotic location.”

“Sounds luxurious!” Julie replied.  

Julie floated lazily on a small blow up raft while Mark flipped about in the water like a fish. He was such a little kid sometimes. He had already dumped her in the water several times, cannonballed her until she was completely waterlogged and had just finished dragging her raft around the pool so that she was almost dizzy. But she didn’t mind. He seemed to enjoy it so much and it was fun to stop being an adult for a short time.

Mark swam quietly by Julie, noticing that her eyes were closed and she had started to relax her guard again. She had been so easygoing and playful every time he had jumped in near her or tipped her over. And she never once worried about what she looked like. Of course she didn’t realize how incredible she looked soaking wet and Mark wasn’t about to tell her. He could tell that type of thing would embarrass the heck out of her. But he couldn’t get enough of her suit clinging to every curve and the water droplets dancing on her eyelashes.  

But he noticed she was fairly dry now and paying absolutely no attention to him. She was so much fun to be with. So many of his past girlfriends would sit out by the pool looking great but would never put more than a foot in the water in case it ruined their appearance. Julie was not like that. He could be himself and have fun without worrying that she would think his behavior “childish”.  

He moved stealthily in her direction and knew that this time would be no different from any of the others. He submerged before he reached her and came up right underneath her float, sending her tumbling into the water. She came up sputtering and splashed water in his direction, growling at him in mock anger.  

“You are not getting away with it this time, buster!” Julie vowed and started in Mark’s direction. Julie was still in the shallow end but Mark was right on the line of the deep end. Julie pushed herself out of the water and landed with her hands on Mark’s shoulders submersing him in the process. Knowing there would be consequences, she hurried toward the side of the pool, hoping she’d make it back before Mark came to the surface. She had almost made it when she felt a hand grab her ankle and pull her under the water. She broke the surface with her legs tangled up with Mark’s. The water was up to her chin here and she almost went back under. Mark’s grip on her kept that from happening.  

“So you thought you’d submarine me, huh?” Mark grinned mischievously. “You know there’s a penalty for that, don’t you?”

“I’ve been putting up with you drenching me at every turn and I’m going to be penalized?” Julie replied with what she hoped sounded like indignation.

“I’m afraid those are the laws at this particular pool,” Mark began. “Ignorance of the law is absolutely no defense. Verdict has been reached. Sentence has been handed down.” Mark moved closer to Julie who was almost backed up against the side of the pool as it was.

“Just what I get for going out with a prospective lawyer,” Julie snorted.

“Of course, I may consider a plea bargain if the defendant is willing to make several considerations,” Mark responded with a serious tone of voice but a very devilish twinkle in his eye.

Julie looked doubtful. “What kind of considerations?”

“The defendant must spend the next two days attending to the needs of the plaintiff.” Mark stated the terms.

Julie looked affronted. “That’s blackmail!” She exclaimed. “But…” She added slowly, “if I do this, ALL charges will be dropped?”

Mark smiled a very satisfied smile as he lowered his head and punctuated his words with small kisses. “All” … “charges” … “dropped”.  

This last kiss continued and began to grow in intensity. Julie’s hands crept up Mark’s shoulders and his arms stole around her waist. Mark was enjoying the feel of Julie practically plastered against him. Man, he didn’t know how much more of this he could take before he was unable to walk. He could tell Julie liked to take things slow, but she also responded to him like no other woman had. His hands roamed her bare back, reveling in the incredible softness and the almost purr-like sounds that came from her throat. Mark’s hands continued their exploration. They moved to her side, stomach and then started upwards.

Julie felt like she was drowning. Mark’s hands on her back and his lips on hers were an exquisite torture. She always felt so disconcerted whenever he kissed her like this. Oh, she enjoyed it alright! Maybe a little too much. She felt his hands caress her back, sides and continue their journey. When they reached their objective, Julie sucked in her breath at the incredible longing that suddenly surged within her. God, what is happening to me? Julie thought. She allowed the indulgence for a few seconds while a war raged inside her. This is leading places you don’t want to go. Damn it, those voices were back. Julie wanted to tell them, shut up and go away, I’m enjoying this immensely and I don’t want to stop. But a stronger voice overruled with common sense, if you allow this to continue much further, you will regret it. Julie’s head knew the voices were right, even if her body didn’t want to comply. She reluctantly pushed at Mark’s shoulders until he eased slightly away from her.  

Mark straightened up, but kept his hands on her waist. “I’m sorry, Angel, you’ve been driving me crazy all day long in that suit. I couldn’t help myself.”

Julie was still slightly out of breath as she peered up at Mark. “Apparently, I’ve lost control of all my faculties, also.” She tried to put conviction in her voice. “I need a little space here, Mark. I can’t think when you do that.” She started to move toward the pool stairs.  

Mark stood motionless for a minute, then caught up with her as she began to get out. He pulled her to sit next to him on the edge of the pool and started to apologize again. “Look, Julie, I know I was moving a little too fast…”

“I wasn’t exactly an unwilling party,” Julie responded with a trace of contrition. “You don’t understand. I don’t normally… I mean, that isn’t something…God!” Julie cried frustrated, “you make me want to do things, Mark, that I should not be doing, that I never…” she seemed at a loss for words.

“Hey!” Mark responded, gently. “It’s all right. I know you’re not the kind of girl who jumps around from guy to guy. I’m a real patient person. I have to be, living with Hardcastle.” Mark snickered.

Julie chuckled but her laugh lacked conviction. “That’s really sweet, but…” Julie wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. She had to tell him and gauge his reaction, but she knew what the response of most guys was. They never stayed around once they heard. She was still waiting for Prince Charming. She should have learned by now that she probably wasn’t going to find him, not in this day and age. She took a deep breath and tried again.

“Mark, what I’m trying to say is that I’m very old-fashioned when it comes to intimacy. I need a permanent commitment before I could even consider it.” Julie shook her head then tried for a quirky smile.

Mark was speechless. Jeez! She was 26 years old. How in the world did she stay a … cripes! “You mean you’re still a …?”

Julie gave a shrug and a small halfhearted laugh. "I know, most people think it's ridiculous in this day and age, but that’s how I was brought up and I can’t change who I am inside.”

Mark stared at Julie in wonder. She was an incredibly moral person and she felt she had to justify it. God! What kind of world did they live in?

Mark reached over and took Julie’s hands in one of his and smiled down at her. “You amaze me, Julie Anne DeRoche. Any guy would consider it a privilege to be with you.”

Julie gave him a dubious look.

“All right,” Mark conceded. “Not the guys your age. They’re still trying to get into a girl’s pants. But someday, some lucky guy will be very appreciative of what you’re giving him. Who knows, maybe it’ll be me.” He stared deeply into Julie’s doubtful eyes. “You know, a wise man once told me that some things are worth the wait. It was good advice. And it was free!”

“My dad, right?” Julie gave a little laugh.

Mark nodded and smiled.

Julie grinned, “Mark, what did I do to deserve you?”

“I don’t know,” Mark declared with a laugh. “But it must have been something pretty bad.” What did I do to deserve you? is a more accurate question, Mark realized.

Julie just shook her head. The moment that she had been dreading, had ended so differently from how she had expected it to. “Thank you, Mark,” She said seriously. “ Thank you for understanding. You’re too good to be true. I keep waiting for the skeleton to come out of the closet.”

“Oh, skeletons?” Mark quipped dramatically. “Nope, we keep those skeletons safely locked in the closet. And the basement. And the garage. And the attic. Lots of skeletons. Lots of skeletons.” Mark shook his head.

Julie’s mood lightened and she grinned at Mark. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. He held her there for a long while, wondering about the outcome when those skeletons finally did come out.

Julie and Mark were snuggled up on the couch watching an episode of Remington Steele. Mark always enjoyed this show when he actually had a chance to watch it. Some of the situations seemed familiar. On the show they were always trying to put the bad guys away and usually managed to break a few small laws in the process. Of course, neither he nor the judge wore expensive Italian suits to do their crime fighting. But it was only TV, anything could happen there. This was real life. At the moment though, real life didn’t seem too bad. Julie was curled up next to him, most of his long list of chores were done, and he still had about three weeks before he had to go back to class.  

The show was just ending and Mark was pulling Julie close for a kiss when the phone rang. Julie looked up expectantly and Mark just continued his move saying, “It’s for the Judge. They don’t want to talk to me.” His lips descended on hers.  

Julie forgot about the phone until she heard the machine come on and a loud, gruff voice bellow. “McCormick! McCormick, where the hell are you? I’ve been calling you all day. Why haven’t you picked up the damn phone?”

That got Mark’s attention. He disengaged himself from Julie with a muttered “sorry” and ran to the desk, all the while the voice continued to rant and rave.

Mark grabbed the phone and breathlessly answered, “I’m here, Judge. What do you need?”

Mark flinched and moved the phone away as the earsplitting tirade continued. Julie chuckled at the faces Mark was making during the Judge’s obvious lecture. Several times Mark tried to break in with “Judge, Judge” but it wasn’t doing much good. Mark moved to sit in the judge’s chair one hand holding the phone, the other running through his hair, while shaking his head in disbelief.

“Hardcase!” Mark finally shouted into the phone. When silence eventually came on the other end of the line, Mark finished. “Listen, Judge, I’m sorry I didn’t get the phone earlier, but I was finishing up that list you gave me.” Mark listened for a minute, then continued. “Yeah, it’s mostly done. I just have to do a bit more on the fountain, but I had to wait for some of the cement to dry before I finished the rest.” Mark listened some more, then said, “What do you mean, who did I hire to do the work for me? I didn’t pay anyone to help.” At this, he looked up at Julie and gave her a huge wink and a big grin.  

The judge continued his side of the conversation and Mark listened intently for a few minutes. Then he got up and moved towards the judge’s files saying, “Yeah, hold on. I’ll see if it’s here.” Mark opened a file drawer and started rifling through it asking, “Well, what did you file it under?” and then, “Don’t blame me. I’m not your secretary, though God knows you could use one. Okay, here it is. I found it.” Mark sat back at the desk with the desired file in front of him and opened it. He read some numbers off to the judge and started to close the file. Suddenly, Mark got a strange look in his eyes and almost yelled into the phone. “You want me to what?”

Mark shook his head as he continued the conversation. “Oh no! I am not driving five hours to bring you a stinking file, no way! I'll Express Mail it to you, but you can forget the hand delivery, Judge; it’s not gonna happen.”

Julie watched as Mark continued to argue with Judge Hardcastle, but he didn’t appear to be making any headway. Finally he sighed and gave in. “You are such a stubborn donkey, you know that, Hardcase? Fine, I’ll leave in the morning.” Mark thought that was the end but soon straightened up again. “Tonight! Judge, are you out of your mind? It’s already after eleven. I wouldn’t get there until after four. You think Judge Taft wants me banging on his door at four in the morning? Yeah, I know you don’t care but I do. Beside I happen to have company right now.” He threw an apologetic glance in Julie’s direction. “Okay, fine! But you are so gonna owe me for this one. Give me the directions.” Mark quickly scribbled some notes on some paper and then hung up. Then his head slumped down on the desk and his hands looked like they were about to rip his hair out. Julie heard a noise like a small scream coming from under Mark’s hands and then he looked up and smiled. “Wanna go for a little ride?”  

Mark walked over to the couch and gathered Julie back into his arms. “That man should be locked up. He is a menace to society and to me in particular. I’m really sorry, Julie. You probably heard. The judge is insisting I bring this stupid file to him tonight. He’s decided to buy this little cabin on Antelope Lake and he needs these financial documents by morning.”

“It’s okay, Mark.” Julie smiled sweetly at Mark and then his upset expression gave her the courage to initiate a sweet kiss.

“Thanks, Angel. You are, you know, a real angel.” Mark kissed her back just as sweetly. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into coming with me? You might actually keep me awake.”

“At this time of night, I don’t think I could keep myself awake, never mind anyone else. Come on, I’ll make some coffee to take with you. Then you can take me home and get going.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch after her.

A short while later, Mark was walking Julie to her door. “I’ll probably crash at Judge Taft’s for a few hours tomorrow and then start back in the afternoon. There is no way I’m sticking around any longer than I have to. I’ll call you when I get back. If it’s too late tomorrow, then I’ll call Friday morning. Okay?”

Julie nodded, “That’s fine. Just be careful driving. If you really can’t stay awake, pull over. I’m sure Judge Hardcastle wouldn’t like it if he had to go scrape you off a road somewhere. Promise me.”

“I promise,” Mark vowed, and gave Julie a kiss that would have to get him through five hours of driving.

Mark opened one eye at the sound of voices and the slamming of a door. The other eye followed, then a groan as he realized where he was. He had driven over five hours and then had to bang on the door of the cabin for almost ten minutes before Hardcase roused himself enough to open the door. He had shoved the file into the judge’s hand and then made a beeline for the nearest couch. He had passed out almost immediately. The couch had been cramped but Mark had been so tired he hadn’t really cared too much. But now it was… He looked at his watch…almost eleven a.m. His muscles started to protest first followed by his stomach and then his bladder. He’d had way too much coffee last night trying to stay awake and get here in one piece so the bladder was the first thing he needed to listen to. He looked around. He was in a large room with tall windows lining opposite walls. A third wall was covered in fieldstone with a fireplace. The fourth wall had kitchen cabinets, stove, fridge etc on the left side and a few doors on the right side. He guessed that one of those doors was a bathroom.  

After discovering which door and taking care of his problem, he took the opportunity to really look around. It was a beautiful place, a bit rustic but certainly not primitive. It had all the amenities one would need during a vacation. There was a good deal of furniture placed around the room for several purposes; one area for eating, one for sitting in front of the fire and several for looking out the windows at the incredible views. You could see both the lake and nearby mountains from inside.  

Mark’s stomach rumbled and he realized he hadn’t had anything to eat since last night with Julie. He raided the fridge and had just sat down with a huge sandwich when the outside door opened.  

“Made yourself at home, McCormick, did ya?” Judge Hardcastle growled.  

“Now don’t be too hard on him, Milt. The boy did bring those papers to you this morning. He’s probably starving and the least we can do is give him a decent meal before he helps us around here,” Judge Vincent Taft shot back at Hardcastle. “He’s gonna need his energy.”

“Energy?” Mark mumbled around a huge bite of sandwich. He quickly washed it down with the large glass of milk he had helped himself to. “Hold on, just a minute here! I said I would bring the file to you. I didn’t sign up for any labor-intensive duties. I plan on finishing this sandwich and heading back home.”

“Didn’t I tell you, kiddo?” The judge asked with a twinkle in his eye. “Vince here is planning on moving his stuff out this week and I promised him I’d help. Then you and I are going to give this place a thorough cleaning before I put any furniture in. Much easier to do when it’s empty. Don’t you agree?”

“Juuuuuudge!” Mark whined in his best inconvenienced voice. “It’s bad enough you interrupt my date, but then you make me drive five hours in the middle of the night out into the middle of nowhere only to sleep on a couch that’s too small. Now I find out you already volunteered me for moving duty and expect me to clean this place as well. Come on, Judge, this was supposed to be time off for me.”

“Come on, McCormick, it’ll be fun!” Judge Hardcastle grinned widely. “Besides, why do you think I told you to bring the truck instead of the Coyote?”

Mark spoke through clenched teeth. “I guess I wasn’t thinking beyond getting this file to you and returning to the nice warm arms that were holding me when you called.”  

“Whose arms were those?” Hardcastle asked curiously. Mark had only mentioned the one date about a week ago, and he had come home early that night. He had made some excuse about the girl working early the next morning but Milt wasn’t sure if that was true or just a way of saving face because the date hadn’t worked out. And McCormick had been very quiet afterwards. But he had not mentioned the date or the girl since, and McCormick never lost an opportunity to brag about one of his dates.  

Mark looked at the judge and opened his mouth. Then he shut it again. He still wasn’t ready to share this with Hardcastle. He usually didn’t keep things like this from him but he was almost afraid to jinx the relationship. He hadn’t felt this way since he had met Kathy. But he and Kathy had been in different places in their lives at that point. She had been finishing her degree and was ready to explore her new career. Mark had still needed to play yard boy/Tonto to Hardcastle for another two years until his parole was up. Yeah. Different places. Now Mark could hardly dare hope that this relationship with Julie might actually work out. Yes, it would have been better if he had met her next year at this time. But he was a lot closer to reaching his goal now than he had been several years ago. He answered the judge with a vague, “Just a girl I met recently.”

The judge let it drop figuring he could wheedle the info out of McCormick while they were cleaning. He clapped his hands and in a booming voice roared, “Come on, McCormick, finish that sandwich. We’ve got work to do!”

Julie looked at the clocked and groaned. It was already past one o’clock in the afternoon. Half the day was already wasted. She’d better get out of bed if she wanted to do anything today. But she was still exhausted. She had pulled a double on Saturday because of a huge freeway pile-up that had packed the ER. They had changed her Sunday shift to start at three p.m. but another wave of accidents and sickness had kept her at the hospital until well past four in the morning and she hadn’t gotten home and in bed until close to six. She dragged herself out of bed, jumped in the shower, and then went downstairs to get some breakfast. Make that lunch.  

She went outside after lunch and started planting some of the annuals her mom had picked up. She was hoping that the gardening would sooth her nerves. She hadn’t heard from Mark on Thursday evening like he had said, and Friday had come and gone with still no word. When she left Sunday afternoon for work, her mom had stated that he still had not called. He knew she was usually home around four and should have called then. That’s if he was planning on calling at all. She was starting to get the message that maybe he was like all the others. He had just been much sweeter about it, saying her innocence didn’t bother him. But apparently after thinking about it for a while, he must have come to the conclusion that she wasn’t worth the wait. Why did she even try? She was beginning to think she should just go join a convent. But the thoughts she had when Mark kissed her were hardly that befitting a woman of God. She threw herself into planting, willing the time to pass.

Mark dialed the number again hoping Julie would be home this time. He had tried as soon as he got home on Saturday, but she was still at work. He had tried again Sunday around five, but again she was at work. Now it was Monday afternoon and he heard the machine click on. He left his name and number and hung up. Had she really been working or was she just trying to avoid him. She usually was home around four on weekends. And she hadn’t returned his calls. Her sister Debbie had answered the phone the first few times and he began to wonder if she had instructions to get rid of him if he called. But why would she do that? Had she found out about his record? No, how could she have? Maybe she didn’t like how fast he had been moving last week. Too many maybes. He’d just have to be persistent. He’d call again around suppertime. Her family usually ate around six. He hated to interrupt dinner, but figured it was a good time to guarantee she’d be home.

At supper that night Debbie thankfully hogged the conversation. Julie wasn’t sure she could say much anyway. Observant as ever, her mom had to ask, “What’s gotten you so down, Julie?”  

Julie sighed, “It’s nothing really. It’s just that Mark said he’d call when he got back Thursday, but now it’s Monday and I still haven’t heard from him. It’s no big deal. I’m just being silly.” Julie shrugged.

“Of course you’re not being silly,” her mother responded gently. “You really like Mark. Your father and I like him too. He seems very nice. Maybe he just got busy with something else. He might still call.”

“If he hasn’t called yet…” Julie began.  

Debbie began to come out of her self-absorption to comprehend the vein of the conversation around her. “What are you talking about?” she interrupted. “Mark’s called like three times.”  

Julie’s head snapped up and she glared at her sister. “What do you mean he’s called three times? Why didn’t you tell me?” Julie was almost shouting.

“Well, he called while you were at work Saturday and again Sunday so I just took his number.” Debbie defended herself . She got up, grabbed a piece of paper off the kitchen counter and threw it at Julie.

“This only has a phone number on it,” Julie snapped as she glanced at the paper, “how was I supposed to know it was Mark’s or even that he called?”

“Hey, don’t blame me! I took his number down. Besides he left a message on the machine, too.” Debbie reached over the halfwall into the kitchen and pressed the play button on the answering machine.

Mark’s voice piped up, “Hi Julie! It’s Mark. Call me when you get a minute okay. The number’s…” and he rattled off the number Julie was holding in her hands. The machine then announced the date and time of the call.

“Wait a minute!” Julie shouted. “That was today. I was home then. How come I didn’t hear that call come in?”  

“You were outside in the garden at the time,” Debbie explained. “I was just coming in from school when I heard him talking on the machine. Since it wasn’t for me, I didn’t bother picking it up.”

“And you didn’t bother letting me know that he had just called either, did you?” Julie’s anger was starting to build.  

Her mother tried to diffuse the situation. “Honey, at least now you know he did call you. Apparently he’s still interested. You should be happy about that. You’ve got the number, call him.”

“Mom aren’t you always saying a girl shouldn’t call a guy?” Julie asked, confused.

“Well, not initially. But it’s perfectly fine to return a phone call. That’s not being too forward,” Nancy reasoned.

Julie was in a quandary. She wanted to see Mark again, but she didn’t want to appear too pushy or clingy. She sighed again and then jumped as the phone rang behind her. She sprang to her feet and grabbed it before Debbie could. A smile and blush came to her face as she heard the voice she had been so anxious to hear all weekend.

Mark roared down the PCH with Julie’s arms wrapped tightly around him. It was such a beautiful night he couldn’t stand to be inside so he had taken his motorcycle out. Of course Julie had looked a little apprehensive when he had pulled up in front of her house on this and told her to hop on. But he’d promised he’d take it slow and make sure she didn’t get hurt and she had agreed. Now, with her body pressed tightly against his and her arms wrapped snugly around him, he thought he might have to take the bike every time they went out. This was just too nice. He turned onto the old beach road and pulled into the parking lot near the sand. He got off the bike and faced Julie helping her dismount as well.

“Come on, I know a great place to sit and watch the waves,” Mark said as he grabbed the blanket he had brought and took her hand. A short while later they were comfortably seated on the sand, leaning against a large boulder. The beach was deserted and the moonlight looked incredible on the water. He scooped Julie into his arms and gave her a small kiss.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call on Thursday, but the judge had plans for me once I got to the lake,” Mark explained. He told her about it and how he hadn’t returned until late Saturday afternoon.

“That’s okay,” Julie returned. “I ended up pulling a double Saturday and extra hours Sunday, so I wouldn’t have been able to see you those days anyway. I’m just sorry I didn’t get your messages. Debbie’s great at answering the phone, just not so great in the message department. I didn’t realize that you had even called until tonight.”

Mark sensed Julie’s uncertainty and looked questioningly at her. “Did you think I wouldn’t call?”

“I wasn’t sure,” Julie answered truthfully. “After what happened in the pool…well, let’s say some guys find that a good excuse not to ask me out again.”  

“Well, I’m not some guys. At this point in my life, I’m not after a one-night stand or quick and easy sex. Not that I wasn’t at one point in my life,” Mark quipped. “But my goal after I finish school is to start a normal life. You know…nine to five job, house with a yard, beautiful wife, a bunch of kids.” Mark’s face turned pensive. “I’ve never had that but somehow I think that’s just what I want. Some people might say it’s boring, but after the life I’ve lead, I think it would be incredible.”  

“Your life’s been that bad, huh?” Julie inquired sincerely.

“The last couple years haven’t been too bad,” Mark realized. “Law school has helped make it a bit more normal. But it also makes me realize how many years of my life I’ve wasted. I feel so old compared to most of the students in my classes.”

“Yeah, you’re ancient!” Julie joked. “So, what would you have changed about your life?” Julie wanted to know.

Mark looked skyward and laughed. “Oh, about a million things. I guess the first would be to spend more time with my mom. Quality time. Not her begging me to be good right before she rushed off to one of her many jobs. I wasn’t exactly a poster child back then.”

Mark stared off into the ocean and Julie could see the sadness in his face as memories came rushing back. She didn’t want to make him relive any more pain than he had to but she was also curious as to what made Mark who he was today. She took his hand and gently whispered, “Tell me about your mom. How old were you when she died?”

Mark looked down at their clasped hands and squeezed hers tight. He looked back at where the ocean met the star-filled sky before he spoke. “I was in junior high. She was working a few jobs to make ends meet. She worked at this convenience store down the street at night. She didn’t want to be too far away since she had to leave me by myself. One night, a couple guys came in looking for some easy money.” Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Anyway, cops told me she died of some heart problem after one of the guys shoved her around too much. I don’t really know. I was pretty young. Nobody ever told me much. Figured I was just some stupid kid.”

Mark looked down at Julie and found tears glistening in her eyes. She held tight to his hand and murmured, “I’m so sorry. You had other family to take care of you after that?”

“I got bumped around to a few foster homes for a while. Then my grandmother, who lived in Florida with her new husband,” Mark made a face at this “found out and insisted my uncle take me in. She figured he’d be better at whipping me into shape. I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have preferred the foster homes.”

Julie looked confused. “Why?”

“My uncle and his wife weren’t exactly warm and fuzzy, if you know what I mean,” Mark responded bitterly. “But at least he didn’t seem to care when I disappeared for a few days at a time. The foster homes always made sure you showed up when you were supposed to. And they sent the cops after you if you didn’t. My uncle only sent the cops after me when I took his car.” Mark laughed a sad little laugh.

“You took his car? How old were you?” Julie asked surprised.

Mark gave her a crooked smile. “Fourteen. The first time”

Julie was alarmed. “Fourteen? And why would you disappear for a few days?”

Mark sobered up. “My uncle never liked me much. I was just his sister’s bastard kid. And he wasn’t a fun drunk. So when he went on a binge, I thought it would be easier to sleep on the street somewhere than to be his personal punching bag.”

“How often did he drink?” Julie asked, shocked.

Mark’s jaw got ridged and his eyes turned cold as if he were reliving the memory. He answered slowly, “Every night for three years.”

Julie couldn’t believe she was hearing this. The tears started to blur her eyes, and she wanted to tell him to stop, but he seemed to need to get this out.

“One night,” Mark began, “I couldn’t sneak out of the house fast enough and he cornered me at the top of the stairs. He started yelling at me and pushing me around. I knew it was just a matter of time before his fists started swinging, so I shoved him away. He grabbed me by the shirt and tried to back me into the wall, but he was so smashed that I ended up going down the stairs instead.”  

Julie gasped, horrified but Mark continued.

“I guess the stress of the fight and the guilt from pushing me down the stairs was too much for him. He keeled over, apparently from the same heart condition my mother had. Of course, everyone blamed me. It was my fault he was angry. My fault we were fighting. I think the only reason I didn’t end up in Juvenile Hall was my social worker thought the bruises and broken collarbone I got from the fall justified my fighting back.”

When Mark was done with his story, he looked down at Julie expecting revulsion at his pathetic life, or maybe pity. He didn’t expect the tears running down her face and the look of sadness but also of…respect.  

Through her tears, Julie told Mark, “All that and you still treat people so fair. I can’t even fathom what you went through.” The tears continued to fall.  

Mark put his hand up to Julie’s face and whispered softly, “Oh no, Angel, don’t! Shh! Don’t cry! I don’t know why I told you all that. I haven’t shared that with too many other people. But you’re such a good listener, so easy to talk to. I guess I just got lost in the past for a while. You make me forget that we just met not two weeks ago. It’s like I’ve known you forever. How do you do that?”  

Julie just shrugged and whispered, “I don’t know.”

Mark continued, “Your family is like that, too. Don’t ever take them for granted, Julie. Family is very important, especially a good one like you have.” Mark pulled her close and kissed her tearstained face. She snuggled into his arms and they both gazed out over the water at the stars, enveloped in thought.

“Now Professor Howard is a great guy and pretty interesting.” Mark was filling Julie in on their way to the first class of Health Law. “You just have to make sure you don’t get him started talking about his law school days. Apparently, everything was so much harder back then. You know, the ol’ walking-to-school-ten-miles-in-a-snow-storm-uphill-both-ways sort of deal. I get enough of that with Hardcase.”

“Speaking of Judge Hardcastle, when am I going to meet him?” Julie pondered out loud. “We’ve known each other about a month and I figured I would have met him by now. But he never seems to be home.”  

“He hasn’t been home much lately,” Mark answered back. At least not anytime Julie was coming over. Mark had made sure of that. It’s not that he didn’t want Julie to meet the judge and vice versa, but he hadn’t told Julie yet about his prison background. He hadn’t told the Judge all that much about Julie, either. Oh, the judge now knew her name and the basics about her, but Mark had tried to keep his feelings for her to himself.  

He sometimes felt a little guilty about spending so much time with Julie instead of Hardcastle. But he reasoned that if it weren’t for law school, he would have moved out and got a job a few years ago, anyway. He knew the judge accepted that he was moving on with his life, that he wanted to be more than just a yard boy/sidekick. He couldn’t compare his relationship with the judge to his relationship with Julie. It was apples and oranges. But with Julie, the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. They got along so well and felt very comfortable when they were with each other. She was fast becoming a very good friend as well as a romantic interest. So, instead of asking the judge to lie for him (which he would never do) he just made sure that the judge was never home when Julie came over, or he finagled invites to her home whenever the judge was at Gull’s Way. He continued the half-truth. “The judge has been busy getting his new lake-front cabin all set.”

Julie let the subject drop as they walked into the classroom and settled into seats next to each other. But she still wondered about Judge Hardcastle. The classroom started filling up with a few more students and she noticed her friend, Cheri, wander in. She and Cheri worked together on weekends at the hospital. They had known each other since they were kids and had stayed good friends. Mark had met Cheri a few times at Julie’s house and they seemed to get along fine. Cheri came in and sat in front of Julie and started chatting. Julie noticed that Mark knew a good amount of the students in the class. As approximately half of them were law students, she figured he would. She especially noticed how many female students came over to say “Hi!” and find a seat not too far from him.  

Mark was flipping through the textbook when he heard a soft, throaty voice from right behind his ear. No! God no! Not Veronica! Veronica was a law student also, and he’d made the mistake of taking her out back in his first year of law school. The woman was a barracuda and bold as brass to boot. They had only had one date, but he had unwisely spent the night. She seemed to think that gave her some rights where he was concerned. When he’d tried to let her down gently, she had not taken it well. Luckily, they had been in very few classes together and she had latched onto a few other guys as well. But her hands on his shoulders and her breath in his ear did not seem a good sign.  

“Hey, Mark. Looking good!” Veronica’s deep chuckle made Mark cringe.  

“Hey, Veronica. How ya doin’?” Mark replied with disinterest.  

“I’m great, as you can see!” she purred. “It’s been too long since we’ve been in the same class. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”

“Now what would make you think that?” Mark responded sarcastically. He did not need to have this woman latching on to him in her usual aggressive way, especially with Julie looking on. Julie was so confident and sure of herself when it came to her job, her family, and other areas but he had a feeling she was still unsure of their relationship. He could sense it whenever other women were around, specifically assertive ones like Veronica. She never complained or got upset, but she would retreat a bit into herself until Mark focused his attention back to her. He looked over at her now and noticed she was very studiously looking at her book. He could tell she wasn’t really seeing it though.

Julie turned another page automatically. She knew Cheri was watching her to see what she would do about this trollop who had draped herself all over Mark. But she didn’t plan on doing anything. Mark was a big boy, and if he didn’t want this buxom, blond bombshell hanging all over him, then he could do something about it. They may have been seeing each other for the past month but that didn’t mean she owned him. Although this woman seemed to think she did. Julie’s head popped up in surprise when she heard Mark’s voice.

“Veronica,” Mark started as he tried to move so she was no longer touching him. “Have you met my girlfriend, Julie, and her friend, Cheri?” Mark reached over, took Julie’s hand and gave her a huge smile. “They’re nursing grad students.” Mark looked into Julie’s eyes and tried to give her a reassuring grin.  

“Girlfriend?” Veronica repeated as though it were a dirty word. Then her smile turned mischievous and she continued. “Well then, we should get together and exchange notes. We could discuss all of Mark’s rather,” her eyebrow raised, “remarkable talents.” She gave Mark’s shoulders one last caress and then took a seat on the other side of the room.

Professor Howard took that opportune moment to walk in and class began. Julie was quiet after class and during the ride home, too. Mark knew he should say something but wasn’t sure what. He tried anyway, hoping Julie would understand.

“Julie, about Veronica…” Mark began.

“What about Veronica?” Julie replied. “She’s very attractive and seems quite…friendly.”

“Friendly, huh?” Mark looked amused. “I think I’d use words like bold, aggressive, annoying. The woman makes my skin crawl.”

“Really?” Julie laughed. “Well, I don’t think she feels the same way about you, Mark.”

“No. Unfortunately not. Listen, Julie,” Mark ventured. “We actually went out once, as you probably figured out already. But it was several years ago and it was only once. I don’t want you to think that I’m still interested in her.”

“Mark,” Julie interrupted. “You don’t have to defend yourself to me. I’d pretty much figured out that you’ve had an …active love life. I do wonder sometimes why you bother with someone like me since you’re not…”

“Hold on!” Mark cried and swung the car off the road into a nearby parking lot. He shut the car off and looked tenderly into Julie’s mystified eyes. “Don’t ever question why I’m seeing you! It’s because I want to see you! I really enjoy being with you, Angel. You’ve become very special to me. The way you listen and talk to me makes you an unbelievable friend. And then this…” Mark leaned in and gave Julie a quick but passionate kiss, “shows me you’re more than a friend, too. I won’t lie and say I’ve never been with other women, but I haven’t had any kind of a relationship with anyone else in a few years. After meeting you, Angel, the Veronicas of this world don’t hold any interest for me anymore. Please believe me!”  

Julie’s face lit up with a gorgeous smile. “I do believe you, Mark. But thanks for saying it anyway. And if Veronica plasters herself all over you again, I may have to haul off and clock her one.”

Mark threw his head back with a huge howl of glee. “Oh, I would pay big money to see you do that, sweetheart. Maybe I should flirt with her just a little bit, huh?”

“Don’t even think about it, buster!” Julie smirked. “’Cause I’ll take you on, too. Let’s leave your past in the past, okay?”

“Deal!” Mark vowed, and only hoped when it came time to tell her more about his past, she would feel the same way.

“Skid! Where the heck you been?” Teddy Hollins threw the words at Mark as he straddled a stool at the bar. “I haven’t seen you in like, two months.”

“Sorry, Ted. I’ve been busy with school and stuff,” Mark returned. “You know how the judge is. He never lets up with the yard work.”  

“Yeah, I know. Hey, let me get you a drink. I’ve got to start my shift in half an hour.” Teddy ordered Mark a beer and himself a club soda. He settled on the stool next to Mark. “So, that gorgeous creature you brought here last time, you still seeing her?”

Mark smiled, “Yeah, I am. She is so incredible, man, you wouldn’t believe it!”

“Incredible huh?” Teddy’s eyebrows went up and down lasciviously. “She got a sister you could introduce me to?”

“Not like that, you idiot,” Mark snapped, a bit irritated . “She’s a real nice girl. And she’s got two sisters, but I wouldn’t introduce you to either one.”  

“A nice girl?” Teddy scoffed. “Why you want to go out with one of those, Skid?”

“I’m not getting any younger, Ted, and neither are you,” Mark pointed out. “Maybe you should start thinking about the future, man. I know I am. You know, the next generation of McCormicks.”

“Whoa, Skid! Slow down! It’s not like we’re pushing fifty here or nothing,” Teddy mocked. “I need a little excitement in my life first.”

“You forget that I live with the original Lone Ranger,” Mark reminded Teddy. “Believe me, life with Hardcase has been anything but dull. I’ve had enough excitement with him to last ten lifetimes. You want excitement? You go live with Hardcase. But don’t forget your bulletproof vest.”

“Nah! I don’t need that kind of excitement. But are you serious about settling down with some dame?” asked Teddy.

“It’s not like I’ve asked her to marry me or anything, Ted. But, yeah. I can see myself getting real serious with this one. She’s different. I wasn’t planning this; it just happened. Maybe it’s not perfect timing, but I don’t want to take the chance of losing her. I might not find someone like her again.”

“Wow! Sounds like love. Is it, Skid?” Teddy asked sincerely.

“Might be,” Mark agreed. “Pretty close, anyway. You met her. She’s dynamite to look at. But she’s also smart, and she’s funny and she’s really sweet.”

“Definitely a looker, Skid. But hey, the night you came in, what was that roommate thing about?” Teddy was curious.

“Weeeeell,” Mark looked uncomfortable, “I hadn’t exactly told her about my time in Quentin. I didn’t think it would go over big on our first date. You know what I mean? I appreciate your playing along.”

“Hey, no problem. But apparently she was okay with it once you told her, right?” Teddy looked at Mark and repeated. “Right, Skid?”

Mark sat there feeling miserable and looking guilty as hell.  

Teddy couldn’t believe it. “You didn’t tell her?” He almost shouted. At Mark’s pained look he continued. “What the hell were you thinking, Skid? Why haven’t you told her?”

“I want to, it just hasn’t been the right time,” groaned Mark. “I wanted her to get to know me first. But now we have this class together. It’d be pretty awkward if she breaks up with me while the class is still running.”

“How much longer till this class ends?” inquired Ted.

“Just a few more weeks. Then I’ve got to tell her. I can’t put it off any longer,” Mark responded regretfully.

“Well, good luck, buddy. I think you’re gonna need it. I gotta get to work now, Skid. You take it easy. And have another drink on me before you head out.”

Mark gave a small wave of his hand and said, “Thanks, Teddy. See ya.”  

He knew Teddy was right. He should have told Julie long before now.

“Park Place, that’s mine,” Nancy squealed. “You owe me $500. Pay up.”  

Laurie groaned and grudgingly counted out the money to hand over to her mother. “Mom, you get way too much pleasure out of robbing us blind, you know that.”

“What are you talking about, dear.” Nancy responded matter-of-factly. “I have several buildings on that property and you need to pay rent. It’s a simple business transaction, nothing more.”

Laurie shook her head as Mark rolled the dice and moved his little metal racecar around the board. “Pacific Avenue,” he stated. “Mrs. D., you have both Pennsylvania and North Carolina Avenues. Getting Pacific Ave. would give you a monopoly on the board. Think you might be willing to make a deal?” Mark asked shrewdly.

Nancy’s eyes sparkled, “Oh, I do like someone who can really play this game. You know, Mark, I may be interested in doing some business with you. What’s your offer?”

Mark smirked at the astute woman sitting across the table from him. “I sell you Pacific Ave. for a measly twenty dollars and you give me Baltic and St. Charles Place. Plus, I get a free trip over all of your properties.”

“All my properties!” she scoffed. “I don’t think so, young man. I’m not so easily swayed. I’ll let you have a free ride over the green properties, but not all of them.”

“The green properties and the utilities or no deal.” Mark bargained. “I’ll just keep Pacific to myself and you can kiss your monopoly goodbye.” Mark sounded blasé about the whole thing. Then he added, “and I get another piece of that cake you made for dessert tonight.”

Nancy’s eyes narrowed but her lips twitched, “You drive a hard bargain, but it’s a deal. And of course you can have as much cake as you want. It’s your birthday cake, after all.”  

After a few more rounds and some fierce transactions, Julie rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you play this game like my mother. One’s bad enough, but two of you. I can’t keep up.” She held up the few small bills she had left.

Mark looked at the board and smiled. “And you just landed on Baltic, which is now mine. I’ll take that from you as a down payment.” He took the fake money from her hand and leaned in close to whisper, “you can make the rest up to me later.” He kissed her cheek.

Julie blushed and swatted him away. Mark leaned back in his seat and watched Matt take his turn. He couldn’t believe how much fun he was having tonight. And it wasn’t the first time he’d enjoyed himself this much while at the DeRoche house. Domestic bliss had never been his thing before, but maybe he was getting soft in his old age. Or maybe all the years of excitement while racing and living with Batman had made him realize that a quiet life wasn’t so bad. Especially when you shared it with people like Julie’s family. He’d been surprised when Nancy had brought a cake with candles out after dinner. He didn’t realize that they even knew when his birthday was. But he supposed Julie had seen enough of his personal stuff that something must have had a birth date on it.  

Mark’s turn came around again and he landed on one of the railroads owned by Debbie. She started to gloat. “Okay, mister, pay up or I toss you off the train.”

“Been there, done that.” Mark replied casually as he handed over the money.

“Been where? Done what?” Laurie questioned.

“Been tossed off a train,” Mark answered.

Debbie looked skeptical, “a moving train?”

Mark nodded and Julie doubtfully said, “No, you haven’t.”

Mark nodded again and began, “A few years ago, the judge got an invitation to some judicial thing aboard the Casper Arrow.”

“The Casper Arrow?” Matt interrupted. “That hasn’t been in business for years.”

“I know,” Mark agreed, “but this guy rented it who had a grudge against the judge and a few others. He brought all of them there under false pretenses to get revenge. I was just dropping the judge off at the train station, but somehow managed to get locked in the bathroom on board. So I ended up going along for the trip, until the next morning when I got knocked out and tossed off the train.” Mark gave them a few more details of the adventure leaving out the part where he stole a motorcycle and a police car.

“My goodness, Mark,” Nancy exclaimed. “Were you hurt?”

Mark shrugged, “Nah, not much. I’ve had worse.”

“What’s worse than being thrown off a moving train?” Matt wanted to know.

“Well, a gunshot wound is pretty painful.” Mark answered truthfully.

“You’ve been shot?” Julie asked horrified.

“Only twice,” Mark informed them. “But I obviously lived through it, so nothing to get excited about.”

Matt looked thoughtful, “It sounds like your life’s been filled with excitement. A night playing board games must seem pretty tame to you.”

“Are you kidding? This is great!” Mark enthused. “Great company, good food and the only danger I’m in is maybe being taken to the cleaners by Mom here.” Mark looked around and realized that he really meant everything he had just said. Things had been much quieter since he had gone back to school. He still helped the judge out with cases every now and then, but it wasn’t quite as often and the judge seemed to keep the danger level lower than he had in the past. Mark couldn’t complain though. He was enjoying this little family scene very much. It was everything he had never had in his life. The support and caring and someone being there when you needed a hand. Of course, he had Hardcastle, but it was always nice to have a few spare friends. This kind of life was looking more desirable every minute. It was still too early in his relationship with Julie to be thinking of anything permanent and certainly not the right time in his life. However, Julie was definitely the perfect person to help him fulfill this little family fantasy he was having. He just needed to tell her about his past. He’d do it as soon as the summer session was over. He wasn’t really looking forward to it. He had a bad feeling she might not appreciate his bending of the truth. He looked down at the ‘Get out of jail free’ card in his hand. Why couldn’t I have had this a few years ago? Mark thought.

“McCormick, what the hell is your problem?” Milt Hardcastle bellowed as he walked into the den. “You’ve been moping around here for the last few days like someone stole your bicycle.”

“It’s nothing, Judge,” Mark fibbed. “Just finals, I guess. I had two today and another one tomorrow.”

“Cut it out. That’s a load of bunk and you know it,” The judge shot back. “You’ve been in school full time for a few years and you never act like this before finals. It’s more like how you act when you have girl problems. Is that it? Julie’s giving you problems.”

“Well, not exactly, Judge,” Mark spoke slowly. “I mean it is Julie, but it’s not her problem, it’s more like mine.”  

“Oh!” Hardcastle responded, slightly embarrassed. “I thought you were too young to have problems like that.”  

“Judge!” whined Mark. “That’s not it! Julie is an incredibly old fashioned girl. That hasn’t even been an issue.”

“Well.” Hardcastle looked relieved. “Nothing wrong with being old fashioned. Course I can’t comment on anything to do with her since I’ve never met her. And why is that, McCormick? Not that you need my approval or anything but you’ve been seeing her for how long?”  

“Three months,” Mark answered, “Three unbelievable months!”

“So how come I haven’t gotten to meet her yet? You afraid I’ll embarrass you?” The judge asked slightly miffed.

“No, Judge. It’s nothing like that,” Mark placated. “Julie really wants to meet you and I can’t wait for you to meet her. It’s just that…” Mark trailed off.

“Just what, McCormick?” The Judge asked gruffly.

“It’s just that there are things about me that I’ve kind of been remiss in telling her.” Mark tried not to flinch as he spoke.

Hardcastle stared back at him. “And what things would that be?”

“Things like spending two years in San Quentin.” Mark physically cringed waiting for the explosion he knew was coming. He continued regardless. “And any information regarding past crimes or arrests. You know, that kind of stuff.”

“I don’t believe you, McCormick,” Hardcastle blasted. “You’ve seen this girl almost everyday for three months and you never told her. And what does that have to do with my not meeting her?”

“Well, I’d never ask you to lie for me Judge,” Mark got out. “But I thought that at some point if you were together, you might accidentally spill the beans.”

“You’re right!” Hardcastle conceded. “I wouldn’t lie for you. But why didn’t you tell her the truth?”

“Because, Judge,” Mark lamented. “I didn’t want to lose her. I told you, she’s a really nice girl, and if she had known about all that stuff when we first started seeing each other, she would have bolted like a scared rabbit. I just wanted her to get to know me. Not the ex-con McCormick but the guy I am now, or at least the one I’m trying to be.”

“Don’t be stupid McCormick! Why would she bolt? You happen to be a damn good catch!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Judge. I appreciate it, really! But nice, proper girls don’t always value that whole-rehabilitated thing like you do. Remember Susan?” Mark reminded him. “She was a nice, refined young lady and she wanted nothing to do with me after I told her. I even spent a fortune on her making that fancy Scaloppini dish. A whole lot of good it did me!”

“Forget Susan. She was an idiot! You haven’t told me a whole lot about this one. I take it you really care for her?” The judge inquired compassionately.

“I’ve dated so few women like her, Judge. She different! She’s not a brainless, peroxide blond with cobalt blue eyes. She doesn’t care what kind of car I drive, or what sign I am, or that I don’t look like Robert Redford. She dresses conservatively but looks great in everything she wears. She has the most gorgeous, long hair you’ve ever seen. She’s remarkably smart, nice to a fault. And she listens to me like what I’m saying is more important than anything else she’s ever heard. And it doesn’t hurt,” Mark smirked. “that when I kiss her, she sets me on fire. I’ve had to take a lot of cold showers lately, but I can’t complain. I think she’s worth it.”

“She sounds great, kid,” Judge Hardcastle agreed, “so why are you all worked up? Are you planning on telling her soon?”

“Yeah, tomorrow after the final,” Mark answered with a sigh. “That way if she breaks it off, I probably won’t see her again. The campus is pretty big. It’s easy enough to avoid someone if you want to.”

The judge looked at Mark sitting there so dejected. He wished he could offer some hope. “Do you really think she won’t understand?”

“I don’t know, Judge. I’ve told her some of the things I went through when I was a kid, and she was so supportive, but this…” Mark shook his head. “She has a very strong view of what’s right and wrong. And even if she doesn’t freak over the whole prison/ex-convict thing, she may not appreciate that I’ve been essentially lying to her since the moment we met.” Mark slumped in his chair and closed his eyes.

Milt Hardcastle hated to see the kid so down. He hoped this Julie was made of sturdy stuff and could accept the kid for who he was. God knows he’d come a long way since getting out of prison. He tried to offer some comfort. “Listen, kiddo, if this girl doesn’t see what’s right in front of her face, than she doesn’t deserve you.”

Mark opened his eyes and replied emotionally, “That’s just it, Judge. The reality is that it’s me that doesn’t deserve her. She’s way too good for me. I guess I’m just being selfish, thinking I could have someone like her. Or wishing, anyway.”

“Nonsense, McCormick!” Hardcastle thundered. “You have a lot to offer any woman. You have integrity and good values, and you’re damn loyal when it comes to those you care about. You’ve been one hell of a friend to me. And I don’t pass those compliments around lightly, you know?”

“Oh, I know, Judge, believe me,” Mark chuckled. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” Mark sounded like they had just rung his death knell.

“After you tell her,” The Judge instructed. “If she’s still interested, I definitely want to meet her.”

“Okay, Judge.” Mark consented. “You’ve got a deal!”

The final had been grueling enough without Mark’s mind wandering to the conversation he needed to have with Julie. I am not looking forward to this, he thought, but now was the moment of truth. They were in the car and Mark had to bite the bullet. Julie’s been very quiet today. I wonder if she senses something. Mark pulled into the parking lot at the beach. This is as good a place as any. The day was cloudy and gray so the beach was empty. Kind of how I feel right now, Mark thought.

Oh, God, Julie panicked. Her heart dropped to her stomach when Mark pulled into the deserted beach parking lot. Something’s up, I know it. These last few days, Mark has been fairly distant. I’ve got a really bad feeling that this is it. The day he tells me it’s over. That he’s a normal male and needs more than some hot kisses and cuddling. She couldn’t really blame him, but neither would she compromise her beliefs and values. Not for any man. Not even one who had treated her better than anyone else ever had. Or tempted her more than any other man. I need a commitment before I’ll do that and it’s far too early in this relationship to even consider that.

Mark turned to Julie and tried to appear unconcerned. “How about if we take a walk on the beach and talk, okay?”

“Sure,” Julie agreed and got out of the car. Please, make it quick, she prayed, although, I know it won’t be painless. When Mark steered her to a bench near the seawall, Julie figured she should make it easy for him. “Look, Mark, just get it over with,” she said boldly. “I don’t need a long story or fancy excuses. Okay?”

Mark was surprised and confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re going to break up with me, right?” Julie replied bitterly. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Break up with you!” Mark rasped, horrified. “God, no! Oh, Julie, no! Believe me, the last thing I’d want to do is break up with you,” Mark finished regretfully. “Although, after I tell you what I need to say, you might want to break up with me.”  

Julie was still comprehending Mark’s first statement. “You don’t want to break up?”

“No, Angel. I could never give you up voluntarily.” Mark reassured but continued. “But there is something I need to tell you.”

“What?” Julie asked curiously.

“Remember those skeletons?” Mark reminded her. “They’ve been banging on the door lately and I guess it’s time to let them out.”

“Skeletons?” Julie asked, confused.

“I haven’t been quite honest with you about some things,” Mark confessed.

“You lied to me?” Julie asked suspiciously. “About what?”

“I didn’t exactly lie,” Mark supplied. “I think of it more as a misrepresentation of the facts. I think I gave you the wrong impression about my relationship with the judge, for one.”

Okay, where is this going? Julie thought. “You’ve been friends for a long time, at least that’s what I assumed.”

“And we are friends,” Mark blurted out, “the best of friends, now. But it wasn’t always that way. I actually met the judge in court,” Mark paused, “at my trial.”  

The sentence seemed to hang in the air. It was broken by Julie’s curious voice asking, “Your trial? For what?”

“Grand Theft Auto,” Mark informed her while trying to gauge her reaction.

“Grand Theft…you stole a car?” She asked in disbelief.

“It was my car to begin with!” Mark defended. He sighed and launched into the very familiar story. “It was when I was racing and starting to actually make some money. I bought this Porsche. But the insurance premiums were killing me, so I registered the car in my girlfriend’s name. One day she tossed me out after we had a beef, and when I took my car, she had me arrested for stealing it.”

“She had you arrested for taking your own car?” Julie interrupted incredulously.  

“Yeah, it still burns me, but I suppose the judge did me a favor since I could have gotten a longer sentence for insurance fraud. He only gave me five years for the GTA.”

“Five years?” Julie asked, confused. “You were convicted? Spent time in prison?”

“Yeah, two years in San Quentin State Penitentiary, then out on good behavior, and three years on parole.” Mark explained. “My parole ended right before I started law school.”

“What judge would put you in jail for taking your own…” Julie trailed off as his earlier statement hit her. “Judge Hardcastle, he was the judge who…”

“Threw my butt in the can?” filled in Mark. “Yeah, he is.”

“So how did you end up living with him?” wondered Julie.

“Remember I told you about my friend, Flip Johnson? And that Hardcastle helped me on that case? What I neglected to mention was that I was back in Hardcastle’s courtroom because I got caught… stealing the Coyote.”

Julie just sat there with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Julie was beginning to feel like she had just been thrown down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. Mark figured he’d better finish his explanation.

“Don’t worry! It’s mine now, legally. Barbara Johnson did give it to me after we helped prove Cody killed her dad.” Mark was still watching Julie for any sign of bolting, but she just sat there like someone had told her a joke and she was trying to figure it out.

“So you went to prison when you took your own car and you stole the Coyote to help get Flip’s killer?” Julie summed up for her own benefit.

“Yeah, well that’s the Reader’s Digest version.” Mark quipped, staring out at the sea.

Mark could tell Julie was trying to assimilate all this information. He held his breath for her reaction. It came soon enough.

“That’s a pretty major part of your life, Mark,” Julie stated forcefully. “I can’t believe you never told me any of this.”

Mark sighed, “Well, it’s kind of a bummer on the first date, you know. Let’s face it. If you had found out then, there definitely wouldn’t have been a second date.” Mark’s voice lowered in a parody, “Hi, I’m Mark McCormick. I’m a convicted felon and I just spent two years in a State Penn, with killers and rapists, learning all sorts of great skills. I’ll be taking your daughter out tonight. I’m sure you won’t mind.”

“Okay,” Julie snapped, “maybe not the first date. But how about sometime after that. It’s been three months, Mark. You couldn’t have found some time to tell me between then and now?”

“I wanted you to get to know me before I told you,” Mark started to explain. “Who I am now, who I’m trying to become, not the Mark McCormick of my past. And then we started this class together, and I figured it would be awkward if we broke up and still had to see each other in class. I’m really sorry that I didn’t tell you before now, but I was being selfish. I was enjoying our time together so much I didn’t want it to end. I figured once I told you, that would be it. You wouldn’t want to see me anymore. And looking at your face right now, I think I was probably right.”

“What I want, right now,” Julie shot back at Mark, “is to wake up and find this whole thing was a dream. Is there anything else I need to know?” Julie quipped, “like you killed someone?”

She looked at Mark and saw the truth written on his face. Her face blanched, “Oh, my God! You did!”

Mark’s eyes filled with pain as he talked, “The psycho had already shot and almost killed the judge and was about to do it again to someone else. I didn’t have a whole lot of options. It’s not something I’m proud of.”

“This just keeps getting better,” Julie whispered under her breath. She looked up and continued, “You weren’t kidding when you said there were lots of skeletons. Are there any more to come out?” Julie was almost afraid of the answer to that question.

“A few,” Mark answered honestly. “The truth is… I’ve got a rap sheet a mile long. Starting when I was a kid and ending around the time I started living with Hardcastle. Maybe even later if you count all the times I’ve pulled a B & E to help the judge get some evidence to nail one of his scumbags. Of course ol’ Hardcase always looked the other way when I was picking a lock or cracking a safe, but he never turned down evidence that would get some piece of filth off the streets.”

Julie echoed Mark’s words. “B & E? Pick a lock? Crack a safe?”

“Just a few of my many talents,” Mark replied grimly, needing to get it all out. “Boosting cars was my specialty, though. I actually did it semi-legit for a while and repossessed them. Julie, look, there are a ton of things I’ve done in my life that I’m not proud of. But growing up the way I did, there were times when it was a matter of survival.” Mark paused to take a breath here. “That’s not an excuse. I know it was a lousy lifestyle, but sometimes I just felt there wasn’t any other choice. Judge Hardcastle gave me other choices, a new chance in life. He’s all about rehabilitation and starting fresh after you’ve paid your dues. Well, I’ve certainly paid dues. Now I’m just trying to get my life back on track. The right track. Working with the judge playing Batman and Robin all these years has made me come away from ‘the Dark Side,’ you know. Now my goal is to get through law school and make the judge proud of me. I want to make a positive contribution to this world. And for the first time in my life, I think I may be able to do that.” Mark finished his monologue and turned to look at Julie, afraid of what he might see on her face. She was sitting as still as could be. The only movement, her hands rubbing together as if they were cold. When she realized he had stopped talking, her head jerked up.

“I don’t know what to say, Mark.” She shook her head. Her eyes started to get moist. “It’s like we’re talking about someone I don’t even know.” Her face had a look of despair and confusion.

“The person we were just talking about is not who I am anymore,” Mark tried to assure her. “He’s in my past, which is one reason I never brought it up before. And I didn’t want to lose you, but I can see that maybe I already have.”

“Not necessarily,” Julie whispered so soft that Mark wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly.

Mark’s heart stopped for a minute. “Are you saying…”

“What I’m saying,” Julie interrupted hotly, “is that right now I don’t know what to think. All that info you just gave me is so far away from everything I know about you. Everything I’ve ever imagined about you. It’s going to take some time, alone, for me to process it all and figure out what I want to do.”

“Fair enough,” Mark conceded. “I can take a little walk or would you prefer I take you home?”

“Home,” Julie informed him.

They walked silently to the car and continued the silence most of the way to Julie’s. As Mark parked in front of the house, he turned to Julie. He took her hand and said gently. “I just want to let you know, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier. I never meant to hurt you, Angel. I would never, ever do anything is this world to hurt you intentionally. You mean too much to me. I’m probably more than half in love with you now. I know it was wrong of me not to tell you this stuff before, but I just selfishly wanted more time with you. You’re one of the few really good things I’ve had in my life. At the least, I hope you can forgive me.” Mark leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.  

Julie felt the tears that she’d been holding back, rush forward. She fought to keep them at bay for a little bit longer. She knew that she’d be feeling miserable about now, but for a very different reason. Mark had definitely turned the tables on her. Now she had to decide if she wanted to continue seeing him. If you had asked her an hour ago, she would have given a resounding “YES” but now she wasn’t sure. She hated that he had lied to her. But she almost understood why he had done it. The question was, could she forgive him and learn to trust him again. She looked up and prayed God, help me make the right decision! She exited the car and turned to Mark, who had his head down and his eyes shut.  

At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up. “I’ll call you when I can figure this out. But I’ll need some time.” She took one last look at Mark’s dejected figure and walked toward the house.  

It took Mark a few minutes before he could muster up the energy to start the car. He shifted into gear and headed down the street, not quite sure which direction to go in.

Mark cracked open another beer and took a long swig, attempting to get rid of this feeling of misery that had invaded his body. Well, what did you expect? That she would throw her arms around you and say it didn’t matter that you’d lied to her for three months. That she was so in love with you, she would forgive you anything. Mark figured that was a great dream, but unfortunately, not what really happened. Even if Julie were quick to forgive, he didn’t imagine that ‘I love you’ would be easy for her to say. When she gave her heart, it would be forever, and that would take a great deal of time and trust. Yeah, trust. That’s something she may never give me. Not after the way I lied to her. God! Why am I such a fool, sometimes? Mark tipped the can up to his mouth again, hoping it would eventually ease some of the pain. He didn’t hear the door to the gatehouse open, or the person that stepped quietly inside.

Judge Hardcastle silently closed the door behind him, while studying the doleful form of Mark McCormick slumped on the couch. Half a dozen beer cans lay like slain soldiers across the coffee table, conquered by the stocking clad feet propped on it. Hardcastle moved further into the room, his heart feeling heavy for his good friend. Things didn’t go well with Julie, he deduced as Mark looked up and took in his presence.

“Hey, kiddo,” the judge greeted, softly, “want some company?”

Mark shrugged his shoulders saying, “I’m not really in the mood for company, but suit yourself.”

The judge sat on one of the chairs realizing, if he really didn’t want me here, he’d tell me to get lost. He hated this kind of stuff, but knew the kid needed someone. If only to make sure he didn’t drink himself into oblivion. He tried to find the right words to say, “Things didn’t go the way you wanted them to, did they, kid?”

Mark gave an ironic laugh, “You could say that.”

“So, she broke up with you,” smooth move, Hardcastle, state the obvious.

“Well, not in so many words,” Mark began, “but she was really pissed that I hadn’t told her before now. She actually said that she needed time to think about everything, and she’d call me when she’d made a decision.”

“Well, that’s encouraging,” Hardcastle piped up, “she didn’t technically break up with you. That means there’s still a chance she’ll want to continue to see you.”

“Yeah,” McCormick scoffed, “and there’s still a chance the Red Sox will break the curse and win the World Series.”

“Look, kid,” Hardcastle started, “you can’t let one little mistake bring you down.”

“One little mistake?” Mark burst out with self-condemnation, “Judge, my whole life has been little mistakes. And sometimes big mistakes, too. You’re right, you know, I’m not very smart.”

The judge looked surprised, “When did I say that?”

“You used to tell me all the time, Hardcase,” Mark grouched. “You’re getting awfully forgetful, that’s not a good sign.”

Hardcastle waved off his comments and replied, “I only said that to get you to work harder. And I certainly haven’t said it since you started law school. You’re absolutely not stupid if you’ve got the highest GPA in your class.”

Mark looked at Hardcastle, shocked. “How did you know that, Judge? I never told anyone.”

“I’ve got friends at the university,” the judge shrugged, “people tell me things they think I might be interested in."

“You mean, you’ve been spying on me, Judge,” Mark accused, “making sure I’m not screwing up.”

“No!” Hardcastle defended himself. “I’m just looking out for you, making sure you didn’t need any help, you know. You’re a bright kid, McCormick, I know that, but law school can be tough. I know that, too. I figured you might be too stubborn to ask me for help if you needed it. But you didn’t need any help.”

Mark shook his head, “No, I didn’t.”

“Don’t get all bent out of shape, hotshot,” Hardcastle snapped back. “I only checked on you because I care what happens to you. I don’t like to see you hurting, like now.”  

“Thanks, Judge, but I’ll be just fine. At least I will be after a few more of these,” Mark declared as he finished off the contents in the can he was holding.  

He started to reach for another when Hardcastle stopped him. “I don’t think that’s really going to help you any, except maybe make you pass out.”

“At least then I wouldn’t feel anything,” Mark figured.

“You would in the morning, kiddo,” the judge told him, “both mentally and physically.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Judge,” Mark agreed. He let his feet drop to the floor and leaned over with his elbows on his knees. He dropped his head into his hands and heaved a huge sigh. He sat that way for a few minutes, then looked up and wistfully asked, “Did you ever wonder what your life would have been like if you’d been born into a different family?”

“Sure I did,” Hardcastle responded, “I think every kid wonders something like that at some point in their life. I used to think it would be great if my old man were Babe Ruth.”

“I’m not talking about having a famous parent,” Mark clarified, “just a different type of family.”

“You mean one where your dad doesn’t run out on you when you’re five?” the judge questioned.

“Yeah,” Mark snorted, “one like that. I look at Julie’s family and wonder what life would have been like if I’d had parents like hers. I feel so guilty thinking that way, cause my mom was a good mom. But she had to work so much just to pay for our crummy one room apartment, so I spent way too much time by myself out on the streets.”  

Mark looked solemn for a moment and Hardcastle just stayed silent, letting him finish his musings.  

Mark took a deep breath and continued, “You know, Judge, if I’d grown up in a house like that, I don’t think I would have screwed up my life the way I have. I know that sounds like a cop-out and I’m blaming all my mistakes on circumstances. I know everything that ever happened to me was the result of choices I made, but I think I would have made very different choices if I’d had the love and support of parents like Matt and Nancy.”

“Nancy?” Hardcastle asked.

“Julie’s mom,” Mark replied, “You’d like her, Judge. She’s a great cook, incredibly caring but doesn’t let any of her kids walk all over her. She can be a bit mischievous at times and plays a mean game of Monopoly.”  

“Well, I don’t know about Monopoly, but I can take you in a game of Gin Rummy.” Hardcastle challenged.

Mark seemed to come slightly back to life as he grabbed a deck of cards from the end table, cleared the fallen beer cans and growled, “you’re on.”

“Two years in San Quentin?” Cheri exclaimed. “That must have been tough.”

Julie nodded. It had been five days since Mark had come clean on his past. Julie’s distress and confusion had not abated in the least. She hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, though her mom had wondered where Mark had been lately. Julie had made some excuse about his needing to help the judge with some things. But she needed to talk to someone about it and her friend Cheri had known something was wrong. Had been urging her to share the burden. Julie had given her all the details of the conversation she had had with Mark while sitting in Cheri’s backyard.

Julie miserably asked, “What should I do, Cheri? What would you do?”

“You and I are different people, Julie,” Cheri pointed out. “So it doesn’t matter what I would do. You have to make the best decision for you. First, let’s list some pros and cons and that may help you tip the scales in one direction or the other, okay?”

“Okay,” Julie agreed. “Cons first. He lied to me. That one’s pretty big.”

“Right,” Cheri agreed.

“Although, technically he didn’t lie. He just neglected to tell me the truth about some pretty important stuff.”

“And you’ve told him all the important stuff in your life. Like when we TP’ed your Math teacher’s house because he gave you that bad grade.” Cheri chuckled.

“Some of those answers were right and I proved it to him. And he still wouldn’t change the grade. And no, I didn’t tell Mark about that. But…never mind. Second, he has a criminal record and has spent time in prison.” Julie continued.

“So you feel unsafe with him. He scares you?” Cheri prompted.

“Oh, God, no,” Julie defended. “I don’t think Mark could ever intentionally hurt someone, especially physically. Unless someone he cared about was threatened. He’s just not like that. No matter what he did in the past.”

“Okay,” Cheri pressed, “What else?”

“He’s lived a pretty colorful, almost dangerous life. Although,” Julie looked thoughtful, “I already knew about that before he told me all the other stuff. He’s been telling me stories for months now.”

“And he’s still living that way?” Cheri continued her questions.

“No, not really,” Julie clarified, “not as much anymore since he started law school.”

“Anything else?” wondered Cheri.

“Well, he… uh…” Julie thought. “Those first two are pretty big ones.”

“Yup, they are,” Cheri concurred. “Now, how about the pros.”

Julie’s eyes lit up as she smiled, “He’s sweet, and charming and polite. He has great manners, he gets along with everyone in my family, including Debbie. He should get a medal for that one alone.” Julie’s eyes turned dreamy and she continued, “his kisses make me melt. Of course, they make me want to do a lot of other things I shouldn’t be doing, either.”

Cheri chuckled, “that good, huh?”

“Hmm,” Julie hummed, “but yet, as much as I’m tempted, he respects that I don’t want to go past a certain point. And he doesn’t push me or make me feel bad about it. Sometimes I think he has more control that I do.”

“Damn him for all that control!” Cheri joked.

Julie laughed and kept going. “He’s really smart and he’s a hard worker. We worked together on a few projects in class this summer and he always more than kept up with his share of the work load.”

“Let’s not forget how damn cute he is, Julie,” Cheri reminded her. “The snug t-shirts or how nicely he fills out those jeans.”

Julie rolled her eyes but giggled anyway. “No, couldn’t forget that. But I think one of the best things about Mark is that he makes me laugh. He’s always got some joke or smart remark for most occasions. He’s gotten me out of a bad mood more times than I can count.”

“So the biggest thing is that he lied to you about spending time in prison?” Cheri confirmed.

“Well, yes, but he didn’t really lie. He just hadn’t gotten around to telling me yet.” Julie defended Mark again. She gave a deep sigh. “How can you be mad at a guy who says he only did it so he could have more time with you? A guy who claims he’s falling in love with you?”

Cheri looked intently at Julie and inquired, “So what are you really upset about, Julie? ‘Cause it doesn’t sound like you’re all that upset with Mark.”

Julie’s face took on a look of surprise and she spent a moment thinking. Then her eyes started to glimmer and sadness showed on her face. “He was right.”

“Mark? About what?” Cheri asked.

“About me.” Julie said regretfully. “Mark said he didn’t tell me at first because he didn’t think I would go out with him again if I knew early on. He’s right. I wouldn’t have. I would have been too scared to take a chance and get to know him. How can I be so narrow-minded? Mark really is an incredible guy and I would be an idiot to give him up.” Julie’s eyes got moister as she finished her sentence.

Cheri leaned over and pulled Julie into a big hug. Julie squeezed back whispering, “Thanks, Cheri, for being such a good friend and helping me work this out.”

“I just asked a few questions,” Cheri chuckled, “you figured it out all on your own. So, now what are you going to do?”

“I need to let him know,” Julie answered. “Can you call him for me and tell him to meet me back at the same beach in about an hour?”

“Why can’t you call him?” Cheri laughed.

“Because I want to tell him in person and I’ll probably blurt it out over the phone if I call.” Julie replied. “Plus, I need to go home and make myself decent. Please, Cheri,” Julie begged. “I’ll be home in a few minutes so call me if you don’t get through, okay? Thanks! You’re the greatest!” Julie ran to her car and drove the few streets over to her house.

Mark had been wandering along the beach for almost a half-hour. Cheri had called about an hour ago and, after telling the judge where he was going, had driven straight to the beach. He knew it would be a while until Julie got there, but he figured he could use the time to prepare himself. Every now and then he would raise his eyes up and whisper, “Please, God, let her understand.” He hadn’t had a good relationship with God in a long time but now he wondered if he shouldn’t try to strike some kind of a bargain. It was worth a try. “Listen, Lord, I know I‘ve been delinquent in this whole worship thing for a while now but I was wondering if we could make a deal. If you can get Julie to decide that I’m worth investing some time in, then I’ll start coming to church every week. Now I may have to be a bit stingy in the old collection basket for a while but once I get a job as a lawyer, I’ll make it up to you. I promise! I know you’re probably asking yourself why you should do anything for me. The answer is ‘I don’t know’ but I’m sort of hoping that whole forgiveness thing is still in effect. And if you help me with this, thanks!”  

Julie pulled up to the beach and parked next to the Coyote. As she got out she saw Mark a ways down the beach, wandering aimlessly. She couldn’t help but notice how dejected he appeared. He was staring out at the ocean, his hands were deep in his pockets, his shoulders were hunched and every now and then he would run his fingers through his hair. She knew he only did that when he was nervous or upset about something. It was amazing how much she actually knew about him and his little habits. But looking at him, she knew she had made the right decision. Now she just had to let him know.

Mark was looking out over the ocean thinking that maybe a big, huge wave would come and sweep him out to sea. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with this whole issue. He jumped when he heard the softly whispered, “Mark” that floated to him with the wind. He quickly turned around and found Julie standing there. Her beautiful eyes held a glint of moisture and his heart dropped into his stomach. She moved in front of him, looked into his eyes and said tearfully, “I’m sorry!”

Mark actually thought his heart stopped when she said this. He didn’t know why he was so surprised but he was hoping that his little deal with the Almighty had made a difference. Apparently too many years of sin couldn’t be wiped out in one little prayer. He tried to muster up some courage as he responded, “It’s okay.” He closed his eyes to try and control the pain. They snapped open again when he felt a soft hand touching the side of his face.

“No, Mark. I’m sorry. Because you were right about me. If you had told me all this 3 months ago on our first date or even anytime in the first month or so, I would have broken it off. And what does that say about how shallow I am? That I would have judged someone on past events before getting to know him. The truth is that you are a good person. It shows in everything that you do, in how you treat people, especially in how you treat me. Mark, you’ve always been so polite and well mannered to my family and me. You’ve respected my morals and values without putting any of them down. And you make me laugh more than anyone I know. And who am I to judge you? I’ve done things in my life that I’m not proud of , too.”

The relief Mark felt almost knocked him over. His eyes twinkled as he said, “Bet you never hot-wired a police cruiser with a cop standing twenty feet away?”  

“No!” Julie giggled. “But I think I want to hear that story later. Now,” she sobered up. “I just want you to know that if you’re still interested in me, then I’m still interested in you.”

Mark looked at her. “Are you sure, Julie? Because I need to know that six months down the road you won’t realize that you can’t handle my past. In six months, I’ll be so head over heals for you that I’d never get over it if you left. I’m in this for the long haul.”

Julie wrapped her arms around Mark’s neck and took a step closer. “I’m absolutely positive!” Mark’s arms pulled Julie close and his head bowed to seal the deal but before their lips touched Mark whispered a heartfelt, “Thank you, God!”

Their lips touched and their arms tightened and they forgot about anyone else in the world. When they did finally loosen their hold on each other it was only to gaze into each other’s eyes for a few minutes. Then Mark pulled her back into his arms again to hold her as though he would never let her go. He couldn’t believe he had gotten this lucky. He noticed that Julie still had tears falling but this time he knew they were happy tears. Maybe this day hadn’t been so bad after all. He’d have to tell the judge. At that thought, Mark backed away from Julie and claimed, “There’s someone I want you to meet!”  

“So keep your sisters away from Teddy, okay.’ Mark finished telling Julie about a few more missing pieces in his puzzle. “He may be reformed , but he’s still looking for cheap thrills and the easy way out of things.”  

Julie couldn’t believe she was finally getting to meet Judge Hardcastle. Mark talked about him constantly and with a great deal of respect. Now that Mark had filled her in on his little secret, he didn’t need to worry about the judge blowing his story. They pulled up in front of the house and Mark escorted her inside. In the front hallway Julie noticed her reflection and realized that the wind and tears had done a number on her appearance. Normally she didn’t worry about those things but she was meeting someone very important to Mark. She wanted to make a good impression. Mark noticed her pause in front of the mirror and whispered in her ear, “You look beautiful, as always!” She indicated she’d just be a minute. Mark nodded and started walking into the den.

Judge Hardcastle had been pacing for a while. He had tried to get into a movie on TV but he kept thinking about McCormick. He’d been gone over an hour. He hoped the kid wasn’t out drowning his sorrows in a bar somewhere. He thought of calling around to McCormick’s favorite haunts when he heard the Coyote pull up. By the time he had shut the TV off and moved around to the window, the front door was opening. Mark walked in and the judge thought he looked like he’d been through the wringer. This was not a good sign.

Mark walked in the door and let out a huge sigh. He couldn’t believe this was finally over and that it had ended well. However, he still felt like he’d been run over by a truck. He’d been worried about this for so long that he figured it would take a while for it to sink in that Julie was okay with everything. He grabbed the railing just inside the door and leaned against it heavily, feeling the weight of what he thought was impending doom, slide off his shoulders. He glanced up to see Hardcastle standing there looking very concerned.

“Hey, kiddo.” The Judge walked toward Mark and greeted him. He could tell the talk had not gone well. McCormick looked about ready to collapse. He needed to get him through this. He just wasn’t sure how to do it. Tea and sympathy were not his strong suit. He tried anyway. “I’m really sorry, Mark. I know this girl meant a lot to you. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Mark straightened up when he realized what the Judge was saying. “But maybe it was meant to be, Judge.” He looked over his shoulder and saw Julie finish her primping. He held out his hand and grinned as Julie walked in and took it. “Judge, I’d like you to meet Julie DeRoche. Julie, This is Judge Milton C. Hardcastle.”

It took Judge Hardcastle a moment to switch gears. He flustered a bit and then got control as he walked over and shook hands with McCormick’s romantic interest. She was very lovely with her long, dark hair and green eyes. Her sundress and loose knit sweater were indeed old-fashioned and not at all like what McCormick’s bimbos would wear. But they flattered her figure and made her look sweet and innocent. Just like Mark had said she was. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Julie. I can tell you McCormick here has been a little cranky the last few days dreading this conversation you had.”

“Yes, I know.” Julie smiled back. “And I’m glad I finally got to meet you. Mark’s told me so many wonderful things about you.”

Mark snuck his arm around Julie’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I told you that was just between us.” He stage whispered out of the side of his mouth. “Now his head’s gonna blow up. You watch.”

“I think the Judge should know that you respect him and care about him.” Julie smiled up at Mark as her arms slid around him.  

“You are the only person I would let get away with this, you know that.” Mark moved in to kiss her laughing mouth, the happiness suddenly overwhelming him.

Behind him he heard Hardcastle mutter. “See, kid. I told you she’d be okay with everything. That it would all come out fine in the end.”

Mark knew the Judge had not said anything of the sort, but he decided to drop it. He was way too grateful for all that had happened. He lifted his head from Julie’s, grinned at the Judge and said, “Now yer cookin’”

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