The sky was dark and the stars twinkled like a thousand tiny diamonds on a black velvet blanket. Sitting silently on the cool grass, Cameron sighed. Leaning against a tree, he wondered how in the world his life could be so chaotic. He had often wondered why God had let him live. Through an alcoholic father who beat and tortured his two sons to a mother who tried to protect them from their father only to be beaten and harassed herself, he marveled that it was a wonder that he and Gary had survived. Plucking a blade of grass, he twirled it between his finger and thumb. His thoughts crossed over to Amanda. Didn't they always?

Amanda was like a chameleon. On one side, she was soft, sweet, loving, kind, gentle.A simple touch there, a caress there. Walking by and giving him that brilliant smile. The twinkling of her eyes when she laughed. The way her hair fell over her shoulder when she turned suddenly. But then there was the Amanda whose eyes spit fire and narrowed in anger. Her words could cut you to the bone and discard you without another glance. The coldness she dismissed you with a stare or sudden disinterest. Cameron knew them both only too well. She had given him a ride for his money. She had let him know under no certain terms was she going to put up with any more of his secrets and impish behavior.

But they were the same. They loved one another so much it was hard to understand sometimes. Intense. Deep. Just a glance or catching one another's eye was enough electricity to supply Bay City for a month or more. There was a chemistry between them and everyone saw it, too. Gary and Josie had tried to reason with them but got nowhere. As Gary had muttered as he and Josie were leaving one night...."This is just something the two of them are going to have to figure out and work through themselves. They have to find it together. No matter how much people tell them and point it out, they can't see the forest for the trees."

Laughing, Cameron sighed and bent forward, dangling his arms on his knees and scribbling in the dirt with a dead stick. Amanda was one fine woman. He had watched her with her family. Strong. Independant. Sure of herself. She knew what she wanted in life and was going after it. She was stubborn and strong willed. It took her awhile to see the other person's side of things and then it took her more time to sift through it and understand what was what. Leaning back against the tree he let out another heavy sigh. What was it going to take to make Amanda come to him and realize that it was only her for him in his life? He had met and really got along fantastically with Allie. She was a free spirit and full of life. She had latched onto him and didn't let go. She enjoyed long walks in the park. Throwing a football. "Come on, Cameron! Don't be a butt head!" she had laughed when he threw the football easily to her. "THROW it! When you throw it like a girl.....I can't catch it!" He remembered laughing so hard that Allie had picked the football up and threw it so it hit him beside the head. He had stopped, blinking his eyes at her as she stood there with her hands on her hips. "Why you little brat," he had began with a twinkle in his eye and all the while trying to keep a smile from his lips. "Yeah? Me? Look who throws like a girl!" Allie had retorted. They had wound up in a pile on the ground, gold, yellow, red, and brown leaves falling all around them while they laughed and he tickled her. "Where did you learn to throw a football so good?" Cameron had asked while pinning Allie down with his leg. "There is a private boy's school down the street from my boarding school," Allie said matter of factly. "And there is an American boy there named Will who throws with me on the weekends. He says I throw real well." The two of them had stopped wrestling and sat together on the ground, silently enjoying one another's company. Finally, Allie had leaned over and touched Cameron's hand. "Hey, Cam," she said with her twinkling eyes and freckled face. "What, brat?" Cameron asked laughing. "Do you really like my mom?" She smiled broadly. "What? What kind of question is that!" Cameron said, trying hard not to blush but made it happen even more so. Laughing, Allie plucked some dry leaves up off of the ground and threw them at him. "Yeah, I thought so!" She giggled. Cameron looked at her at the corners of his eyes. "You are too young to be asking questions like that," he said softly. "No I am not," Allie sniffed, tying leaf stems together. "My mom really likes you. I mean REALLY likes you." Cameron felt a smile coming over his face and he tried not to look too pleased. "Oh yeh? Since when have you been Miss Cupid?" Cameron teased. Allie rocked back and forth hugging her knees to her chest. "You go ahead, Cam," she smiled winking her eye. "My mom thinks you are the cat's meow. She told me how much you mean to her." Cameron laughed and let out a big sigh. "When? When did this conversation take place?" he asked. "Shortly before I came home from Switzerland," Allie said seriously. "Come on!" she jumped up and stuck her hand out to Cameron. "Where are we going?" Cameron asked, reaching for Allie's outstretched hand as he stood up. He brushed off the bottoms of his jeans and scratched the back of his head. "Just come on and stop asking so many questions!" Allie swatted his arm. Cameron laughed and followed Allie down the yard, hand in hand.

Leaning against the tree....he laughed softly to himself. Allie had chatted constantly, telling him about Switzerland and how two girls who roomed with her were caught smoking and how they had to do extra chores around the buildings. Cameron listened to her little girl voice and felt a pang. Allie had the idea childhood. Sure, she spent time with her mother in America and her father in Switzerland where she went to school....but she was happy. She was secure. Nobody hurt her, teased her, beat her, tormented her. Her voice was full of life, innocence, laughter, childhood memories. Allie was going on and on and on about this and that and she suddenly stopped and turned to him. Grinning from ear to ear, she squeezed his hand tightly. Not understanding that he was supposed to squeeze back, she reached out and jokingly slapped his arm again. "What!" Cameron asked, a little taken back. "I gave you a love squeeze!" Allie said, rolling her eyes. "If you love me, you are to squeeze back!" Cameron stopped and looked at her. "A love squeeze!" He said quietly. "Yes, a love squeeze," Allie stomped her foot. "I squeezed your hand just then. Now you squeeze mine." Cameron gently squeezed her tiny hand and Allie laughed. "See? When you are walking with someone, and can't get the words out just right, all ya gotta do is squeeze," she smiled. Cameron stared at her and then he smiled. "When you can't say the words," Cameron repeated. Allie turned, grabbing his hand and leading him down the rocky knoll to the water front. "Yep......but I can't understand why people just don't say I love you to those they love," she went on. "I mean.....if you love someone, shouldn't you tell them so they'd know? People waste a lot of time by going around the subject instead of just standing there and speaking their minds. Don't you agree, Cam?" Cameron had been speechless.

Allie had spoken with words far beyond her years. "Allie, I couldn't agree with you more," Cameron said seriously.

Suddenly Allie stopped. "Well, Cam," she smiled. "I hear Grandma calling me. I gotta go. You can stay here by the boat house if you like. There is some seed in there by the slip, you can feed the geese and ducks." Before he could say a word, she had run off like a deer. He looked about and scratched his head. He hadn't heard Rachael or anyone for that matter call her. Silently he walked to the boat house, the dock creaking a little as he walked to the end. The sun was getting ready to set in the late afternoon sky and he sat down, leaning against a piling.

In the distance, he heard leaves rustling and he stood up, thinking Allie had come back At the end of the dock, just as he turned behind the boat house, he ran smack into Amanda. Startled, they both stepped back from one another and gasped. "What...what are you doing here?" Amanda stammered. "I could ask you the same question," Cameron said, admiring how beautiful she was in jeans, red turtle neck, hiking boots, and leather gloves. "I live here!" Amanda said, irritated. "This is my property!" Cameron nodded and smiled faintly. "I know," he said.

Amanda turned and glanced back towards the way she had come. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "Oh....Allie and I had a game of catch football, then we wrestled in the yard and then she suddenly grabbed my hand and brought me down here to feed the geese and ducks," Cameron laughed. "She claimed she heard Rachael calling her." Amanda rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "That child acts like she is thirty years old!" Cameron smiled, his hands stuffed in his back pockets. "I think we have been had," he mused. "Me, too," Amanda laughed. She started to walk and Cameron fell into step beside her. "It is a beautiful day," Cameron began. Amanda walked silently and then looked up at him. "I missed you," she said softly. Cameron sighed, and glanced at her. "Yes, I have missed you too," he said. "Why can't we ever just sit and talk?" "I don't know," Amanda said honestly. "I have a meeting in two hours. Can we meet up on the bluff tonight, around ten o'clock?" Cameron smiled and glanced sideways at Amanda. "Ten o'clock it is then," he smiled.

Cameron glanced at his watch. Nine-forty-five. He grabbed a dry leaf and crumbled it in his hands, watching the wind swirl it away. The night had that little hint of coolness in it, and he glanced this way and that....straining his ears to hear Amanda's footsteps int he rustling leaves. Silence. Nothing. He still had fifteen minutes. The air was cool and crisp....the sky clear and the stars twinkling. What a beautiful night. He scratched some more in the dirt and then stood up and stretched. "Going somewhere?" A voice came from behind. He jumped, truly startled. He turned and there stood Amanda. He let out a sigh and then smiled. "Did I scare you, Cameron?" she teased. Nodding his head with a smirk....he said "No, I knew you were there." "Oh my god!" Amanda gasped, laughing. "You did not! You most certainly did not!" Cameron glanced away, trying to hide the grin on his face and trying to make his voice more serious; "And I most certainly did too!" He retorted. Amanda put her hands on her hips and laughed. "I am not going to argue with you, Cameron Sinclair," she sniffed. "Good, because you'd lose for sure," Cameron shot back.

Amanda sighed, sitting down against the tree. Cameron sat down across from her. "I brought some coffee if you want some," Amanda smiled. "Coffee," Cameron repeated. "In this basket," she pointed to a small wicker basket behind the tree. "There is also some peppermint schnapps and some blueberry schnapps....." Laughing, Cameron leaned over and yanked the basket over to him. Peering inside, there was liquor, a thermos of coffee and some cheese and crackers and fruit. "Hmmmm, looks like a picnic here....." Cameron smiled. Amanda smiled and her eyes twinkled brightly. "You can have anything you want." Cameron raised his eyebrows and smiled wickedly. "Anything, Amanda?" He teased. Amanda lowered her eyes and blushed slightly. "We'll see," she said softly. Cameron smiled as he unpacked fresh fruit, cheese, and the coffee. He passed the liquor altogether. There were dainty little checkered napkins and two wooden candle holders with stubby little white candles. Laughing, he set them on a flat spot on the ground and lit them. "Careful we don't start a forest fire!" Amanda laughed. "Well, it would have been YOUR idea," Cameron teased back.

Rolling her eyes, Amanda sighed and bobbed her head so her hair went flying over one shoulder. She eyed Cameron as she poured some coffee and then leaned back against the gnarled tree. Cameron sat cross-legged in front of her....twirling a cracker between his finger and thumb. "Weren't you ever taught it is not polite to play with your food?" Amanda asked, peering through the steam of the coffee. Cameron shrugged and tilted his head. "No, we Sinclairs lived in a barn," he teased. Amanda snorted and leaned into the basket and pulled out a chocolate covered strawberry and bit into it. A little juice dribbled down her chin and Cameron watched as she smiled and wiped it with the napkin. Man, he thought. I'd like to have licked that right off of her. He caught Amanda looking at him and he smiled, blushing ever so slightly. Amanda was amused and put her coffee down. "Wanna share that little smirk and blush, Sinclair?" she asked. Embarrassed Cameron glanced away and then looked right at Amanda. "Well, who is to say we need napkins and this fancy stuff tonight?" he smiled. Amanda leaned forward and glanced at the dancing flames of the candles. They were nothing but nubs when they were lit and already they were almost gone. The wind had forced the flame to melt the wax quicker.....but it was one of those nights that wasn't too dark even without a moon. The stars were bright and everything was quiet and still. "It was just an idea," Amanda lamented. "It was a good one," Cameron laughed.

Amanda packed the basket back up neatly and stored it against the tree trunk. She brushed herself off and stood up. "Come on, Cameron," she said. "Let's take a walk." Cameron stood up and brushed his jeans and then glanced over at Amanda. So beautiful. Why had she called him out here at ten o'clock at night for? It was getting a little cool and he rubbed his hands together. "Didn't dress for the occasion, I guess," Cameron smiled slyly. Amanda stood back a little and appraised his dress. Jeans, boots, turtle neck with a cable knit sweater over it. He looked absolutely delicious. Blushing, Amanda looked away. "Aaahhhaaa!" Cameron laughed. "And what was THAT about?" Amanda slapped his arm and said, "Nothing, Mr. Private Investigator!" Cameron laughed and they fell in step together and began walking.

The silence was deafening. Cameron kept quiet, waiting for Amanda to speak. This was all her idea and he was just along for the ride so to speak. Amanda walked sturdily, knowing every inch of where she was going. Cameron kept glancing this way and that, trying to remember landmarks incase for some reason they lost their way. Nevertheless, they were on Cory property but he just wanted to make sure he knew where they were. Amanda walked along, smiling every now and then and glancing at Cameron. God, was he too much or what. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way about a man. He made her stomach flutter with excitement. He made her skin tingle when he brushed up against her or held her. When they kissed, her lips felt like hot coals searing into his. And when she caught sight of him when he didn't know she was around, and she watched him without him knowing......she got butterflies so bad she thought she might faint. And when he looked directly into her eyes and gave her that certain smile.....she was done for. His touch was always gentle. His voice to strong and assuring.

Amanda stumbled and immediately Cameron's strong arm and hand were on her, steadying her and holding her until she got her balance. Amanda looked up into Cameron's face and she was all flushed. Cameron noticed this and smiled. "And what in the world are you blushing about?" he asked quietly. Putting her hands up to her face, she shook her head. "You are mistaken, Mr. Private Eye," she stammered. "I am not blushing......" Cameron smiled and reached to touch her face as she jerked away. "Well, you sure are," Cameron argued. Amanda hung her head and started walking. "Come on, Mr. I want to argue all the time," she smiled. Falling back into step beside her, Cameron laughed. "I say you were thinking of something and you faltered," he said. Amanda flounced ahead, shaking her blond mane of hair. "Well you say wrong!" she said with a huff. Cameron laughed and caught up with her. "Hey, tell me where we are going," he said. "It is late and dark and....." Amanda glanced backwards and snorted. "Awwww, it is past your bedtime Cameron?" She teased. Cameron's eyes lit up and he grinned."Oh no," he said. "I just wanted to make some conversation here. It is too quiet." Amanda shook her head and kept walking. "Are you afraid of the dark, Cameron?" she teased. Cameron laughed out loud. "As a matter of fact, no I am not," he said.

Continued