August 1969

Chapter 3

My fork scrapes against the flowered plate as I attempt to get every last bite of my scrumptious cake. The buttercream is fluffy, and the vanilla cake melts in my mouth. Mom really outdid herself this time.

Maybe I'll have another piece, or five.

As I reach for my second slice of the decadent cake, my sister says, "So, Daddy, about the camping trip."

Dad's full fork stops right before he takes a bite. "Elaine, I already said no." The force in his voice makes me jump.

"What camping trip?" My mom asks with an arched brow. She scans the table, but Elaine and I look at each other, not making a sound. "Jack," She pauses. "What camping trip?"

"Nothing, Alice. I already said no."

My eyes go wide, and I bite my lower lip to resist a smile. Mom might be a homemaker, but she runs this house alongside my father and won't go down without a fight. Dad will answer her question whether he wants to or not.

My mom takes her napkin off her lap and taps the corner of her mouth before laying it across her plate. "Oh, well then, I say they can go since we are now making decisions without consulting one another."

Bobby blows out a puff of air but quickly brings his napkin to his lips. He winks when I look over at him, and my stomach flips. Our eyes stay connected, and my heart picks up its pace.

The sound of dad's fork plunging to the plate pulls my attention back to my parents. Dad goes to say something, but mom puts her hand up in protest. "The girls have gone camping a handful of times, Jack. We have raised outstanding, powerful young women, and I have no issues with them taking a trip together."

"It's not safe, Alice." Dad begins to drum his fingers against the tabletop with a deep-set frown on his face. "Two young women, in the woods, alone? I'm not comfortable with that."

"I can go too," Rose states. "More people to watch over each other."

"Great, now I can worry about three young women I care deeply about being attacked by a madman. I just want to keep my kids safe. Is that so horrible?"

Even if he is trying to avoid it, I understand the deep meaning of his words. He can't protect Daniel, so he is doing what he can to keep Elaine and me out of harm's way.

"Of course, Jack." As if she could read my mind, my mother says. "I think your issue with this trip may be because of Daniel." Mom's shoulders drop with a sigh. "We can't keep them locked in their rooms."

While resting his elbows on the table, Dad rubs his temples with his fingers. "I know that."

Seeing him in such distress causes my heart to clench. "Daddy, I can see that this is hard for you. Although I really want to go, I understand your concern, and I—"

"What if I went with them?" Bobby asks.

My head snaps so quickly to look at Bobby that I almost pull a muscle. He bites down on his lower lip, and for the first time tonight, he doesn't peek in my direction. "You'd do that?"

Bobby begins to fidget, shifting side to side in his seat. When his gaze meets mine, my heart flutters. His hazel eyes bore into my soul. "Yeah, I would. I know how important this is for you."

He must know about Woodstock. Why else would he want to go camping with three girls?

"Well, Daddy?" Elaine huffs and crosses her arms across her chest. "Would that make you feel better?"

My parents stare at each other from across the table. Tiny shocks spread across my body while they continue their silent battle, desperate for the final verdict.

Mom wins the war, and my father moans in defeat. "Fine."

My mouth drops so low it might as well be on the floor.

Elaine jumps from her seat, knocking over her chair, and hugs my father., "Although I find it extremely sexist that you only trust us with a man around, I am so happy you agreed."

"I'm sorry. I know you both are strong, capable women." Dad kisses Elaine's cheek and says, "Just the thought of something happening to you both makes me sick."

When my father's approval finally sinks in, I push from my seat and catapult myself toward Bobby. With my arms around his sculpted shoulders, I press my face into his neck. His familiar manly scent of leather and musk tingles my senses.

Bobby's strong arms close around me, and my eyes begin to tingle. "Thank you."

When I pull away, I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. A tear falls to my cheek, and Bobby uses the pad of his thumb to brush it away. He's still holding on tightly, and his intense gaze causes heat to spread across my face.

The loud ring of our telephone knocks me out of the spell Bobby has me under.

Mom gets up from the table with an award-winning smile and pats Bobby on the shoulder as she walks into the kitchen.

"That's probably our mom," Rose says. "Mrs. Harris, can you tell her we are on our way?"

"I will not lie to your mother, Rose. But if you open the door before she asks, I'll tell her you just walked out the door."

Rose bolts for the door like a bat out of hell, waving and yelling a quick goodbye to everyone. Bobby follows behind her but stops before exiting the room. He turns around and says, "Goodnight, Mr. Harris. Thank you for having us over."

Bobby and Rose might be twins, but they are polar opposites. Rose is loud and rambunctious, while Bobby is calm and gentile. Even when he closes the front door behind him, it latches quietly into place.

Adrenaline is no longer pumping through my body, and my body suddenly feels like it is made of sandbags. My bed is calling my name, but as I am pushing my chair toward the table, I notice the small gift bag.

We were having such a lovely time together that I completely forgot to open the present Rose and Bobby got me.

The purple tissue paper crinkles as I reach for a rectangular box. When I open it, I am greeted by a delicate chain with a beautiful silver bow hanging from it.

I run to the front door with the necklace still in my hand.

The summer's humidity smacks me in the face, and I see Rose halfway up the stairs to her house while Bobby is about to cross the street.

"Wait!" I yell.

Both of the Walkers stop in their tracks and look at me, and I make a quick dash toward them. "Thank you for the necklace."

"Don't thank me. Bobby picked it out. I just signed the card." Rose waves with a smile before entering her house.

Bobby looks both ways and goes to cross the road, but I reach for his hand. The energy coursing through our connected skin causes me to stumble off the curb, but he catches me before I end up on the side of the street like roadkill.

My heart pounds hard in my chest when our eyes meet. "You picked this out for me?"

Bobby removes his hold from my body, and despite the hot summer air, I miss his warm touch. He places his hands in his jeans pockets and rocks back and forth on his heels. "Do you like it?"

"No."

His hazel eyes go wide before gazing down to the ground. "Oh. I'm sorry, I saw it and thought of you."

"I don't like it. I love it."

Bobby's shoulders drop as he pushes air through his lips. He opens his mouth to say something, but I take a step toward him and place a kiss on his cheek. The light stubble along his jaw tickles my lips, but the warmth of his skin makes me wish he would turn and kiss me back.

When I step back, the light from the street lamp hits Bobby's face, showing off his rose-tinted cheeks. "Thank you for the beautiful necklace, Bobby."

"Happy birthday, Winnie."