Bowled Over by Victoria Hamilton Page A

I miss the naïveté I had, that my feelings were true and returned, that I had nothing to fear, that it was all real.”
    Becca nodded. “I get it. I’ve been there.”
    They rejoined the others, and Heidi skipped over to Jaymie and squealed, jumping up and down. She grabbed Jaymie’s bare forearms in a tight grip. “I’ve been dying to talk to you! Guess what?” she asked, then continued, “I can’t wait for you to guess. Joel and I are getting married this December! Isn’t that great?”

Four
    J AYMIE SAT ON the blanket watching, through the railings along the walkway, the brilliant sun sparkle off the St. Clair. Sail craft from the marina were jockeying for position at the harbor mouth, the starting point for the race, anchoring until the official start time. Each sailor was likely testing the wind, hoping it would stiffen and praying it wouldn’t die.
    Daniel eyed her with concern, and that was irritating the heck out of Jaymie. After Heidi’s announcement, she had done pretty well, she thought. She’d hugged her new friend and congratulated Joel. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, intent on not alienating Daniel with her irritation at his concern. But it reaffirmed that she was still a ways away from being ready for something more serious with him, despite his obvious interest.
    The race, part of the week-long St. Clair Regatta, started, and the boats sailed off in the stiffening breeze. Jaymie andthe others watched, but once they disappeared downriver, it would be an hour or more before they were back in sight.
    “Want to go for a walk?” Jaymie asked, turning to Daniel. He took her arm, and they strolled off with Hoppy.
    There was a carnival atmosphere in the riverside park, and they wove in and out among groups of picnickers. There were lots of folks dressed up, and a proliferation of Uncle Sams and Betsy Rosses. There was even one clever Statue of Liberty costume.
They really should have a costume competition
, Jaymie thought, pointing out to Daniel two Uncle Sams playing Frisbee. She giggled at the incongruous picture, as Hoppy jumped and quivered, wanting to join the game.
    To deflect the inevitable conversation about Heidi and Joel, Jaymie told him, as they walked, about her troubles with Kathy, and how she really did not know what it was that had started the feud between them. He talked about his own high school days, how he was the techie nerd who took a lot of flack, which changed when he got into college and found friends with whom he could really bond. It had been a revelation to him, he said, that he didn’t need to be friends with everyone, and that he would always find people who liked him just for himself.
    Again Jaymie was reminded of Daniel’s stellar qualities as a man and a friend. He was someone whose advice she should be seeking, she realized suddenly. She moved closer, and he put his arm around her. It felt right to be walking with him this way, and it was comfortable. “How do you think I should handle the trouble with Kathy?” she asked, looking up at his beaky profile. “If I had any clue what I did that upset her, I might be able to fix it, but she won’t tell me!”
    “I think you’re on the right path. Just keep hold of your temper. I had an employee once who liked to push hiscoworkers to the brink. Then, when they blew up, he could act innocent, like they were the ones who had the problem, not him. She seems to be trying to irk you enough that you’ll blow up.”
    “I never really thought of it that way. She’s doing a good job,” Jaymie said. They had reached the far end of Boardwalk Park, where a large gazebo, built in the style of a Victorian bandstand—octagonal, with ornate gingerbread and a railing around it—provided a stage for local dignitaries and school bands. Jaymie and Becca had agreed that it would be too crowded and too noisy near the gazebo, preferring the farther end of the boardwalk for their picnic ground. They were right, as the