frantic and more passionately than before. His breath was uneven and his mouth trembled slightly. Every touch was deliberate, gentle, and Melanie had no choice but to let go.
They didn’t fall asleep until after dawn.
Waking first, Melanie looked over at Danny, sleeping with his head on her pillow.
Danny Ashe , she admired, and wondered how this had happened. If I wasn’t in love with him before, Melanie thought, I am now.
She had always found it irresponsible for girls to be so gullible to think they’ve found love between the sheets. But now being her turn, she understood.
She loved the way his sun-kissed hair lined his face. His breathing was slow and soothing. Melanie put her face on his chest and drifted back to sleep.
It was almost noon when they stood at her door, kissing goodbye. Today was the first day of rugby practice and he had 15 minutes to be on the field.
“I hate to leave,” he said, squeezing both her hands at her door.
“I’ll see you later though, right?”
“Try keeping me away.” He kissed her again his crooked smile beamed knowingly.
“Go,” she urged, blushing and pushing his shoulder.
Melanie was floating back to her room when the front door opened. She was about to reprimand him when Carla’s voice rang out.
CHAPTER 5
“Melly, we’re home.”
Melanie shrieked, running and jumping into the arms of her best friend.
There was so much to tell Carla. But she had arrived with Jenny.
“Hey, how was your trip?” She asked, dying from the restraint it took to bottle up her emotions.
“Oh my,” Carla sighed. “I have so much to tell you.”
Melanie followed as Carla dragged her oversized luggage to the corner of their bedroom.
“First, you’ll never guess who was racing down the stairs when Jen and I were coming up.”
Melanie turned to make her bed. She didn’t want Carla to read her expression.
“Who?”
“That rugby guy you’ve had a crush on, what’s his name?”
“Danny.” Melanie grinned, she loved saying his name.
“That’s right, he must have a girlfriend in this building. He looked disheveled, if you know what I mean.”
Melanie knew exactly what Carla meant.
“But let me tell you about my vacation.” Carla plopped down on her bed and pulled Melanie with her. Carla radiated a glow as she spoke. “Ted came down to Louisiana a couple of days after Christmas and we spent a glorious three days with my family. Can you believe I’m saying that? Mother behaved like an angel. I was so proud of her.” Carla was excited and her Southern drawl was more pronounced.
It was a typical Carla trick used to complement her tale.
“Then we flew to Boston. I was so nervous, but Ted held my hand the entire flight. Isn’t that sweet?” It was rhetorical. Carla continued, “Mel, you should see his home, it’s so grand and his parents were fabulous. They accepted me right from the start. At dinner one evening, Mrs. Bradley asked me to call her Helen,” Carla raised her eyebrows, impressed. “Anyway, Helen tells me how she’s always been fascinated by the ‘proper ladies of the South.’ So, I kicked up the accent a bit and explained how Mother is engulfed in high society. Helen loved it.” Carla detailed every moment of her stay with the Bradleys.
“Then the other night Ted and I were cuddling by the fire while the snow piled up outside and Ted started telling me how much his parents like me and how much he loves me.”
Melanie waited for Carla to explode.
“He says that he can’t imagine a more perfect woman for him and then, Mel, – I was entirely shocked – he knelt down with ring in hand and asked me to marry him!” Carla screamed, waving her left hand.
Melanie screamed, grabbing her friend’s hand to get a look at the diamonds. She didn’t know much about diamonds or carats but the square one in the center looked huge.
“Carla!”
“I know!” Hugging and jumping around the room they celebrated. “I couldn’t wait to tell
They didn’t fall asleep until after dawn.
Waking first, Melanie looked over at Danny, sleeping with his head on her pillow.
Danny Ashe , she admired, and wondered how this had happened. If I wasn’t in love with him before, Melanie thought, I am now.
She had always found it irresponsible for girls to be so gullible to think they’ve found love between the sheets. But now being her turn, she understood.
She loved the way his sun-kissed hair lined his face. His breathing was slow and soothing. Melanie put her face on his chest and drifted back to sleep.
It was almost noon when they stood at her door, kissing goodbye. Today was the first day of rugby practice and he had 15 minutes to be on the field.
“I hate to leave,” he said, squeezing both her hands at her door.
“I’ll see you later though, right?”
“Try keeping me away.” He kissed her again his crooked smile beamed knowingly.
“Go,” she urged, blushing and pushing his shoulder.
Melanie was floating back to her room when the front door opened. She was about to reprimand him when Carla’s voice rang out.
CHAPTER 5
“Melly, we’re home.”
Melanie shrieked, running and jumping into the arms of her best friend.
There was so much to tell Carla. But she had arrived with Jenny.
“Hey, how was your trip?” She asked, dying from the restraint it took to bottle up her emotions.
“Oh my,” Carla sighed. “I have so much to tell you.”
Melanie followed as Carla dragged her oversized luggage to the corner of their bedroom.
“First, you’ll never guess who was racing down the stairs when Jen and I were coming up.”
Melanie turned to make her bed. She didn’t want Carla to read her expression.
“Who?”
“That rugby guy you’ve had a crush on, what’s his name?”
“Danny.” Melanie grinned, she loved saying his name.
“That’s right, he must have a girlfriend in this building. He looked disheveled, if you know what I mean.”
Melanie knew exactly what Carla meant.
“But let me tell you about my vacation.” Carla plopped down on her bed and pulled Melanie with her. Carla radiated a glow as she spoke. “Ted came down to Louisiana a couple of days after Christmas and we spent a glorious three days with my family. Can you believe I’m saying that? Mother behaved like an angel. I was so proud of her.” Carla was excited and her Southern drawl was more pronounced.
It was a typical Carla trick used to complement her tale.
“Then we flew to Boston. I was so nervous, but Ted held my hand the entire flight. Isn’t that sweet?” It was rhetorical. Carla continued, “Mel, you should see his home, it’s so grand and his parents were fabulous. They accepted me right from the start. At dinner one evening, Mrs. Bradley asked me to call her Helen,” Carla raised her eyebrows, impressed. “Anyway, Helen tells me how she’s always been fascinated by the ‘proper ladies of the South.’ So, I kicked up the accent a bit and explained how Mother is engulfed in high society. Helen loved it.” Carla detailed every moment of her stay with the Bradleys.
“Then the other night Ted and I were cuddling by the fire while the snow piled up outside and Ted started telling me how much his parents like me and how much he loves me.”
Melanie waited for Carla to explode.
“He says that he can’t imagine a more perfect woman for him and then, Mel, – I was entirely shocked – he knelt down with ring in hand and asked me to marry him!” Carla screamed, waving her left hand.
Melanie screamed, grabbing her friend’s hand to get a look at the diamonds. She didn’t know much about diamonds or carats but the square one in the center looked huge.
“Carla!”
“I know!” Hugging and jumping around the room they celebrated. “I couldn’t wait to tell
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