fish," he agreed.
He tightened his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, which felt solid and strong beneath the fabric of his shirt. All that swimming. She raised her head when the song ended and smiled at him. He smiled back, his lips full, his teeth white and even.
An old Beatles song started, and they danced together again. She turned her head and rested her ear against his chest. She could hear his heart thudding steadily and felt relieved and comforted by the sound. Jared began humming against her hair. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scented evening air, feeling more peaceful than she'd felt all week. But then, after a moment, she realized he was humming a different tune. Huskily, he gave it words, his breath puffing gently against her ear: "
Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my darlin', Clementineâ
"
She pulled away from him. "Don't sing that!" she cried and backed into another dancing couple.
Jared reached out and grabbed her arm. "What's wrong?"
She couldn't look at him. "It's pretty late." She felt raw. The darkening evening pressed around her like the gloom of the hallway in her dream.
Jared looked at her quizzically. "Will you turn into a pumpkin? Or what?" He followed her off the patio onto the lawn. "Please don't go. Did I do something? Whatever it was, I'm really sorry."
"That song you were hummingâ" She fought back the panic and looked up at him. "I heard it in my dream last night. It was awfulâa nightmare." She swallowed. "I'm being a jerk, I know."
He was frowning. "That
is
weird. I mean, I don't know why I sang it. It just came into my head." He tried to make a joke. "I know my voice isn't great, but it never sent anyone running in terror before!"
Before Molly could respond, Kathi called to them. "Hey, Molly and Jared, come on over here!" She had changed into her bathing suit and was standing by the pool with some of the other kids.
"You go ahead," said Molly.
"I don't want you to leave." His dark eyes looked into her blue ones. "Please don't leave yet. Let's just go see what she wants. Then we can dance againâand I promise I won't sing."
"I didn't bring a suit, anyway. I don't like to swim. I guess Kathi told you?"
"She just said you got in trouble for not taking a swim test or something."
"Something."
He reached for her hand and led her across the lawn. "You mean you really can't swim at all? I could teach you easily, you know. We could start tonight." He pointed at the swimming pool.
"No thanks."
No way!
"This water's heated, so it'll probably be nicer than your school pool. At my school, I mean, the water's always freezing."
The hollow guilt formed in her stomach again. "I'm so sorry," she told him.
He looked at her, puzzled.
"I mean, I'm sorryâsorry that you don't like cold water." The more she tried to make sense, the more idiotic she sounded.
What? Sorry about what?
Kathi laughed. "No water could be warm enough to tempt Molly!" She nudged Molly.
Molly averted her eyes from Kathi's sparkling ones. Wasn't it enough that Kathi could swim like a dolphin? Did she have to tease her in front of Jared?
Kids were leaping into the water, splashing each other and shrieking. Some of them had brought bathing suits, but others were stripped down to their underwear. One bold girl was trying to get people to skinny-dip. The music from the patio pounded across the grass to the pool.
Jared squeezed Molly's hand. "Look, we'll start easy." He tugged her over to the side of the pool. "First thing we do is, we sit here at the side of the poolâlike this."
She shook his hand off hers. "Listen, you don't understandâ"
"Come on, just stick your feet in. You don't have to get your dress wet."
She bit her lip, then kicked off her sandals and sat down cautiously, bunching the skirt of her sundress up around her thighs. Thé warm water closed around her long legs. The sight of them, pale beneath the surface of the water, made her
He tightened his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, which felt solid and strong beneath the fabric of his shirt. All that swimming. She raised her head when the song ended and smiled at him. He smiled back, his lips full, his teeth white and even.
An old Beatles song started, and they danced together again. She turned her head and rested her ear against his chest. She could hear his heart thudding steadily and felt relieved and comforted by the sound. Jared began humming against her hair. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scented evening air, feeling more peaceful than she'd felt all week. But then, after a moment, she realized he was humming a different tune. Huskily, he gave it words, his breath puffing gently against her ear: "
Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my darlin', Clementineâ
"
She pulled away from him. "Don't sing that!" she cried and backed into another dancing couple.
Jared reached out and grabbed her arm. "What's wrong?"
She couldn't look at him. "It's pretty late." She felt raw. The darkening evening pressed around her like the gloom of the hallway in her dream.
Jared looked at her quizzically. "Will you turn into a pumpkin? Or what?" He followed her off the patio onto the lawn. "Please don't go. Did I do something? Whatever it was, I'm really sorry."
"That song you were hummingâ" She fought back the panic and looked up at him. "I heard it in my dream last night. It was awfulâa nightmare." She swallowed. "I'm being a jerk, I know."
He was frowning. "That
is
weird. I mean, I don't know why I sang it. It just came into my head." He tried to make a joke. "I know my voice isn't great, but it never sent anyone running in terror before!"
Before Molly could respond, Kathi called to them. "Hey, Molly and Jared, come on over here!" She had changed into her bathing suit and was standing by the pool with some of the other kids.
"You go ahead," said Molly.
"I don't want you to leave." His dark eyes looked into her blue ones. "Please don't leave yet. Let's just go see what she wants. Then we can dance againâand I promise I won't sing."
"I didn't bring a suit, anyway. I don't like to swim. I guess Kathi told you?"
"She just said you got in trouble for not taking a swim test or something."
"Something."
He reached for her hand and led her across the lawn. "You mean you really can't swim at all? I could teach you easily, you know. We could start tonight." He pointed at the swimming pool.
"No thanks."
No way!
"This water's heated, so it'll probably be nicer than your school pool. At my school, I mean, the water's always freezing."
The hollow guilt formed in her stomach again. "I'm so sorry," she told him.
He looked at her, puzzled.
"I mean, I'm sorryâsorry that you don't like cold water." The more she tried to make sense, the more idiotic she sounded.
What? Sorry about what?
Kathi laughed. "No water could be warm enough to tempt Molly!" She nudged Molly.
Molly averted her eyes from Kathi's sparkling ones. Wasn't it enough that Kathi could swim like a dolphin? Did she have to tease her in front of Jared?
Kids were leaping into the water, splashing each other and shrieking. Some of them had brought bathing suits, but others were stripped down to their underwear. One bold girl was trying to get people to skinny-dip. The music from the patio pounded across the grass to the pool.
Jared squeezed Molly's hand. "Look, we'll start easy." He tugged her over to the side of the pool. "First thing we do is, we sit here at the side of the poolâlike this."
She shook his hand off hers. "Listen, you don't understandâ"
"Come on, just stick your feet in. You don't have to get your dress wet."
She bit her lip, then kicked off her sandals and sat down cautiously, bunching the skirt of her sundress up around her thighs. Thé warm water closed around her long legs. The sight of them, pale beneath the surface of the water, made her
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