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watching
other cars fly by.  When she looked back at him there were tears shining
in her eyes.
             “I’d
like that, Shane, but your mom...”
             He
raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles.  “You let me worry
about her, OK?” She nodded.  “Good...now, you hungry? I thought we could
go into Sorghum Mills, to one of the places there instead of staying in
town.  That OK with you?”
             She
wiped an errant tear from her cheek.  “That sounds wonderful.”
             “Hey,
there’s no crying,” he teased, reaching up to softly swipe his thumb across her
cheek.  “Everything’s cool.”
             “I
hope you’re right,” she replied.
             “I’m
always right,” he countered with a wink and a laugh, putting the truck in gear
and merging back onto the road.
             Tessa
laughed.  He loved the sound of it.  The rest of the drive they
talked more about his plans for college and his hope to one day become a Texas
Ranger.
             “I
thought you wanted to grow up to be Sheriff of Indian Springs like your
dad.  You know what everyone says.  Everyone feels better with a
McCanton in charge, ” she said when they were seated at the restaurant. It
was a town saying that had been around ever since Shane’s great-great-great
grandfather became the first McCanton to be Sheriff of Indian Springs.
             “I
don’t know.  Maybe someday after my dad retires...but he’s a long ways
from that.”
             “Would
you really want to come back?”
             “Guess
it would depend on what’s going on in my life at that time.  My dad’s only
42 right now.  He’ll be in office another twenty-five years at least.”
             “My
mom wants me to stay and help her run Dreams Come True and one day take it
over,” she said, referring to her mother’s wedding service.
             “Is that
what you want?”
             “I’m
not sure.  Part of me does.  I enjoy planning weddings and parties
and doing the decorating.  But I’d like to get out of town, too. 
Maybe go to Austin or the DFW area.  Somewhere exciting.”
             “What
do you want to go to school for?  Still journalism?”
             She
laughed.  “No, I think I outgrew that finally.  I’ve actually gotten
interested in criminology.  I don’t want to be a cop like you, but a
profiler maybe.  Or forensics,” she shrugged.  “I don’t know. 
It’s a big jump from Wedding Planner to Criminal Profiler.”
             “You’d
really like to study Criminal Justice?”
             “I’ve
thought about it.  Ever since your dad saved me that day when I was
little.  I’ve also toyed with going into the military.” She could tell
that she had shocked him with that statement with the way his eyes widened.
             “Really? 
Why?”
             “Well,
I don’t know if my mom can really afford to send me to college.  I could
pay my own way, though, through the G. I. Bill.”
             “What
branch?”
             “I’ve
looked into all of them.  I kinda like the idea of being a Marine,
though.”
             His
jaw nearly scraped the floor.  “You’re joking.”
             “No,
I’m dead serious.”
             “Wow. 
That’s kinda...sexy.”
             “Don’t
laugh at me!” she scolded though she was smiling.
             “Who’s
laughing?” he asked, holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence.
             “That’s
right, keep a straight face, McCanton,” she said, shaking her finger at
him.  “I’m sure I will end up staying with Mama at Dreams Come True.”
             “You
think so?  You might get a scholarship, you never know.”
             “Maybe,
but I’m not going to hold my breath.  I haven’t really talked things