Later on during the day, Amanda was taking a break from Andy Griffith to find homes in the bedroom for the last of her clothes. The last thing that she put away was the yellow dress that she had worn for her wedding. She smoothed out the creases after putting it on the hanger, pausing when she felt something in one of the pockets. She grabbed the piece of paper that she found inside the pocket, wondering how and when it had gotten there.

And then she recognized the handwriting on the paper. Jade. So she read the poem, figuring that her outspoken young friend had left it there on purpose.

Cinderella walked on broken glass.
Sleeping Beauty let a whole lifetime pass.
Belle fell in love with a hideous beast.
Jasmine married a common thief.
Arial walked on land for love and life.
Snow White barely escaped a knife.
It was all about blood, sweat, and tears.
Because love means facing your biggest fears.

Amanda stared at the poem on the crinkled paper. Facing your biggest fears… Yeah, that summed her emotions up very well. Because right now, being in love, or getting to that point, felt pretty scary. In an oddly nice way, she would admit.

And she knew that if she could just let go of the past, let go of that last string, she could and would fall totally and completely for David Thomson. But the sole question that held her back: would he be there to catch her whenever she fell? Not just for him, but in life?

"Hey, Amanda?"

Amanda shoved the thoughts away, shoved the poem into her pocket, and whirled to face David, who was standing in the bedroom doorway. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to want something for lunch? I can make something if you're not done in here."

"Uh, I've just got a couple of things left, but if you're offering, I won't turn you down."

"Are sandwiches okay then?"

She nodded. "Fine." He turned to go but she stopped him with a "hey."

He turned back around to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you planning on coming all the way back here after the get together tonight, or are you going to want to stop at a hotel for the night?"

"Hotel would be easier, wouldn't it?"

"Okay."

"So you pack and I get lunch together?"

She nodded and he headed back down the hallway after finding a suitcase for her. Her thoughts flew away again, so she wasn't really paying attention to what she was packing. But she had bigger things on her mind as she shoved hers and David's clothes in the suitcase.

Her tasks in the bedroom completed, she headed into the kitchen. "Do you need me to help you with anything?" she offered.

"Nope, I just finished." He answered, handing her a plate holding a grilled cheese and potato chips. She grinned when he turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of cheese dip. "For you, milady." He handed it to her with a flourish.

"You noticed."

He grinned. "Of course I noticed."

"Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and headed into the living room with David on her heels.

Amanda curled up on one side of the couch and Duke jumped up beside her, looking eagerly at her food. David grinned at his pet as he sat down on the other side of the dog.

"Move, Dog." Amanda pushed Duke off of the couch.

David laughed. "What happened to 'leave the poor old guy alone'?"

"Well, he wasn't going after my food then." Amanda explained away her action, moving on the couch to sit beside David.

"Uh-huh." He grinned knowingly, not believing her story, and put his arm back around her shoulders.

She blushed and smiled.

As they were polishing off the last of their lunch, David remarked, "Has it occurred to you that Helen is a teacher?"

"Do what?"

"Andy Griffith's Helen is a teacher. And they eventually got married."

"Yeah," Amanda grinned, teasing, "But Andy is sheriff."

"Hey," David yelped. "In time. I have to come up with my master plan for the takeover, you know."

"You're delusional."

"I am not."

"Oh," she nodded. "I see. And do you have delusions like this often, Deputy Thomson?"

"No, Mrs. Thomson, I do not." He said with a role of his eyes.

Amanda's retort froze in her throat. Merriment vanished from her eyes as the truth hit her. Mrs. Thomson. David saw her expression change, and his own became serious as well. She reached up to cup his cheek, his arm tightened around her shoulders, and he kissed her breathless. She waited until he pulled away.

It surprised her when he scrambled off of the couch, took their plates, and headed into the kitchen with them. She heard him murmur the reminder to himself under his breath."Baby steps."

Amanda sat slowly back against the couch, trying to decide if she was glad that he had walked away when he had. As she listened, she heard him start washing the dishes. Putting distance between them, distance that he thought that she wanted. So why wasn't she so sure?

Another moment's thought and Amanda hurried down to the bedroom before she could change her mind. She yanked open one of her dresser drawers and grabbed the new, short, silk gown – recently acquired courtesy of a forced shopping trip with Marsha - and shoved it in the bottom of the suitcase.

Just in case.

"I put the suitcase in the car." David informed Amanda, stepping back into the house.

"Okay." She smoothed her hands over her clothes - another dress, he noticed – and asked, "Do you think that this looks okay?"

He took a step back, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed her outfit. "Have you seen the Abraham Lincoln Gieco commercial?"

"Yes." She snapped, glaring playfully.

"Well, in that case, you, milady, are absolutely stunning."

She grinned and stepped up to him, giving him a quick kiss. "That was a sorry save, Thomson."

He snaked his arms around her waist, venturing with his tone loaded with meaning, "Are you sure that we can't just stay here? I'm sure that I could find a way to make it up to you."

"David." Some of the previous night's hesitancy came back into his wife's eyes as she removed his arms from around her waist and took a step back, tone admonishing.

He stifled a sigh. "Well - in that case – let's go back to college."

Thanks for reading; please review!

BTW, a couple of us writers for FictionPress are trying to get the powers that be for these websites to add a Christian Fiction category to FictionPress. If you support this idea, please email the guy at "support ". Thanks a lot!:)

And another thing - I made mention in the last chapter of Gavin and "Layne" Keller doing the Love Dare. Would you Fireproof fans enjoy reading that story? 'Cause I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to write it after I'm done with this series. Please give me some feedback on the idea, thanks.:)