Ginger looked, and there was Jennifer, clinging to an overhanging tree limb. Tears coursed down the little girl's cheeks as she turned frightened eyes toward Ginger.

"Help me!" she cried. "I climbed up here and now I can't get back down!"

"Hang on, sweetheart. I'm coming." Ginger had to wade through a briar patch to reach Jennifer, and the briars scratched her legs as she approached the tree limb.

At last she reached Jennifer and gently lifted her. As the little girl put her arms around Ginger's neck and hugged her tightly, Ginger was poignantly reminded of Audrey at that age. The warmth and softness of the child's body against her own just felt so...right.

A moment later, they rejoined the others.

"Jennifer! You're safe!" Igor exclaimed, reaching for his daughter.

"Ginger found me," Jennifer told him.

"Well, I am so glad that she did." Igor looked gratefully at Ginger, then frowned. "But Ginger, your legs are bleeding!"

"Jennifer was hanging onto a tree branch that was over a briar patch. I had to walk through briars to get to her," Ginger explained.

"Poor baby." Igor looked genuinely concerned. "I will doctor your wounds, and then we will have lunch."

They returned to the tent, where Igor tenderly medicated and bandaged Ginger's scratches, and then they had lunch. After lunch Mark and Jennifer took naps, while Igor, Ginger, and Audrey talked. To Ginger it seemed just like old times, before Igor and Audrey had gone to Minnesota for Christmas.

"That sure was scary to lose Jennifer like that," Audrey commented.

"It was my fault. I was responsible for her," said Igor. "Thank goodness Ginger found her when she did." He smiled and patted Ginger's knee.

"She's such a sweet little girl," said Ginger. "She reminds me so much of Audrey at that age."

"I wish I could have known you then, Dad," said Audrey.

"It is all right," Igor said with a smile. "We know each other now, and we are making up for lost time."

Later they played ball and went fishing again, and after dinner, they packed everything up and took the tent down and went home. By the time they arrived at Ginger's, it was nearly dark.

"I had a wonderful time, Igor," Ginger said. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Thank you for coming." Igor smiled warmly. "I had wonderful time with you this weekend, Ginger. Best time we have ever spent together." He kissed her, a warm, tender kiss that made her toes tingle. Then he hugged and kissed Audrey and took the younger children home.

There was a subtle but significant change in Igor and Ginger's relationship over the next week. Instead of just a quick hello and good-bye after speaking with Audrey, Igor began to stay on the telephone longer with Ginger, asking her about events that had happened during her day, telling her about his own day. Ginger gradually began to feel much closer to Igor than she had before the weekend they'd all gone camping together.

Igor was fairly bursting with excitement when he talked to Ginger Thursday night.

"I have babysitter for entire weekend," he told her. "I am going to take you to Las Vegas!"

"Wow!" Ginger was so excited that she had to fight the urge to jump up and down. "I can't wait!"

Igor chuckled softly. "I knew that would make you happy."

On Friday night, Audrey spent the weekend with Diane and Igor left the two younger children with a sitter and he and Ginger set out at the crack of dawn Saturday morning. They arrived in Las Vegas in time to eat breakfast and check into the motel. Then they spent the morning touring the city, ate lunch, and went shopping in the afternoon. Igor took Ginger out to a nice restaurant for dinner.

"Is nice to be just the two of us again, yes?" said Igor.

"I've missed it so much!" Ginger exclaimed.

"I have missed it as well," said Igor. "I must be honest, Ginger. For a while I was not sure, but I am sure now. I love you, Ginger, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"