"Missy 'Manda!" Aunt Lou called, knocking on Mandie's door.

"Come in, Aunt Lou," Mandie called, rolling up her project and stowing it in a box underneath her bed.

Aunt Lou poked her head through the doorway. "De Doctah an' Miz Woodard an' Joe be heah, mah chile. Dey askin' fo' you."

Mandie leaped up. For the past hour, Carrie had contented herself with a few toys on the floor, but her sister scooped her up now, and followed Aunt Lou down the hall toward the stairs. When they reached the hall, Mandie shifted Carol to her left hip so she could hug Dr. and Mrs. Woodard. Joe was nowhere to be seen.

"How are you, Amanda?" The doctor inquired.

"I'm quite well." Mandie said, smiling up at the kind doctor.

"And how are you today, Miss Carol?" the doctor asked the little girl.

She shrank back against Mandie is sudden shyness. Mandie smiled and laughed. "Carrie, this is Dr. Woodard."

Carol turned her head away. The outside door opened, blowing in a tall, muscular form carrying several bags.

"Joe Woodard!" Aunt Lou scolded. "Yo' be comp'ny! Yo' got no call t' be bringin' in yo' bags! I'll call Abraham right now." And she turned and went into the kitchen.

Joe reddened slightly and grinned at Mandie.

Mandie stared. It hadn't been that long since she'd seen him, but she felt her cheeks growing a little pinker.

Abraham appeared out of the kitchen then, and shouldering the Woodard's belongings, he led the adults towards the stairs. Joe moved a little closer to Mandie.

"Carrie." he said in persuasive tones. "Do you remember me?"

Mandie laughed as the little girl drew back from Joe's outstretched hand. "She does remember you, Joe. Carrie, this is 'Doe'. Do you remember 'Doe'?"

Carol looked from Mandie to Joe, then she asked shyly: "Da one you miss, Mandie?"

Joe laughed as Mandie's cheeks flamed red. "Yep, I never would have gotten it out of her, Carrie, but I'm the one she misses." he teased.

"Joe Woodard!" Mandie turned away, her face now the color of a tomato.

"Mandie," he said, dropping the teasing tone. He caught her shoulders and turned her to face him, and his gentle brown eyes bored into her blue ones. "There's no shame in missing someone. I've missed you too." He drew her into an embrace, sandwiching Carol between them. She squealed, and they pulled apart. "I have a question for you, Mandie."

"Now?"

"I wanted to ask you before everybody else got here, Mandie. Would you come to Charley Gap and spend New Years with our family?"

"I'd love to, Joe." she replied. "Of course, I'll ask Mother and Uncle John."

Joe grinned, running a hand through his unruly brown hair. "You don't suppose Aunt Lou has any chocolate cake around, do you?" he winked at her.

Mandie giggled. "You and chocolate cake!"

"You mean, 'Chocolate cake and us.'" Joe reminded her. "You love it as much as I do."

Mandie agreed, and they went into the kitchen to search.

"I sho' do, my chile." Aunt Lou said. "When I heerd dat Joe was comin', I haid a 'special big one baked up. I knowed you two was goin' t' be lookin' fer it."

"Thanks, Aunt Lou," Mandie said, as the woman served up two dishes of cake for them. Joe picked up both dishes and led the way out of the kitchen. Mandie sat down on the settee, with Joe on one side and Carol on the other.

Carol prattled away to Joe now, the young man replying every now and then, and Mandie listened to them with amusement as she had the opportunity to study Joe. He had grown, she decided, and his jaw was more squared and firm now, but the hair was the same and the eyes—he turned to flash a smile at her— the eyes and grin hadn't changed in the least, she mused.

Mandie felt Joe's hand touch hers, and glanced down in time to see his finger's wrap around her hand and squeeze gently. Her eyes traveled up to Joe's face, and she flushed a little redder, but did not withdraw her hand.

Joe:

I squeezed her hand, and she looked up with a question in her eyes. I wanted to tell her so much, but then I thought of the two little ears on the other side of her. A little girl who would unwittingly betray that Mandie missed me, would undoubtedly repeat some of whatever I said. I glanced down at Mandie's hand, and reluctantly let it go. Carrie had eyes as sharp as her ears. I couldn't take any risks until I had Mandie's answer.