"Jamie? Jamie!" Jo called, racing all the way around the earring store. "She's not here!"

"I'm sure she just got tired of looking in here and moved on to another store," Doug told his wife.

Jo dashed in and out of the next several stores, frantically searching for her daughter. She was just about to go in search of mall security when suddenly a security guard was there, escorting an angry-looking Clay, a frightened-looking Jamie, and another boy of about Clay's age.

"Do any of these kids belong to you?" the security guard asked Doug and Jo.

"These two do," Doug replied, indicating Clay and Jamie.

"Then I suggest you take them home right away," the security guard told him. "I found the two boys fighting and had to separate them. I was just about to call the juvenile authorities when you showed up."

Doug took Clay roughly by the arm and led him out to the car, and Jo did the same with Jamie. "You want to tell me what that was all about?" Doug asked Clay as he was driving the family home.

"That guy was gonna hurt her, Dad," Clay replied. "I know him from school. I know how he treats girls. I saw him with Jamie and asked what he was doing with her. 'Wouldn't you like to know,' he said. 'That's my sister and I don't want her to be with you,' I said. 'What you gonna do about it?" he asked. I got really mad and hit him, and he hit me back, and that's when the security guard saw us."

"How did you meet this guy?" Jo asked her daughter.

"He came into the earring store and offered to buy me an ice cream cone," Jamie said nonchalantly.

"And you just left with him? Don't you realize how dangerous that was?"

"It was just an ice cream, Mom."

"Jamie, you know that our agreement was that you were to stay where I left you until I came back to get you. It's always been that way. No exceptions."

"I'm sorry."

"When we get home, you're to go straight to your room and stay there until I tell you you can come out, and you're also grounded for a week."

"Mom, that's not fair!" Jamie whined.

"What you did was really dangerous, Jamie," Jo told her. "You don't know what that boy might have ended up doing to you."

As soon as they reached the house, Jamie stomped angrily to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Do you think I was too hard on her?" Jo asked Doug later as they were watching TV together. He was sitting on the sofa, and she was lying with her head in his lap while he rubbed her back.

"No," he said. "She does have to be taught a lesson."

"Mm," she moaned, relishing the sensation of his fingers stroking her through her clothes.

"Do you suppose I should have been harder on Clay?" he asked after a minute. "He did admit to being the one who threw the first punch."

"No," Jo said quickly. "He was only looking out for Jamie. It really scares me to think about what might have happened to her if he hadn't been there to rescue her from that other boy."

"I know," Doug replied. "That's why I didn't punish him."

"He does really care about her, Doug," Jo said. "That means a lot to me."

"I think in lots of ways they're just like any typical brother and sister," said Doug.

"I was really hoping it would turn out that way," Jo replied. "I've always thought it would be neat for Jamie to have a big brother."

Doug grinned. "She's got one now."

Summer vacation arrived, and instead of sending Jamie to New York to stay with her grandmother, Jo left her to stay home with Clay in the mornings. One day Doug told Jo that he'd made plans to go camping with his cousin Erskine and his family.

"Is Erskine his first name or his last name?" asked Jo.

"It's just what everyone's always called him," said Doug. "He's a minister. His wife's name is Ada, and she's a singer. His kids are Andy, Bits, and Cassie. Andy and Bits are from his first wife. She died of cancer. Cassie's his daughter with Ada."

"Kind of like us," Jo commented. "What kind of minister is he?"

"Methodist, I think."

"How old are his kids?"

"Andy's grown. He's away doing some kind of missionary thing right now. Bits is a couple of years older than Clay, and Cassie's about nine or ten."

"So that's gonna be four adults and four kids, then."

"Yeah, but it'll be all right. I've got a tent that's big enough for four."

Neither Clay nor Jamie were thrilled when they heard the news. "Do I have to go?" Clay protested. "I wanted to get together with some friends that weekend!"

"And I was gonna have Taylor over to spend the night!" Jamie added.

"This is your family," Doug told them. "It's important to me and your Mom for you to be there."

"Well...all right," Clay grumbled. Jamie made a face. Doug and Jo exchanged glances and grinned.