"Have you completely lost your mind or are you not getting enough oxygen when you're up there?" Hank was incredulous as he pointed toward the sky. "You finally get rid of Caroline and find a girl that makes you happy and she talks you into something as bone-headed as this."

"I don't like it any more than you do, but unless I do this she won't let it go any farther." Danny tried to defend himself. "She's got it in her head that I didn't give Evelyn a chance when we were in Colorado and unless I do it now, Ann is always going to wonder if I gave up something special to be with her. And as much as I don't like this I don't ever want there to be anything between us."

"Sarah's not going to like this."

He nodded. "I know. She hasn't exactly been subtle about Ann and when she sees me with Evelyn she's going to read me the riot act."

"Kind of like me." Hank laughed as they rested after their afternoon run. "I'm sorry Dan, I didn't mean to be so rough on you but it doesn't make sense to me."

"But it makes sense to me and I'm willing to do this if it means that we'll have a real chance."

"Ann isn't the kind of girl you trifle with you know, she's the kind of girl you marry." He pointed out.

"And I damn well know that." Danny frowned.

"I didn't mean it that way so don't be a smart-ass." He sighed. "The fact is when I saw you together last night I couldn't help but think that I'd never seen two people who were more right for each other."

"I made her cry." He admitted.

"I'll bet you did seeing as how she didn't know about Evelyn, but you also said that when you felt her hands on your back you could have made love to her right there on the beach."

The admission of it made him flush. "Don't remind me."

"You were only being honest with me about it. Besides, if you had done it or even tried we wouldn't be talking right now; you'd be unconscious."

Danny smiled because he knew that Hank had become very protective of Ann since he began to spend so much time with his family and hers. "So when did you decide to make yourself her older brother?"

"Since she didn't have one and I thought she needed one. And Sarah thinks the world of her."

"They've been as close as two sisters can be. As long as I can remember, Sarah wouldn't do anything if Annie couldn't do it with her. It didn't matter that she was four years younger because I think she was always envious that Ann had a sister and she didn't."

"But Sarah has an older brother. That's why I keep a closer eye on Ann than I probably should." Hank made his own admission. "I think the world of her too."

"I know you do and I know that this doesn't make a lot of sense, but you have to understand that I would do anything for her. Even if it means that I have to spend some time with Evelyn when I'd rather be with Ann."

"Dan, I'm going to tell you what I told her last night. If you give this thing between you a chance, I think you could end up falling in love with each other."

It was an incredible thought only because he couldn't think past the next few days, or weeks. Weeks? "I can't think about that now. You said it yourself, I just broke up with Caroline and now I've got this new wrinkle with Evelyn. The whole thing with Ann sneaked up on me and I didn't have a real chance to spend any time with her before Evelyn showed up."

"It does kind of throw a monkey wrench into things, doesn't it? She shows up without warning and puts the brakes on things with Ann." He grinned. "We should all have such problems."

"Now who's being the smart-ass?" Danny frowned.

"Lighten up Dan. It's not like you have to marry her; you just need to spend some time with her. For all you know, this whole thing could be a moot point."

"Maybe. But there is still the matter of Ann thinking that I have unresolved feelings for Evelyn. And I don't know how to convince her that I don't."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you because she's a headstrong girl."

"That's a big help, thank you." Danny glared at him.

"What are friends for?" He laughed. "Dan, these things generally have a way of working themselves out if you give it a little time. So my advice, for what it's worth is to ride this out and Evelyn will let you know where she stands."

"Hopefully before Annie gives up on me."

"Don't be so dramatic. Ann strikes me as the kind of girl that doesn't give up easily and she may have already figured that you're worth waiting for."

"It seems that every time I would see you boys together, you were always talking." A cheerful voice cut in to their conversation.

Danny knew that he shouldn't have felt angry but he did. Evelyn seemed to show up out of nowhere. "It's how we got through the Academy, by talking things out."

Her eyebrows lifted. "My goodness. Someone got up on the wrong side of the beach this morning, didn't they? And after such a lovely evening too."

"It was a real surprise seeing you last night." Hank observed. "We didn't have any idea you were coming out here."

Evelyn seemed surprised by the unfriendliness of both men and her eyebrows came together in a frown. "I wasn't aware that I needed to give you my life's itinerary Henry."

"Not your life's itinerary Evelyn, just the one that brought you here." He answered.

She put her hands on her hips. "I explained last night what brought me here. And since when did it become necessary for me to keep you apprised of my whereabouts?"

"I just find it an odd coincidence that you show up after Dan breaks things off with Caroline." Hank frowned. "And then you show up at the dance last night."

"Oh honestly Hank, you make it sound as though I planned the whole thing." Evelyn sighed. "I didn't know about Dan and Caroline until last night. And I don't know what's so hard to understand about my job bringing me here, we work with the military."

Danny knew that as long as Hank and Evelyn continued to spar with each other, he wouldn't be able to talk to her and it was important to him that they did. "Hank, why don't you head back to your quarters? We've gotten our run in for the day."

"Are you sure?"

"Get out of here will you?" He frowned and waited for his friend to leave, reluctantly.

"I don't understand how he can be so grouchy in a beautiful place like this." She commented. "I've only been here for a couple of weeks and I can't imagine living anywhere else."

They began to walk up the beach. "Now you know what I meant when I talked about this place."

"And why you hoped to be stationed here when you graduated." She nodded. "Hank seemed particularly out of sorts and that isn't like him."

"There were things that happened after I got home that were unexpected." He began. "The truth is, after I broke up with Caroline my intention was to concentrate on flying and not worry about a girlfriend to keep happy."

Evelyn smiled as though she knew something. "But that didn't last very long did it? I can't imagine a handsome man like you being unattached for very long."

How could he explain it?

Danny decided that it was best just to get it out in the open so that she wouldn't be in the dark. "The fact is there's a girl I've known for most of my life and things got a little complicated after I got home."

"Would she be that young woman who was with Hank last night?" She smiled at him.

He nodded the affirmative. "Ann Walker."

"I can see why she got your attention. She's a pretty girl."

Danny sighed because he got a sudden image of Ann in her mother's dress. "The thing is, because you were so friendly with me last night she seems to think that there's something unresolved or unspoken between us."

"Oh, boy." Evelyn frowned.

"And that would explain why Hank was a little rude to you. He took Ann under his wing after he got here and has been keeping an eye on her since."

"I'm really sorry about all of this Dan, but why didn't you just say something? I would have backed off and not made her feel like I was an old flame."

"I couldn't. This whole situation is so new to the both of us that we haven't told anyone yet." He admitted. "Then she decided that I needed to spend some time with you to make sure there wasn't any unresolved feelings."

It was her turn to sigh. "Did you try explaining all of this to her last night?"

"Annie's a stubborn girl. Once she gets something in her head, she can't let it go."

Evelyn raised her eyebrows and looked as though she was trying not to laugh. "Annie?"

"I've called her that since we were kids and I've tried not to do it since I've been home." Danny explained and then he grinned. "Except when I want to tease her."

She tucked her arm through his as they walked. "It sounds to me as though you could be in love with her."

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Well if you aren't, I think you're well on your way. You get this look in your eyes when you talk about her and it's not a look I ever saw when you talked about Caroline."

"She wasn't Ann."

"I won't argue with that. I never met Caroline and you were probably more charitable about her than you should have been because she sounded like a real pill."

Her bluntness surprised Danny and he stopped. "You never told me that."

She took his arm again and they continued to walk. "I couldn't tell you because she was still your girlfriend. But now that she isn't anymore and I actually got to meet the girl who put that dreamy look in your eyes I thought it was time to tell you that."

"I honestly don't know what to do because she won't see me until she thinks I've worked all of this out."

She let go of his arm and stopped. "Did she give you a timetable?"

He shook his head. "She figured that I would know after I'd spent some time with you."

Evelyn smiled and then she laughed. "She is stubborn isn't she? But she also sounds like a young woman who cares a great deal for you and wants what she might have with you without a shadow over it. And if it means that we spend a little time together, then I'll do what I can to help."

"Thanks."

"Never let it be said that I wasn't willing to give Cupid a few more arrows for his quiver."

He nodded and they began to walk again. There was something he wanted to say and didn't know if he should.

"What aren't you telling me Dan?" She put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Ask away."

Danny took a deep breath and sighed. "Were you ever in a situation with a guy you liked and you seriously considered going all the way?"

Evelyn seemed startled by the inquiry and she flushed.

Her reaction embarrassed him. "Never mind it's too personal."

"Are you saying that's what happened between you and Ann last night?" She avoided the question with one of her own.

He felt the heat rise up his neck. "I dated a couple of girls when I was at Pearl High before I met Caroline and it never seriously crossed my mind with any of them."

"It sounds to me like Ann is someone pretty special." She observed. "But it says a lot about you that you kept those impulses under control. With her mindset the way it is, a moment's pleasure on the beach might have become an accusation."

He frowned in confusion. "How do you figure?"

"If any real intimacy caused her to change her mind about what she sees as our settling things she might have seen it as a act of persuasion, not as an act of affection." Evelyn explained. "And then you would have been in a situation where you probably would have lost any chance at all."

"I think I knew that in the back of my mind and it's why I didn't let it get out of hand."

Evelyn looked him in the eye. "You didn't let it get out of hand because you care so much about her."

He laughed. "That and the fact that Hank would have knocked me out cold."

She smiled in return and shrugged. "You know him better than I do, so I'll take your word on it. So what do you want to do about this?"

"I want to take Ann in my arms and..."

"Dan, you need to focus." She admonished him. "What do want to do about this?"

"I don't want to take too long, that's for damn sure." A glance from her got him back on track. "If you have the time maybe you could meet me here and take a walk?"

"I can do that, but what if she sees us together?"

"I don't think that will happen. Since I kissed her at Thanksgiving she's been avoiding the beach because she knows I jog here every afternoon."

Evelyn smiled. "I don't know her Dan but I sure like her."

"So do I Evelyn and I'm hoping to get a chance again to prove it to her."

She stopped and let go of his arm. "I'll meet you here again tomorrow about this same time and we can go for a walk."

Danny looked at his watch to note the time and nodded. "I'll be here."

"Trust her Dan and give her time. I have the feeling it'll all work out for the two of you. In the meantime, I need to get home."

"Thanks for listening, it really helped."

She smiled at him before she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Just call me Cupid's Helper." And she walked away.

Danny looked at his watch again and saw that he needed to head home himself. Mama asked him when he left the house that morning to come for dinner and he wanted to get cleaned up before then.

He didn't know if Evelyn was supposed to know about what Ann asked, but he'd always been up front with her and didn't want to do anything differently this time.

As he walked up the beach he found the spot where he'd kissed Ann the night before and the memory of it made him smile.

With Evelyn's help he might have a chance with her after all.