8

And My Heart Says…

A/N: Happy 2007! Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

Last chapter with a hint of the direction of how I wish the series had played out. You know my preference.

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Chapter 5

"Are you sure you have enough room?" asked a concerned Sue as she and Bobby got on the Ferris wheel.

Bobby was attempting to fit his lanky frame into the limited confines of the seat.

"Am I crowding you?" he responded as he tried to find a comfortable position for his arms and legs. Finally, he gave up.

"Can't do it, Sue. I'm invading your space whether you like it or not," he said as he sprawled out next to her without actually being on her lap.

Sue's eyes twinkled as she watched her tall friend unfold. "Are you comfy now?"

"Couldn't be better," he grinned. He couldn't think of a nicer place to be. "You?"

"I'm fine. I have a whole six inches of the seat," she teased. "Maybe eight."

"Eight whole inches? I think I may have been far too generous. No wonder I feel a bit squished here."

"I'm not giving up another inch," declared Sue.

"All right. I'll try to contain myself. However, I make no promises," he mockingly warned.

The stop and go motion of the Ferris wheel taking on passengers ended and the smoothness of a continuous ride began.

"Do you think we can see any of the others?" asked Sue as she peered around.

"I don't know," he answered looking around, too. "There!" he said leaning into Sue as he pointed by the arcades. "I think I see Myles and Lucy. Wasn't he wearing light blue?"

"Where?" Sue had turned to watch his lips when she became aware of just how close they were sitting. She could smell his aftershave. "Are you wearing your Tropical Delight aftershave again?" she asked daintily sniffing.

"I am," he grinned. "You like it? It's supposed to drive the ladies wild."

"I don't know about wild but it's making me hungry," she replied.

Bobby frowned slightly. "That's not the effect I was hoping for."

"Sorry. Must be close to dinner time," she answered her dimple showing.

"We have another," Bobby peered at his watch, "thirty-five minutes before we meet the others. Your stomach is too early."

"Next time choose a less appetizing cologne," she retorted.

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"That was nice," smiled Sue when they got off the Ferris wheel.

"How 'bout Flying Over the Coast?" suggested Bobby.

"What's that about?"

"It's a simulation ride in a hot air balloon soaring along the east coast complete with gusts of wind and a sprinkling of rain," he explained. "It's quite fun," he assured her. "You'll like it."

"Will it be dark?" she asked dubiously. She didn't like being deprived of her primary sense.

"Of course not," he answered well aware of her concern. "Try it," he cajoled.

She looked at him with mild exasperation. "Why is it that I have a difficult time saying no to you, Bobby Manning?"

"Could it be my charm?"

A tiny frown creased her forward as her eyes narrowed to consider his suggestion. "It could be your resemblance to Levi when he wants something."

"A worthy comparison," he grinned. "I'll take it."

It was fun until the ride stopped unexpectedly in mid-air over Assauteague Island and the dim lighting went out plunging the room in total darkness.

Her vision cutoff, she gripped the bar in front of her as an almost overwhelming sense of panic hit her. It was frightening to have the one sense she depended on so heavily to be suddenly taken away…until…until a familiar hand covered hers and held it firmly. The reassuring warmth of his touch drove away her anxiety. He was there with her…he would keep her safe. She squeezed his hand grateful for his comfort in the darkness.

In a few minutes, the lights came back on and the ride resumed. He kept his hand on hers until the ride stopped.

"Sorry for the moment of panic when the lights went out back there," he said lightly as they walked away from the ride. "Holding your hand probably stopped me from screaming and crying and otherwise behaving like a hysterical female."

A wry smile appeared on Sue's face. She could not imagine anyone less prone to becoming panic-stricken than Bobby. But she knew why he was saying what he was saying.

"I think I should be offended on behalf of women everywhere for that stereotypical remark," said Sue the appreciation in her eyes belying the tone of her response. "However, I think I'll let it go just this once."

Bobby's face brightened at the warmth of her expression. Unconsciously, he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"We still have some time before we have to meet the others," he remarked. "Would you like to walk around a bit or find a place to sit?"

"I think I'd prefer to walk."

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive."

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At six o'clock, Bobby and Sue neared the appointed meeting place. Lucy and Myles were already there.

"What have we here!" exclaimed Bobby when he spotted the armfuls of prizes his teammates were holding. He eyed their load. "Did you leave any for the other people to win?"

"I'm pleased to say I haven't lost my touch in the intervening years since I was last at a place like this," smiled Myles smugly.

"I'm impressed, Myles," remarked Sue when she saw the bundle of stuffed animals. "Or did you win these, Lucy?"

"Myles, it was all Myles," Lucy affirmed.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Lucy," protested Myles. "You did win this," he pointed out a pair of dangling blue dice.

"Hanging them on your rear view mirror, Luce?" kidded Bobby.

"Buy me a car to match and I will," she quipped.

"What are you going to do with all of these?" Sue asked. "You don't seem to be the stuffed animal type, Myles—unless you have a secret stash somewhere."

"No secret stash," he answered still in an expansive mood due to the success of the outing. "I plan to have each of the women select something as a memento of today. The rest I'll donate to the children's hospital."

"How thoughtful!" praised Sue.

"A Leland trait," he said modestly, "that began with Myles Leland the First. He was…"

"All right, mate," interrupted Bobby as he clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We get the picture."

"Well, Sue…pick something," suggested Lucy.

Sue looked carefully through the collection of prizes and spotted a happy faced daisy. "I choose this," she said as she pulled it out from Lucy's bundle. "It'll remind me of what a nice time I'm having. Thank you, Myles."

"My pleasure, Sue." He looked around for the missing members of the group. "Where are they? We said we'd meet at six."

"Hold your horses," Lucy spoke up. "It's only…." She tried to look at her watch but couldn't. "What time is it?"

"Ten after," answered Sue.

"Maybe they're riding one last ride," suggested Bobby. "Or got caught in the crowd."

Sue looked up. "I think I see them coming now."

Hand-in-hand, Tara and Jack were almost running to the meeting spot.

"Sorry," apologized a breathless Jack. "The Ferris wheel broke down. We were on that thing for the past fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, I think they still have a few glitches to repair," Tara panted. "We were stuck on one of them."

"There was a problem on one of the rides we went on, too," contributed Sue.

"Well, we're all here now," stated Lucy. "If someone could hold these for me, I'll call D and see if they can join us for dinner."

"I'll call," offered Jack taking out his cell.

"Where did you get all those?" wondered an amazed Tara.

Lucy and Myles launched into their story while Jack spoke to D.

"Great! See you there in about twenty minutes." Jack snapped his phone shut.

"I take it the Gans family will be meeting us," Bobby remarked.

"Just Donna and D. The kids are spending the evening with their friends," said Jack.

"And where are we meeting them?"

"At our favorite place. D said they'll go down and get a table for us since they're closer."

"Oh, good," said Tara enthusiastically. "I was thinking maybe I was in the mood for a Portobello mushroom burger."

"That's making my mouth water," declared Jack. "Let's go."

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Restaurant

"Glad you could make it, mate," greeted Bobby as he approached the table. He bent down to give Donna a kiss. "We're even happier he persuaded you to join us, Donna."

"I couldn't say no," she responded. "It's not often I get to go out on a date with my husband."

"Too bad the kids didn't want to come," commented Jack.

"Those days of wanting to hang with Mom and Dad are long past," said D ruefully.

"How did their teams do today?" asked Sue.

"Winners both," smiled Donna. "Davey hit a double."

"Way to go!" praised Bobby. "Give him our congratulations."

"I will."

Conversation centered on the various activities the group had done. Tara and Jack gave their reviews of the assorted rides they had ridden, both agreeing that the giant double corkscrew roller coaster was the best—and scariest. Myles entertained them with his exploits at the arcade with Lucy interjecting her comments when it appeared he was exaggerating a bit much.

"You can choose something for yourself, Donna and something for Tanya…if you want," Lucy assured her. "Everything's in Myles' car. Meet us after dinner there and you can take your pick."

"Why thank you, Myles," Donna told him. "I didn't know you were such a skillful arcade player."

"It's a gift," he admitted in mock humility.

D smiled. A typical Myles remark, he thought.

"What did you guys do?" he asked nodding towards Bobby and Sue.

They exchanged glances. "Walked around mostly," shared Bobby.

"Ate some cotton candy," chipped in Sue.

"And rode a couple of rides," finished Bobby.

"Roller coaster?"

"Something on the tamer side," Sue said. "Ferris wheel and one of those simulation rides." She caught Bobby's eye and shared a smile.

Throughout the remainder of their time at the amusement park and at dinner, Bobby had maintained a solicitous eye on her. She appreciated his sweet but totally unnecessary concern. She was fine.

Then the thought struck her--she really was fine. She leaned over and nudged him.

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say thanks," she said softly.

He looked puzzled. "For what?"

"For today. I had a good time."

"In spite of what happened on that ride?"

"I think," she began, "that could've been the nicest part of the whole day."

A slow smile spread on his face as a warm feeling flooded Bobby. "You're welcome."

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It was late. The party had finally broken up when D and Donna had to leave to pick up their son.

"It was fun today, wasn't it?" asked Lucy when they got home.

"Yeah, it was," agreed Sue. "Bobby said it was your idea."

"Well, it was his idea for all of us to go out," Lucy corrected. "We haven't done that in a while. We should do it more often."

"I guess it's difficult coordinating everyone's schedule," commented Sue. "Everyone's so busy."

"Yeah." She looked at her roommate. She looked better, Lucy thought, as though she had finally accepted she made the right decision when she turned down David's proposal. "Well, I want to take a shower before I go to bed—unless you want to go first?"

"No," answered Sue shaking her head. "You go first. I think I'll have a glass of milk."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay. I'll be quick."

"Take your time."

Lounging on the couch, Sue stroked Levi as she thought about the day. At first, she hadn't wanted to go because she didn't think she would be fun. But Bobby had managed to coax her into going and now she was glad she did. He had not only been a charming companion, but also a sympathetic listener to her confused emotional state. Life seemed just a bit brighter after talking to him.

She recalled that disturbing moment in the simulation ride when the lights went off and blackness engulfed her. For a deaf person, that was one of the most terrifying things that could happen. But the moment Bobby's hand gripped hers, all vestiges of fright left. It was amazing what the touch of someone you trusted could do…and she trusted Bobby.

She leaned back into the cushions and closed her eyes. How lucky she was to have a friend like him, she thought as she fell asleep.

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Staring at the ceiling in the darkness, Bobby laid in bed thinking about the day at the amusement park. It had been fun and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves. A smirk appeared as he thought of Myles' proud countenance at the quantity of prizes he had won and the long suffering look on Lucy's as she toted the rest of his winnings.

Funny how they had all split into pairs. It had seemed the most natural thing in the world for Tara to go off with Jack and pursue their interest in roller coasters while Lucy and Myles had headed towards the arcades. That had left he and Sue together, which to be honest, he hadn't minded…he hadn't minded at all. He liked being with her.

As they strolled through the amusement park they had talked about numerous things including her breakup with David.

"Marriage is hard enough when two people love each other heart and soul," she had said. "How could I say yes when I don't?"

"Sue, I can't tell you if you made the right decision or not. You're the only one that can do that. However, I do want you to know that you have my support…my shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen whenever you want."

"What? No arm and a leg?" she had said jokingly.

"An arm and a leg and whatever else you deem necessary," he'd grinned pleased to see the unhappiness in her eyes lessen.

Sue deserved to be happy and one day she would be, he thought as he scrunched his pillow beneath his head to get comfortable. But for now, he would just be there for her if she needed him. After all, wasn't that what friends were for?

It had been a very nice outing, he thought as he closed his eyes. They should do it again.

Finis