6:
Woody lay on the quilt on Andy's cabin bed, staring up at the ceiling, arm behind his head. The dusty rafters started back.
Hadn't one been enough? Now there were two women in his life. Or were there? How did he feel about Barbara after all this time?
Nothing. He felt nothing. As if the one weekend he crushed on her had never happened.
And what about Bo?
He didn't even need to think about that one. He loved her. The day wasn't complete until he saw her smile at him. He had been dating her for over three years, and his stomach still did flip flops whenever she came into the room. There was no doubt in his mind that his feelings for Bo were a hundred times stronger than the attraction he once held for Barbara.
Barbara had been a mere crush; Bo was his partner, his friend, his lover. It was that simple.
Woody rolled over. So what was the problem? Why was he getting so worked up? Buzz was right; Bo wasn't the kind to get jealous. She hadn't even batted an eyelash when he brought Jessie home. Of course, that may have been because Jessie was hopping all over the place, trying to give all of her new friends noogies.
But what if Bo thought he liked Barbara? The best thing would be to tell Bo that he didn't right? But wouldn't a denial only make her suspicious? So what was he to do? Woody growled and grabbed in his head in frustration. This was so hard!
Footsteps echoed outside the room and he froze. A moment later, Andy opened the door. His hair was wet and he smelled of soap, evidence of the shower he had taken after swimming.
Andy smiled. "There ya are, Woody! Come on and let's go play!" He scooped up the Cowboy and ran down the stairs with him.
Woody felt inward relief. An hour or two with Andy would take his mind of things. He could worry later.
With one hand, Andy held onto the rope that attached the tire swing to the tree. In the other, he clutched Woody. He was half standing, half crouching with his feet through the center.
As he moved back and forth on the swing, Maxie came tramping up to the tree. Her face was stormy.
"Hey Maxie!" Andy said, slowing the tire down but still swinging as he spoke. "How come you didn't go swimming with us?"
"It seemed a little…" She paused. "Crowded."
"It's a big lake."
"Well," she crossed her arms and said hostilely as she leaned against the tree. "I didn't want to ruin your good time with Elsie."
Andy skidded to a slow halt. "What's wrong with Elsie?"
"Nothing's wrong with Elsie!" She snapped. "I just didn't want to go swimming with her!"
"Why are you so jealous of her?"
Maxie's cheeks turned pink. "Jealous? I'm not jealous!"
"You're sure acting like it."
"I am NOT jealous!" And with that she gave Andy a big shove. He fell off the swing into the dirt. "Jerk!"
As Maxie stomped away, muttering under her breath, Andy lay on the ground, staring at the tree above his head. "You know Woody, I just don't understand girls."
Me neither, Pal, thought Woody.