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The lake had been as beautiful up close as it had appeared at a distance. Matt had pointed out all the highlights to C.J. as they walked, his arm still around her shoulder and looked at the ducks paddling across its surface, the ripples that appeared at various spots signaling fish and the small waves breaking on the rocky shores.

There were a couple of fishermen trying their luck, including a couple with children but it seemed that most people were keeping out of the hot afternoon sun.

"Fishing's popular in the evening this time of year," Matt said, "When the air cools down enough to be bearable."

C.J. nodded.

"And it must be nice to just walk along the shore then too," she said, "It really is beautiful out here."

Matt agreed but then as lovely as the surroundings were, there stood C.J. perhaps unaware of her own beauty. As she stood there looking out at the water, Matt tried to remember when it was he had decided not to pursue her. Her eyes sparkled at things she liked and her generous mouth seemed ripe for kissing but he knew that she had kept him at arm's length for a reason. And as she had told him more than once that had been not to jeopardize their lifelong friendship, the most important relationship in her life.

He had agreed because face it, he had greatly enjoyed sampling the different women in whatever environment he found himself. Whether that was in a rustic, backwoods town like Wild Fork where the pickings were familiar but slim or when he played football at Rice University and had a much larger pool of beautiful and willing women to choose from whenever he wanted. His exploits hadn't been legendary like those involving other players but he had never been lonely.

"Where do you want to have dinner tonight," C.J. asked suddenly.

"There's a nice club that serves food in town," Matt said, "just a short distance from here. They've got some great fish if I remember."

She nodded.

"That sounds great…"

He pulled her closer without realizing it but she didn't mind. Hardly, she leaned closer into him as well, really enjoying this time they spent together.

"Then that's a plan," he said, "And then maybe tomorrow we can do some fishing."

She smiled at that.

"Maybe we could find a boat and go out in the lake," she said.

He brightened.

"There's an island out where the lake bends," he said, "We could try our luck there."

She thought about it.

"Is it busy out there?"

"My father took me out there," Matt said, "It's pretty quiet and the fishing's great. We can make a fire and cook anything we catch."

Her eyes flashed in mischief.

"Anything I catch," she corrected, "I'm much better at this fishing than you."

"We'll just have to see about that."

They headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. She hit the couch again and told him he could shower first.

"Are you sure you're okay with tonight," C.J. asked, "We could go separately in case you meet someone you want to leave with."

He threw her a strange look.

"Why would I want to leave with someone?"

She rolled her eyes at having to explain it to him.

"You're going to be going into the military in a week," she said, "This might be your last chance to kick up those cowboy boots and have some fun."

His brow rose.

"And we haven't been having fun?"

Her face grew a little pink.

"Well not your kind of fun…"

He rested against a wall and just looked at her.

"Is that an invitation?"

She looked at him taken aback and he suppressed a smile. He wondered if she realized how pretty she looked right now even as embarrassment lurked just below her surface.

"No…just an observation," she said, "We already decided not to go down this road."

"So we could stay best friends," Matt finished, "and not mess up the great thing we've got going."

She nodded.

"Something like that."

He sighed.

"Well now that we've got that settled, I'll tell you what…"

She looked at him expectantly.

"We'll just go out and have a good time together and then we'll come back here together," Matt said, "Contrary to what you might think, that's more than enough for me. I don't think I can handle anymore than that tonight."

She tilted her head.

"Really, are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Matt smiled.

"I feel just fine, thanks for asking."

She looked at him for a moment as if she wanted to throw something at him. Fire lit up her hazel eyes, emphasizing the emerald within them and her mouth remained pursed. Matt didn't wonder that any man would have his hands filled with her but he could only imagine the rewards. He quickly reined those thoughts in remembering what she had just said.

"Okay, but I just wanted you to know you can keep your options open," she said, "Now I believe you better run along and take that shower…and don't take up all the hot water."

He shrugged.

"There's room enough for the both of us…then you don't have to worry about that."

He read the expression on her face and knew he'd best be heading off by himself, but then he had been joking after all. He didn't know why just that he liked seeing her reaction to his comments, those more visceral before her defenses rose again. And what he saw now told him that for a split second, she had envisioned what he had, which brought a rosier hue to her tanned complexion. He smiled to himself as he left the living room.

C.J. shook her head after he left, knowing that she shouldn't let his teasing get to her, knowing that if she did, he would just keep doing it. Only she didn't really mind it that much because as long as he did it…there was hope. Oh she really had to stop thinking like that. He teased her because he had been denied access to his usual supply of women since he had been traveling on the road with her from town to town, never staying long enough to be able to sample the local population. When he returned to Wild Fork in the short time he had left, he'd more than make up for lost time.

She'd really miss him when they took off to follow their separate paths in life. Sure, once she settled into her new life in Boston and focused on the demands of her legal education, she wouldn't have much time to think about him. During the few moments of each day and during the nights, her mind would wander towards him, her heart praying for his safety. The country wasn't at war but that could quickly change in a heartbeat. Matt's uncle Roy who seemed to have a handle on the pulse of what happened around the world, a lot more than expected for a retiree, had seemed concerned about the state of the world, as if something were about to break the peace, even shatter it in a million pieces. Warning Matt to be careful during his military service, to be ready for anything.

And she had been afraid for him and for his cousin all over again. She had kept that in check while she and Matt had been road tripping and she bit her tongue whenever any temptation to talk about his military service threatened to pass her lips. It would accomplish nothing to talk about it and she just wanted to enjoy their last few days together and leave the world out of it for a while. Reality would intrude soon enough.

She leaned back on the couch and put her feet on the coffee table. Her uncle probably would be watching the baseball game on the television after throwing together whatever food she had left him together for a dinner. Not for the first time, she wondered how he fared, how he would fare when she left for Boston. He had entered into her life to take care of her when her parents weren't there and now she felt that she had to take that role with him. Matt had hired the ranch hands to help him out and that would have to be enough. When she graduated from law school and worked as a prosecutor, she would reserve some of her salary to him whether he was too proud to accept it or not. Enough of her tuition and expenses were subsidized through scholarships that she wouldn't carry a big debt when she finished.

"I left you some," a voice said.

She looked up and saw Matt wrapped in a towel, his hair damp standing in front of her. He looked impressive, his muscular build contained within the fabric. And per usual, he seemed unaware of the effect his body had on women. Well on her anyway.

"Thanks," she said, her mouth suddenly dry.

He walked out to get dressed and she headed off to the shower.

Dinner was great, the fish delicious and she and Matt spent the evening talking and laughing as they usually did. It had been so wonderful to have this week with the world not weighing down on them and time spent living from day to day and traveling where the mood took them. Their faces red, their bodies completely relaxed from laughing at the escapades that they had gotten into so far.

"I wonder if the police are still looking for you," C.J. mused.

He saw amusement on her face.

"I think they have bigger fish to fry than someone like me who's long gone."

She looked at him sitting there, his worn shirt stretched over his chest, the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms and his hands gesturing as he spoke. And for a while she had rested her chin on her hand watching him. Not that he seemed to notice, intent on trying to get her to laugh.

"That wasn't bad," Matt said after they were finished eating.

C.J. agreed.

"There's nothing better than fish you catch yourself, but this came close."

"We can catch our own tomorrow," Matt said, "and fry them right on shore."

"That sounds fun," she said, and then she looked at the dance floor that boasted several couples swaying to the accompaniment of a quartet of musicians. He read her expression.

"Want to go take a spin or two?"

She nodded and he stood up and slipped his hand in hers and they fell easily into a slow dance, their bodies molding together.

"This is even nicer than the dinner," Matt said, after a while.

She laughed.

"I guess those dance lessons paid off."

He squeezed her waist with his hands.

"I guess they did."

She rested her head on his shoulder as she rarely did. The scent that was uniquely her own reached him and her hair felt soft against his skin. Matt was an excellent dancer in his own right but then given his penchant for the ladies, that shouldn't be surprising. Suddenly, she felt him pull away a little and he looked directly at her.

"You move really well," he said, "You feel even better."

"Houston…it's just dancing…"

And then she felt his lips brush against hers and suddenly it wasn't anymore. Then just as her body reacted to him to draw him closer, he pulled away. Then she realized he had been kissing her as a friend, nothing more.

"Thanks for the dance," he said, and then taking her hand he walked her back to the table.

They paid their tab and went back to the cabin, heading to bed as the fatigue of the day's drive began to catch up with them. C.J. felt herself yawning knowing that she needed some sleep if they were going to get up bright and early to go fishing the next morning.

But as she lay in her own bed, sleep didn't come easily not with him lying in another bed not too far away. She sighed, pulling her pillow over her head.

They both woke up early and ate a quick breakfast before Matt had rented a boat for the two of them to take some fishing gear out to the small island. The lake appeared as smooth as glass, with only a boat or two in the distance. Matt drove the boat towards a row of trees which marked their destination.

"Houston, are you sure you're going in the right direction?"

He looked over at C.J. who sat on the side of the boat and looked at him, dressed in cutoff shorts and a tank top which accentuated her strong arms and her long muscular legs. A thin line of her midriff showed and Matt tried to not look too much at that, keeping his mind on steering the craft. Her hair blew off of her face and she laughed at his attempts to make it look like he had no idea where he was going.

They touched ground on the shore and once the craft was secured, she jumped out and ran across the beach up to a patch of sand which edged a row of trees. Looking out across the lake, she felt awed by its beauty. The sun baked the island but a nice breeze wafted through it, keeping them comfortably cooler than around them.

"I'll get more fish than you will," she sang to him as she grabbed her gear and bait and went to the lake's edge.

"Do you want to put your money where your mouth was," he said, "because I'm feeling lucky."

They cast their lines and splashed in the water trying to get the upper hand on the other, until they were both soaking wet. In the process, they each caught two trout and called it a draw before heading off to pack them in the chest and dry off in the sun. C.J. sat there, her dark hair slicked off of her face and her cheeks turning rosy from the sun and enjoyed the heat soaking through her wet clothing to both chill and warm her. She looked over at Matt for a while as he lay back closing his eyes, relaxing. He had removed his wet shirt and his body…she swallowed before looking at him and then scolded herself. It wasn't like she had never seen him with less than that.

"I guess we're both lucky," she said, wondering if he were still awake.

His eyes blinked and his mouth curled up in a smile beneath his mustache.

"I'd say it was luck that you tied with me," he said, "Another hour…"

She laughed.

"Oh spare me," she said, "I've out fished you as often as not."

Matt couldn't disagree with her prowess with the fishing rod that started not long after she had moved to the ranch to live with her uncle. He had taken her fishing once to get her mind off of her missing her parents and thought he would have to teach her…only to find out that if she weren't a ringer she was damn close. He rested his elbow in the sand and looked at her, sucking in his breath because while her shirt dried in the sun, it still appeared sheer meaning that…he stopped looking, well at least he tried to do so. But then the natural progression was to think about how she would look without the shirt in the way and the next…

"Houston…"

He thought she was going to call him on where his eyes had been focused. After all, she had done it enough times on the ranch with some of the rowdier hands.

"So would you like to go swimming?"

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes.

"You're not wearing a swimsuit."

She shrugged.

"Don't need one," she said, "I've got clothes on underneath."

That made him sit up.

"C.J. I really don't think…"

Too late, she had already taken her shirt off, displaying her sports bra and he relaxed…a little.

"What's the matter Houston," she said, looking at him funny.

He found himself unable to say anything.

"Look Houston if this makes you uncomfortable…"

He shook his head.

"It's not like I've never seen you like that before…"

Her brow arched and he felt the heat rise into his face. Damn, she hadn't known about the time…

She folded her arms.

"And when was this again?"

He just stared at her.

"Well that day…when you and…Alexis were at the pond," he stammered and she couldn't believe that Matt Houston, ladies man extraordinaire was even capable of having trouble spitting his words out. Her mouth curled in a smile at that.

"Ohhh… when I was dressed in less than this," she said, "Oh don't worry Houston, the shorts are staying on so you can relax now."

"Well I…"

The arms remained folded.

"Oh come off it," she said, "I'm not going to throw my clothes off and then go after yours. I'm not going to throw myself at you. Your virtue is safe with me, safer with me than with anyone else."

He smiled but in his eye shone a glint of mischief.

"That's good to know."

She focused her gaze on him, taking note of a chink in his Casanova armor.

"So what did you think?"

Think…was he thinking…Matt tried to think back to that summer afternoon when he had been riding his horse out to repair some fencing and had been out by the pond that filled with the spring rains until it dried up in late summer. He had heard laughter and splashing and had taken a look and what he saw had just about knocked him off of his horse. C.J. and her friend were in the water and it looked like…they weren't wearing much.

C.J. watched his mind worked and sighed.

"Look Houston, we were drinking that afternoon and then we fell into a game of truth or dare and we skipped past the truth and just jumped to daring each other to skinny dip."

Matt's mouth gaped a bit and she grew irritated.

"Oh come on Houston, everybody's skinny dipped in that pond," she said, "We didn't know anyone was watching."

Now he felt embarrassed.

"I wasn't watching," he said, "I was just making sure everything was okay. No one was drowning."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Well I'm going swimming," she said, reaching to unsnap her cutoffs and then looking at him, decided against it, "Are you going to be okay?"

He watched her as she ran and jumped into the lake, splashing and then entering her arms into the water in swift, sure strokes. After watching, he got up and joined her and when she saw him swimming towards her, she smiled and met him, both of them treading water.

"That wasn't hard," she said, finally.

"You looked beautiful that day…"

She furrowed her brow at him and then smiled.

"Really?"

"Really."

She considered that.

"Well what about now?"

He didn't respond to that just reached out to stroke her hair. She swallowed and her mouth quivered slightly.

"No…don't say it…"

He started to frown and then she splashed him with water and swam back to shore.

They dried off their clothes and Matt gathered wood to start a fire while C.J. did the messy job of scaling the fish and preparing them to cook over the fire that would turn the fish into tasty flakes which would melt in their mouth. She sat back and watched the fire grow and Matt place the fish in a skillet over the makeshift oven. The wind had picked up as the sun began its journey back towards the horizon leaving a trail of pink merging into the blueness of the sky. C.J. had brought a light wrap and put it on over her shoulders as she tossed Matt a beer from the ice chest and popped the tab on her own. After the fish was done, Matt slid it off the skillet onto some plates and they dove into it eagerly.

"This is delicious," she said, closing her eyes at the flavor of the wild trout.

Matt agreed and after they were finished eating, they sat by the fire and watched the tiny ashes blow up into the air.

"I'm going to really miss this," C.J. said thoughtfully, running her hand through her hair that had dried curlier and rested on her shoulders.

Damn Matt thought, he was going to miss her, did she have any idea just how much as she sat there watching him?

"We're both heading towards the times of our life," he said, "I really feel like my life will be beginning."

She nodded slowly.

"I know what you mean," she said, "I'm so excited to be getting closer to my dream Houston. I can't wait to get started. To move to Boston and see what it's like living in a city so different than any place I've been… and you, you'll really see the world."

Matt had traveled different parts of the world but not this way, not in service of the country which had born him and had given him a great life. He looked down for a moment and then looked back up at her.

"It's not going to be the same not seeing you…"

She sighed.

"I know," she said, "We've been together so long but we went to different universities…"

And Matt had missed her then and this summer had been the first time in a long time they had really spent time together and then they'd be saying goodbye again.

"You know I have a going away present for you," he said, "but I left it at the ranch."

Her face brightened.

"That's so nice of you," she said, then smiled, "I have one for you but it's right here."

He looked at her and saw behind the smile he always enjoyed so much, a hint of something different…shyness perhaps?

"Oh yes, this is the same one you've been hinting about during this entire trip," he said, "So when do I get to see it?"

She paused for a moment.

"You're looking at it."

No, he was looking at her, sitting in front of him, her face kissed by the sun and the lake and her body sitting relaxed across from him, close enough to touch.

"C.J. I don't understand…"

She shook her head at him, her eyes filled with different emotions, including one that felt all too familiar because it matched one within himself.

"There's not much to understand," she said, "I said you're looking at it."

"Looking at what?"

She bit her lip before she replied but her eyes never wavered.

"I'm your going away present."