Heaven (Casteel 1)

stop admiring. Slowly, slowly, we strolled. Now Our

Jane and Keith were skipping, laughing, as Tom ran

back to check on what Fanny was doing with those

boys.

"You're not talking to me," Logan complained,

stopping to pull me down onto a rotting log. "Before

we know it we'll reach your cabin yard, and you'll

dash ahead, turn to me, and wave good-bye, and I'll

never get to see the inside of your home."

"There's nothing to see," I said with my eyes

lowered.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, either," he

said softly, squeezing my fingers before he released

my hand and tilted my face toward his. "If you're

going to stay in my life, and I can't picture life without

you, someday you'll have to let me in, won't you?" "Someday . . . when I'm braver."

"You're the bravest person I've ever known!

Heaven, I've been thinking about us a lot lately; about

how much fun we have together, and how lonely the hours are when we're not together. When I'm finished with college, I'm thinking about becoming a scientist, a brilliant one, of course. Wouldn't you be interested in delving into the mysteries of life along with me? We could work as a team like Madame Curie and her

husband. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Sure," I said without thought, "but wouldn't it

be boring, shut up in a lab day in and day out? Is it

possible to have an outdoor lab?"

He thought me silly, and hugged me close. I put

my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek

against his. It felt so good to be held like this. "We'll

have a glass lab," he said in a low, husky voice, with

his lips close to mine, "full of live plants . . will that

make you happy?"

"Yes . . . I think so . . ." Was he going to kiss