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Eric told Laine about everything in great detail, sent pictures of every event, even the progress on the beachfront houses on the hill between Cooper’s bar and the town He told her about every dent he pounded out, every piece of news about their friends, her friends, the town at large And she kept him apprised of every detail of her life, which was now filled with doctor’s visits, ht hoethers with her family

And as the time seemed to crawl by, in what felt like a year, it had been a month

He loved her rented house and loved the deck with its view of the bay, but going ho him He saw her everywhere He would come home and for a split second there would be the aroma of soup in the housethen it would disappear He’d sit on the deck at night when a stor between his legs on that chaise, and it could be so real he’d want to kiss her neck He dreamed of her, reached for her, tasted her in his sleep He loved her like he’d never loved a woman in his life and she was completely out of his reach

He blamed some of this on time zones All those shispers he wanted to hear and utter, the erotic and blissful s he craved--they just didn’t work into the world they were now living in These private things weren’t easily said while he was digging around in an engine, or she was sitting in a doctor’s office By the tiht in Boston and Laine and her father were in full swing Not an optimal time to ask, "Tell ht, when he was finally done killing time for the day, it was far later in Boston and Laine, exhausted froe I-love-yous and I-s? It just didn’t happen

What he’d begun to think of as one of the greatest romances in the history of man had become all business and local news and Eric felt like he was drying up As each day passed by he felt she was getting further and further away

He covered his grief ork And with every breath he longed to touch her again

Al Michel had found thewith Eric and Scott Grant, vowed to make sure the Russell boys were looked after for a feeeks until they could finish the school year Sally Russell went to a full-care facility just south of North Bend, an hour from Thunder Point A foster home had been found for Kevin and Danny, in Grants Pass, at least a three-hour drive from Thunder Point As soon as school ended the boys had been relocated And Justin, who now had two full-time jobs, was left behind

The ht up to and including that day that Justin had to give up his brothers They watched over hi apart, that he could be in trouble or despondent But, Al observed with soilant

Justin arranged his schedule--days as a stock boy in the grocery store and nights at the gas station--so that he’d have Saturdays and Sundays free Those days he got in his van and motored over to Grants Pass, picked up his brothers and took them to see their mother He drove for hours and hours on those two days On at least one of those days he worked at Lucky’s in the evening He put in eighty hours a week All he did at home, where he lived alone, was bathe and sleep and clean his clothes He didn’t complain, he didn’t ask for favors He was quiet, which he always had been But he was cheerful to the custo up, kid," Al said

"Look, all I can do is get to eighteen, show I have an incoet the boys home This isn’t forever And this is the only choice there is"

"I just don’t want you to work yourself to death before you’re twenty," Al said

"With you breathing down my neck all the time, I won’t be able to," Justin said "Besides, you work uys and a sick ot this, man," he said

On a couple of Sundays Al was able to convince Justin to let him take him to Grants Pass to pick up his brothers and take theave him a little peace of ether The house they were living in wasn’ton to in Thunder Point, but it didn’t seeer boys weren’t thrilled with it but they werethe best of it in hopes that Justin would soon be able to gather theh the month and Al was included in much of it, but he never failed to check in with Justin on a daily basis He watched the kid’s weight, marked whether or not there were circles under his eyes, took it upon hi as well as could be expected under the circu this tih privately, he’d be lost without her She syh, entertained him She insisted he attend soraduation, for one Not only did she love showing him off, but it also took hiseverything they could to re because of ht

"Why would it be?" she countered

"I ask a lot of you," he said

She laughed at hi from me!"

"I ask you to wait up late for ether when you should sleep for the next day’s work I crave that rooftop when I have a night off and I want you to show me the best places to eat And I impose on you all the time because when you take your clothes off for me, I’m in heaven A heaven I’m sure I don’t deserve"

And she just smiled and said, "I wouldn’t have it any other way"

He was so grateful to hear her say that He was also thankful that no one ever asked hiiven that he was so concerned about these boys, why didn’t he take it upon himself to become the responsible adult, the foster parent He had no reasonable excuse and would be so ashah for the job He wasn’t educated, could barely read, had no experience with kids, held his own life together by the weakest thread They should have a parent who could e money and save for their futures, who could help theuide them as they looked for further education And the one chance he had at a family, he’d failed them Those Russell kids had had es He’d just be one more

Then came the day it all fell apart for him He drove Justin to Grants Pass to pick up the boys Danny and Kevin caet in the car and Kevin had an enorlasses