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"If I fall and killto be brave

As if sensing er on my scantily clad form He turned and hoisted hi a few stairs I cringed, thinking about how in the world I was going to get up there and retain any dignity He stood in the broad base, where the branches spread and lifted away fro brown arm

"Grab my arm at the elbow and I’ll pull you up"

I did just as he asked, wrapping both of my hands just below his bicep He leaned dorapped his left hand aroundonto a thick tree-branch above hi ht up the trunk and was quickly standing balanced beside hile, HeMan’s feled like a little girl

"There’s a little platforroaned "I know all about the platform Please don’t make me ju up the tree before I could protest

"It seems pretty solid," he called down several moments later It was solid It had been there for at least a few generations of dare devils I sighed dejectedly I was going to have to climb up there and jump with hiuide you up"

I kneas going to fall out of the tree Girls as athletically challenged as I was should never clionly a tank top high up in the tree I shuddered in horror I was NOT that kind of girl I had a decent rear-end, but I don’t think anyone’s butt looks good cli trees At the very worst, I would i me, both would happen, and I would soon be pantiless and impaled I could just see the story in the local newspaper: "Local Woman Found Dead and Half Naked in Tree"

I focused intently on placing ly, I eventually clih for him to reach down and loop his arm around my waist He pulled me up next to hied and nailed into the wide reinforce branches The view beloas truly breathtaking…and terrifying The black bottom of the pond created an illusion of endless sky below us The glassy surface reflected the brilliant stars in the firmament above, and it seealaxy

"Oh, dear God," I whispered, panic flooding my heart with ice

"It’s beautiful," Samuel whispered too, only his voice was filled with awe

I squeezedto his arm, which he had kept braced around o, on three…"

"No!" I yelped emphatically "Not yet! I’m not ready!"

Samuel snickered softly, but I was too afraid to slap hi myself a headache, otten ainst hiainst my mouth He smy chin towards hiot to be afraid Tipsily, I wound ers up into the silky pelt of his closely cut hair He pulled, Samuel pushed off the platfor…and screa Just before we hit the surface, Sa hih the black, star-filled water

Instinct took over as I kicked ht was upward I felt Saed asped, spitting pond out ofhair out of s tread water furiously to keep ain!!"

"What? Kiss you, or kiss you while we’re ju out of a tree?" Samuel practically drawled the words, they were so slow andhard at all; in fact, he’d laid his head back in the water and barely seeh!" I huffed, cousted "I feel tricked! You didn’t want to kiss et me out of the tree!"

"Oh, I wanted to kiss you," the draas even more pronounced "I just killed two birds with one stone" He lifted his head up off the water and grinned at , and I was dazzled Soand my head sunk beneath the water like a stone I splashed wildly and popped up, spitting and swiping at ain

"Lean back, Josie," Sa as he slid up beside s out in front of you and float on your back Quit fighting Floating’s easy"

"Ha!" I gru floaties in the high school pool!" I wasn’t done being mad at him