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But then she looks over atover her shoulder Her face colors, and my heart starts to do a little pitter-patter in my chest I’ at me like I’m a real live man? She licks her lips and turns away to talk to soain

Her blond hair is daled up into aany makeup The wonizable when they get out of the shower This one is all natural And I like it I shouldn’t But I do I could look at her all day

There was a second when she fell on top of me that she looked fearful Was that because of what happened to her? Does she even remember me?

But then a motorized wheelchair zips towardin front of hiout of his neck He signs to me, but his moven language usually is Marsher tohere so a campfire

I wonder if this is the boy I’m supposed to ith An older wo fro her side "He’s hard to keep up with in that chair" She extends a hand "I’m Andrea And this is my son, Karl Karl’s excited to be a camper this year" I shake hands with her and drop down in front of Karl

"You can hear, right, Karl?" I ask, signing to him He nods and smiles, but it’s jerky and crooked He’s so damn excited he can barely sit still in his chair

I can hear, he signs I just can’t talk

I nod I get it "How old are you?" I ask

Fifteen He looks around et to where the other kids are congregating

"Such a lovely age," his h et ’erins and rolls away fro up chairs by the fire

"I think he already has a crush on Reagan," she adan stirs up more emotion in me than I knohat to do with I shake it away, and I look at Gonzo’s es so I knohat I’ with," she corrects "Who you’re working with"

"That wasn’t what I meant," I start

She lays a hand on n?"

"My brother is deaf," I say She nods, taking in et back in after I got out of jail I had to get re-pierced last night, and they’re still sore At least I don’t feel nad anymore "I didn’t mean to insult your son," I say Now I feel bad

"Karl’s only limitations are that he’s in a body that doesn’t do what he wants it to do, and that he can’t speak" She looks at hi, her eyes full of love for her son And exhaustion "He still has all the desires and urges of a fifteen-year-old boy There are just soets frustrated easily That’s the hardest thing for him His mind is sound, and his body just won’t cooperate"

I nod I knohat it feels like to be out of control "Why don’t you take a break for a half hour or so?" I say "I’ll go hang with Karl"

Her eyes widen, and she looks so excited that I wish I’d made the offer as soon as they arrived "Really?" she asks

I nod "Have fun I’ll take care of him"

Tears fill her eyes, and I realize how much this woman desperately needs a break

"I’ll see you in thirty," I say

She nods and walks toward her cabin She’s tired, and I can tell

I walk to the campfire The sun has just barely set, and there are only a few kids out here "Hey, Gonzo," I say to Karl He turns around and looks atadorable that I already love this kid "You giving Reagan a hard ti that rins He looks up at her, blinking his blue eyes, his face tilted toward hers She smiles at him

"What did he say?" she asks

"He says you’re really pretty," I translate

He throws up his hands in protest You’re not supposed to tell her!

Sorry, dude, I sign back, trying not to grin If you’re going to talk about her, I’rab his shoulder and squeeze This is a rule my brothers caet to use sign language to talk about people It’s for communication So, unless you want her to know it, you better keep it to yourself

Traitor, he signs But he’s grinning

Reagan blushes, but she says, "Thank you, Karl I think you’re kind of cute, too"

I’ve never seen a kid grin quite so big She looks down at hio with me to find so before she’s even ready to go

"You think we should bring your ns to les his eyebrows at hs It’s the first sound I’ve heard hierI don’t see any other et soh She’s too old for you So lay off We’ll find you a different one One more your speed

My speed is faster than you think

Apparently

She turns back fro about my ass?" she asks She doesn’t even crack a shs and blushes again

Traitor, I sign when she turns back around

He laughs, ju in his chair a little

Now all I can do is stare at her ass She’s cute Like a fairy princess walking in the woods, picking up sticks When her arms are full, she looks at Gonzo and says, "Can you be my hero and carry these back?"

He nods and lets her fill his lap up with sticks He turns to take the more of thens, Hands off ive him a thuan"