*****

TWO WEEKS LATER

*****

They stepped out of the store to meet a considerably aged sun beating a slow retreat. The evening was getting older and night was certainly not far away, but Lance still had no thought of excusing himself.

He'd tried twice so far, but Selene still wouldn't allow him help her carry at least one of the grocery bags. He had escorted her here from school after their classes had ended and they'd come in her car since he'd lent his to a close friend who needed to run an urgent errand. But all this time that he had tagged along with her, they'd scarcely said...