Beth let herself into Mrs. Langley’s house, juggling the groceries carefully. Quietly, she put them away before going in search of the older woman. She found her lying on her couch taking a nap.

“Mrs. Langley?” Beth was about to turn away and leave her to her nap when she heard her tired voice respond.

“Beth?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Beth moved further into the room so that she could be seen without making the woman rise from her reclining position.

“I thought you might be Samantha. She was supposed to stop by for a visit this week.” Sadness shone from her pale blue eyes. Beth felt a lump in her throat. So many of her clients suffered from loneliness, feeling compelled to sit for several minutes, Beth listened to several reminisces of Samantha as a child. Wishing to shake the girl in question for ignoring her grandmother, she knew it was useless to feel anger about something that was beyond her control. She was just following her father’s example; Sam’s mother had been Mrs. Langley’s daughter and had died in a car accident when Sam was fourteen. Waiting until the woman wound down, Beth interrupted her between stories.

“I am sorry I didn’t mean to disturb your nap. I just wanted to let you know I dropped the groceries off and put them away. Blake will be by this weekend to clean out your gutters and store away anything you no longer need.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without your help.”

“I am sure your family would be more than happy to help.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, now don’t nap too long or you will be unable to sleep tonight. I will see you Saturday. I’ll lock the door on the way out.” Beth left her already dozing back off and was locking the heavy door when the loud sound of motorcycles again drew her attention. They were driving slowly down the speed-restricted lane, passing directly in front of the house Beth was leaving. Samantha was on the back of a large black motorcycle, holding tightly to a different biker than she had walked into the store with. Beth felt her eyes on her as she passed and waved her hand in acknowledgment. Samantha turned her head in the other direction, blatantly ignoring the casual greeting.

Beth shrugged to herself, not upset at the snub. Samantha had never been friendly when their paths had crossed, often being downright unfriendly. She had tried not to let it bother her, but Beth couldn’t understand why the girl disliked her so much.

The walk to her car seemed like a mile, instead of the few feet it actually was. As she walked to her car, she glanced toward the bikes as they passed. If it would not have been so obvious, Beth would have gone back into the house until they passed, but she was unwilling to make a fool of herself twice in the same day. She blew out a relieved breath as the last one passed. He was the one that had his arm around Samantha at the store.

He looked her way as she walked towards her car. The breath she had been releasing caught in her throat at his rugged beauty. His dark brown hair reached the collar of his leather jacket and was tied back with a skullcap. Sunglasses hid the color of his eyes, but did not diminish the strength of his gaze on her. Feeling scorched as their eyes met briefly; Beth saw his lips twist into a wicked grin as if he knew the feelings storming her body. Beth hurried towards her car, tearing her eyes away from the passing motorcycle. She didn’t turn when she heard the bike's motor rev as if he was laughing at her.

Beth fingers trembled as she fit her keys into the ignition. She did not know why the bikers made her feel so uncomfortable. The only conclusion she had reached was that they incorporated every vice her father had warned against. Beth’s parents had been born and raised in Treepoint. Her father had been the local Baptist preacher and her mother devoted to his work. Their expectations of her had been high and the community had kept their eyes on her, telling her father of each infraction they felt in their righteous way was against his teachings. He had responded with hours of lectures and days of reproachful looks, making Beth feel often inadequate and bad. Experiences that young girls often enjoyed, such as dances and boyfriends, became associated with feelings that brought displeasure to her father. Beth had two choices, either to rebel or submit to the demands of her father’s position in the community demanded. Beth was no fighter; she had caved into her parents' demands because of her sister. In showing an example of charity, her parents had adopted a little girl, Lily. She was everything Beth was not, tall, slim, and radiantly beautiful, both inside and out. When you saw her, you could not take your eyes off her as if you would miss something vitally important. To look at the pretty 19 year old, you would never know the hell her parents had dragged her from.

Lily had been tiny for her age and her natural mother had skirted the law by never putting her in school. After adopting her, Beth’s parents had told everyone she was actually two years younger so she would not be so delayed in her own age group. Beth loved her sister and when her parents had been killed when on a charity mission, Beth had moved home to care for her until she finished high school. Lily was now a senior in high school with graduation a few months away. She had more than caught up developmentally and physically, but they decided to keep her age unknown. It had been their parent’s decision; the school knew her true age. It was the community that was kept in the dark believing her to be seventeen.

It had not been hard caring for Lily, while Beth felt smothered by her parent’s restrictions, Lily had embraced them. The rules had provided safety and structure to the traumatized girl. Beth’s mind shied away from the memories of her first meeting with the little girl and was truly thankful her parents had rescued the sister of her heart, if not blood.

Beth pulled into her driveway, seeing the porch light on. Lily would be waiting for her to get home from work. The smell of food assailed her when she entered the cozy house.

“Hi sis, you’re late.” Lily greeted and accused her at the same time.

“I know. I would have called, but I know how you are about me talking on the phone while driving.” Beth removed her shoes and the band holding her hair tightly back from her face. Beth eased her sister’s fears, understanding how traumatized she had been from their parent’s unexpected deaths.

“All right.” Lily instantly forgave her sister. “Let’s eat, I am starving.”

Beth laughed at her sister’s slim figure. “You always are, I don’t know why you can’t gain weight the way you constantly eat. Must be good genes.” Instantly, Beth regretted her words at the pain in her sister’s eyes.

Quickly taking her arm and leading Lily back into the kitchen, she changed the subject. “What’s for dinner?”

Laughing, Lily answered her question. “Your favorite, spaghetti.” The girls set the table and within minutes were sitting and enjoying the dinner Lily had prepared.

“So what have you planned for this weekend?”

“Nothing much.” Lily shrugged taking a slice of garlic bread. “Studying.” Beth frowned at her short answer.

“Isn’t prom a few weeks away?”

“Yes. But I am not going.”

“Why, doesn’t Charles want to go?” Beth tried not to wince when she said his name. The young boy was nice, but he showed many of the same characteristics of their father. His self-righteousness often grated on Beth’s nerves.