A Golfer's Dream - Book Three The Real Education Begins Written by TheCaddy Disclaimer: This story is entirely fiction. It does not relate to any real person, living or dead. Any similarity to a real person, whether living or dead, is purely coincidental and completely unintended. While actual places are occasionally mentioned in this story, such mention is not to be a basis for conclusion that any part of this story is real, or ever happened. The following story is a work of fiction containing graphic descriptions of sexual acts between adults and minors. All of the sex depicted is consensual; the author does not intend to promote incest or sexual relations with underage children. The age of consent in Canada is currently fourteen. The story is written purely for entertainment purposes only. Those who are offended by such material are strongly encouraged not to read this. Those who are searching for material which they would proscribe for others should search elsewhere. If you are constrained by law or local authority from reading graphic descriptions of fictional sexual acts between adults and minors, you are required to not proceed further. Pursuant to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated otherwise. This story is protected under U.S. and international copyright law and may not be reprinted, reposted, or otherwise reproduced without express written permission. This story may be posted to appropriate USENET newsgroups for non- commercial use only, as long as it remains entirely intact and unmodified, including all copyright messages and this disclaimer. Chapter Twenty- Four – Relationships Change Dave woke later than usual the morning after the long drive back from Boston. The birds were chirping outside his trailer and he stretched as he woke up. His first thoughts were about the bitter shock of Jennifer’s engagement and he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to get out of bed or not. He finally climbed out of bed and took his breakfast outside. He was munching his cereal at the picnic table as he tried to decide what to do. Several neighbours walked by, called hello, and usually congratulated him. He waved and thanked them. He tried to act cheerful but his world had fallen down in dusty chunks around him. He should have been excited about winning the British Open but he had lost his soul-mate; he was feeling hollow. He finally decided to call his big sister, Julie, and have a talk with her, get her advice. At least it was something he could do instead of simply sitting in a puddle of morose misery. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. It only rang twice before she answered, “Hello?” “Hi, sis; how ya doin’?” “Great, Dave. Congratulations! When did you get home?” He replied and got straight to his key question. “I got home late last night. Can we have a talk? I seriously need some independent advice.” “I have to go to work in an hour. I’m working the lunch hour but I can meet you here at the house at two o’clock. I have a split shift and have to go back in at four. Is two hours long enough? What’s going on?” Dave’s heart hurt just to speak, “I had decided to confess to Jennifer that I finally knew she was my only true love and I wanted to be with her forever, but I found out last night that Mark gave her, and she accepted, an engagement ring. I’m not sure what to do or what I can do. My mind is in a fog.” Julie could hear the deep sadness in Dave’s voice and she promptly said, “Give me ten minutes. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll call you right back, okay?” A little hurt and confused by Julie apparently putting him off, he replied, “Sure.” He closed his phone and finished picking at his breakfast – he wasn’t very hungry. He was cleaning up the dishes in the trailer when his cell phone rang. “Hello?” “I got someone to cover my lunch shift so I could get with you sooner. Do you want me to pick you up or are you coming to town?” Dave was happily surprised. “I just need a quick shower and I’ll be there in under an hour.” “I’ll just wait for you here at the house.” “Thanks, I’ll be there soon.” Dave got in the shower and felt a little refreshed but his mind was still on Jennifer. As he pulled out of the campground, he paused to talk as he normally would to several friends. They congratulated him and then they invited him to the beach. He thanked them but said he was going to town. He promised to go with them another day then he drove to town. When he pulled into the driveway, he pulled out his laptop and carried it into the house. Julie met him at the door and hugged him. Dave was happy to see his sister and she immediately guided him to the living room couch. Once they were seated comfortably, she was ready to dive in. “Tell me everything. Start with when you realized that you wanted Jennifer back.” Dave tried to give his sister the whole story in one blurt, “I’m not sure exactly when I first started to feel I wanted Jennifer again but I think it started when she flew down to Wake Forest last fall. As you know, I was pretty upset and she really saved me. I have seen a number of girls all winter but my thoughts always came back to Jennifer. When I won the NCAA title, I had wished she was there to share it with me. That was the first time I really acknowledged to myself that I wanted to be with her. Kyra knew I was distracted the night of the NCAA Championship and we talked about it. Kyra wanted me to call Jennifer immediately and confess my love for her but I wasn’t sure. I was scared that she would want to stay with Mark. My fear of rejection was a barrier to a long-distance contact. I told Kyra I would talk to Jennifer when I got home but I hadn’t really decided whether or not I would, even then. When I was in England, with Sarah, I had a wonderful time with her; but on the last night, when we were talking intimately, we both realized that it was probably our last night together. I told Sarah how I felt about Jennifer and she confessed that she had always expected me to marry Jennifer. That conversation convinced me that I had to tell Jennifer how I feel; at that point I was finally willing to risk her rejection if there was a chance I could be with her. I hadn’t worked out a detailed plan but I was going to beg her to at least be with me even if she couldn’t immediately marry me.” Dave paused to catch his breath. “Then Mom told me last night that Mark beat me to the punch and they got engaged on the weekend. I had waited too long…” Dave had tears pooled in his eyes but he had mostly cried himself out the previous night. Julie squeezed his hands tenderly as she held one in each of her hands. She asked softly, “Are you still going to ask her to be with you?” Dave looked into her eyes. “How can I? If I convince her to leave Mark now she will always wonder who she really wanted to marry. She must really love him to agree to marry him. I don’t know what to do.” Julie thought for a moment before she explained, “I know Jennifer loves you, too. She told me two years ago that she had dreamed of marrying you but she knew you had to live your own life first. I think she would rather be with you. You should call her or see her and talk to her, tell her how you feel. If she decides to stay with Mark then you know that at least you tried. In any case, she needs to know how you really feel. It could be a disaster if she learned after she went ahead and married a second-choice without knowing something that important.” Dave shrugged. “I’m not sure. All of this is making my mind cloudy and my body disoriented; I feel pretty awful right now. I think I will give it a few days to allow everything to sink in then decide on Thursday.” Julie hugged him. “Well, it seems clear to me; you need to tell her how you feel. Don’t leave it too long to decide. If you want to talk more, just let me know – I’m always available for my little brother.” “Thank you, Julie. I love you.” With a twinkle in her eye, Julie changed the subject and asked, “So, did you actually make love to Hilary Duff?” Dave looked at her questioningly so she got up and walked to the kitchen table. She returned with a National Enquirer supermarket tabloid showing a picture of Dave and Hilary hugging. The caption read “Hilary Duff Falls for Golf Goon.” Dave laughed at the teaser headline then opened the magazine to the related page. There were a number of pictures of Dave and Hilary together along with old pictures of him hitting Keith. Dave didn’t bother to read the article but simply tossed it on the coffee table. “No, we’re just friends – she’s a very nice girl but we only just met. I saw her father at one of my college golf tournaments; I even introduced myself and we talked, although I had no idea he was related to her. Then I coincidentally met her on the flight to England and in the end invited her father to play a practice round at St. Andrews with Alec and me. She already had tickets for him for the Open and they were booked at the same hotel; that was another coincidence. I do have her phone number and will probably call her sometime, but there is nothing there but friendship, right now.” Julie teased, “I think she’s gorgeous. I bet she would be wonderful in bed.” For the first time since he heard about Jennifer’s engagement, Dave laughed. “I’ll probably never find out, but if I do, I’ll call you with the details.” Julie nodded. “What are your plans for today?” Dave shrugged. “I was going to go to Charlestown – but that went out the window in a hurry. I think I’ll call John and see what he’s up to.” Julie kissed him on the cheek. “If we’re finished, I’m going to call work and see if they need an extra body for lunch. The restaurant has been packed every day. The beautiful weather has drawn lots of tourists to the Island.” Dave nodded as Julie got up and walked to the phone. It was just past eleven so he pulled out his cell phone and dialed John’s number. John said, “Hello?” “Hey, John, what are you up to?” John replied, “Hi, British Open Champion. I was just getting ready to go to the beach. Want to join me?” Dave thought for a quick second and agreed, “That’s sounds like fun. I think I can find an old bathing suit here to wear. Do you want to pick me up?” “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” Dave replied, “See you soon.” After he hung up the phone he unpacked his laptop then plugged it into the high-speed connection. He opened his e-mail account and there were congratulation messages from dozens of his friends at Wake Forest. There was also a notice that his final grades for the spring term were available. He decided to reply to most of the messages later but he checked his marks. It was good news; he had earned one A-, two As and one A+. He was very pleased and he returned to his main reason for starting up his computer – he had an e-mail to send. He selected Kyra’s name from the contact list then typed: I just found out Jennifer got engaged last weekend. Did you hear about that? Call me collect on my cell when you can talk alone. I miss both you and Jana. Love, Dave Dave hit the send key just as Julie yelled that she was going to work. Dave said goodbye then went up to his room and found a pair of shorts to wear to the beach. Dave hoped the beach would be a good distraction. He got dressed and packed a small bag with beach supplies then went outside to wait for John. John pulled up and immediately got out of the car. Dave was surprised; John had bulked up even more since he had seen him at Christmas. They shook hands and were soon back in John’s car and headed for the beach. They talked about the Open and about Hilary Duff. Dave had to tell him three times that he hadn’t slept with Hilary because John simply wouldn’t believe him. As they were driving to the beach, Dave’s cell phone rang. He answered and his father explained, “Dave, leave tonight free. The City wants to have a ‘welcome home’ reception for you at the Civic Centre so plan on being there for six o’clock.” Dave was surprised but agreed. “I’ll make sure I’m home and showered for five o’clock. John and I are heading to the beach right now. Are you going back to the North Beach before the reception?” After Roger said he was, Dave continued, “Will you take the Claret Jug and the two medals into town with you? I think it would be nice to display them at the Civic Centre.” Roger agreed before they said goodbye. John laughed. “They’ve been announcing that reception all morning on the radio. I didn’t know if you knew yet, so I put in a music CD so you wouldn’t hear it.” John ejected the disc and they listened to music on the local radio station. Just before they arrived at Brackley Beach, which was very popular with younger Islanders, Dave heard the radio announcer say, “Make sure you come out to the home coming party for our very own British Open Champion, Dave MacDonald. There will be hot dogs and refreshments at the Civic Centre so let’s have a big Island welcome for Dave.” Dave shook his head. “Does that remind you of when we came home from Calgary?” John laughed. “I was thinking the same thing. That reception was awesome but I bet there will be even more people there tonight.” The day was very hot and the beach was packed. Dave couldn’t walk two steps without someone stopping to congratulate him. He only knew about half the people he spoke to but he made sure he gave them all a fair amount of time. It took forty-five minutes to walk the quarter mile from the parking lot to the beach. After the tenth person stopped Dave, John said he would find them a spot to the right side of the stairs on the beach. Dave nodded as he spoke to a man he had never met before. When Dave finally reached John, he saw two of the other Islanders who had played on the Missiles Junior A hockey team. He shook their hands and thanked them for their congratulations. Dave hadn’t had much time to check out the girls on the beach as there was constantly someone walking up to him and shaking his hand. He wasn’t really interested in girl-watching after his disappointment about Jennifer, anyway. John eventually asked if he wanted to go for a swim. Dave nodded then he followed his friend into the water. They had been swimming for ten minutes when Dave spotted Katherine. He swam to her and said hello. She looked a little uncomfortable as she congratulated him. She eventually said, “I was going to call you later this week. I wanted to talk to you.” She was looking down at her hands so Dave put his hand out and raised her chin until she was looking into his eyes. “What’s wrong, Katherine?” She slowly whispered, “I wanted to tell you that I’m dating someone and it’s pretty serious.” She watched his face intently for any signs of his reaction. Dave smiled at her; from his viewpoint, this was probably a positive development. He tried to sound a little disappointed but also supportive. “That’s really good. I’m very happy for you.” She looked surprised. “You’re not mad at me?” Dave shook his head as he replied, “No, not at all. I’m pleased you have found someone who makes you happy.” She explained, “I haven’t written you for a long time because I thought you would be upset.” Dave squeezed her hand, “I’m not upset. I’m a little disappointed that we can’t spend as much time together but I hope we will always be friends. Do you mind if I still go to some of your soccer games? I love to watch you play.” Katherine hugged him. “I’d like that. I’ll e-mail my schedule to you.” Dave kissed her on the cheek. “Great, I’ll see you at your games then.” They were interrupted by another former classmate and Katherine waved goodbye as she walked back onto shore. Dave really enjoyed the afternoon – it was nice to be back on QAI with his friends. He had been so busy that he hardly thought about Jennifer. John drove him home at four-thirty and Dave showered before he made himself something to eat. He remembered what it was like at the previous reception when he didn’t get to eat for over two hours. He listened to the voice messages on the phone. There were ten requests for interviews including one from David Letterman. Dave chuckled about the Letterman call and decided to call the number right away to learn the details. He spoke to an executive with the show. They wanted to fly him to New York for an interview that week. Dave thought about it briefly before he explained that he had just returned home and really couldn’t travel anymore for while. He thanked them but politely turned them down. He left the other interview requests for the next day. The sponsorship calls were different altogether. He couldn’t hire an agent or he would lose his College eligibility so he decided to see if his Uncle Alan would again take all the calls for him. Alan could keep a list of callers and, after Dave turned pro, he could call them back then. He made a mental note to call and see if Alan would field his calls for him. His parents arrived with the Claret Jug and the medals just before Beth got home from work – Dave hugged her lovingly. They talked briefly before all four of them went to the Civic Centre. Dave did several interviews with local media before even Julie met them there at quarter to six – her boss had pushed her out the door to be with her family. Dave was introduced to the premier of the province along with the Mayor of Edwardton. They congratulated him before he met a large number of other politicians and dignitaries. A large stage was again set up in the hockey rink and fans were being directed into the stands. Dave was surprised as the crowd grew larger and larger until all the seats were full and the concrete pad that was normally covered with ice was full as well. All the hot dogs were gone in fifteen minutes and the liquid refreshments dried up shortly after. At six-fifteen the announcer welcomed everyone and then introduced the politicians and dignitaries. They all spoke briefly with similar messages of how proud they were of an Islander winning the British Open and how Dave always referred to QAI as his very special home. The announcer finally called Dave to the mike and Dave made a short speech. He thanked everyone for their support and he invited them all to have a look at the Claret Jug and get autographs. He promised he would meet and sign every request even if he had to stay all night. He received a huge ovation from his fans. He walked down in front of the stage and started shaking hands and signing autographs. He had been at it for about thirty minutes when he saw two familiar young boys with their gorgeous redheaded sister and their father. Dave smiled at Rebecca. When they finally reached the front of the line Robbie and Riley jumped into his arms. He hugged them and asked if they were being good. Both looked at him mischievously and he laughed. He leaned over and kissed Rebecca softly. “I was going to call you this evening. Do you have plans?” After she shook her head he added, “Do you mind waiting for me?” She looked very pleased. “I’d like that.” Dave shook her father’s hand and promised to play golf with him while he was home. He then grabbed the two boys and put them both in headlocks and said he would see them soon. They were both laughing as their father walked them out of the hockey rink. Rebecca walked over to stand with Dave’s family and his mother hugged her. Dave was true to his word and after two hours of shaking hands and signing autographs his last supporter left the building. Most of the politicians and dignitaries had also left but those who had waited thanked Dave and wished him a good summer. At eight-thirty Dave walked out of the Civic Centre with Rebecca under his arm. They got in his car and drove back to his house. She asked him about England and specifically how he had met and become intimate with Hilary Duff. He told her everything and he could tell she was relieved that he hadn’t actually slept with Hilary although she didn’t seem even slightly bothered about Sarah. She told him all about her winter and how her hockey team won the Island title and she received the MVP award. She said she received several scholarship offers from colleges in the northeastern US and she was considering two of them seriously. She asked if he would like for her to be closer to him. They had moved from the car to the television room as he explained, “It would be great to have you closer but you have to choose the college that offers the best education and athletic opportunity – not the one that is closest to me. I’ll probably only be at Wake Forest for one or two more years so do what is best for you. You know I’ll come visit you wherever you go.” His last comment made her smile and she hugged him close. As he held her in his arms, he remembered what he loved about her, but then his gnawing pain from the news of Jennifer’s engagement seemed to get worse – he had hoped he would be hugging Jennifer on his first night home. Rebecca had always been very special to him and he wondered if he could get over Jennifer, eventually, if he had to. Julie joined them in the television room and she explained that Beth had gone out with her boyfriend. Dave told them both all about his year at Wake Forest. He described the tournaments and told them about Alec and Darcy. He told them about winning the NCAA Championship and then about the British Open. After half an hour Dave and Rebecca went up to his room. She asked him if he had a regular girlfriend while he was at college and he confessed he had been with the twins, Jana and Kyra, during most of the year. Rebecca was jealous and asked when they started dating. He explained that he hadn’t even met them until after his trouble in October. She seemed to relax a little when he told her that he and the twins had an agreement not to get too serious, but Dave still noticed Rebecca was very uncomfortable about them. He didn’t tell her they were coming to visit in August – he knew he probably should but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He convinced himself that it would be better if he would tell her later. Dave and Rebecca simply lay on his bed and cuddled while they talked. Dave once briefly considered making love to her but he sensed she didn’t want to and he was stilling thinking about Jennifer as well; the mood was not there. It was late when he dropped her off on his way to North Beach and she agreed to meet him at the campground the next morning so they could spend the day together at the beach. As he drove to the campground, he thought a lot about Jennifer and his fragmented love-life. With Jennifer probably now out of the picture, he had several options for a long-term relationship. Rebecca was definitely a front runner with Sarah close behind. Sheri, Danielle, and Lynn were also possibilities while the twins were less likely but deserved some consideration. He finally decided that he didn’t need to rush into any long-term relationships – if he couldn’t have Jennifer he was suddenly in no hurry to hook up with a substitute. It then occurred to him that he was thinking dark, defeatist thoughts when he assumed Jennifer was indeed unavailable. The campground was quiet when he arrived and he slipped into his bed and fell fast asleep. He woke early the next morning and decided to go hit balls at Hawks Hallow. He spent a half hour in the pro shop talking to the staff and pro about his winter and his trip to England. He promised to bring the Claret Jug for them to see. He got to the range around eight o’clock and had been hitting balls for an hour when his phone rang. He walked to his golf bag, fished out the phone, and flipped it open. He heard an operator ask, “I have a collect call from Kyra Coulter-Adams. Will you accept the charges?” Dave immediately said, “Yes … Hi, Kyra.” “Hi, Dave; I’ve missed you. I got your e-mail too late last night so I waited until this morning to call. Jennifer called Jana to tell her about the engagement on Saturday night. I’m sorry I didn’t call you after you won the British Open but both Jana and I agreed you should hear about the engagement from either your family or from Jennifer herself. Are you okay?” “I’m better today then I was yesterday and I guess I’ll be even better tomorrow. The strange part is that I had decided in England to tell Jennifer everything and how she was my true soul-mate, but now I think I’m just going to move on with my life. I guess I should have listened to you in June and called then to tell her how I felt. She’ll probably never know how I really feel.” Kyra sighed before she whispered, “I think she might have an idea. Danielle recently called Jennifer and told her she was breaking your heart and that you really loved her.” Dave was shocked, “Danielle! She did what? When? How? I don’t think she even knows Jennifer’s last name.” “Simple. She called using your cell phone. Jennifer said it was the night before you left Wake Forest. Jennifer told Jana that some girl who never left her name called and told her she was breaking your heart and that you loved her very much. Jennifer wanted to know who it was and, when Danielle wouldn’t tell her, Jennifer hung up abruptly. Jennifer said she next dialed your number and the very same girl answered and repeated her claim that you really did love her then hung up. Jennifer was very concerned for you and called Jana. Jana asked me about the call but I couldn’t tell her your feelings because, remember, you made me promise not to. That’s why Jana called you fishing for an explanation. You didn’t give her any reason to think your feelings for Jennifer had changed so Jana told Jennifer that you had probably used her as an excuse to push Danielle away.” Dave was in awe. “Wow! I didn’t have a clue. What did Jennifer say?” “Jana told me that Jennifer said she was going to go see you when you got home and get it all straightened out. I think she really loves you as well and really wants to be with you.” Dave’s heart skipped a beat and he suddenly had hope that he still had a chance with Jennifer. He thought briefly before he explained, “Please don’t tell Jana or Jennifer anything. If Jennifer does come to me, I will confess my love for her. If she doesn’t … well I guess I’ll move on as I planned.” Kyra didn’t like his plan and quickly told him so. “Dave, don’t be a blockhead; you can’t wait for her to come to you. You love her and need to tell her so. She likes Mark, and may even have agreed to an engagement, but I know she loves you more. If you don’t go to her I will have to tell Jana everything.” Dave suddenly panicked, “No, you can’t tell Jana. Please Kyra, I beg you to let me do it my way. Trust me, please.” Kyra was reluctant but she finally agreed. “Okay, for now I will remain quiet – but please deal with this Dave. You need Jennifer and she needs you. Show some initiative.” Dave changed the subject, “Are you looking forward to coming to QAI?” Kyra resisted, “Don’t change the subject, Dave. Promise me you will talk to Jennifer.” Dave ignored her comment. “The weather has been great so you should have a good visit. You’re arriving in Charlestown on August 5th, aren’t you?” After Kyra said she was, he added, “I invited Alec, his mother and Shauna to come visit so Alec could caddie for me at the Amateur. They are arriving on the seventh so I will have to spend most of my time with them but I promise I will make some time for you and Jana.” Kyra added, “And Jennifer?” “We’ll see. Enjoy your summer and I’ll see you in two weeks.” Kyra replied, “I’ll see soon. Please speak to Jennifer.” Dave simply said, “Goodbye, Kyra.” Dave returned to practicing and, after hitting balls for another half hour, he walked back to the trailer. All he thought about was Jennifer and he prayed she would come see him. Rebecca showed up shortly after and they spent the day at the beach. Rebecca noticed that he was distracted and asked him several times what was bothering him but he wouldn’t tell her. It was a nice day but Dave thought about Jennifer a lot and without realizing it he acted distant to Rebecca all day. When they arrived back at the campsite, it was early evening and they ate supper with his family. After a large meal, Rebecca asked if they could go for a walk. She knew something was wrong and she had to find out what it was. The golf course was very quiet so they strolled though the woods and onto the second hole. They talked as they walked up the third fairway. Dave was avoiding her questions when he suddenly reached the crest of the hill in front of the third green – he looked at the wooded area on the fair hill and visualized his and Jennifer’s ‘Love Hut’. His eyes misted over and Rebecca noticed immediately. She moved in front of him and took both hands in hers as she stared into his eyes. She begged, “Please, Dave, tell me what’s going on. You have been distracted all day and now I know you are upset about something. I beg you to tell me the truth.” He looked at her as the tears in his eyes trickled down his cheek. He finally confessed his inner thoughts, “I realized this winter that I love Jennifer and I decided I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I’m sorry ‘Becca, I really do care for you deeply, but Jennifer is my soul-mate and I know deep in my heart we belong together. When I got home Monday, Mom told me that Jennifer got engaged with Mark last weekend. I’ve been confused and upset ever since.” Dave squeezed her hands as he stared into her eyes. “I think I might be able to get over her with time but right now it is very hard. I’m sorry, ‘Becca you have always been very special to me, but right now I’m very confused, dazed and confused.” Rebecca started to cry as she hugged him. “Dave, I didn’t realize how much I loved you until I lost you last winter. I guess I know how you feel. I want to be with you but you have to want me too.” They simply held each other for several moments before they broke their embrace and started walking back to the campsite. As they neared the trailer Rebecca whispered, “Dave, we shouldn’t see each other anymore. I guess I’m selfish because I want you all to myself but right now your only thoughts are of Jennifer. I love you, Dave MacDonald, and I know part of me always will – but I want all of you and right now that’s not possible.” Tears were running freely down her cheeks as she kissed Dave tenderly. “Goodbye, Dave.” Dave whispered, “Goodbye, ‘Becca. I’m sorry …” She put a finger to his lips. “Don’t be sorry; and don’t be a dummy – just tell Jennifer how you feel.” Rebecca turned slowly, glanced at Dave over her shoulder then ran to her car and pulled away quickly. Dave watched as her car disappeared up the lane leaving a cloud of dust. He felt sad he was saying goodbye to another girlfriend but he knew she was right. As he walked around the trailer his parents were sitting with Heather. His mother asked, “Is Rebecca okay?” Dave nodded before he explained, “We just broke up whatever it was we had, permanently.” Carol stood up and hugged her son. “I’m sorry, Dave.” He nodded but he didn’t want to speak in front of Heather. He realized she was like a second mother to him but he didn’t want her to know that it was her daughter who was causing him so much pain. He simply said, “I’m going in to lie down for while. Goodnight, Mom.” He looked at his father and Heather and added quietly, “Goodnight.” He went into his bed and lay down. He thought about Rebecca but he knew he couldn’t truly love her until he dealt with his feelings for Jennifer. Eventually he thought about Jennifer and he decided to see if she came to talk to him like she told Jana she would. He knew she worked from Monday to Friday with her job so he would wait until the weekend and see if she came to visit. His final decision was that if she did come to visit, he would confess his love to her whether she brought the subject up or not. He thought how she hadn’t even called him to congratulate his British Open victory. He eventually fell asleep having successfully avoided any decision to take the initiative to secure his love. He woke the next day and went to the practice range. When he returned to the trailer, he found Heather and asked her if Jennifer was coming over to QAI for the weekend. Heather said she didn’t know. Dave then found his friends in the campground and went to the beach with them. He enjoyed the beach but his mind was on Jennifer all day. The next day he practiced in the morning then spent the day with John. They went to Brackley Beach. Dave left early because he wanted to be at North Beach if and when Jennifer arrived. When he returned to the campground, his parents were cooking supper. Dave helped with the barbecue and his heart skipped a beat as he saw Ron’s car coming down the lane. He stared at the car intently until the car got close enough and it was clear that there was only one person in the car – his shoulders dropped in disappointment. Heather met Ron as he pulled in and after a loving kiss, they joined Dave’s family. Dave welcomed Ron, “Hi, Ron, how are you?” “I’m good, Dave.” Dave continued, “Do you know if Jennifer is coming over this weekend?” Ron shook his head, “No, she has plans with Mark this weekend.” Both Dave and Jennifer’s parents could see the obvious disappointment in Dave’s face. They didn’t say anything as a dejected Dave continued helping with supper. After eating a large meal, Dave went to the practice range and hit balls. He spent the entire evening beating balls without much focus. He was taking his frustration out on the golf balls but it didn’t seem to help. Somehow, feeling disappointment and frustration was not enough to trigger a two-hour drive to Charlestown where he could find Jennifer. Over the next week he practiced a lot and played several rounds of golf. His game was off slightly due to Jennifer’s surprising news but he managed to score reasonably well. He played golf with the Tuesday group at Hornsby and was pleased to see Lori Kane, the LPGA pro there. They played in the same group and had a wonderful day talking about professional golf. She said that a beautiful blonde college girl named Sheri had approached her the previous Friday. Sheri played in the LPGA event and she asked if Lori knew Dave. Lori said that she told Sheri that she did know Dave and Sheri asked her to say hello. Dave asked how Sheri did in the tournament and Lori said she made the cut and finished in the middle of the field. She did very well for her first LPGA event. When Dave finished his round he found a quiet place and dialed Sheri’s number. Sheri answered, “Hello?” Dave teased, “I didn’t know they let Barbies play in LPGA events.” Sheri’s soft sweet voice retorted, “Hi, Sas; you’re not the only college golfer to try out the professional ranks.” Dave chuckled. “Congratulations on making the cut and playing well.” “Thank you – but I couldn’t win the big one like you did.” “I didn’t win my first pro event but it was a great experience.” She replied, “Yes, it was a great experience. Are you playing in any of the Junior tournaments this summer? You still have one year of eligibility remaining like me.” “No, I have a really busy schedule for the rest of the summer.” “Well, I should get going, Dave. We should make sure we get together this fall.” Dave thought about Jennifer and how if he was with her, he couldn’t see Sheri. He responded, “Sounds good. We’ll see what the fall brings. Goodbye, Sheri.” “Goodbye, Dave.” The rest of the week passed quickly and Dave spent a lot of time practicing as he secretly hoped Jennifer would show up to talk to him. He thought she might come to QAI on the weekend so he was again waiting at the campsite Friday evening. Ron arrived alone and again informed Dave that Jennifer was not coming over. Dave was heart-broken and he had a hard time hiding it. As he pounded balls again that evening he questioned his decision to wait for Jennifer. He finally decided that the twins were arriving the following weekend so he could see Jennifer then; it was another convenient way to avoid making the first move. As the fifth of August drew near, Dave started to get more nervous every day. He played golf in the Tuesday group again and even played a round of golf with Rebecca’s father. They talked briefly about Dave and Rebecca’s breakup and her father told Dave that he understood how difficult it was to maintain any relationships when they were apart most of the year due to college. Dave and John went to a movie that Wednesday evening and as Dave was driving home his cell phone rang. He had just pulled into the campsite so he stopped his car before he answered, “Hello?” The soft voice on the other end replied, “Hi, Dave. How are you?” Dave knew that voice and felt warm inside as he answered, “I’m good, Hilary; how are you?” “I’m having a good summer, all things considered. I just thought I would call and say hi. Is the weather nice there?” “Yes, the weather has been great. Where are you?” “I’m home in Houston. I’m taking two weeks off before I go to LA for another movie.” They talked casually for over half an hour before she said goodbye. She urged him to visit her; he said he was extremely busy but if he was in her area he would call. He didn’t expect that to happen for a while. Dave’s parents were already in bed when he entered the trailer so he went right to bed. He slept soundly dreaming about Hilary. He thought about how she had looked in her bikini in Scotland and he wondered if maybe she liked him more than she was letting on. He fell asleep thinking of the pretty blonde actress; at least she had been the one to make contact with him. He woke early the next day and went to practice. His golf game felt good and he was confident he was ready for the Amateur just over a week away. He spent the afternoon at the beach with John. On Friday, Dave went golfing but he simply couldn’t get Jennifer out of his mind. He knew the twins were arriving in Charlestown and he wondered when they would come to the Island. He was sitting at the trailer after his round when his cell phone rang – it was Jana. “Hi, Dave, we’re here.” Dave was happy to hear her voice and he replied, “Hi, Jana. It’s great to hear from you.” She explained, “We’re spending the weekend here in Charlestown then coming over to QAI on Monday evening. Have you asked you parents if we can stay at your house?” Dave was disappointed he would have to wait another three days to see Jennifer but he cheerfully replied, “Yes, you are welcome to stay at the house. Beth and Julie are going to share Mom and Dad’s bed so their rooms will be available for you, Jennifer, and Kyra. Alec and Shauna are arriving on Sunday and they are staying in the guest room. Patsy is staying with my parents at the trailer while I will sleep in my bed at the house.” “Kyra wants to speak to you.” After a brief pause Dave heard, “Hi, handsome, how are you?” Dave whispered softly, “Still a little heart-broken. Did you have a good trip?” “The flights went well. Jennifer showed us some interesting pictures of you and Hilary Duff. We hadn’t seen them. You’ll have to tell me all about it on Monday. I hope you had fun in Scotland.” Dave chuckled, “I did have fun – but not with Hilary Duff. You know those magazines are all garbage.” She laughed. “I know; but it’s fun to think of the possibilities. I’ll see you on Monday.” Dave wanted to ask her to find out what was going on with Jennifer but he knew it wasn’t right to have her interfering so he simply replied, “See you then.” He hung out with his friends in the campground that evening before going to bed. He lay awake thinking about Jennifer and he decided he would definitely talk to her the next week. He couldn’t move past his feelings until her told her everything. He finally fell asleep hoping his new plan would work.