“He’s a surprisingly good kisser,” Ronnie reported. “Maybe even an exceptional kisser.”

  “And you’ve had a rge sample to compare him with?” asked Joey, as they slowly pedaled their bikes, side by side.

  “Large enough!”

  “Maybe I should borrow him and check your results. But enough talking about guys. We’ve done way too much of that tely.”

  Ronnie made no answer. Maybe she did want to talk about guys but Joey wasn’t letting any boy get in the way of their st summer together. The three of them came first.

  Yet here they were going to a boy’s house. Kris had promised to meet them by the Summerlin house. Any day other than Saturday they might have chosen to meet at the pier or maybe Third, but they could avoid the weekend crowds some this way. It would have been just as good to show up at the Greenes’ house. It was close to the beach and had always been a good pce to leave their bikes. If they even wanted to go onto the beach.

  Maybe Kris had other reasons for naming this spot. They stopped at the corner. Joey peered up Gulf Shore, hoping for a glimpse of Kris riding their way. She’d said she would come on her Stingray. “Maybe she’s already at the house,” she muttered. “Let’s see.”

  They rode toward the beach, along the edge of the Summerlin’s wn. Joey stopped and surveyed the pce. No one appeared to be stirring. When she looked back at her companion, Ronnie seemed to have become interested in one the cars parked by the beach access. Just a big Dodge sedan, a couple years old. So what?

  Ronnie nodded toward the vehicle. “Dealer ptes.”

  “Huh?”

  “Who do we know who might drive a car with dealer ptes? Think now, little Joey.”

  “The Mackerel. And don’t smirk at me like that.” The car didn’t have to be Harold Macklin’s ride. His father wasn’t the only auto dealer in town, after all.

  They rolled their bikes up over the curb and across the wn toward the patio. Where was that music coming from? Joey stopped to listen.

  “Who is pying the guitar?” whispered Ronnie. “They’re really good!”

  “Over there,” said Joey, ying her bike down on the grass. Ronnie did the same and both went in search. “Hiding in the hibiscus.” She had a pretty good idea who was pying. Yes, Jelly was sitting cross-legged on the ground, a cssical guitar in her p. Three rge young men sat in a semicircle before her, seemingly entranced. Whether by Jelly or her pying was debatable.

  Mackie. William. Some guy she’d never seen before. She gave them a little wave and settled down at the end of the row. Ronnie remained standing, her eyes focused on Jelly’s hands.

  Maybe a minute ter, Ronnie put a hand on her shoulder. “Kris is here.” Joey nodded and rose. Jelly pyed on.

  Kris was walking toward them, having dropped her bike beside theirs. “So what’s up?” asked Ronnie.

  “I’m meeting Will here. It’s kind of Jam’s idea.” She looked past them at the group around Jelly. “So Mackie brought him.”

  “Looks like it,” said Joey. “Why meet him here?”

  Kris hesitated, which was unusual for her. “I’m just a little leery of having him spend much time at my house. I shouldn’t be, I know. I shouldn’t be concerned about what people think.”

  “Your parents?” asked Ronnie, her voice low.

  “They wouldn’t say anything but I know they would see Will differently. They would act differently, despite themselves.” She looked again toward her boyfriend, and sighed. “You understand that?”

  “I—” Joey started, but was unsure how to go on. “I hate to admit it but I have—oh, let me start over. Maybe it’s just the way I’ve been brought up but some little piece of me, way inside, feels uncomfortable with it too. And I don’t want it to.”

  “That’s a part of all of us, Joey. Even me and I’m the one who’s dating him.”

  Ronnie was slowly nodding, thoughtful. “I bet even William feels something of the sort.”

  “Just wait until he takes you home to meet his parents,” said Joey. It was too good an opportunity not to say it. Enough with this somber mood.

  “I’ll tell him to do that,” said Kris. “Let’s go on over and break the trance Jelly has them in.”

  As it happened, Angelica Summerlin wound up her piece a few seconds ter. Joey suspected she just cut it off wherever she wanted. All she knew was it sounded sort of Spanish and sort of cssical. And that Jelly was really, really good. She already had been four years ago when st she’d heard her.

  The guys rose to their feet. “Hi,” said Mackie. “This is my friend Jeff. Jeff Yoder from Dade City. I met him a couple months ago.”

  “I’m staying with the Macklins for a few weeks,” drawled the young man. He was as tall as Mackie but leaner looking, and about as blond as people are allowed to be.

  “We’re both going to be on the team at Ohio,” continued Mackie.

  “Oh,” said Jelly. “You’re going to be a Buckeye?”

  “That’s Ohio State. I’m going to Ohio University, further south in the state. Athens.” Jelly simply smiled and nodded at this. “Loved your music, Miss Summerlin. Thanks for pying for us.”

  “That’s Angelica,” she said. “I’d be happy to any time. For either of you.”

  Joey groaned inwardly but tried not to show anything.

  “That would be nice, Angelica,” said Jeff. “Ready to go, Howard?”

  Howard? Kris silently mouthed to her friends.

  “Sure. Good to see you all.” With that, the pair were away. Joey was not particurly interested in knowing where they were away to.

  Jelly watched them go. “Jeff is cute. Both of them are. And both unattached?”

  Will had a look Joey couldn’t recognize. Embarrassment? No, something else, maybe. Discomfort. “Um, yes, neither one has a girlfriend right now.” He came close to mumbling this information, before he hurried off in the company of Kris.

  “Mackie used to be Kris’s boyfriend,” Joey decided to add when both were gone. She wasn’t completely sure why. Perhaps just to see how Jelly would react.

  The girl only smiled. “I won’t make any snide remarks, Jo-jo.”

  Joey hated to be called Jo-jo. Jelly had stuck her with the name when they both went to Saint Ann School. Fortunately it had not followed her elsewhere.

  “James invited them to come by on the Fourth,” Jelly went on. “Maybe we’ll see them. He’s up in the house by the way.” The three started slowly walking that direction, Jelly with guitar in hand. It was hard to say which had initiated it. “You and James?” she asked abruptly.

  “We’re just hanging out,” Joey replied, almost too quickly. “I mean, he’s kind of, um, not going to be involved with girls, right? The priest thing.”

  “We’ll see about that. My brother has been off and on about it for years. Both being a priest and being involved with girls!” Kris and Will had settled at one of the tile-topped tables. “Come on in. We’ll let those two talk in private. Hmm, he’s kind of cute too, isn’t he?”

  With a ugh, she continued into the house.