Summer Spirit

"Oh I do remember. I just assumed."

"Assumed an ambulance was picking someone up for alcohol poisoning?"

"Insert foot in mouth, Dev," she chided herself.

He looked into her pretty eyes. "Just so you know, I'm more responsible than my cousins and friends. I'm like the den leader." He laughed at his joke. "I don't drink all that much, either. I'm busy taking a summer course." This admission surprised Devin. "Let me guess, a Literature class?" She recovered.

"Am I that transparent?" He asked with good humor. She looked away from him and realized they had left the lagoon and were almost to the bay.

"Hold onto your hat. I'm about to show you what this baby can do." He said. She held on for dear life as he gave the boat gas. The force of the speed threw her back against the cushioned bench and she squeaked with excitement. Her hair came loose of the ponytail she had it in and whipped behind her. She watched as the blur of geese flew past them.

"HOLD ON!" He shouted over the engine. Devin squeezed her eyes shut as salty water sprayed in her face. She reached one hand out to brace on the captain's chair. He pulled her hand into his lap and held it there. She nervously watched as jet-skiers timed their jump to coincide with the fish-tail wake the boat left behind. She could hear peals of laughter and screams of adrenaline coming from them.

"Watch the back of the boat." He said mysteriously. She did and nearly flew out of her seat when a jet of flames ignited out the back of the boat.

"Oh My God!" She screamed. "Holy Crow."

"Like that?" He screamed over the roar. She shook her head no, vehemently. "Too much?"

"Yes!" He turned off the jet stream and eased the throttle. They skirted around a large wooden post set in the middle of the water, with a huge nest set atop it. Marc saw it too and pointed up.

"Oh, look at that osprey nest." She said with excitement. "They're such beautiful birds. Keep your eyes to the sky and we might see one. It's their breeding time."

Marc looked at her in wonder. "How did you know that?" She grinned and then reached into the little knapsack she carried with her and pulled out her Audubon bird identification book.

"I'm an avid bird watcher." She replied, handing him the book, which was filled with notes.

"You're delightful." He said with sincerity. He pulled the throttle and let the boat go into neutral and then stood up, stretched and sat beside her.

"Hey, wait is that safe?" She asked, pointing to the Captain-less boat.

"Perfectly." And then he was kissing her. His arms were wrapped around her and she snuggled in, sliding her hands up to his ponytail and releasing his mane of hair, running her hands through it.

"I should have warned you about the jet stream too. Sorry about that." He said guiltily.

"Is that even legal?"

"My uncle holds a special license for racing, so yeah." She gave him a doubtful look.

"Your uncle."

"Yeah I know, my uncle. So, sue me if I was trying to impress a pretty, smart girl." He flirted and she forgave him instantly.

"A pretty young girl, you forgot to add."

He groaned. "Back to this again? You know, once you're a co-ed you're fair game." He winked. "Few more weeks, right?" It was Devin's turn to groan now.

"Don't remind me."

"Aw, aren't you looking forward to college? Partying, meeting all those boys? Furthering your education? Exploring the big wide world." He had turned her hand over, palm up and was rubbing circles around it, giving her little chills.

"I uh." He was distracting her and he knew it. "What was I going to say?" She closed her eyes. He leaned over to whisper.

"You were going to tell me that you want to be my girlfriend." Her eyes flashed open.

"What?" He was giving her big blue puppy dog eyes and looking at her expectantly. "But I'm about to go away to college and you are returning to yours. No, I don't like parties and boys are way over-rated."

"All boys?" His question disrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, all boys. Well I mean, I'm not sure about men, but I haven't met any men yet. I mean -- Marc this is confusing."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Devin. I want to get to know you better. We have one month left before we have to think about the future. I would be willing to try to make things work, if that's what you decided. What do you say?"

"I hardly know you." She protested. "You're older than I am. My parents would kill me!" Her tone of voice rose.

"You're legal and like I said, in college you'll meet many age ranges. I think your parents would like me. I'm a good guy." His thoughts strayed as a shadow flew overhead.

When they looked up they were privileged with the appearance of an osprey. They both stared up in fascination as it dove deep and came up with a fish in its beak. When Devin looked up to watch the bird, Marcus took the opportunity to pull her into his lap and hold her so he could gaze into her eyes.

"You must think me such a little girl."

"Actually, I think you are complex and deep and adorable, my delightful Devin."

"I have a confession to make." She said quietly.

"Go on." He coaxed.

"I'm shy and I'm awkward and I don't know how to approach guys. So, I'd rather ignore them and protect myself from the ridicule I have suffered in the past."

"Well you've reeled me in."

***

"Devin? Earth to Devin. This is mission control." The voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Where did you go?"

"Delightful Devin," she whispered and looked up. Her head had found a resting place on his shoulder. The stars were twinkling above them.

"Ah, you were remembering when I asked you out," he guessed. "I was elated to get the answer I was looking for when you agreed to be mine during that exciting boat ride."

"You have a good memory," she said fondly.

"It seems we both do. Sometimes memories are all that keep me going." The grown-up, handsome Marc said under his breath. His hair might be cut shorter and he might now have lines around his eyes and lips, but he was still that same sweet, patient boy at heart. She tousled his hair and nuzzled his cheek with affection.

She saw the old Marc through the sadness that creased his brow. She liked to imagine the other lines were caused by laughter and joy, not sorrow, but she didn't yet know. She did know that she was ready to find out. She looked out at the ocean and listened to the crashing waves, giving him a moment.

"That was my most memorable summer. The summer I spent with the most memorable, adorable, witty, charming girl I'd ever met." He turned to her, slid his hands down her arms to hold both hands firmly in his, drawing her gaze away from the ocean and back to his. There were tears glistening in his blue eyes. "I regret everyday what happened."

"Please Marc. Can we not go there? It's in the past and should remain there. I know the truth of why it happened. I'm the one that feels selfish for not getting it." Marc nodded in agreement. But that didn't stop the flood of memories or tears.

***

Marc, Devin, and a few of their friends were at his uncle's dock, crabbing. They had a pot boiling on the fire pit and had already caught five decent size ones. They were blissfully happy, but knew the summer was fast coming to a close. They chose not to focus on that reality and enjoyed each other instead.

"Watch this," Marc said. "I bet you $50 I can put this crab to sleep." His boast had his friend agreeing to the bet.

"I'm in," his friend Jonathon stated, throwing in $10. Each guy and girl went around adding $10 to the pot. Marc winked over at Devin, who already knew that Marc had just earned them some date money. She acted innocently interested.

"Oh Marc, be careful," she purred, playing her part perfectly.

"Don't worry Dev, I'm not afraid of a little crab." The guys were guffawing and egging him on. Marc gingerly took a smallish crab out of the trap and flipped it onto its back. The thing flailed around a bit and threatened him with grabbing claws, but Marc was not to be deterred.

"Ready?" he challenged. All eyes were on him and the crab.

"Aw, don't worry. This won't hurt," he crooned to the crab. He added it on thick, schooling his voice from giving him away.

"Yeah, it won't hurt til your in the pot," one of the guys shouted.

"Shut up. I have to concentrate," Marc snapped at him. His friend was silent. Devin yawned, but tried to remain interested.

The first time it was exciting, the second, okay cool. But after the eighth show, it got old. Still, she had to give Marc credit for his showmanship.

"There you go baby." He eased his finger on the crabs stomach and stroked gently.

Devin was a little jealous of the female crab who was enjoying the attention. The crab stopped moving. Devin wanted his fingers stroking her and maybe not just on the outside.

"There now," whispering, he set the little crab on it's shell, on the dock. Everyone stared in amazement at the stunned crab.

"How'd you do that, man?" his friend gasped.

"Is it dead?" the friend's girlfriend asked, concerned.

"You mesmerized it. Marc the crab hypnotist." Jonathon, his best friend admitted.

Marc looked over at Devin and flashed her a grin.

"Go on, touch it. It won't bite or snap," he promised his friend. "Hard," he whispered to himself.

His friend bent down and touched the little crab without incident. Each person took a turn until the last one, a girl, reached her finger out and touched the crab's claw. The crab woke up and snapped her finger hard. She screamed and swung around in circles with the crab still latched on. The crab lost its grip and flew back into the lagoon, but not before Cara, his friend's girlfriend, jumped into the lagoon after it with tears in her eyes.

"Shit." Marc cursed. "Man, I'm so sorry Cara!" he apologized profusely.

"Asswipe!" His friend Casey said as he shoved Marc into the water.

"I deserved that," he swam gallantly over to Cara to look at her finger.

"You okay? I'm really sorry. I didn't realize the crab was going to wake up. You must have startled her."

"You're a a real jerk, Marcus Lambardski." she said swimming away. Cara climbed out of the water, dragging her boyfriend away. "Let's go!" she stomped away with him trailing behind her.

"That was wrong." Devin admonished, laughing as soda poured out of her mouth.

"I didn't realize it was waking up. Poor Cara. She'll be okay. I did offer to kiss it." Marc climbed up the ramp and grinned. Devin glared.

"Kidding, Dev. Baby, I'm kidding okay?"

"Will you pet me the way you pet that crab?" she asked as she brushed up against him.

"Mhm and not just your tummy, anywhere you want," he promised.

While Marc was collecting his winnings, Devin snuck over to the crab trap.

"You poor things," she whispered. "Don't bite me and I'll set you free." She made a deal with the crabs.

"I can't see how anyone can watch a living creature suffer in a boiling pot like they plan to do." She was talking as she quietly unlatched the trap. She quickly looked up to see everyone was preoccupied with hot-tubbing, drinking, telling Marc he was a shit-head, or congratulating him. She hurried and dropped the crab trap back in and watched them side swim away. She hoorayed silently and then returned innocently to the activity.

It was time to cooked up the crabs. So Marc sent Jonathon over to the trap as he prepped the fire. Jonathon pulled the traps up and looked in them confounded. They were empty. He walked back over to the fire pit.

"Uh Marc?"

"How many did we catch?" Marc wanted to know.

"That's just it. Traps are empty."

"Huh?"

His uncle came over, wanting to know where the crabs were. "Maybe when you were doing your crab shenanigans they snuck out."

"No, no I shut the trap and latched it," he said, confused as everyone else.

"Marc, where are the crabs?" His uncle demanded.

Marc looked over at Devin who was being way too quiet. He was about to ask Devin why she did it when he heard a car screech into the driveway. His dad flew out of the car with the devastating news that his mother had taken a turn for the worse.

Marc had never told Devin much about his family, let alone that his mother suffered from Cancer. So all of this came as a huge shock to her. Crabs forgotten, BBQ forgotten, Devin forgotten: Marc got into the car with his Dad and drove away without a word.

Each day only grew worse until they spent their last few moments together, when Marc told Devin his mother was terminally ill and he had to leave.

***

That summer was the last she had heard of him, until this day.

"Yup, the best and worst summer of my life." He amended. "Hm. Well, Danae died in the winter. So I can truly say that." Marcus' phone was ringing.

"Go ahead and answer it," Devin said. He hit a button on his cell phone.

"Marc, have you sweet-talked that pretty Devin into coming for BBQ yet?" Devin blushed at his father's words. He had Daniel on speaker phone.

"Dad." Marc gritted his teeth in annoyance like a teenager. "I'm working on it."

She heard rich laughter on the other end and leaned toward the receiver to say "Hi, Daniel."

"Devin, I insist you come for BBQ tomorrow night. Marina is chomping at the bit to meet the girl who quite nearly swept my son away so long ago." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"You know, between you and I, he still carries a torch for you." He paused, "despite everything."

"Bye, Dad," Marc said, quickly hitting "end." "Sorry," he mumbled.

"You're dad is wonderful." Devin remembered.

After that fateful night when Marc shut down, his father began to open up to her about his wife. Most of the summer she had only seen Marc's uncle around. But his dad started coming out and partying with the boys to ease his worries for his wife. Marc never came with him. Daniel found a listening ear in Devin and confided in her.

Truth be told, she knew more about Marc through his father, than she did from the man himself and she certainly knew his father on a deeper level.

"You got to know my dad pretty well. He adored you. Do you know that after Danae died, he tried to get me to find you and give you a call? He knew that you would listen to me, the way you did to him. He also knew you would be good for me." He touched her cheek. "That we would be good for each other."

Devin was silent, listening to this new bit of information. "Why didn't you? Find me?" Her voice was barely audible.

"I didn't want to burden you. I didn't know if you were still mad at me or hated me. I wasn't sure you would even have remembered me." Now it was his turn to look away. He wore a look of uncertainty and it unsettled her to see it. She cupped his face in her hands and tenderly touched her lips to his. He blinked at her, not responding but not pulling away. She ran her hands up his neck to settle in his hair.

"I miss it being long," she said as she angled his head to make the kiss more comfortable for her, deepening it.

***

"Devin," his deep voice warned, thick with some unnamed emotion. The muscle in his jaw twitched as the tip of her tongue touched his upper lip. He still hadn't responded. She sighed and lifted her hands up in defeat, pushing herself up and off of the blanket.

With a curse of frustration that control was slipping so easily away from him, Marc stood up and in one swift motion, plucked the surprised Devin off her feet. He lay her back on the blanket and covered her small frame with his body. He played with her shortened hair.

"I miss your curls." He whispered back, tickling her ear with his breath before sucking the lobe of her ear. Goosebumps pricked her body and she wiggled beneath him. He slid the straps of the sundress down her shoulders.

"It's only temporary," she assured him. "My hair grows fast." She smiled. A rumbling in the distance caught their attention. They both stared up at the dark roiling clouds.

"Looks like rain," he stated the obvious.

"Mm, maybe we should hide out under the boardwalk," she suggested.

"Wouldn't that be ironic?" he asked as he gathered the blanket and grabbed his flip-flops and her cute sandals on the way up.

"Race you," she called out, already running for the boards. Her cell phone slipped from her pocket.

"Not a chance!" he laughed, having a hard time keeping up with her.

"I'm still faster than you," she sang. As she ducked her head under the boardwalk, the first fat drops of rain fell.

"Must have something to do with age," he alleged, laying the blanket on the cool sand.

***

"Deja vu," Devin murmured.

As he strode toward her, she backed up a bit alarmed at the severe look on his face. What was she doing? She asked herself. Trying to seduce him? She felt the wooden post against her back.

"Recaptured moment," he answered, plundering her mouth with his. She braced herself and gasped at the intensity. Her heart beat a wild rhythm and her knees became like jelly. He drew the straps all the way down and continued to kiss her shoulder.

"Still my favorite spot." He licked the freckle on her shoulder that she knew he was particularly fond of. She closed her eyes. His knee was between her legs keeping her from falling. He slid the dress down over her breasts and groaned appreciatively at their fullness. His fingers lightly circled her nipples and she strained against his knee, trying to get closer. Suddenly his touch was gone and she let out a small whimper of protest, sliding to the sand. She opened her eyes.

"Marcus?" He was sitting on the beach blanket, a come-hither expression on his face. She couldn't resist that look and moved towards him. He leaned back and relaxed, as if soaking up some rays.

Rain was seeping through the boards, showering him. She knew he was waiting for her to make a move. She glided towards him with rain streaming down her face. She finished sliding the sundress the rest of the way down her body and shimmied out of it. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth, catching raindrops on her tongue and licking her lips invitingly as she savored the drops.

"Aren't you worried about acid rain?" Marc smirked up at her and she smiled serenely.

"Ocean means less accumulation of acid and pollution in the clouds."

"Good to know. I didn't know that. Guess I won't have a cow next time Kyla does that."

At the mention of his daughter, Devin thought of her own baby girl. Shouldn't they have called by now? He could see that look in her eye and tugged her down beside him.

"I'm sure she's fine. But if you have to call and check in, here." He handed her his cell phone. She blinked at him in confusion.

"Go on use it. Yours looks sorta useless now," he remarked, pointing to the slender silver phone sticking up in the sand. She watched as the rain flooded it.

"Oh no! Dammit, now what am I going to do?" Agitation setting in. He framed her face with his hands, leaned in close to her ear, and handed her the phone.

"You are going to call and reassure yourself that your baby girl is just fine. Then give my number to your folks so they can reach you. We'll worry about the phone later."

She sighed and bit her lower lip, shrugged, and then dialed.

"Mom, mom is everything okay? My cell phone took a swim and is unusable," She knew she probably sounded harried and didn't want to worry her Mom.

"Course we're fine. Don't worry, you didn't miss any calls from us. Shaylee is ruling the roost over here. She's such a sweet baby and so smart. Do you want to say Hi to her? I could wake her up from her nap. It's been about thirty minutes."

"No, um it's fine. Don't wake her up. Just tell her I love her and miss her terribly." She really did want to hear that tiny voice, but it didn't seem fair to disturb her slumber. She resigned herself to the uneventful update. The thunder rumbled.