" Damn it, Kathy... "Martha sputtered as the girl laughed and then tugged the skirt down to an almost respectable level."I'm sorry," Kathy said. "I fo...got the trouble you're having with Marlene. I shouldn't tease you so." I was going to mention that." Martha said and made a left turn taking them to with three blocks of Martha's home. "Have you had the opportunity to talk with her yet?" Not quite. I started to broach her two days ago, but some other kids joined us before I could really bring the. . .” I started.“No! I have the same kinds of feelings for you. But . . .” she said.“Okay, but ‘but’?” I said.“Are you sure, Jim? I know or think I know that you still have feelings for you ex. I am not gonna be good as a fill in woman for you. The man that gets me, even if any man ever even could want me the way that I am, well, he has to be all in on me. I’m not going to go through again what I went through with the last so called love of my life,” she said.I sighed, and it was a sigh of. I showed him the rest of the garage complex, which was rather more extensive than I had previously described. He was quite excited when he saw the inspection pit and a fair range of tools."I could do the work here, get me away from the boys," he said."Yes, that would be good," I replied. And we nattered for a while, me telling him about the whole thing, not for general circulation I reminded him, knowing that not a lot would remain secret."Tell you what," I said, "I'll arrange lunch while you. The world went gray and fuzzy, my breath coming hard and fast, my heart rising in my throat, choking me. What are they doing home? What is he doing here? When I could see again, Danny was on the floor, my father standing above him. ‘Don’t,’ I managed, and my father stopped, looking at me. ‘What did you say?’ My father was advancing toward me. Danny was standing again and he was wiping at his bloody nose. ‘Leave him alone,’ I repeated. I knew it even before I said it, that this was it. I.