"I'm sure you can, " he acknowledged, "but we have nothing else to do this afternoon so we might as well remain here with you and admire your beauty a... walk along the beach poking stranded jellyfish with my parasol." Suit yourself," I answered turning my head away from them.It wasn't long before I felt the cold tip of the parasol back on my inner thigh. I admit that the coldness was quite stimulating on my sun warmed flesh and it did send a tingle up my leg. He etched a pattern on my inner. It was a happy face with a tear dripping from one of the eyes. I sobbed as I saw this. It was the drawing I had put on her books and homework as she was growing up. Well minus the tear.That was the deciding factor. I had to have my Princess back on my 'team'. Our team. But how? I couldn't afford to pay her to stay home. I'd be broke in no time. Then what I had heard her yell at me last night before she left my room forced it's way to the front of my thoughts, “Daddy the three of us have talked. " Impossible! You can't capture a whole fleet and hold it when your fleet is arrayed against us, here." Oh, this is only Third and Fourth fleets," the other being said, off-handedly. "First Fleet is keeping an eye on your support fleet, but since the Sixth Marine division is in control of the ships, they don't have much to do."The implications were clear: At least one more fleet, presumably at least half the strength of the force surrounding them, was out there somewhere, and the ships guarding. He had set beside me while Sanderson had been making his speech and I couldn't help but notice he was really cute. We hadn't said anything to each other, but I had smiled at him when I saw him looking at me. He just kind of ducked his head as if he were embarrassed.I found out later his name was Michael Harding. We ended up taking all of the same classes. Mrs. Calzaggi ended up putting me in Honors English, Algebra 1, Social Studies, American History, and Physical Education. I wasn't sure about.