They walked side by side, not quite touching, across the weedy yard to the house. Mari admitted she didn’t even think the front door lock worked. She had never seen a key for it, and could never recall it being locked. She opened it and reached for the light switch. As far as they could see, not even the dust had been disturbed.
She turned to face him, innocent, somber, and trusting. “Thank you, Dusty. I—it’s been the nicest evening I ever had. I don’t really know how to act on a date. I hope I didn’t spoil it for you, like with my dumb question and all.”
He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. “You do just fine, Mari. There’s no acting required. Just be yourself. I’ve never seen you be anything but polite, sweet, and considerate. That’s all you need to do. And don’t be afraid
