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stretched, and rolled onto her tummy.  Her first thoughts were of Gary’s steady, smoldering eyes. 
         “ Damn you to hell, Gary Taylor!”  she muttered.  She hated him for not kissing her!  Hated him!  How dare he not give in to her?  How dare he not kiss her?  She had to know that he found her attractive! 
         She’d been so sure, and then when she gave him an opening, he'd laughed in her face!  How dare he not assure her that he found her beautiful?
         She threw the covers away, and flounced into her robe.  The bathroom door was locked.  “Deb?” she bellowed, pounding.  “Are you in there?”
         “ Yes.”  came the muffled reply.
         “ Well, let me in!” she demanded.
         “ All right, all right, already!”  Deb muttered.
         Tasha was suddenly spun around.  She found herself eye to eye with glowering, blue beams of fury.  She sucked in her breath at the sight of Gary’s anger, close up.
         “ My aunt and uncle are still asleep, young lady.  Deb will have to deal with your rudeness however she sees fit, but I’m afraid that I will have to see that you respect Nolan and Ruth’s right to some peace and quiet in the early mornings.”
         “ Rudeness?” she gasped.  “Honestly, I just wanted to get in.” Tasha reddened as her voice began quivering tearfully.
         Deb opened the bathroom door, and looked from Gary to Tasha with wide eyes.
         “ G’morning, Deb.  Excuse me, ladies.”  Gary said tightly.  He turned on his heel and walked away. 
         Tasha stared tearfully after the coal-gray suit and suede boots as Gary disappeared quickly down the stairs.
         Deb’s hand was warm on Tasha’s shoulder.  “He’s a little bit more than you’re used to, huh, Tash?”
         “ You can say that again!  The insufferable beast!”  she gasped, trying to hold her tears in check.
         “ No, he’s not.”  Deb laughed.  “Really, he’s a darling, Tash.  He just can’t abide heavy-handed women.  He’s very ... well, old-fashioned, I guess, for lack of a better word.  He kind of insists on being in charge.”
         “ Male chauvinist ...”
         “ Definitely not.”  Deb cut her off.  “Really he’s not, Tash.  Someday, you’ll understand him.”
         “ I doubt it.  What’s he all gussied up for this morning, anyway?” Tasha growled.
         “ Church, of course.”  Debora said, sounded surprised that Tasha wouldn’t have guessed.  “He has to get there earlier than the rest of us.”
         “ The rest of us?”  Tasha hissed.  “No way, Deb.”
         “ Didn’t you know?  Tasha, mother will insist.  But it’s not so bad.  I think you might enjoy it.”
         “ Right.”  Tasha snorted.  “I can hardly wait.”
         The church was small, and didn’t look much like a church.  It was a square, blue building, out in the middle of nowhere.  Tasha could hear the surf and feel the Pacific breeze, though she couldn’t see the ocean.
         Debora linked her arm through Tasha’s, and led her up the pebbled walk to the building.  They climbed a shallow flight of stairs, and Tasha put up her guard as they entered the sanctuary. 
         It was done simply, but nicely.  Skylights filtered sunlight down onto the wide, raised platform at the front.  Rows of narrow, vertical windows lit the length of the room from front to rear.  There were chairs set in a curving half-circle, rather than pews.  There was a wide aisle up the center.
         Deb led Tasha toward the front, and sat down close to the inside aisle of the second row.  Tasha stared in fascination at the musicians tuning their instruments in the area to the right of the podium.  There were guitars, flutes, drums, violins.  There was even a harp, in addition to the piano and organ.
         Tasha was distracted by a steady flow of people who stopped