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hear others talking.  I was there when the message came in.”
          “So what do I do to set this straight?” he growled angrily.
         Caitlin folded her arms protectively.  “You might just let me know the truth.  Who is Connie, and who is Jamie?”
         “Connie is someone I used to date.  She had a baby.  His name is Jamie.  She says he’s mine but she’s never been willing to get a blood test and prove it.  She just hangs him over my head all the time.”  He sighed.
          “Oh.”  Caitlin answered quietly.  Her heart had sunk to her stomach and lay there, like a heavy stone.
          “Caitlin, it has nothing to do with me, really.  I haven’t lied to you.”
        “That’s nice to know.  People were talking like Connie was going to come unglued if she found out you were dating someone else.”
          He shrugged.  “She generally pitches a fit.”  He admitted.
          “I see.”  Caitlin sighed.
         He looked at her, beseeching her to understand.  “I didn’t want to spring all this on you, on our first date.  Come on, Caitlin.  Surely you can understand why I didn’t tell you all this carry on right away.”
          “Of course I can.”  She admitted.
          “Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked doggedly.
          “Well; I do need to get some rest and pretty soon I need to get busy studying for my finals.  But perhaps tomorrow afternoon, for a short time.”  She agreed hesitantly.      
          “Great.  I’ll pick you up at three, if that’s all right.”
         “Sure.”  She answered immediately.  “I’ll see you then.”  She gave him a quick smile and darted out of the car.  She walked quickly to her door and let herself in.  Just as she was ready to close it, she turned her eyes and saw him standing in the parking lot, watching.
         She closed the door firmly and locked it immediately.  Then, she shivered.  She was quickly becoming very uncomfortable with this scenario.
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
     Skyler knocked on her door at precisely three o’clock the following afternoon.  He took her to the Botanical gardens on the outskirts of town.  He was congenial and affable, laid back and yet attentive.  Caitlin began to relax and enjoy herself when she realized that he was staying in his corner.  She found that Sky could be a very pleasant companion when he managed to control his impulses.
     Their conversation relaxed the atmosphere even further, and things looked much less stressful in the light of day.  Skyler even told her a bit about Jamie, and showed her a picture of the child.  He admitted that he saw the boy quite often, to give him a male presence in his life.  He said that he really didn’t care whether the boy was his or not, from that standpoint. 
         Caitlin actually thought highly of it, and told him so.  He was amazed by her attitude, and things got a bit better between them as a result.  Cait suspected that Skyler would still prefer to be moving ahead at lightning speed, but he was being very respectful of her wishes.  She appreciated it.
         The gardens were beautiful.  After spending a couple of hours enjoying the scenery, they bought corn dogs at a stand outside the park, and sat on a bench to eat.
         “Will you come to the concert tonight?” he asked hopefully.
         Caitlin smiled and shook her head regretfully.  “I’m sorry.  I really can’t.  I have to work on my paper or I’ll never get it done in time.  And I do have to study for a test.  It’s imperative.”
         “But, Caitlin.  You’re not going to need that degree.”  He objected.
     “What makes you say that?” she asked warily.
    “When we are married, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.  I promise.”
        She shook her head in disbelief.  “First of all, Skyler, I am light years away from making any