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the other boys, Jamie, move up on Charlie. She pulled her stick up and swung it hard. She hit him on the arm; he landed on his butt and grabbed the spot she’d hit.
    “Hey, that hurt,” he squawked.
      She looked at Dexter and pointed her stick at him. “I gave him the flat end of the stick. If you move, I might give you the pointy end. No gang-ups.” When she looked back at Charlie and Bobbie, who was crying, she smiled. Charlie apparently punched the kid a couple of times and was getting up.
    He turned to Lark and held out his hand. “Come on, Lou. You’re right, they’re not worth it. Bobbie’s a pussy and has no backbone.”
    They walked back to Lark’s house in silence and she helped him get his face cleaned off.
    He sat on the toilet with his head tipped back and she walked in with a bag of ice.
    “Gran wants to talk to us when your nose stops bleeding.” She pushed away his hand that held a tissue. “Let me see, Ducky.” She dabbed at it and then put the ice bag on his face. “You’re going to have a black eye.”
    “No biggie. I’ve had them before and at least this time it wasn’t my dad. Is Gran mad at me?”
    “I don’t think so, but I think she’s going to lecture us pretty good.” Lark sat on the laundry basket and crossed her arms over her chest. “Ducky, my ears almost melted off of my head out there. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use such language and what does sucking off mean?” She grinned.
    “Yeah, sorry about the bad stuff, but those jerks deserved it. The other thing I’ll explain on a day when Gran isn’t around. She probably doesn’t like that kind of talk.” He laughed.
    “You’d better. I agree with you that Bobbie Reynolds is such an asshole.”
    “Don’t let Gran hear you say that. She’ll have a fit. I liked when you popped Jamie in the arm with your sword. I bet he gets a really good bruise.”
    “He acted like he was going to kick you. I couldn’t let him do that.”
    “Thanks for watching my back, Lou.”
    “Anytime. You know, I don’t think you should be king. I really think we need to knight you.”
    “Well, you’re a princess. Can’t you knight me?”
    “I don’t see why not.” She stood up and grabbed her hairbrush and tapped his shoulders. “I dub thee a knight of the Canon City realm. You fought honorably today.”
    Charlie took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Thank you, m’lady.”
    She looked at him and for the first time felt a little uncomfortable. “Ducky, Bobbie called you my boyfriend. Is that what you are?”
    He moved the ice bag down to his chest and reached for her hand. “I’d like to be your boyfriend someday. Would you want to be my girlfriend?”
    Lark blushed and giggled. “Maybe, someday. Come on, Sir Ducky. We have to go get lectured.” She took his hand and they walked down the stairs.
    She smiled at the memory. That was one of their best days together. She really started to love him and couldn’t even remember how old they were.
    Lark started her computer and after a while got down to business. She checked the incoming orders and signed off on over one hundred new ones, so the floor staff could start getting them out in the mail on Monday.
    Her cell phone rang at six-thirty and she looked at the caller ID. It was Thomas and she didn’t really want to talk to him, but hit the answer button.
    “Hey Thomas,” she said.
    “Hello, my dear. What are you up to today?” he asked.
    “I’m just getting some orders ready for Monday.”
    “I understand you were in Denver last week. Why didn’t you come to the condo?”
    “Nancy and I were in meetings all week. Most nights we didn’t get finished until late. I didn’t want to disturb you if you were resting.”
    “It would have been nice to see you at least. I’ve missed you.”
    Lark didn’t know what to say to him. The sentiment he spoke was nice, but she didn’t believe he was sincere. In her opinion, the man didn’t know the meaning of the