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spoke quietly so as not to shatter the silence.
    “Better than church,” Eric answered over his shoulder.
    Meg found the lapping sound their paddles made comforting, and the pull on her arms as the paddle sliced through the water was invigorating.
    Since he was in front, Eric guided the canoe with his paddle, and soon Meg realized that he had a destination in mind. “Are we going somewhere in particular?” she asked.
    “Yes, straight toward that rock that’s jutting out.”
    She could see it in the gathering twilight and helped him paddle toward it. Beside the rock, Eric swung the canoe around and nudged it close to the reedy shore. He helped her out, pushed the canoe farther into the reeds, and said, “Follow me.”
    “Where are we going?” she asked. He certainly appeared to have a plan.
    “It’s a surprise.”
    “It’s getting dark, hard to see.”
    “Faithful scout have fake fire,” he said, flipping out a small high-beam flashlight from his pocket and taking her hand.
    She followed him through the woods. The trail widened, then opened out into a meadow ringed by tall trees. In the center of the clearing a blanket had been spread out, and on the blanket were a picnic basket, a couple of pillows, and about half a dozen unlit candles.
    “Let me get these going,” he said, dropping down on the blanket and taking out a lighter. In seconds, the candles flickered, throwing off warm golden light that sank into darkness beyond the edge of the blanket.
    She sat beside him, amazed. “You did all this for mer?”
    “For us,” he said. “I stumbled across this place one day when I went exploring and thought it would be the perfect spot for a moonlight picnic. All I needed was the perfect girl to share it with.”
    “Why, Eric, this is just beautiful.”
    “Don’t sound so shocked. Guys know how to be romantic when they put their minds to it.” He opened the basket and brought out paper plates and a cluster of grapes. “I’ve got cheese too. And sodas. Lie back. Make yourself comfortable.”
    Meg fluffed a pillow and stretched out. Above hera thousand stars twinkled down. All she could think about was how sweet it had been of him to think up the idea. True, his presence didn’t make her heart pound the way Morgan’s did, but Eric certainly was fun to be with. He had style and imagination. “So, confess, how many girls have you done this with before me?”
    “I’m crushed,” he said popping a grape into his mouth. “This was carefully premeditated with you in mind.”
    She nibbled on a slice of cheese. “Well, I’m totally impressed. Thank you. But why me? Why not ask one of the other girls?” She was thinking about Chelsea.
    “Because I like you best?” He offered his explanation as a question.
    “Lacey’s prettier.”
    Eric shivered. “Cold as ice, that one. Besides, she’s got a boyfriend. Ditto Katie. I mean, who wants to run afoul of Josh? He’s nuts about that girl and would probably pound my brains in if I so much as looked at her.”
    “And Chelsea?”
    “She’s cute, but I’m not interested.”
    Meg felt let down on her friend’s behalf.
    “No, I like you best, Megan Charnell, so stop trying to pass me off to some other girl. You’re theone I want to be with. End of story.” He stretched out beside her, lacing his fingers through hers.
    She was flattered that he liked her but not quite sure how she felt about his attention. She wasn’t prepared for a summer romance. “What do you do when you’re not cooking at camp and taking girls on moonlit picnics?” she asked. “College? A full-time job?”
    “I’m starting junior college in the fall. My sister’s idea. I live with her and she thinks I need a good education, so to keep the peace, I’m going.”
    Since she loved college and learning, his answer surprised her. “Don’t you have any dreams? Anything you want to do with your life?”
    “Make a lot of money.”
    “That takes a skill.”
    He rolled over, boosted