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“No, you don’t have to do that,” Kate said,waving off the idea. “We can stop.”

“Maybe I want to play.” Autumn stood taller,making the challenge clear.

Gia laughed and ran backward a few feet. “Youtwo don’t go having too much fun together. It’s only Wednesday.”

“No promises,” Autumn called back. “Shallwe?” she asked Kate once they were alone.

Kate extended her hand in an after-yougesture. Honestly, Autumn hadn’t thrown a Frisbee since she was maybe thirteen,and even then, she wasn’t very good. But it’s not like she would pass up thisopportunity. Not to mention, Kate was new to the game, too. They’d be perfectlycompatible.

“Hit me,” Autumn yelled, arms out.

“I don’t think that’s the goal of the game,”Kate called back calmly.

“Stop stalling, there’s a game happeninghere.”

Kate smiled and gently sailed the Frisbee herway, and wouldn’t you know it? She caught the damn thing. Unable to hold back,she held it up in the air and leapt for joy several times. And then a couplemore for good measure. “Did you see that? I’m a natural.”

Kate regarded her with a hand on her hip anda shake of her head. “Are you going for cute? It’s working.”

Autumn laughed. “I’ll take cute and raise youmasterfully skillful.” She repeated the same sliding motion she’d just seenKate demonstrate and sat back and watched as her Frisbee fell like a pound offlour just six feet in front of her.

“Uh-oh,” Kate said, looking serious. “Have Ibeen doing it wrong?”

Autumn retrieved the Frisbee and held up afinger. “Very funny. Just wait. I got this.”

“Waiting!” Kate called. She held up bothhands. “Right here. Nice and easy.”

Shecoulddo this. Winding her arm around her body, Autumn released the Frisbee with alittle more oomph this time, only to watch it sail violently to the right ofKate and straight into the encroaching tide.Bollocks.But Kate didn’t hesitate and took off after the wayward Frisbee, and caught thevery edge. Speaking of masterfully skilled.

“I amsosorry!” Autumn called to her. “Did you get wet?”

Kate glanced down at the spray across hersuit. “It’s a bathing suit. I’ll live.” She shook the water off her feet andran back into the sand. “Again?”

“Why not! I can’t get any worse, right?”Autumn yelled. Honestly, she had nothing to lose anymore. The jig was up: shewasn’t an athlete and she wouldn’t be impressing anyone on this beach today.

“Don’t take your eye off it,” Kate calledencouragingly. She ably sent the Frisbee in Autumn’s direction. At the lastsecond, a gust of wind lifted it up and to the left, forcing Autumn to back upand then move forward and dive left only to end in a crumpled heap in the sand.Triple failure. And, ow! Oh, okay, something had just given way painfully. Sheattempted to stand, but the blast of pain sat her right back down. All right,maybe she’d just hang out in the sand for a little while. Wasn’t awful here.

Her dismay was short lived, however, becauseKate was kneeling by her side almost instantly with concerned eyes. “Hey, youokay? You went down a little hard.”

That’s when Autumn realized that her own handwas holding tightly to her ankle, which throbbed a bit. “I think I just turnedit the wrong way. No biggie.”

“I’m so sorry about that,” Kate said. “Iguess the Frisbee caught a weird pocket of air.”

Autumn smiled. “You have nothing to apologizefor. I can be a klutz sometimes. And the wind was being a bitch.”

“Still.” Kate stared at her ankle indisappointment, as if the sight of Autumn on the ground crushed her. It wassweet. “Let me take a look.”

“Okay.”

Kate gently moved Autumn’s hand and liftedher foot, pulling it into her lap as the sun shone brightly overhead. The worldseemed to slow down a little.

“Are you a doctor now, too?” Autumn askedquietly.

Kate tossed her a glance and smiled. “I’mtrained as an EMT. For work.”

“Right,” Autumn said, bracing against aflutter as Kate’s fingers pressed softly into her skin. “This hurt?”

Autumn shook her head.