GENTLY KISS CLAE’S CHEEK.SHE GUESSED DAVE DID TOO,BECAUSE HE WAS SUDDENLY
         
               RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SHELTER.TRACI JUST LET HIM RUN.SHE WATCHED HIS
         
               LEAN AND TANNED FIGURE RACE DOWN THE WHITE SAND SHORE AND SHE SAW HIM
         
               SCALE UP THE ROCK JETTY.THEN SHE SAW HIM SIT... .AND WAIT. TRACI DUCKED
         
               INSIDE AND FOUND BOTH DRAKE AND CLAE ASLEEP.SHE FELT CLAE’S HEAD AND WAS
         
               RELIEVED THERE WAS NO TEMPETATURE.SHE FELT FOR CLAE’S PULSE AND IT WAS BEATE
         
               ING STRONGLY.TRACI SIGHED AND GATHERED SIMON INTO HER ARMS.IT THRILLED
         
               HER AT HOW FRAGILE AND LITTLE HE WAS.SHE RESTED HER HEAD ATOP HIS HEAD,
         
               AND KISSED HIS MASS OF SALTY HAIR.
         
                 “IS CLAE OKAY?” HE ASKED.TRACI FORCED HERSELF TO SMILE.
         
               “OF COURSE.SHE’S JUST VERY,VERY TIRED.” TRACI SAID AS SWEETLY AS SHE COULD.
         
               SIMON SEEMED CONTENT WITH THAT.HE CRAWLED DOWN BESIDE CLAE,AND BURIED HIS
       
               HEAD IN HER STOMACH,GENTLY.TRACI STOOD UP AND DUCKED OUTSIDE.MOST OF THE
         
               BOYS WERE WALKING BACK,OR HAD DECIDED TO GO FOR A LAST SWIM.TRACI WALKED
         
               SLOWLY TO THE JETTY AND CLIMBED CLUMSILY UP.ALTHOUGH SHE WAS A DANCER,
         
               AND HER LEGS WERE STRONG,AND ALTHOUGH CLAE HAD THE MUSCULAR CONTROL
         
               PROBLEM,CLAE WAS THE BEST ATHELETE TRACI KNEW OF.TRACI SAT BESIDE DAVE
         
               AND RUBBED HIS BARE BACK.HE DIDN’T LOOK UP.TRACI SAW A SMALL OBJECT FALL
         
               FROM HIS EYES AND ONTO THE ROCK.IT WAS A TEAR,MANY FOLLOWED.TRACI HUGGED
         
               DAVE HARD AND ROCKED HIM SLOWLY,LIKE SHE WOULD SIMON.DAVE PUSHED HER
         
               AWAY.HE WIPED HIS EYES HARD AND GLARED AT TRACI.
         
                 “IS SHE OKAY?” HE ASKED.THERE WAS A COLD EDGE TO HIS VOICE.

               “SHE JUST COLLAPSED FROM EXHAUSTION.I SUPPOSE SHE’LL WAKE UP IN ABOUT
         
         
               A FEW HOURS. ARE YOU OKAY?”