“Hey,” Tess Harding said as she dribbled a basketball absentmindedly, “some SUV just pulled into the old Coughlan place.” “Really?” Isabel Guerin said as she came to stand beside one of her best friends. “Isn’t that interesting. I didn’t think anyone would ever rent the old house.” “They don’t,” Alex Whitman said from underneath the hood of Izzy’s car that he was trying to fix for her. “If I heard correctly, that is the new Sheriff and his son. The city has provided them with the old Coughlan place free of charge for as long as he has the job.” Alex climbed out from underneath the car and wiped his hands on the rag he had stuffed in his back jeans pocket. He nodded to the guy behind the wheel of the car and the engine roared to life. Alex grinned at Isabel, “There I fixed it. Next time I charge you for labor.” Isabel snorted and rolled her eyes. Alex was a sweetheart, he never charged anyone for anything, and they all knew it. Isabel’s eyes were drawn to the Coughlan residence when she saw the door to the SUV open for a second time and a young man around her own age stepped out and looked around. “Look there’s a teenager. What do you mean new Sheriff?” “He means,” Michael Guerin, Isabel’s twin brother, said as he got out of the car and stood by his best friend, “that those people are the new law around here. If we overheard correctly last night, that’s Mr. Valenti and his son, both of which are moving here from California. Supposedly the kid’s amazing on the field, according to Coach anyway.” As if the guy in question heard them he looked over in their direction. He scanned the area around them while the others observed him without his knowing that they were looking at him. Tess turned her body ever so slightly in his direction and they were all amused to see him quickly avert his gaze away. “Well,” Isabel said as they watched her make her way toward the house, “he doesn’t seem to be all that outgoing.” “You know that everyone is going to be wary of him right?” Maria Deluca asked. She hated for anyone to feel out of place, even people that she didn’t know. “Jesus Maria,” Michael said as he quickly stole the basketball from Tess and shot a perfect lazy three pointer. “Every friggin’ stray off the street.” “Spoken just like someone that’s never had to be that stray off the street,” Izzy said in Maria’s defense as she grabbed the ball and began to dribble. “Maybe we should play welcome wagon?” “Or maybe,” Michael said as he effectively guarded his sister, “we should let it alone. After all, I don’t want to get involved with the Sheriff before I have to. He might come after us or something.” “Don’t tell me that you’re afraid of the law?” Maria taunted her arch-nemesis as she stole the ball back and made a lay-up. “I thought that you were supposed to be fearless?” “Like new people don’t scare you too Maria?” Tess taunted as they all stopped playing ball and looked back over at the house. “But, maybe you’re right for once. Let’s head over there and play nice.” She didn’t tell them that part of the reason that she wanted to see the guy up close was that even from this faraway she felt something about him pulling her to him. She had learned a long time ago not to ignore her feelings. “Lead the way,” Alex said as he tossed the ball in the garage. He looked at his best friend and sighed. “Come on Michael, can’t you even try?” “I’ll head over there with you guys,” Michael said with a dark scowl. “But, I’m not making any promises about being all nice and sociable.” With a quick glance at his watch he trailed after his friends toward the Jennings household. “Hell,” he thought to himself as they exited his driveway, “it beats sitting around staring at Maria all afternoon.” As if he had heard his friend’s thoughts, Alex turned slightly and looked at him with a smirk in his gaze. TBC

Part 2