That Scottish Boy!

The sweet smell of the newly sprouted flowers filled the air, and the birds chirped at the delight of the new spring rain gently falling down to the earth. It was a light and gentle rain; it was more a mist than anything else. Lori lay on the soft green grass letting her self soak up the fresh water. Her bare legs tingled at the mist, and her long brown braids were thrown up behind her. Just as she was about to fall asleep in the midst of it all, a smug face appeared over her and began to lick her face. "Fud!" She pushed the old beagle away from her. She sat up and saw her little brother charging at her. Lori rolled over as he jumped on her back. "Zachary!"

He giggled and began to tickle her, "Will you take me to get some ice cream sissy?"

"Oh if you stop tickling me!" She shoved him and held him around the waist in a bear hug.

"OK!" Zachary panted out as Lori let go of him; he sat on the ground and looked at her, "Please!! Can we go now sissy?"

"Hum. Let me think about that well. jee I just don't know." She looked at him and smiled. He gave her a puppy eyed look, which he knew very well she couldn't resist it, "Fine. Go get in the truck."

"Yuppie!" Zachary scampered off to the kitchen. Lori sat up and smiled at her little brother and then stood realizing that she would have to go and change her clothes really quick. Lori started at an almost jog toward the house with her beagle at her heals. She pulled open the sliding glass doors and Fred trotted in before her. She slipped off her damp shoes and ran up the spiral staircase that was between the living room and the kitchen.

Lori was quickly up the stairs and into her room at the end of the short hall. Her room was large and roomy, in a corner was her large canopy bed, and in another was her tall oak dresser that her grandfather had made for her. She quickly stripped and pulled out fresh clothes. Lori pulled on the worn out jeans, a navy t-shirt and then a flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off of it. Her long braids fell down her back and swayed while she walked. As Lori stepped out of her room she met her little brother in the hallway he was eager to leave. So they quickly made their way down the stairs and into the den where their mother was working. "Mom I'm taking Zachary to get some ice cream be back in a few alright?" Lori explained.

"Hum, yes be back soon darling." Her mother answered almost like she didn't hear what Lori had said.

Lori slipped on her tall boots and helped her brother tie his tennis shoes. Zachary pulled on his light spring coat and eagerly ran out the door to Lori's Dakota. He sprang into the front seat and eagerly awaited Lori who was taking her sweet time to get over there knowing what it was doing to her little brother. She clambered in and slipped on her dark sunglasses. Pulled out the keys and started the truck, soon they were on their way.

As Lori drove through the quick and winding roads of Seaview she wondered if she would run into anyone she knew. But she knew if she did that all she would get was the constant testing and pestering that she usually got when she went some where with her little brother. For Zachary and Lori where part Cherokee and they were often taunted for their dark skin and hair. But Lori was in luck, for as she pulled up to the charming little shop. There were only two other vehicles parked there. As soon as Lori put the truck in park Zachary jumped out of the truck and ran up to the window where he could see what he could order.

Lori crept up behind him and leaned over his shoulder, "What are you gonna get little bro?"

Zachary pondered for a moment or two then spoke, "Um, I think I'm gonna get a ice cream float." He answered as he pointed to one of the pictures.

"Alright," Lori looked up at the young man who was standing inside watching them, she had never seen him working there and she pretty much knew everyone who worked in the shop. He was tall and very muscular; his eyes where alive and seemed full of joy and worried at the same time. His hair was dark brown as were his eyes. Lori's eyes drifted toward his chest, on the pocket of his shirt was the name Mitch. She then looked up and saw he was looking at her also, quickly Lori cleared her throat then spoke, "I would like a medium ice cream float and a strawberry milk shake."

He looked at her for a moment tilted his head slightly to the side then smiled, "That will be two fifty."

Lori quickly routed around in her pocket and dished out two dollars and fifty cents. She handed it to him never taking her eyes off his. He quickly spun around and began making the orders. Lori looked down at her little brother who looked impatient to get what he had ordered. "Zachary, do you want to go sit in the truck?"

He looked up at her puzzled then asked, " Why?"

"Just wondering." Lori looked back up at the stranger; he had his strong back turned to her. Then he turned and handed her the ice cream she had ordered. Just as she handed it down to her little brother, he spoke again, this time Lori noticed that he had a Scottish accent to his voice. She was so fixed on listening to his accent that she didn't hear what he said.

"Pardon?"

"Will that be all?" He asked again as he smiled at Lori's confused face.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." Lori returned the smile and scooted her little brother off to the truck. Quickly she was on her way again.

It wasn't long before they were home again, Zachary quickly ran inside almost most tripping over his own two feet. Lori stuffed her car keys in her pocket and walked around back to see if her dad was out there or not. To her satisfaction he was. His dark and tall figure appeared near the back of the yard near the woods behind their home. Though they lived in a somewhat rural area the only houses near them were on the other side of the road. One happened to belong to Lori's grandparents, and the other to Lori's best friend, Eliza.

"Hey dad!" Lori yelled.

He looked back at her, "Evening Lori!" He called back to her. "Where were you?"

"Ah, little one wanted some ice cream to eat." She explained.

He laughed, "That child never stops eating. Oh Lori, Eliza called she wanted to tell you about this foreign exchange student that came over from Scotland." He explained as he jogged up to her.

"Oh." Lori thought for a moment, "Did she want me to call her back or what?"

He thought for a moment then spoke, "No, she said she wasn't going to be home."

"Ah bummer!"

"Come on your mom has something cooking on the stove!" Her father led her into the kitchen.

Lori looked up to see her mother baking something, stirring this and that; her mother had a great passion for cooking. So needless to say Lori and her family always ate well. Lori loved to watch her mother cook. Her young Italian hands worked vigorously at the meal she prepared each evening. "Mom, are papa and grandmamma coming over for dinner?"

"Uh, I'm not sure, you may call and ask."

"Alright. But I'm sure little one would prefer it better."

" he would." Her mother smiled, "Go and fetch him for me hum?"

"Yes mom." Lori turned on her heal and headed up the spiral staircase for her little brother's room. As she reached it she found him playing one of his many video games. She tried being sneaking about they way she could creep up on him, "Oh little one guess who might come for dinner?"

He jumped and looked at her, "Who!"

"Grandmamma and papa!"

Zachary jumped and quickly shut off his game and flew out of the room in a flash, Lori laughed as he did so. And she smiled at how happy her family was. Lori then turned and followed her brother down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Mom I'm gonna go out to sleep in the hammock come and get me when dinner is ready if you would."

"Alright, I'll just send your little brother out after you."

"Very funny mom." Lori stepped out the door and strolled over to the huge oak trees in her yard. Between them was strung a wide hammock that her father had made when they had first moved here, but that was long before Lori was born. Lori crawled up into the hammock and stretched out, just as she was about to fall asleep a loud truck came roaring up the hill, as it drove by her house Lori recognized the diver. It was the guy she had seen at the ice cream shop earlier that day. She watched as he slowed down and pulled into Eliza's drive. Lori pondered as to why he was there, but now all her mind wanted to do was rest. So Lori let her mind drift slowly into sleep.

Within a few hours her younger brother tipping her out of the hammock rudely awakened Lori. She landed with a thud on the ground, and looked up at her papa's smiling face. She jumped up to hug him. "Papa!"

"Ah hello!" He embraced her. Then stepped back to look at his growing granddaughter. "You seem to grow about three inches every time I see you." He laughed.

"Very funny! Come on I can smell mom's cookin' from here." She led her ageing grandfather and little brother into the house. Inside, her grandmamma was setting the table as her mother put the finishing touches on her meal. Lori looked around the kitchen but didn't see her father, "Mom where's dad?"

"Out cutting fire wood." Her mother said over her shoulder.

"Ok thanks mom." Lori turned and walked into the living room and out through the mudroom that led to the back yard and not the side. She saw her father chopping wood and saw that he needed no help. So she turned and headed back into the kitchen where she saw that she wasn't needed there either, but that dinner would be ready soon so she plopped down in a chair at the table beside her grandfather. Just as she did her father came strolling in the door and sat at the head of the table while her mother and grandmother set the dinner on the table for everyone to eat. As everyone took their seats at the table Lori glanced out side to see that it looked like it was about to thunderstorm.

They all ate and enjoyed the meal laughing and telling old Indian stories. Lori's grandfather delighted and telling the old Indian stories he had acquired over his lifetime. Once dinner was finished Lori's little brother, grandfather, and father went into the living room and sat down to 'let their meal settle'. Lori, her mother, and grandmother stayed out in the kitchen to clean up the mess. Lori didn't mind, she had gotten used to it after a while besides her grandmamma often told her many interesting stories of when Steve, Lori's father, was young, most of them embarrassing.

Just as Lori was about to put one of the plates away, a crack of thunder sounded and Lori nearly dropped the plate. She looked up at her mother, "Close one. Do you want me to go make sure all the windows are closed?"

"Would you please?" Her mother answered. Lori nodded and set off to finish her task, she closed the windows downstairs first and made sure, Fred, or Fud as she called him was inside, and then headed up stairs to close the windows. Lori went to her room last and just as she went to close her windows, it started to pour down rain. Lightening lit the sky every now and then but it was dark early that night.

At about ten 'til eleven Lori's grandparents left and being that it was late everyone went to bed. Expect Lori; she sat in her bed listening to the sound of the thunder and the rain pouring down onto the roof and shaking the foundation of the house.

The next time Lori opened her eyes it was morning, she wasn't sure what time she has fallen asleep nor what time the rain had stopped, but it had stopped for the sun shone so bright it made her eyes water. She stumbled out of bed and went to her window, opened it, and stuck her head out. The air was damp and fresh. The birds chirped as they bathed in the puddles scattered everywhere. She smiled then stepped back closing the window. Lori quickly changed out of her pajamas and into jean shorts and a navy t-shirt, then pulled her long hair up so that it was out of her way. After that went downstairs to see if anyone was awake. To her surprise her mother was awake and once again cooking breakfast for everyone one. Lori crossed the room in a few quick paces and hopped up on a stool at the island that sectioned off the kitchen from the dinning room. "Morning!" Lori smiled as her mother spun around to see who was awake.

"AH! Lori! You scared me!" Her mother managed to get out, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Early?" Lori looked confused, "Mom it's eight-thirty."

"Well I was under the impression that eight -thirty was early for a 17 year old." Her mother chuckled.

"Haha very funny mom." Lori spun around on her chair to look out side. "Oh my is it wet out side."

"Well yes didn't you hear it raining all night?" Her mother proceeded, "I didn't stop raining until about five this morning."

"Wow! I didn't hear it." Lori said as she turned back around, "Hey mom do ya mind if after lunch or something I go over to Eliza's?"

"Oh hunny I don't mind so long is it ok with her parents." Her mother said as she flipped another pancake. "Why don't you call her now?"

"Mom now eight-thirty is early for Eliza." Lori smirked, the two had a good laugh about that one and soon Lori's dad was up and down the stairs wondering what all the laughing was about. They just said nothing and Sharon, Lori's mom dished out bacon and pancakes for the two. It wasn't long after that did Zachary come thundering down the stairs nearly tripping, for little boy loved to eat.

After they finished eating Lori helped her mother clean up, then went up to her room to straighten things up a bit, Lori sometimes had a habit of just throwing her dirty clothes on the floor so she was frequently cleaning her room. Next she played a few video games with her little brother, of course he beat her almost every time because he played all his games daily. After being frustrated with that Lori went down stairs to see what time it was when she saw that it was about twelve o'clock she told her mother that was going to call Eliza. After her mother agreed Lori went into the study to call Eliza.