The evening sun was hot and sticky when Mitch finally finished the back room in his house. Neil didn't come up to help today he had to work, Mitch really missed his company. It helped him keep his mind off of Lori. But now he was alone and that was all he could think about. He couldn't remember what he had done to Lori exactly last night but he knew it must of have been terrible. He just knew. He had been left to stew about it all day. And that was the only thing he could decide. Now what he had to do was fix everything and then just go back to Scotland.

A FEW DAYS LATER

Lori's hair fell unbound from her shoulders and tumbled down her back. She rocked back and forth and landed on her back in the soft green grass. She closed her eyes and relaxed only for a little bit until she heard yelling over in Eliza's back yard. Lori stood from her place in her grandma's own yard and walked over to the high wooden fence between the two yards.
The shouting puzzled Lori so because the Huglies were always so peaceful. When Lori saw whom Eliza was yelling at she became very concerned. It was Mitch, and he was very angry. And not just a little angry he was red in the face angry and looked like he might hurt Eliza. When Mitch started to raise a hand to Eliza, Lori screamed and went running around the fence at Mitch. She caught him just in time and knocked him from his feet to the hard ground below him. Eliza took this chance to get away and ran into the house locking the door behind her.

Lori caught her breath and fell to the side of Mitch, who just stared straight up at the sky, "What with you?" Lori exclaimed.

"She caused this, broke your heart!" Mitch said still furious, "You forgave her but won't me. What did I ever do? Just answer me this and I'll never talk to you again."
"I-I.I don't know." Lori felt her heart break again and hot tears well up in her eyes.

Mitch sat up and looked over at Lori, "Good enough. Have a nice day." He stood brushed himself off and started walking away from Lori.

Lori stood and looked at him walking away, "Mitch! Don't leave me!" But he never looked back he just kept walking away until he finally got into his truck and drove away.

Just as his truck went out of view Eliza came back into the yard and walked up to Lori who could hardly move, "We need to talk, Billy is inside, we'll sort all of this out."

LATER THAT EVENING

Lori's head pulsed with every beat of her heart. The sun was so bright it was blinding just to glance at. Her Dakota struggled as it turned to go up the hill to Mitch's place. She had never seen it but with great persuasion Eliza and Billy had managed to talk Lori into going up to see him. Though Lori didn't want to she thought it would be best to make amends with him before he left for college.

Everyone knew that Mitch still loved Lori but the question on everyone's mind was how did Lori feel about Mitch. And the only person who knew that was Lori and even she wasn't sure.

The drive was coming to a close as Lori's truck made the last effort to get up the huge hill and onto the flat of Mitch's driveway. There was construction equipment everywhere, sawhorses, large saws, extra lumber, and so on and so forth. Lori spotted Mitch easily in the mess he was the only one there and he was walking around with out his shirt on. Lori could tell he'd been working since he had left Eliza's this morning because there was sweating running in streams down his back and face.

Lori pulled the truck up close to where Mitch had parked his and shut off the engine. She just sat there for a moment thinking about what to say or even do.

"Well are you going to get out of the truck or are you just going to sit there like a damn fool." Mitch mocked as he threw down some lumber he was carrying.

"I am a dammed fool anyway." She said under her breath and stepped out of the truck she walked over to Mitch slowly and stopped a few feet from him. "I am such a fool for treating you so terrible."

Mitch stopped what he was doing and looked over his shoulder, "I told you your answer was good enough. Why are you here? I've got work to do."

"Look you don't have to be a jerk about this." Lori walked up to him loosing her temper and getting up in his face. "You never really gave me a chance to think about it."

"Think about what? Eliza says she loves me and you get mad at me!" Mitch shoved Lori back.

"You had to have done something to make her like you!" Lori shoved him back.

"And that is my fault how?"

"Maybe I liked the idea of Eliza happy! How about that?"

Mitch stood there for a moment then spoke, "What about what I think, I don't like her I like you! Dammit!"

Lori balled up her fist and swung at Mitch getting up squarely on the cheekbone, and screamed "Liar!" Then ran to her truck as fast as she could. Mitch held his face for a moment or two as the pain dulled ever so slowly then chased after Lori. She ran clumsily and tripped once or twice. Giving Mitch a chance to catch up with her.

She stopped to open the door when he caught up with her; Lori opened the door to get in when Mitch slammed it shut. Lori spun around in face him, "Let me !"

"Not as long as I live!" Mitch stepped closer and put his hands to either side of her shoulders, bracing himself against the truck.

Lori tired pushing him away but it was no use, "I hate you."

"Now who is lying?" Mitch laughed.

Lori's eyes narrowed and her face became sour, "You let me go once why not now?" Lori said sounding annoyed and frustrated.

Mitch pressed his body against Lori's, pinning her to the truck door and said "Not now, not ever!" And then leaned down to Lori's face getting so close that he could feel her breath on his lips. The two made eye contact only once and as if they might not ever see each other again where lost in each other's arms.

The two held and kissed each other so long, but for them it was only but a moment, "Holding you for here to the end of time still won't be long enough, you hear me?" Mitch mumbled into Lori's soft ear.

"I hear you."