"And this," Peyton said to me, "is the Ring Nebula. Have a look, Gloria." I moved closer to peer through the eyepiece of his eight-inch Dobsonian telescope. "Oh, wow, I see it! It looks just like a smoke ring!" I could hear the smile in Peyton's voice as he said, "That's M57." "M57?" I continued studying the nebula, marveling at the fact that I could so clearly see a celestial object that was such a vast distance away. "T...

Peyton and I spent most of the ride back to my house in comfortable silence. We'd rolled the windows down, and the air held a sweet fragrance. Relaxing in the passenger seat, I occasionally sneaked a glance at him. He caught me once, but before I could look away, an affectionate smile appeared on his lips. I readily returned his smile, and when he fixed his stare on the road once more, I made little effort to hide that I...

When Peyton arrived at my house the following evening, Mom answered the door before I could. Walking down the hall, I heard her cheerfully greet him. "Have you eaten yet?" she asked. "We finished dinner not long ago, and there's plenty left over." "That's very kind of you, Scarlett, but I'm good, thanks." Simply hearing Peyton's voice ignited such a strong craving inside me that it almost overpowered my anxiety about toni...