Sarah gasped when she opened the box. It was a blue diamond necklace.”Oh, Kurl, it’s gorgeous,” she said. She fingered the delicate jewel gingerly. “Nothing will ever be as gorgeous as you are,” he whispered. She giggled, jumping up and down excitedly. A part of her knew she did it to combat the overwhelming guilty feeling she couldn’t shake. She flung her arms around his neck. “I love it! I absolutely love it!” She pushed her lips against his and shut her eyes, trying in vain to drown out her chaotic thoughts. He responded by wrapping his hands around her back and pulling her tightly against him. “You love birds do realize you have an audience, right?” Trevor called.Kurl reluctantly ended the kiss. He glanced over Sarah’s shoulder to the group standing beside the water fountain. “Better be nice to me. I hear you all don’t have a ride home.” Elly let out an exasperated sigh. “Thank GAWD. My heels were starting to kill me.” She walked past Sarah and eyed the necklace in the box. “Well, well, Kurl Mayor. You sure know how to make a girl smile,” she said enviously. Kurl combed his fingers through Sarah’s long hair as he held her against him. “It’s what I live for nowadays,” he replied. His comment sent Sarah’s heart fluttering around like a caged bird inside her chest. Kurl suddenly noticed Bent high up on the balcony. He waved a greeting. From the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Bent give him a polite nod. His features remained somewhat hidden in the fading light. Trevor and Erin followed Elly into Kurl’s car. When he saw the necklace, Trevor gave out a low whistle. “Paid the big buckaroos, there, Mayor,” Trevor laughed. Kurl gave him a smug look. “What can I say? She’s worth it.” He trailed a finger along Sarah’s neck. “Try it on,” he said. He turned her gently around. She pushed her long hair to the side. Kurl lifted the necklace from the box. Unclasping it, he looped it around her neck. “Wow, you look great,” he said. She realized she was now facing the boy with the beautiful name. Even from afar, she could feel the heat of his stare from up high on the balcony. His broad silhouette was barely visible now in the increasing darkness. She would never have seen him if she hadn’t already known he was standing up there. “This is the most wonderful birthday present a girl could ever get!” Sarah said. She spoke the words extra loudly. She wanted to be sure Bent heard her loud and clear. Kurl leaned into her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’m glad you approve,” he said. He moved away from her, heading to his car. “All right, everyone. We can leave now.” Sarah heard a neigh in the distance. She squinted her eyes. Princess, her glossy gold coat still shining in the dim light, had come galloping over to the nearby fence. The horse stretched her neck over the side, bobbing her head up and down. Seeing the majestic horse sent waves of pain through Sarah’s entire body. She hurried over to the horse and flung her arms around her neck. “I’ll visit you again soon, okay, girl?” She gave her a quick peck on her soft ears. As she jogged back to Kurl’s car, she avoided looking up at the balcony again.