"So how you feeling?"

Jamie looked over at Nick, who was studying the road before him as he drove. "Nervous and scared to death."

He looked over briefly. "I meant physically."

"Oh," Jamie chuckled. "Sorry. Like I was used, abused, and put away wet."

"Okay, I wasn't referring to your sex life," grinned Nick.

"I wasn't either. If I was, I would have said that I had been ridden hard and. . ." Nick reached out to silence her with his hand.

"I-ck! Really, I DON'T want to know. It's okay to keep some secrets." Nick removed his hand from Jamie's mouth, and she stuck her tongue out. Nick grinned again.

"Seriously, Jaim, you were limping a little yesterday. I want to make sure I'm not hurting you."

"Well, the takedown was a little hard. I only half landed on the mat, and then some clumsy blond had to come crashing down on me."

He looked at her sideways. "You tripped me," he pouted.

"It wasn't intentional! Like I really wanted to be pinned to the ground by you."

"Hey! There are tons of women who would have loved the chance to be where you were."

"Okay, if you don't want to hear about my sex life, I certainly don't want to hear about yours, Nicky."

Nick imitated her and stuck his tongue out. Jamie grinned back, shaking her head.

"Has Kevin said anything?" he wanted to know.

"He noticed the first night, Nick. I lied and said something about stepping into a rabbit hole in the backyard and landing hard."

"And he believed you?"

"That I don't know. But he hasn't mentioned it since. You know what would happen if he did know."

"Yeah, he'd cut your lessons so fast, our heads would spin. You know he's just slightly overprotective."

Jamie shot him a look, "I'd like to live too, you know."

Nick colored. "I'm sorry. You've got enough to deal with now without me opening my big mouth, so I'll shut up."

She reached out to touch his arm. "Nicky, I know you're just trying to look out for me, and I appreciate it."

"I'm worried about you."

"I know. But I'll be okay. Today will take care of everything."

Nick glanced down at the dashboard clock. "We've got some time before we really need to be there. You want to practice once more?"

"Practice where?"

"There's a school not too far away. We could go over by the playground."

"You just want to toss me to the ground and have your way with me again, don't you?"

Nick waggled his eyebrows, and said in his best "Kevin" voice, "Oh yes, baby."

Jamie cracked up. "Ah Nicky, I love you. You know how to make me laugh when I need to."

"So is that a yes for practice?"

"I guess so. Is there any particular reason you are so insistent on drop-kicking me yet again?" asked Jamie.

He pulled into the parking lot by the school, and turned to face her before hugging her to him. Seriously, Nick said in her ear, "Because I don't want her to."

The white rented Honda drove past the school parking lot. One truck sat in the lot and the two people inside were locked in an embrace. The Honda slowed down long enough to get a good look, then turned the corner and parked to watch what was going on at the school.

Ashley sat drumming her fingers against the steering wheel, agitated. Nick and Jamie hadn't moved from inside the truck, but they were still close together. Ashley could see Jamie reach up to trace one finger down Nick's nose, and she seethed more.

That whore! She thinks she can keep my Kevin on a string while she plays with that pup. She wouldn't let Kevin come to me at all by pretending to be bedridden. Then the second she gets to Florida, what does she do? Cuddle up with the blond one, and forget that she stole my man from me. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, fighting the impulse to rush over to the truck and take care of Jamie right then and there.

"No, I can't," she mumbled to herself. "Not yet. It has to be where Kevin can see, so that he knows that I'm fighting for him. He has to see it with his own eyes that I fought for him, or he'll never believe me."

She watched Nick and Jamie get out of the truck, and walk towards the grass field behind the playground. They were holding hands and Nick was laughing at something Jamie had said. They faced each other momentarily before Nick brought them both to the ground. They lay hidden in the grass, until Nick rose up and began moving on top of Jamie.

Disgusted and furious, Ashley drove off, not seeing the pair get up and repeat their movements again.

"Today, Kevin. Today is the day that whore leaves you alone forever, and we can be together again. Have faith in me, my love, it won't be long now at all."

Kevin sat on the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the side, arms beside him gripping the wood tightly. Behind him, Howie and AJ were checking the microphone stands and the stools. Brian left Leighanne standing in front of the stage and crossed over to where Kevin was.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

Brian shook his head, "I don't know."

"She should be here, they left before we did."

"I know, but maybe Nick got lost, or they're talking to some of the fans that were here when we got here."

Kevin shook his head. "Jamie is not over there, I already checked. And Nick knows how to get here, you play basketball here often enough."

Brian shrugged, "True. Maybe I should check the courts then?"

"No, I looked there too, and they weren't there."

"Well they have to be around here somewhere. Give them a couple of minutes, and then I'll get one of the officers to look for them if they don't get here soon."

Kevin nodded, then scrambled up from the stage to go behind it and wait for them. He didn't have to wait long as Jamie and Nick strolled up a couple of minutes later.

"Where were you?" he asked them.

"We stopped for a couple of minutes, Jamie got cold feet," explained Nick, hoping Kevin would accept that and let it go. "We were just talking so that Jamie could go through with this."

Kevin crushed Jamie to him, and she winced. "Baby, we told you we don't have to do this. I really don't like the idea to begin with. I'll go tell the others it's off."

Jamie pushed out of his grasp long enough for him to see her shaking her head. "No! We're doing this. I'm fine now, I can do this. Kev, we have to do this, I told you that already."

Howie came up behind them, "Besides, they just started letting everyone into this part of the park. We can't cancel it now." AJ and Brian joined the group, nodding as they caught the last part of the conversation.

Kevin sighed, "Well we can do the concert, but Jamie stays back here. That way I know she's safe."

"No, Kevin! I'm going through with this, and that's that. Besides, it'll look strange if Leighanne, Amanda and Alissa are all out front, but I'm not."

"I don't think anyone will care that you're not out there."

AJ pointed out, "Our fans? Not notice anything that is remotely connected to us? Of course they're gonna notice. She's right, she can't hide back here, she's gonna have to be out there no matter what."

"Then wear the vest, Jamie."

She shook her head stubbornly. "No, we do this my way, not yours, Kevin. You just sing, and I'll just look on adoringly from the front row, and try to catch the psycho." Jamie refused to call Ashley anything other than "the psycho," thinking that it would help both Kevin and her get through this.

All it did was constantly remind Kevin of just how much danger Jamie was in. "Jamie. . ."

She reached up and brought his head down to hers, giving him a deep, passionate kiss. "Trust me," she whispered. "Just trust me, Kevin." She looked into his eyes with all the love and reassurance she could muster. He stared back for a long minute, before hugging her to him and capitulating.

"All right, Jaim. Just stay where I can see you, okay?"

"I will," she promised. "You'll always be able to see me." She released herself from his embrace and looked at the others.

"Now all of you go get ready, you have a large crowd of fans to entertain."