“‘Frankly’s’ my thing, Ben. So, then: frankly I find your Shell irresistible. Smitten? Damn right! My god, Ben. Gorgeous and thoughtful. And those are just ‘for starters’.”
Her eyes grew distant as she continued. “When I drove back last December, there was some glorious meteor shower going. It lit up fifty miles of Illinois highway. It should have told me a miracle lay in wait. It took a while (darn it all), but two weeks ago, Shell the splendid athlete rescued me, the coach. And I knew. Gorgeous, sure. But she’s determined, she’s disciplined. She’s captivating. I’m captivated, ‘case you can’t tell.”
“Yes indeed. I can. But a girl—sorry, a woman, no matter how wonderful, how delightful–at 20 can hardly be as cautious as a dad at 50. About her future.”
“Absolutely. And to me, that’s a ‘n
