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"What are you doing?" asked Dennis. "Are you hiding from someone?"

"That man in the parking lot," pointed Abby, "the one beside the lamppost-- he's Jake's uncle. I ran into him in the checkout, and now he's waiting for me to come out of the store."

Dennis narrowed his eyes at the man and furrowed his brows in displeasure.

"Do you want me to go out there and tell him to buzz off?" he offered.

"No, don't do that," hesitated Abby. "I don't want to make trouble for Jake."

"Does he know which vehicle is yours?" inquired Dennis.

"No, I don't think so," she replied.

"Come on," said Dennis, temporarily forgetting why he had come to the supermarket.

He led Abby to the back of the store, and out the back exit.

"Give me your keys," directed Dennis, holding out his hand. "I'll bring the jeep over to you."

"Thanks, Dennis," said Abby, gratefully.

"If I had an uncle who looked as sinister as that, I'd want to hide from him, too," smiled Dennis, understandingly.

Only when Abby was safely on her way, did the fly casting instructor go back into the supermarket to do his shopping. Dennis had noted the marshmallows and graham in her grocery bag, and guessed that Abby and Jake had something special planned for that evening. He silently wondered how the couple were faring together, but kept the extent of his curiosity to himself.

When Abby finally reached the little yellow house, she breathed a grateful sigh of relief. She grabbed her bag of groceries and climbed from the jeep. As the young woman entered her parents' house, Abby could hear her father's voice talking to Jake in the kitchen about a memory he had of Abby's childhood. The two stopped when she entered the room.

"You're fifteen minutes late," Jake reprimanded her jokingly, as he stood at the stove and cooked.

"Sorry," she stammered, "I had to pick up a few things at the supermarket."

"Their dinner is almost ready, so I'll only be a little longer," Jake informed her, as Terry sauntered into the kitchen.

"You kids run along," declared Terry, taking the spatula from Jake's hand. "I can finish cooking this, myself."

"Oh, okay, thanks," replied Jake in surprise. "Are you ready, Abby?"

When she soberly looked at him, Jake knew something serious had happened.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Your uncle is in town," answered Abby, holding her breath to see what his reaction would be.

"Did he see you?" he asked, gravely.

"Yes," she replied. "Dennis was there, and he sneaked me out the rear exit. For all I know, Uncle Eric is still waiting for me in the parking lot."

"I'm calling Henry," declared John, resolutely.

"What can the Sheriff do?" asked Terry.

Just then, Izumi said something from the bedroom that no one could hear.

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