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Chad wasn't sure if he was happy about this, or not. The two teenage boys seemed not to take much notice of him, but the girl, who looked to be about as old as he was, kept smiling at him. With a scowl, Chad returned to his fishing.

"My kids and I have the cabin around the bend," the man was saying to Adam, as his daughter shyly watched Chad. "How long have you been here?"

"This is our first day," replied Adam, as the man began to prepare his fishing line.

"Not many rent out here," continued the man, checking the reel on his rod. "Blair, honey," he coaxed, "go find a place on the bank and start fishing."

The girl looked at her father uncertainly, and then back to Chad, who was busy reeling in a fish.

"Go on," laughed the man.

With a timid nod, Blair walked toward the stream with her fishing pole.

"Sometimes, I worry about her," sighed her father. "You know how it is with girls at that age-- they're all giggles and tears. Be grateful your daughter is past that age!"

"My what?" asked Adam, keeping an eye on Charlie and Chad. Gratefully, Kevin was standing nearby, and by the look on his face, Adam knew he was on duty.

"Your daughter," said the man, "be glad the hard part is over. All you have to worry about now, is the guy she'll marry!"

Suddenly, Adam realized he must have been referring to Charlie. Since the man hadn't required a response, Adam didn't give one. While this family didn't look like trouble, Adam was wary about befriending strangers, and was ever mindful of the still possible threat of Charlie being kidnapped. But since there had been no flicker recognition on the man's face, Adam slowly let himself relax a little.

"Have you caught anything yet?" asked the man, as he located a place near Adam on the bank of the stream.

"Not yet," Adam smiled good-naturedly.

"It sure is great to get out of the city once in a while," breathed the man, inhaling the clean Alaska air. "I'm a stockbroker, and if I didn't escape every summer to somewhere quiet and peaceful, I'd probably go nuts! So, what do you do for a living?"

"I used to be a plumber," answered Adam, with a small smile.

"You're already retired?!" exclaimed the man in admiration. "Man, I hope I can retire at such a young age! I guess being a plumber didn't hurt, though!" The man laughed and sent out his line into the clear stream.

From her place on the bank, Charlie watched Adam. His posture was relaxed, so she was feeling more at ease with the situation than before. But Charlie's peace wouldn't last long. To her dismay, the teenage boys, and even their father, occasionally ogled her while they thought she wasn't looking. It wasn't because she had been recognized, but because they thought she was attractive. Thankfully, Kevin had planted himself between her and the others, and his presence kept them from approaching her. One look from him, and they knew Charlie was hands-off.

The young girl called Blair, was finally beginning to lose some of her shyness. She even tried to talk to Chad, but the boy wasn't interested in the slightest.

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