"Us? What makes you think we''re family?" Bet scoffed, offering Eden no courtesy. "Your grandma doesn''t have much time left, yet you''re here on a mountain with your girlfriend watching for meteors. Doesn''t seem very filial of you."


    "Every time Grandma is hospitalized, I''m the one by her side. She was worried about me and told me toe out and rx. It was a good chance to spend more time with Ynda, too."


    As Eden spoke, he wrapped an arm around Ynda''s slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.


    Ynda was clearly reluctant, her body stiffening as she leaned against him. Her eyes, filled with a sense of grievance, were fixed on Bet.


    But Bet didn''t spare her a single nce, his attention focused entirely on Yvonne.


    "Are you cold? I can get you a jacket," he asked.


    "A little," Yvonne nodded.


    Bet rose from his chair and turned to go into the tent.


    Yvonne remained seated, looking up at the sky, then at Eden and Ynda. She issued a cool dismissal, "Shouldn''t you two be getting back to your own tent? Bet and I prefer the quiet, so we won''t be entertaining guests."


    Eden''s lips tightened, but he said nothing.


    Ynda''s face twisted slightly. "Yvonne, I hope you can stay this smug forever."


    "I will. Thanks for the well wishes," Yvonne replied, tilting her chin up at her with a bold smile.


    Eden and Ynda left, fuming.


    After they were gone, Bet emerged from the tent with a thick jacket. He draped it over Yvonne''s shoulders and put his arm around her.


    "It gets cold at night. Don''t catch a chill."


    Yvonne pulled the jacket tighter, then rested her cheek on her hand, her patience wearing thin. "When is this meteor shower supposed to happen? I''m getting sleepy."


    Bet said, "Why don''t you go get some sleep? I''ll wait here, and I''ll wake you up when it starts."


    Yvonne shook her head. She held out until the early hours of the morning, but eventually, she was too exhausted to stay awake and let Bet carry her into the tent.


    Bet sat alone outside the tent entrance, gazing at the inky ck sky. He could faintly hear voices from other tents, most of them,ining about the no-show meteor shower. Many had already given up and gone to bed.


    But Bet faithfully kept watch outside Yvonne''s tent for the entire night.


    Yet, forget a meteor shower-by thetter half of the night, the sky had be overcast, and thick clouds obscured even the faintest star.


    Yvonne woke up in the morning just as Bet wasing into the tent.


    "Did I oversleep? Why didn''t you wake me?" Yvonne said, seeing the daylight outside. She tapped her forehead in frustration.


    "There was no


    meteor showerst


    night. The observatory really messed up this time. They''re probably going to get torn apart by same with


    the media," Bet said with


    Smile, walking over to the bed and


    gently stroking her hair.


    "Most people have already gone down the mountain. We should go back too."


    "Okay," Yvonne nodded. She took the clothes Bet handed her, got dressed, and they headed down the mountain together.


    Bet was driving, nning to take Yvonne back to Cherry Bay.


    However, halfway there, a call came through from Sandra.


    "Finished with the meteor shower?"


    "What meteor shower? We just spent a night freezing on a mountaintop for nothing."


    "Freezing with Mr. Bet Thompson. I''m sure you loved every minute of it."


    Yvonne blushed and smiled shyly, ncing over at Bet.