Junie had barely come to live with her new owners when ugly reality intruded on their idyllic world. Her search for a Master had caught the attention of a serial killer and she had barely escaped being his next victim. He was caught and facing trial; but now Junie had to testify. The whole idea of leaving her new home was more than she could bear to think about.
But she had to do it. Not only was there a subpoena, there was Monica. Her new friend, Monica, the only other woman to escape with her life, was a tiny fragile thing. Her body was barely healed from the horrific trauma of her assault and if Monica could be brave enough to face court and the man who had mutilated her, Junie knew she had to do it too, for Monica’s sake.
Junie knew she was not going to have to do it alone. Her owners, Bob and Donna, were going to be there with her every step of the way. She knew she couldn’t do it without them.
Northwest Hunters: The End of Evil
Chapter One: A Trip to the City
Junie was so tired; she felt a little drunk as Donna drove the SUV down the road. She ran her tongue over her teeth and realized she had not brushed her teeth or combed her hair. Her hands reflexively jerked up to touch her hair, to see how messy it was, and the handcuffs rattled and reminded her that she was restrained in the car.
Forbidden the use of her words, she looked over at Donna and blinked dopily. Junie sighed and leaned back, letting her eyes drift shut. She was still exhausted from her ordeal the night before. Junie had no idea how long she had slept last night, but it was definitely not enough. Her whole body felt sore and her mind was foggy and numb, like she had no energy to devote to anything but letting the waves of sleep sweep over her.
The sound of the crop hitting her breast made her eyes fly open just as the pain hit her. Junie squealed, “Ouch,” and involuntarily lunged against her bindings. Her eyes were huge and wet as she realized that Donna had the crop in her hand.
“No sleeping, Junie. And remember,” The crop snapped into her breast again, “no talking.” This time, when she was expecting it, Junie did not cry out. She nodded and clenched her hands into fists, blinking furiously to keep the tears from spilling over. Pressing her lips together she told herself that her Mistress’s apparent cruelty was there for a purpose. She was doing everything in her power to keep Junie from descending into abject panic. The long ordeal the night before at the hands of their Master was crafted to keep her exhausted, off balance, too tired to think about what was looming on the horizon.
They were going to Portland. They had two things they were going to do there. In the back of the hybrid SUV was a ten-week-old Golden Retriever puppy that Junie wanted to give to her friend, Monica, and then they were going to the District Attorney’s office to discuss Junie’s testimony she was subpoenaed to give at the trial of Sam Card. Donna was a lawyer and there was no question that she would be there with her the whole time. But Junie had always been pathologically shy and the series of events leading up to the trial had pushed her off the deep end. She had been experiencing panic attacks and had pleaded with her Master and Mistress to help her. Her Master, Bob, had responded by telling Junie she was going to go into a deeper state of submission to her Mistress, depending upon her for everything.
Donna’s voice got softer, “This is not going to be easy for you, Junie. On this ride, I am going to talk with you about some things you are not going to want to hear. The only things you can do are to listen and obey. There will be times when I will expect you to answer questions and, if you do not answer correctly, I will help you.”
Donna took a deep breath, “Junie, I told you I would tell you what was going to be happening at the trial as soon as I knew. I have been talking to the assistant district attorney, Lurleena Benson, and she has informed me that the judge has ruled that Sam Card’s defense team can pursue a line of questioning that will attempt to convince the jury that you and Monica were both consensual partners of his.”
Junie whirled and looked at Donna in disbelief. “But…”
Donna swung the crop and struck Junie again, this was the third time on the same nipple and it really was beginning to sting. “Silence, girl.” Donna gave her a warning look, “Don’t make me stop this car.”
Her voice returned to her explaining tone, “You and I both know that this is ridiculous. The district attorney’s office thinks that they are doing this in an effort to make Monica and you refuse to testify to avoid embarrassment. Or maybe they are hoping they can distract the jury with enough lurid, kinky, sexual details that somehow they will be distracted from the fact that he nearly killed Monica. Either way, the judge has ruled that your past sexual histories will be admissible evidence and the defense attorney can ask you about your online relationship with Sir James. There is a distinct possibility that they are going to try and make it look like you had somehow agreed to give yourself to Sam Card and they are going to try and make it look like you two had been lovers.”
Junie said one word, “Puking.”
Donna barely had time to pull over, and hold up the trash basket, when Junie lost the contents of her stomach. When she was done, Donna gently stroked her hair back out of her face. “I had thought we might avoid this by not giving you anything to eat or drink before we left.” She wiped Junie’s mouth and gave her a sip of water to rinse her mouth. “I think we will not give you too much to drink until we are more used to talking about all this.”
Donna stepped out and tipped the vomit out beside the road and rinsed the container. She peeked into the back of the SUV at the puppy that Junie had named Happy. When she climbed back into the car, she commented, “Sleeping like a baby. Bob gave her a mild sedative.”
As Donna pulled back out onto the highway, she continued, “So you need to be prepared, Junie. You need to be in control of yourself. You have to be clear in your head exactly what the truth is and in control of your emotions. In that light, we will spend a lot of time practicing answering all kinds of questions. I want you to keep in mind that these are the kind of questions that they will be asking you on the stand, in front of a courtroom full of people.”
Junie could not help but make a strangled sound of protest as she fought down the words that welled up inside her. Every fiber of her being was screaming there was no way she could do this.
“Remember that I will be there to support you and Monica will be there watching you. She will need you to be strong. Her ordeal is going to be much more difficult than yours.” Donna made an angry sound and muttered to herself, “I cannot imagine how they are going to try and make it look like she was asking for what happened to her.” Donna took a deep breath and forced her tone back into the lecturing timbre, “The district attorney’s office wants to be sure that Monica and you do not speak to each other about your experiences, but that does not mean you cannot support each other emotionally.”
Suddenly sharp and caustic Donna turned to Junie, “So, Ms. Thomas, how long had you been seeing Sam?”
Junie gasped and looked over at Donna confused, and then realizing she answered, her voice trembling, “I never was seeing… um… him.”
Donna interrupted, “Junie, you will have to sound a hell of a lot more confident than that if you expect the jury to believe you. And always refer to him as ‘the defendant, Sam Card.’ When you answer, do not look at him or the attorney that is asking the question. Always look at the jury. Let them see those big honest brown eyes. Let’s try again.” Again her voice turned sharp and badgering, “Ms. Thomas, I asked you a question, how long had you been seeing Sam?”
Junie spoke up louder and looked at Donna, “I never was seeing the defendant, Sam Card.”
“Are you saying you never met him before?”
“No, I did meet him once, on the sidewalk outside the apartment building I lived in.”
“So you did meet with him?”
Junie was warming up to the game, “No, Ma’am, I did not ‘meet’ him. He approached me and asked me some questions about the building I lived in.”
“Oh, you mean the time you told him which apartment was yours. Tell me, Ms. Thomas, are you in the habit of telling strange men which apartment is yours?”
Junie gasped and shook her head, “No, no I am not. He asked me about the building; he said he was looking for an apartment.”
Donna switched the subject, “So, is it true, Ms. Thomas, that you regularly engaged in conversations online and over the telephone, where you begged for strange men to come to your apartment and force you to have sex with them?”
Junie swallowed and looked pleadingly at Donna, her voice was sad and filled with shame, “Yes, but it was a game. It wasn’t for real.”
Donna was relentless, “Not for real? How do you expect someone to know the difference between your fantasies and their own reality? You used the words, Ms. Thomas, you really did want it to happen, didn’t you?
Junie tried to keep up with the questions but was rapidly becoming overwhelmed and confused, “Yes, I mean no.” And then she burst into tears.
Donna kept driving, “Junie, suck it up. They will not be allowed to ask a number of questions in a row like that and if you are confused as to what the question is, it is perfectly within your rights to ask them to clarify the question. Stand up for yourself. Look the person asking you the questions in the eye and ask in a clear voice to have the question clarified. Say something like ‘I am sorry, but I did not understand that question. Could you please restate it?’ Then look at the jury with a sweet patient expression. Okay, let’s try again,” Donna’s voice took on a challenging edge, “Ms. Thomas, is it true that you wanted to have a man with a knife come to your apartment and force you to have sex with him?”
Junie squared up her shoulders and answered clearly, “No, that is not true.”
“But it is true that you said those words when you spoke on the telephone to James Conrad.”
Junie made a distasteful face at the mention of the name of her former online Master, “Yes, but it was a game. He knew it was not real.”
Donna scolded, “Try not to make those kind of faces, girl. Try to look sincere and regretful. On cross examination, the district attorney’s office will be asking you questions that will be crafted to make you look more like a little lost lamb led astray by bad people. They may even try to make you look a little gullible. The most important thing is to always tell the truth and stick to the facts. Don’t talk about feelings. Always take your time and think through your answers before you say them. Even if the lawyer may seem to be in a hurry, you can take your time answering.”
Donna pulled off the road into an abandoned gravel pit. She reached over and unlocked the handcuffs holding Junie’s hands. “Wait for me to come around and open your door. I want your complete submission to my will throughout this trip.”
When Donna opened Junie’s door, she reached in and took hold of the leash still fastened to the leather collar around Junie’s neck. Junie stepped out of the SUV and began to hesitantly lower herself to her knees, not sure if Donna meant her to walk or crawl. Donna laughed and pulled up on the leash, “No, Junie, I won’t make you crawl in the dirt. Come on; let’s check on that puppy of yours.”
Happy looked up and yawned sleepily as they opened the door to her traveling box. Junie stifled a yawn that welled up in response. Together they walked the puppy around the empty quarry, the puppy staggering a little drunkenly and then stopping and squatting suddenly and peeing a little puddle in the dirt. Donna grinned and, looking around quickly, pulled down her shorts and peed in the gravel as well. “Junie, this is your chance. We won’t be stopping for another hour.” Junie shrugged and crouched down leaving her puddle next to Donna’s.
Donna led her back to the car and put her back into the passenger seat. She looked at the handcuffs, “How are you feeling, Junie? Do you think you are going to try and escape?”
Junie looked at her Mistress in confusion. “Ma’am, did you restrain me because you thought I would run away?”
Donna laughed, “Well, I guess not. Mostly I wanted you to feel helpless. And there was a small worry you would bail out when I first told you about the line of questioning.”
Junie smiled tremulously, “Well, Ma’am, I still feel absolutely exhausted from last night. I don’t think I could run even if a grizzly bear was after me. And, no, I don’t think I am going to try and escape.”
Donna stroked her face, “Okay, little one, I will give you a reward for trying so hard to answer all those nasty questions. The next hour of our trip you may sleep. Lean your seatback down and take a nap. When I wake you up, we will practice some more questions. And do not think, because I gave you this small gift, that you are allowed any more freedoms.”
The trip to the Portland area went by quickly. It was Thursday afternoon when they pulled into a quiet little hotel south of the city that would allow them to have Happy in their hotel room. Donna had taken off Junie’s collar and brushed her hair, but made her wait in the car while she checked them in. Together they carried in their bags, and the travel box for Happy to sleep in. They ate in a quiet little restaurant, Donna ordering Junie’s meal and watching her carefully as she quickly ate.
Once back at the hotel, Donna stretched and sighed, “Man, I am stiff. Junie, I want you to undress me and give me a massage, there is some massage oil in my suitcase.” Junie found herself kneeling next to her Mistress, working her fingers deep into Donna’s muscles, rubbing her shoulders and neck, easing her way down her back and kneading the fleshy orbs of her glutes. When she had finished stroking the lengths of Donna’s legs and stimulating her feet and toes, Donna stretched and sighed, “Not bad, but I think we will sign you up for some massage classes. I think that will be a skill I want you to have. Now go run me a nice deep bath.”
Donna eased herself into the warm water and blinked sleepily. “Go take that puppy for a last walk. Take a plastic bag and if she shits, be sure to pick it up. Don’t take forever. I still want you to bathe me and you still have to massage my front side.” Donna’s eyes were hungry.
Junie quickly took the bouncy puppy out for a walk and dutifully cleaned up the little pile of poop that she squeezed out. Donna called impatiently from the bathroom. “Hurry up, girl, the water is getting cold.”
Junie bit her lip as a tiny giggle bubbled up in her chest. Forcing her face to look solemn and respectful, Junie sensuously soaped and rinsed her Mistress’s slender golden body. Her hands trembled as they slid along the beloved skin. Junie gently patted her Mistress dry and crawled after her as she languidly walked to the bed and lay down on her back. Donna’s voice was deep and vibrant, “I find the front of me needs your loving touch, Junie.”
When Junie reached for the massage oil, Donna shook her head. “No, sweetness, I don’t want to have to bathe again. Just soothe me, caress me, kiss me.” Donna’s hand was firm on the back of Junie’s head, pressing her face to her small breasts. Junie smiled eagerly as she took the small pink nipple into her mouth, teasing with her tongue as she tried to suck as much of the sweet flesh into her mouth as she could. Pulling back, and letting the flesh slip slowly from between her lips, she began to lick at the glistening flesh with soft little lapping movements. Junie began to trail her fingertips along Donna’s belly and thighs, trailing tantalizing tickles across the swollen cleft. Over and over she took a breast into her mouth, engulfing it and letting it escape, her teeth grazing the tender skin as she let it go. Her fingers barely touching, teasing at the needy flesh between Donna’s now widely spread legs.
Donna was sighing and whispering to herself, “Nice, Junie, that’s nice, soft gentle slow, yes, that’s the way.” Slowly Junie let her lips slide their way down the tensely trembling abdominals and paused to linger at the shell of Donna’s navel, her tongue swirling in slow circle as she began to inch her way downward. A tiny thrill ran through her when her Mistress’s body began to arch and surge toward her, craving the touch of her lips.
Gently and tentatively, Junie began to lick tiny, little, kitten laps along Donna’s outer lips, inhaling the sweet heady scent of her Mistress’s arousal. Spying a droplet of moisture spilling from her passage, Junie ducked and caught it with her tongue, humming a tiny, “mmm,” as the flavor exploded in her mouth. Suddenly impatient for more, she spread Donna’s folds and ran her tongue the length of her slit, reveling in the flavors she found there. Inhaling a second deep breath of the sweet earthy scent of her Mistress, Junie began to gently stroke the hard little nub of pleasure with the tip of her tongue. Soon Donna was arched and tense, her moans taking on a pleading sound, and Junie began to match her intensity. Slowly she slipped her fingers deep into the warm wet channel, twisting and moving her fingers as she sucked ardently on her Mistress’s clit.
Donna was a perfect trembling arch and she whispered in a tense almost agonized whisper, “Oh yes, oh, oh, oh fuck, yes.” Her words blending into a long grating moan as she began to undulate under Junie’s touch. Junie could feel the pulsations in the tiny pink clitoris trapped between her lips and the contractions tightening around her fingers buried deep and warm within her Mistress. A wave of soft delight infused Junie, pride that she had been able to give her Mistress this pleasure, filling her with joy. Slowly and gently, Junie continued to kiss and lick, pulling every last quiver from her beloved, thoroughly cleaning her of every last trace of her passion.
When Junie felt Donna’s hand in her hair pulling her from her place of fascination, lifting her to bestow a soft kiss on her damp face, she had a soft happy smile lighting her face. Donna’s voice was foggy and sleepy, “Good job, girl, you don’t need to take any lessons in doing that. Now cover me up, go wash yourself in my bathwater and then get a blanket and sleep on the floor at the foot of my bed. We will go see your friend tomorrow.”
The bathwater was cool, and Junie shivered as she dried off, but it was good to feel clean. The carpet on the floor of the hotel room was well padded and the comforter from the other bed was thick. Junie had no difficulty falling asleep and did not wake until she heard her Mistress’s call in the morning. “My goodness, my little slave is feeling very lazy this morning, sleeping so late like a princess.”
Junie started to climb to her feet until hearing the word slave reminded her and she crawled to the side of Donna’s bed and knelt, a happy smile of greeting on her face.
Donna could not help but return Junie’s happy smile, “Your bondage seems to suit you, my sweet Junie. If you look in my suitcase, you will find some decent coffee. Use the little hotel coffee pot and make me a cup of coffee. Put on your gray slacks and white blouse with your sandals. I will let you select your own bra and panties. Once you are dressed, take that puppy out for a walk, she is getting restless. We will talk about what we will do next after you get back.”
Happy was scrambling around in her box, whining excitedly when Junie let her out and put a leash on her collar. The sun was up and the sky bright blue as she went out. The smell of car exhaust was even stronger this morning than the day before and Junie looked around at the concrete and roads that seemed to extend forever. Even the landscaping seemed plastic and contrived, too neat and organized and no matter where she looked there were cars. Looking closer, she noticed that nothing seemed clean. A layer of grime lay over everything and, here and there, ugly drifts of litter lay up against the corners and curbs. She hurried Happy through her walk, carefully picking up her mess, frowning as she noticed several other piles that had been ignored by other less considerate pet owners. A soft shudder of disgust ran through her. Suddenly, she just wanted to go home.
Donna was up and dressed, sipping on her coffee. She was wearing a rare pair of long slim slacks and a print blouse. “Come and braid my hair, girl.”
Junie looked at the map quest print out in her hands and pointed excitedly at the house number, bouncing in her seat, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Donna smiled indulgently, “Junie, you have permission to speak freely until I revoke that privilege. Remember, you may not discuss details of the crimes committed against you or Monica, but it is okay to be supportive. I do not know if anyone has discussed this absurd consensual defense with Monica and I do not know if she is ready for that information, so for now, don’t discuss that with her. We are here as a sweet surprise and to see if she is willing to make the commitment to become the owner of Happy.”
Junie’s voice squeaked with excitement, “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Go on then.”
Junie looked at her Mistress, suddenly shy and nervous, “Are you going to come, too?”
“Yes, little one, I will be right behind you. But Monica is your friend. You should be doing the surprise, not me.”
Junie swallowed and nodded, her face suddenly resolved and determined. “Yes, Ma’am, of course.” She climbed out of the car and marched up the walk. There was a little note over the doorbell button that said ‘broken, please knock’. Junie smiled and rapped sharply on the front door. There was a loud series of barks from inside the little house and then a curtain pulled to one side and a pair of blue eyes peeked shyly through the window. Junie smiled and waved. A soft voice spoke through the door, “Who is it?”
Junie called, “Monica, it’s me, Junie,” and then a wave of uncertainty swept over her, “um… surprise?” She began to wonder if it had been wise to want this visit to come without warning.
The door slowly opened and Junie saw a small blond girl in a thick terry bathrobe and tousled blond hair staring at her in disbelief, “Junie?” Monica was not much taller than Junie and even in the robe looked terribly thin. She had an angular bony face and scar ran from the corner of her mouth and across her cheek, pulling her mouth down into a perpetual expression of sadness. Then she spoke again, her voice louder as the information sank in, “Junie! Oh, my god, Junie, it’s you. What are you doing here?”
A warm smile of relief lit up Junie’s face, “I wanted to talk with you about an idea I had. I kind of wanted it to be a surprise. I am sorry if this is a bad time; I could come back.”
Monica’s eyes went past Junie and looked curious as Donna walked up, “Oh, no, don’t leave. Come in; please, come in, both of you.”
Junie turned toward Donna, “Monica, I would like to introduce you to my Mistress, Donna. She was kind enough to drive me down to see you.”
“Nice to meet you.” Monica’s voice was a little hesitant and she stepped back and waved them in, “Come in. My mother is at work.” As they walked into the small living room, Junie was struck with the smallness of the room. The furnishings were threadbare with blankets covering the seats. There was an oppressive smell of some artificial floral room freshener. An ancient black Cocker Spaniel raised his head from a dog bed and grunted out a tired woof in their direction. Monica rushed to turn off a television that had a soap opera droning in the background. “Sit down, sit down. Can I get you something to drink or a snack or something?” Monica seemed uncomfortable, standing nervously clutching her bathrobe around her tightly.
Before Junie could refuse, Donna spoke up, “Yes, that would be nice, just a glass of water for both of us.”
When Monica returned her hair was combed and pulled back into a pony tail; she was wearing a pair of jeans and a long sleeved blouse, buttoned clear up to the neck. She carefully set two glasses of water on the coffee table and sat down in a chair opposite from them and trapped her hands nervously between her knees. Her voice was tense, “This is certainly a surprise. You will have to forgive me. I am not very used to entertaining.” Then her face crumpled and her eyes grew wet, “I am really happy you came. Here you drove all this way to see me and I don’t even know how to act.”
Junie looked at Donna in alarm and Donna stood abruptly, “Junie, we can’t leave that puppy locked in the car much longer. We really need to take her for a walk. Maybe Monica would like to come with us?”
Monica blinked and took a deep breath, “You have one of the puppies with you?”
Junie smiled excitedly, “Yes, come on out and meet her.”
Monica slipped her feet into a pair of flip flops and followed them out to the SUV. Donna opened the back and Junie gathered the wiggly puppy up into her arms. “Monica, I would like to introduce you to Happy.”
“Oh, it’s Happy!” For the first time a smile lit up Monica’s face, the scar making her crooked smile cute and quirky. Junie fastened the leash to Happy’s collar and handed the leash to Monica.
It seemed a lot easier to relax and talk as they walked. Donna trailed behind, saying for them to go ahead, that she had some calls to make.
Junie watched Monica’s face as they walked the puppy around and around the block. Finally she gathered her courage, “Monica, for the longest time I have had this idea and the more I thought about it, I knew I just had to try. Monica, do you remember when I first wrote to you that you should remember happiness?”
“Yes, I remember that. And I do most of the time. It’s just once in a while that I forget.”
“Well, when my Master said that Happy would make a good name for this little girl puppy, it just clicked that she and you were meant to be together. I asked my Mistress if I could give Happy to you and she said that you can’t give a puppy to somebody as a present. And she is right; you have to want to have Happy as much as I want to give her to you.”
Monica stopped and was looking at Junie with a look of wonder on her face. She repeated the words, “Give her to me?”
Junie rushed on, “And you would be doing me such a huge favor. I just can’t bear the idea of Happy going to some stranger’s house where I can never see her again. If you took her, I could visit and see her now and then.”
“Give her to me? You mean it, that you would give Happy to me?”
Junie nodded eagerly.
Monica sat down onto the sidewalk and pulled the soft puppy into her arms. She spoke softly to the puppy that was eagerly licking her face, “Hello, Happiness.”
Donna’s voice was soft, but cut through the moment, “It is a big commitment to own a puppy. You will need to make sure she gets enough exercise and it has to be okay with your mother, too.”
Monica looked up at Donna’s figure standing over her. “That should not be a problem. My mom can be a bitch about a lot of stuff, but she loves dogs. We have always had dogs. We used to have a German Sheppard, but she got old and died about a year ago. She will fall in love with Happy. I know.” Monica stood up still cradling the puppy in her arms. “I know about having dogs, ma’am. I promise to be a good owner to this puppy. We have a nice big back yard and it is fine with the landlord for us to have pets.” Monica looked nervous and then plunged in, “Ma’am, please, Junie is right. This is a good thing. It will give me something to help me remember happiness.” She stood in front of Donna hugging the puppy possessively to her chest, her eyes pleading.
Donna smiled and laughed, “You two girls seem to be determined to make this happen and I must say I was not looking forward to driving home with that puppy locked up in the back of the car.”
Junie squealed and threw her arms around her Mistress and spoke fervently, “Thank you, Ma’am; oh, thank you for letting me do this.”
Donna laughed and whispered into Junie’s ear, “You owe me 750 dollars, girl.”
They helped install the travel box in Monica’s bedroom. Junie was struck how much it still looked like a child’s room, decorated in pink and white with a large pile of stuffed animals dominating the narrow single bed. Donna cautioned her, “If your mom says no, we will come back and get her. We will be leaving Portland Sunday morning. And I want you to remember that, if for any reason you cannot continue to provide a good home for this puppy, you can let Junie know and we will come back and get her. I don’t want any of my puppies ever to end up in an animal shelter.”
Junie and Donna stayed and let Monica make them tuna sandwiches for lunch and then Donna looked at her watch and said, “Sorry to cut this party short, but Junie has an appointment to keep.”
Monica stood up and stammered, “Ma’am, thank you for bringing Junie to see me. And… and thank you for letting her give me the puppy.” Her lips trembled, “I don’t get good surprises very often, lately. And I can’t remember the last time I had a visit from a friend. I don’t get out much.” Unconsciously her hand strayed to touch the scar that scored her cheek.
Junie swept her up into her arms, “Oh, sweet girl, you know that David is right. It’s not all that bad and when you smile it is kind of cute how it makes your smile look a little impish. I know it’s a reminder of a bad experience, but it is not horrible looking at all.” Junie gave her a stern look, “You know I was expecting a lot worse, pretty girl.”
Monica’s voice was a little smug, “David calls me that too.”
Junie looked puzzled, “Calls you what?”
Monica smiled her crooked smile, “Pretty girl.” Her eyes shone as she said it.
Donna interrupted, her voice taking on the crisp cool tones that always made Junie’s eyes widen and her heart beat faster, “Monica, you are very welcome. And now I must insist, Junie; we must be going if we are going to be on time.”
Junie gave Monica a quick squeeze and whispered, “I will email you as soon as I get home,” and then stepped quickly out the door hurrying ahead of Donna to the SUV.”