"So, you're Aubrey Mann." My eyes slid to the side. The guy beside me was  taller than me, of course, everybody was. He was blonde and good looking, with too much hair and too much scruff, but he was running competently, which said something for him automatically.

            "And you're Jeremy?"

            "I am he." He laughed, surprised that I knew his name. "So, what did you think of the concert?"

            "It was awesome." I said, wondering if he was going to ask for feedback like Rafe. I doubted I could be as forthright or honest with him as I was with Rafe. He was a virtual stranger to me.

            "Even afterwards? I saw Dylan."

            I was shocked, and worried that Rafe had caught the casual comment.

            "It was no big deal."

            "You took him down pretty quick."

            "Well, that was a big deal, I guess!" I laughed nervously, looking at Rafe again, but he was talking to Ben. Our feet slapping the ground were kind of masking the clarity of the voices.

            "It got you stuffed by the bouncers. I almost came back to help you. But you got rescued right then." He shook his head. "Steer clear of Dylan."

            I would have asked him more questions, obviously he'd observed something about Dylan that made him say that. But he ran ahead of us.

            Rafe took us back toward the buses. He was talking to a few people, asking if they wanted to come with us to Guadalupe Canyon. There were four extra seats. I saw Jeremy turn around and trot back to us.

            "Count me in." He said and winked at me. I felt a momentary wariness, and then told myself not to over analyze things. I got on the bus, went back to our bunks and got out my smaller day pack, filled it with my kindle, herbs, some power bars, water, and the first aid kit I'd brought. My camera was a must. I found sunscreen and a hat, and my bathing suit. I opted for the really lightweight flimsy flip flops in the bag, as I'd wear my running shoes and shorts and t-shirt now. I pulled my sunglasses up, effectively pulling my hair behind my ears. Rafe joined me.

            "You got plenty of water?" He slapped my butt, then without warning, cupped my butt cheek and ran his fingers over it, feeling for firmness I guess. I pulled away, uncomfortable.

            "I brought six--- three for you and three for me. Bring money, if we need more?"

            His eyes were curious. As I stepped off the lower bunk I'd been using for leverage, he cupped my butt again, staking his dominance. I pushed his hands away, and he pulled me close by my hips. "What's wrong, baby?"

            I turned my face away. "It's all new to me. A lot of people."

            He was nodding. "It does take getting used to. You sure you're okay?"

            I couldn't look directly into his eyes. It just wasn't in me to stare at somebody while I lied to them. "Yeah, I'm good."

            He was far too perceptive. He pulled my hips easily into his, pushed his leg between mine, and pressed my chest with his, "Aubrey."

            "Don't push this, Rafe. I'm fine. I'm not used to it yet. Give me that, at least."

            He nuzzled my neck and throat. "I don't believe you."

            "It's true."

            "You're used to a big family. You're used to close quarters, you're used to traveling. You're even used to the industry. It's not any of those, but if you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to."

            I sighed as he found my lips and kissed me. Somebody whistled, somebody tried to get by us with a few grunts and snorts. I did feel uncomfortable. The somebody was Jeff. Rafe didn't stop kissing me, but instantly pulled Jeff into his embrace against both of us, one leg hooked around Jeff's so he couldn't back away, and Jeff--- started making kissy face at Rafe. I pulled back, and they goofed around, and got a lot more whistles. They weren't really inappropriate, and yet they were--- they let others think they were---- I felt wierded out.

            Jeff laughed, knuckled Rafe's head and told us he'd be driving the van. He moved away to his bunk, and Rafe went back to smoothing my hair. He looked deeply into my eyes.

            "It's too many guys, isn't it?" He said with conviction.

            "As soon as I get to know people, it will be better."

            "I saw Jeremy Gunn talking to you. He's coming to the oasis, you okay with that?"

            I wanted to ask if Dylan was coming, but decided not to draw any attention to it. "Yeah, I'm okay with Jeremy."

            "I can ask him not to go."

            I rolled my eyes. "It's not him. It's like you said, a lot of strange guys, that's all. I am used to Doctors and Mormons, Rafe. Please cut me some slack."

            He backed up again, pulled my chin to his, and kissed me softly. "Okay." He let me go and I quickly moved past him and got off the bus. I was--- or had been---a little sweaty, and that wasn't helping my nerves.

            Instantly Ben was behind me. He slung his own day pack, and adjusted his shorts. "You ready for this? You inspired me, you know."

            "You want to go sightseeing now?" I looked up at him, he was the tallest, as tall as Rafe. He was cute, too, with a little bit of a baby face, and big brown eyes. He was the most intellectual as well.

            "I want to learn about things. I liked yesterday immensely. I hope we get to go to lots of Temples. You said there are thirteen in Mexico, and I did a little research, and we should be able to go to quite a few of them. That will be cool, huh?"

            I felt my heart clench. "You're interested in Temples?"

            He looked slightly wary, and then resigned. "I'm interested in a lot of things, Aubrey. But yeah, talking to Brother Alpatcha was so enlightening."

            Rafe accosted us, both arms around us, linking us together. "What are you interested in?"

            Ben shrugged his shoulders and then pulled my head close and kissed my forehead. "Your girl, man. I'm falling in love with your girl, Rafe. She's the best thing on this trip, and don't think I'm not gonna make a play for her."

            "I'm pretty much thinking every guy on the trip has his eye on her. We should have brought more women. It's gonna get crazy having to defend your honor, Aubrey, every five minutes."

            I gulped. "As you know, boyfriend, I can well defend my own honor."

            Jeff was on the other side of the bus now, honking obnoxiously. We all laughed and hurried over to hop in the van. There were seven seats, and Ben took the front opposite Jeff, the Gunn guys in the middle and me and Rafe and Mutt in the back. As we started, I noticed that almost all of them were on ear buds, all but Jeff in the driver's seat, and me and Rafe. Mutt went right to sleep. They weren't too communicative all the time. Not like I'd thought they might be.

            Rafe had his hand on my leg next to me, but then he moved it to lay along the seat behind me. "Let's talk." He said low, knowing now was good, nobody was paying any attention.

            I gave him my innocent and curious gaze and he chuckled. "So, Aubrey. Do you want a big wedding?"

            I blinked quickly. He always managed to turn the tables on me.

            "I want a temple wedding." I said.

            "Okay, so with a temple wedding, remind me... do you just go there and get married, or is there a party? I can't picture a party at the temple. Is there ever a party?"

            "There's a reception." I said. "Or can be, depending on what you want. Not at the temple."

            "Yeah, a reception. Do we go to a restaurant?"

            "You can.... Rafe, you've been to a gazillion receptions." I'd seen his wedding crashing videos. He knew all about them.

            "But what do Mormons do?"

            I felt a little exasperated. "Mormons are normal people. If they have a lot of money and the inclination they have a big reception just like anyone else with money and inclination. If they don't or they are not inclined, they have a little get together at the ward building."

            "What does your family do?"

            I laughed. My family-- the most untraditional of all. Broke my parent's hearts with all their quick weddings and elopements. "Nothing normal, that's for sure."

            He looked at me strangely. "Tell me. Tell me about Kell and Maille."

            I thought about it. That was a hard one. There was a lot of mystery surrounding it. But I could tell him what I knew. "So, yeah--- Kell and Maille. From what I know about them, which isn't much. They met when The Mann Girls were really big, about fifteen years ago, maybe a little longer. They were in Salt Lake. My dad has a studio there, and Megan and Melia were in studio at the time. They weren't really nice right then. Melia had a lot of problems--- I can't go into it in this story, it would just take too long."

            "Tell me about their wedding." He said to simplify things.

            "I think they actually got married by a justice of the peace or something long before the weird stuff happened. You've gotta give me a little slack here as well. It was fifteen years ago. I was fourteen, maybe younger, I think I was more like twelve actually. I wasn't real aware of them. But they fell in love, and Kell wasn't sure he could keep his hands off her, and he wanted to honor her wishes to be married in the temple too. So, he thought if he married her first--- he wasn't a member of the church, you know. It would somehow make it easier not to violate her. Not that he would have violated her. I think he just wanted to make sure she couldn't get away."

            "Did marrying her first make it easier?"

            "I don't know. I don't think so. I think Maille wouldn't have let him do anything anyway, and she still didn't. But it made it weird. But they were always together, and they ended up in the middle of that huge family fiasco I can't tell you about because I don't know it, and then it was good they were married. And they decided to stay married, and make it real, and he got baptized and then they went to the temple a year later. Then they had a big reception too."

            "Why did they have to wait a year to go to the temple?"

            "He wasn't a member of the church."

            "And that means? Refresh my memory."

            "Oh, well, you have to be a member for a year, a member in good standing--- for a year before you go to the temple. It gives you time to repent, to make up your mind, to learn. You don't want to just make those commitments without understanding what they mean."

            "A member, or a member in good standing?" He was contemplating that one, and I knew he had to process it, so I looked out the window at the lovely desert and plants and clouds and cliffs and plateaus.

            "What about you? Can you go any time?"

            "I could."

            "Do you have to be a certain age?"

            "No. Not really. Boys go on missions at eighteen, and girls at nineteen, and they all go through the temple then."

            "And you? Did you go on a mission?"

            "No. I went to school."

            "So, can you not go to the temple?"

            "I could have. I chose to wait for my husband. I want to go through the first time with him."

            "It will be his first time as well?"

            "I don't know. If he is a returned missionary, then he will have already gone through."

            "I see. And if he is me?"

                                                                        *****