It was a warm but windy mid-July day when Howie Dorough parked his car outside an old friends house in Jacksonville, Florida. I got out of the car and walked up to the house. Just as he was about to knock on the door his cellphone rang.
"Hello, D here!" he answered.
"Hey there handsome. I'm out back!" a girl's voice said.
"Now how did you know it was me??" Howie asked as he started to walk to the backyard.
"I heard you whistle, Howard. You always whistle when you come by. Now get over here and give me a hug!"
They both hung up the phone and Howie walked up to the girl that was getting out of the sunchair. They embraced each other and smiled.
"Gawd it's so good to see you again, boy!" the girl said.
"It's sure good to see you too, Sarah. And please don't call me boy, "Howie said, smiling at the girl. "Now let me take a look at you." He stepped back and the girl swung around so that he got a good look at her.
"My my, you're getting more and more beautiful each time I see you," he said.
They talked for awhile when Sarah's mother walked out.
"Howard is that you?!?" the woman said.
"Hello Mrs. Peterson. Nice to see you. You look just as great as your daughter." He gave the ladies one of his famous winks and smiles.
Mrs. Peterson hit him lightly on the arm and laughed as she hugged the man. "How are you? And most important, has Sarah offered you anything to drink or eat? You look hungry. Let me get you some food."
Howie didn't have time to say anything till Mrs. Peterson was back in the house making dinner. He looked down at Sarah, who still was sitting on the side of the pool, and laughed at her mother.
The day had passed and it was getting dark outside. Sarah's father and younger brother, Jack, and younger sister, Amanda, had come home and they were all very happy to see Howard again. Especially Amanda. This might be her chance to meet Nick Carter, she thought the whole time since she had seen that Howie was there.
"Hey there beautiful!" Howie said as he sat down next to Amanda on the sofa.
Her cheeks turned a bit red and she looked down. "Have you looked in the mirror lately Howie?"
"No not since this morning. Why?"
"You're the one who's beautiful, not me!" she said smiling at him.
"Aww, thank you very much. But you know I think you're beautiful sweetie. I've always thought that and I always will. I promise you that." He leaned forward and gave here a kiss on the cheek.
Jack had seen and heard everything and as the smallest in the family he thought it was his mission to give his sisters a hard time and to embarass them in front of others.
"Amanda and Howie sitting in a tree K*I*S*S*I*N*G........" He walked up to them and sat on the floor in front of them.
Howie laughed at the little boy but Amanda thought it was very embarrassing. She didn't love Howie like that and Jack knew it.
"I thought it was that blonde Backstreet Boy that you loved, Manda!!!" Jack said making Amanda even more red in the face.
She got out of the sofa, looked at her brother and said, as she ran up to her room: "I HATE YOU JACK DANIEL PETERSON!!!!!"
Jack looked at Howie and laughed. He turned around and put the TV on and started to play Nintendo.
"Hey Jack, is Amanda in love with Nick??"
"If that's the blonde, young one, then yes."
"And when did you turn 50 and get so wise???" Howie laughed at the little 6 year old boy in front of him.
Howie was spending a few days with Sarah and her family before he needed to start work with the boys again back in Orlando. They were going to plan their new world tour and he needed to be there early Monday morning.
"Sarah, can I come in?" he asked opening the door to her room.
"Yes, of course you can. But only if you close the door behind you." she smiled sitting up in bed.
Howie did as he was told and walked over to the bed to sit down. It was early Sunday afternoon and he had to leave in a few hours.
"Sarah, I have something to tell you. I'm leaving for Orlando tonight." He looked in her eyes as he told her. "I've had a fantastic time here with you and your family and I'm really glad that I could stay here with you, but I have to get back. We start planning the tour tomorrow and I have to be there." He took her hand.
She looked at him.
"I know you have to work, but couldn't you have said something a bit earlier? This is so sudden Howie."
"I know it baby. But I promise I had totally forgotten about it. I had too much of a good time with you. Nick just called and reminded me." He smiled.
"Nick! Reminded you?? Aren't YOU suppose to remind him???" They laughed.
"Yeah I know, I guess I'm getting old huh?!?!" he said.
They sat in silence for a while before Howie went to his room and started packing.