I recently read the Nicholas Sparks novel The Best of Me. That book has become one of my favorites that he has ever written. I loved the story of Dawson and Amanda. I loved the thought of them together, and I wanted to throw the book against the wall when Dawson died. Even though it ended well, it still wasn't right. This first one-shot is to test the waters. I want to see what people think about it. Most all of my attention will be on my Fast and Furious story Past Meets Present, but I wanted to put this out there to see whether I should continue with ideas for The Best of Me. Please review!

Sixteen year old Amanda Collier frowned, pondering the strange call she'd just received from her good friend, Tuck Hostetler. She was just getting ready to run to the store and pick up his groceries for him. He'd called her cell phone and told her that she should probably "get extra of everything. You'll understand when you get here."

She didn't know what in the world Tuck meant by that, and her curiosity was peaked. Why would she need to get extras of everything on Tuck's list? Amanda shrugged to herself. Oh well. If that was what Tuck wanted, then she'd get it for him.

Half an hour later, Amanda found herself wandering down the aisles of the grocery store. She studied the list that Tuck had given her, scanning the shelves to find the items he needed. Spaghetti. Tomato sauce. Garlic. Onions. Peppers. She checked items off the list as she went. Tuck must have spaghetti on his mind for supper sometime soon. She hoped she'd be around when he made it. Tuck always made the best spaghetti. It was even better than her mother's, though she'd never tell her that.

Smiling to herself, Amanda moved to the next aisle. She found a box of chocolate cake mix and added it to the cart. She knew that Tuck wouldn't mind. He might grumble that she'd wasted money on something that wasn't going to be eaten, but he'd enjoy it just the same. Besides, she knew he'd never hurt her feelings by refusing to eat it. He just wouldn't admit how much he liked it, and that was Tuck for you. He could be gruff sometimes, but Amanda loved everything about the old man who'd become a good friend of hers over the years.

Amanda had first met Tuck about four years before. She was twelve, going on thirteen. She'd been riding her bike through the woods-something her parents forbid her to do-when she'd come across Tuck's barn. No one seemed to be around, and the barn looked like a fun place to explore. Naturally curious, she'd wandered inside. The place was full of tools and all kinds of parts of old cars. Wandering around, she'd looked at each piece. She didn't know much about cars at the time, but the mysterious atmosphere of the barn intrigued her.

Of course, Tuck had seen her bike outside and caught her snooping. He'd been surprisingly understanding about it, inviting her inside and offering her some homemade lemonade. In the weeks following that first encounter, she'd found herself biking back to his place once every week, and then every day. Tuck had been a bit gruff at first, but they'd gotten to know each other, and Amanda had spent nearly every afternoon with him for the past two years. Her parents believed she was hanging out at the house of one of her girl friends, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Besides, she liked the thought of having her own little secret, and she loved spending time together. It had always been just her and Tuck.

Amanda shook herself out of her thoughts, and grabbed a can of cream cheese icing from the shelf. Cream cheese was Tuck's favorite, and she was quite fond of it herself. She felt her mouth began to water, imaging how good the chocolate cake would taste. She could hardly wait.

After finding the last few items on Tuck's list, Amanda made her way to the front of the store and moved to the checkout counter. After paying for her items, she carried the bags out to her car, placing them on the backseat. Then, she pulled out of the parking lot to head to Tuck's place.

As she drove, Amanda found herself once again wondering about what Tuck had said on the phone. He'd never asked her to get extra stuff before. Maybe he was expecting someone else to join them for dinner that night. Amanda wondered who it might be. Tuck wasn't one to date. He talked about his late wife, Clara, constantly. He'd regaled Amanda with stories of their love, and surviving the war. She couldn't imagine Tuck meeting someone new. Clara was the only one for him. He'd told her that himself. So who could he be talking about?

Amanda was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed the turn that would take her to Tuck's place. Shaking her head, she pulled into the driveway and parked off to the side of the house. Tuck must have heard her pull in because he came striding out from the barn.

"Find everything okay little lady?" he asked. Amanda nodded, "Got it all Tuck. It was no trouble at all." Tuck smiled, "That's good. Let's get this stuff inside so we can set up for dinner."

Taking the cue, Amanda opened her car door and the two of them each grabbed an armful of grocery bags. Tuck led the way up the steps and they went into the kitchen. "Just set the bags down there on the counter," Tuck said, motioning to an empty spot on the kitchen counter, "We'll sort it all out when we get ready to start on dinner tonight." Amanda did as he asked, dropping the paper bags onto the counter.

She turned towards Tuck, her curiosity peaked. "So what was with that phone call?" she asked casually. "What do you mean?" Tuck asked. "You wanted me to get extra stuff, and you said I'd understand when I got here." Pausing, Amanda looked around the kitchen, "I haven't gotten it yet."

Laughing, Tuck shook his head. "Come on out to the barn. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Cocking her head, Amanda followed Tuck out of the house and across the yard. What on earth could he possibly be talking about?

They reached the barn, and made their way inside. "Hey kid! You in here?" Tuck called. "Back here Tuck!" a voice answered. "Come on up front. I want you to meet someone!" Tuck called back.

There was the sound of someone shuffling through the barn, and the clatter of tools being replaced. After a second, a young man emerged from the shadows.

Amanda caught her breath at the sight of him. He was undeniably handsome. His blonde hair was a bit longer than she'd seen on most guys, but Amanda found that she liked it. Thick muscles stood out on his arms and shoulders. He wore a white wife-beater and blue jeans. An easy smile graced his features, highlighting deep grey eyes. Amanda knew she could fall hard for those gorgeous eyes. She had to be careful.

"Amanda Collier, meet Dawson Cole," Tuck announced. Amanda gave a start. Dawson Cole! Tuck had to be crazy. Looking across at him, Amanda smiled. "Hi," she said. Dawson nodded back. "Hey," he responded, his voice sending shivers down her spine. Good lord! What had Tuck just gotten her into?