Quote 1
"You!" [Annika] wailed, and started crying. "You flirted with me all week. You teased me. You kissed me."
"I kissed you on the cheek," Denny said. "It's normal for relatives to kiss on the cheek. It's called affection, not love." (25.73-74)
It's clear that Annika and Denny have very different interpretations of what's going on here, but that's understandable, given their age difference and their different perspectives on love. Denny, who has a wife and a daughter and has experienced adult love, knows that he doesn't love Annika and probably didn't intentionally egg her on. Annika, who's fifteen and presumably hasn't been in a serious relationship before, is experiencing what she believes to be love for the first time. Sparks certainly aren't flying here.