That Carolina Summer (North Carolina) by Janet Dailey Page A

as they continued to their own suite of rooms around the corner. Inside the room, Marsha laid her present to Annette on the dresser.
    “Why don't you try your new outfit on and see how it fits?” Marsha suggested.
    “I'll wait till tomorrow,” Annette replied absently, preoccupied with other plans. She stopped in front of the mirror and inspected her reflection, using her fingers to touch up her hairstyle.
    Marsha paused curiously to watch. “Are you really going to drink that champagne tonight?"
    “Part of it.” Annette opened her silver evening purse and took out the tube of lipstick. Uncapping it, she twisted the stick up and began outlining her lips with its dusky rose color.
    “What are you doing?” Marsha frowned.
    “Putting on lipstick. What does it look like I'm doing?” She blotted it with a tissue.
    “Why?” Which is what Marsha had meant initially.
    “Why do you think?” Annette countered, and picked up the champagne bottle and a glass the hotel supplied to the rooms.
    “Are you going out?” Marsha stared, already guessing the answer was affirmative but asking it anyway. “Where?"
    “To meet Josh, of course.” Annette started toward the door, the chiffon skirt swishing about her shapely legs.
    “But ... how...? When...?” Marsha faltered over the questions, unable to complete any of them.
    “There wasn't any arrangement made for us to meet.” She guessed the cause of her sister's confusion. “But he'll be waiting for me just the same.” With a Cheshire smile on her face, she turned to wink at Marsha. “Don't wait up for me."
    She was sweeping out the door before Marsha could recover enough to question how Annette knew Josh would be there. This time she was really worried about the kind of trouble her sister was getting involved in. She was playing in the adult leagues now, and the consequences could be serious.
    WITH ROBBY TUCKED IN for the night, Kathleen moved quietly out of her son's darkened room and into the larger adjoining room where she and Jordan slept. He was standing at the window, looking out into the night. His suit jacket and tie were thrown across the bed. Kathleen started to go hang them up, but something in his brooding stance pulled her to Jordan instead.
    Approaching from behind, she slid her arms around his middle and felt him stiffen an instant in surprise at her touch, then relax. She laid her cheek against his back, enjoying the warmth of his body.
    “A penny for your thoughts?” she murmured.
    He stirred restlessly. She loosened her encircling arms as he turned away from the window to face her. His glance touched her, cynically gray and thoughtful.
    “I have a feeling Joshua Lord is worth a lot more than a penny,” Jordan replied dryly, and curved an arm around her shoulders to hug her to his side.
    Kathleen smoothed a hand across his shirtfront, feeling the hard muscles of his chest beneath the material. It was a pleasant intimacy to touch him like this—to have the freedom of loving him.
    “He's probably worth two pennies at least,” Kathleen agreed on a playful note. Her expression became absently thoughtful as she remembered the meeting. “He's a very attractive man."
    A finger was hooked under her chin to tilt her head up for Jordan's bemused study. “You thought so, did you?” he accused lightly.
    “Yes,” she admitted calmly, and a light danced amid the olive flecks in her hazel eyes. “Jealous?"
    “Should I be?” he asked, but he wasn't really serious.
    “No.” Kathleen had no desire to let him wonder. Their time together was too precious to waste it playing games when they could be loving.
    As if hearing her silent thoughts, Jordan kissed her warmly yet briefly, betraying that his mind was still concentrating on something else. His caressing hand wound its fingers into her auburn hair and pressed her head against his shoulder. Bending his head slightly, he rubbed his jaw against her hair.
    “Annette was certainly in a better mood after she