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much work."
    "You can't work all the time, Allison. Most
of the carnival planning is done. Take a break.” He lowered his head. “We'll
have fun."
    She backed away slightly. "No. I really
can't. But, if you still want Kelly to go, that'd be nice for her."
    He touched her chin lightly with his thumb and
narrowed the distance between their lips. "You'll be sorry, Allison.” She
smelled breath mints. “I know it's not Paris or Rome, but I'm cooking the
lunch."
    Was he going to kiss her right here in the school gym?
    "I’d better get home.” She took a large step
backwards and grasped the corners of her jacket. “What time should I drop Kelly
by Saturday?"
    He flashed a quick smile, then grabbed her elbow.
"We'll pick her up at nine-thirty. I want to beat the crowds at the
marina." He guided her toward the gym exit. "Come on. I'll walk you
to your car. I'm not sure you're going to make it."
    "I'm fine. In fact, I was thinking about
riding my bike some tonight."
    "Bike, huh?” He stopped beside her car and
shook his head, looking skeptical.
    “Yes.” He didn’t need to know her bike was rusting
from lack of use. Like her thigh muscles.
    He tapped the top of the car. “Better get going
then. I know you keep a tight schedule." He walked around her, moving
toward the corner of the building. "But you might consider penciling in
some time to sleep, too. With all the tasks you take on, you need your
rest."
    “Pencil in sleep. Very cute,” she called to his
retreating back. Stabbing her key at the door, she missed the hole and nicked
the paint. "Drat," she muttered, fingering the scrape. "I'm not
tired, and I have time to do whatever I want."
    Maybe she would get her bike down and she and
Kelly could take a ride around the neighborhood.
    She sat in her hot car, sweat dripping down her
face. Seizing the steering wheel, she dropped her head on her hands.
    "Who am I kidding? I wouldn’t make it out of
the driveway."

CHAPTER SIX
     
    "I can't believe I'm doing this. This is not
a good idea." Allison stuffed a towel, hat and suntan lotion in a striped
cotton beach bag already crammed with Kelly’s gear. It looked like a sausage
with handles.
    “I’m doing it for Kelly. To spend more time with
Kelly.” She jerked everything out.
    "Sweetie, find that other bag,” she yelled
down the hall. “You're going to have to take your own stuff."
    She set the re-organized bag on the floor by the
door then stopped in front of her bedroom mirror for the fourth time since
she’d dressed. She yanked up her shirt and stared at the bikini top.
    "What are you doing, Mom?" Kelly
strolled into the room.
    "I'm going to change bathing suits."
Allison rummaged through her dresser drawer.
    "Why? You look great in that one. You always
wear that one."
    Allison held up a one-piece conservative black
suit. "But this is better. It covers more than this two piece."
    "Yuck." Kelly stuck out her tongue.
"That looks like something Grandma wears. Where did you get that?"
    "I've worn it to some company functions. Pool
parties." She clutched it against her body. "It's a nice suit."
    "Maybe if you're eighty."
    "Kelly, I'm not a teenager anymore. I can't
run around half naked."
    The doorbell rang and Kelly ran out of the room.
"They're here. Don't you dare change into that ugly old thing. I'll die of
embarrassment."
    Allison dropped her hands to her knees, the boring
suit slapping against her bare legs.
    "Come on Mom, we're ready."
    She threw the black suit in the drawer, tugged her
t-shirt back down and grabbed her bag, grumbling, "I’m going to regret this."
     
    #
     
    Caroline and Kelly chatted non-stop during the
twenty-minute ride. The first few miles Allison faced the front window of the
Range Rover, trying to avoid looking at Brett.
    But it didn’t last.
    Out of the corner of her eye she saw the hem of
his navy bathing suit pulled taut across his tanned, muscular thighs. Brown
hair bleached by the sun covered his legs, absent only where a white