products.'
Sara threw a pair of pants at her sister. 'Help me fold some of these.'
'I will if you tell me about Jeffrey.'
'What'd Jill-June say?'
'That he's sex on a stick.'
Sara smiled at the understatement.
'And that he's dated every woman in town worth dating.' Tessa paused, mid-fold. 'There's an obvious joke in there, but I'm gonna let it go because you're my sister.'
'Such a price to pay.' Sara threw a sock back into the laundry basket, recalling from the last time she'd washed clothes that it didn't have a mate. She tried to change the subject, asking, 'Why is it that you never lose the socks you want to lose?'
'Is he good in bed?'
'Tess!'
'Do you want your underwear folded or not?'
Sara smoothed out a shirt, not answering.
'Y'all've been seeing each other for two months.'
'Three.'
Tessa tried again. 'You have to be sleeping with him or he wouldn't have invited you to the beach.'
Sara shrugged off a response. The truth was that she had slept with Jeffrey on their first date. They hadn't even made it out of her kitchen. Sara had been so ashamed the next morning that she sneaked out of her own house before the sun came up. If not for a robbery-homicide that forced them to work together three days later, she probably would never have spoken to Jeffrey Tolliver again.
Tessa turned serious. 'Was he your first time since . . .?'
Sara gave her sister a sharp look, making it clear that topic was off-limits. 'Tell me what else Jill-June said.'
'Uh . . .' Tessa dragged it out, giving a sly smile. 'That's he's got a great body.'
'He's a runner.'
'Mmm,' Tessa approved. 'That he's tall.'
'He's three inches taller than me.'
'Look at that grin,' Tessa laughed. 'All right, all right, you don't have to give me the speech about how horrible it was being six feet tall in the third grade.'
'Five eleven.' Sara threw a dishrag at her sister's head. 'And it was ninth grade.'
Tessa folded the rag, sighing. 'He has dreamy blue eyes.'
'Yes.'
'He's incredibly charming and has very nice manners.'
'Both true.'
'Extremely good sense of humor.'
'Also true.'
'He always pays with correct change.'
Sara laughed as she pushed more clothes toward her sister. 'Talk and fold.'
Tessa picked the lint off a pair of black slacks. 'She says he used to be a football player.'
'Really?' Sara asked, because Jeffrey had never told her this. As a matter of fact, he had told her very little about himself. His general dislike of talking about the past was one of the things she enjoyed about him.
'I hope he's worth it,' Tessa said. 'Is Daddy talking to you yet?'
'Nope,' she answered, trying to sound as if she did not care. Though her parents had never met Jeffrey, like everyone else in town they had already formed their own opinions.
Tessa pressed on. 'Tell me some more. What do you know about him that Jill-June doesn't?'
'Not much,' Sara admitted.
'Come on.' Tessa obviously thought she was teasing. 'Just tell me what he's like.'
From the hallway, Cathy Linton said, 'Too old for her, for a start.'
Tessa rolled her eyes as their mother walked into the room.
Sara said, 'You'd never guess this was my house.'
'You don't want people walking in, don't leave your front door unlocked.' Cathy kissed Sara's cheek as she handed her a green Tupperware bowl and a grease-stained paper bag. 'I brought this over for your drive down.'
'Biscuits!' Tessa reached for the bag but Sara slapped her away.
'Your father made cornbread, but he wouldn't let me bring it.' Cathy gave her a pointed look. 'Said he didn't slave over a hot stove just to feed your fancy man.'
Her words hung in the air like a black cloud, and even Tessa knew better than to laugh. Sara picked up a pair of jeans to fold.
'Give me those.' Cathy snatched the jeans away from her. 'Like this,' she said, tucking the cuffs under her chin and magically working the jeans into a perfect square, all in under two seconds. She surveyed the mountain of laundry on Sara's bed. 'Did you just wash
Sara threw a pair of pants at her sister. 'Help me fold some of these.'
'I will if you tell me about Jeffrey.'
'What'd Jill-June say?'
'That he's sex on a stick.'
Sara smiled at the understatement.
'And that he's dated every woman in town worth dating.' Tessa paused, mid-fold. 'There's an obvious joke in there, but I'm gonna let it go because you're my sister.'
'Such a price to pay.' Sara threw a sock back into the laundry basket, recalling from the last time she'd washed clothes that it didn't have a mate. She tried to change the subject, asking, 'Why is it that you never lose the socks you want to lose?'
'Is he good in bed?'
'Tess!'
'Do you want your underwear folded or not?'
Sara smoothed out a shirt, not answering.
'Y'all've been seeing each other for two months.'
'Three.'
Tessa tried again. 'You have to be sleeping with him or he wouldn't have invited you to the beach.'
Sara shrugged off a response. The truth was that she had slept with Jeffrey on their first date. They hadn't even made it out of her kitchen. Sara had been so ashamed the next morning that she sneaked out of her own house before the sun came up. If not for a robbery-homicide that forced them to work together three days later, she probably would never have spoken to Jeffrey Tolliver again.
Tessa turned serious. 'Was he your first time since . . .?'
Sara gave her sister a sharp look, making it clear that topic was off-limits. 'Tell me what else Jill-June said.'
'Uh . . .' Tessa dragged it out, giving a sly smile. 'That's he's got a great body.'
'He's a runner.'
'Mmm,' Tessa approved. 'That he's tall.'
'He's three inches taller than me.'
'Look at that grin,' Tessa laughed. 'All right, all right, you don't have to give me the speech about how horrible it was being six feet tall in the third grade.'
'Five eleven.' Sara threw a dishrag at her sister's head. 'And it was ninth grade.'
Tessa folded the rag, sighing. 'He has dreamy blue eyes.'
'Yes.'
'He's incredibly charming and has very nice manners.'
'Both true.'
'Extremely good sense of humor.'
'Also true.'
'He always pays with correct change.'
Sara laughed as she pushed more clothes toward her sister. 'Talk and fold.'
Tessa picked the lint off a pair of black slacks. 'She says he used to be a football player.'
'Really?' Sara asked, because Jeffrey had never told her this. As a matter of fact, he had told her very little about himself. His general dislike of talking about the past was one of the things she enjoyed about him.
'I hope he's worth it,' Tessa said. 'Is Daddy talking to you yet?'
'Nope,' she answered, trying to sound as if she did not care. Though her parents had never met Jeffrey, like everyone else in town they had already formed their own opinions.
Tessa pressed on. 'Tell me some more. What do you know about him that Jill-June doesn't?'
'Not much,' Sara admitted.
'Come on.' Tessa obviously thought she was teasing. 'Just tell me what he's like.'
From the hallway, Cathy Linton said, 'Too old for her, for a start.'
Tessa rolled her eyes as their mother walked into the room.
Sara said, 'You'd never guess this was my house.'
'You don't want people walking in, don't leave your front door unlocked.' Cathy kissed Sara's cheek as she handed her a green Tupperware bowl and a grease-stained paper bag. 'I brought this over for your drive down.'
'Biscuits!' Tessa reached for the bag but Sara slapped her away.
'Your father made cornbread, but he wouldn't let me bring it.' Cathy gave her a pointed look. 'Said he didn't slave over a hot stove just to feed your fancy man.'
Her words hung in the air like a black cloud, and even Tessa knew better than to laugh. Sara picked up a pair of jeans to fold.
'Give me those.' Cathy snatched the jeans away from her. 'Like this,' she said, tucking the cuffs under her chin and magically working the jeans into a perfect square, all in under two seconds. She surveyed the mountain of laundry on Sara's bed. 'Did you just wash
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