Darling Jenny by Janet Dailey Page B

Logan's present down. Her hand was practically on fire just touching it.
    She escaped as quickly as she could into the kitchen, avoiding any contact with Logan's searching eyes as she darted past him. But minutes later, his footsteps muffled by the clinking of crystal glasses, he entered the kitchen.
    'Sheila makes awfully good eggnog,' he remarked as he halted beside her.
    Jennifer's hand paused midway between filling another glass. She tried to breathe naturally while smiling in agreement with him.
    'You're not wearing the necklace,' glancing casually at her unadorned neck. 'I thought it would look nice with that gown.'
    Jennifer placed the ladle back in the bowl and turned towards him with a determined lift to her chin.
    'It was very beautiful,' she said sincerely, 'but I just can't accept it.'
    He lifted an eyebrow at her as the small smile died on his face. 'Why not?'
    'It's much too expensive.' She suddenly found it difficult to explain why she wanted to refuse it. 'It just wouldn't be right for me to.'
    'We can hardly be considered strangers—after all, we spent a night together in the same bed. I would hardly think a piece of costume jewelry could be classified as a compromising gift after that.'
    'Costume jewelry?' Jennifer whispered in an astounded voice. 'I thought it was jade.'
    'It's jadeite,' Logan informed her with a dimpling smile.
    'Oh!' Her voice sounded exceedingly small. That must be some synthetic form of jade, she thought. How humiliating for her to believe he was giving her an expensive gift. 'Well, in that case, I guess it will be all right to accept it.'
    'I'm glad. After all, I accepted your gift in the spirit it was intended.' His teasing voice brought a fresh wave of pink into her cheeks, only to recede quickly to paleness as he continued, 'Sheila told me you were the one who invited Dirk here tonight.'
    'Yes, that's right.'
    'I didn't realize that in the short space of a week you and Dirk had become such close friends.'
    'I don't know that we're close friends.' Jennifer answered him casually, but there was a defiant gleam in her eyes. 'Both of us have a very deep affection for my sister. I think Dirk would make an excellent husband and father.'
    'You do? You've taken matters in your own hands and decided you know what's best for your sister's future happiness.' He was again wearing his mask of amused indifference that was so irritatingly smug. 'I hope you don't try the direct approach. I've found subtlety works best with Sheila. I do agree with you on one point—I think it's time she remarried.'
    His words hung in the air as if his sentence was unfinished. Mentally Jennifer finished it for him, 'but not to Dirk.' To Logan?
    'Are you going to try to stop Dirk and me?' She tilted her head back to glare coldly into his face.
    'I would never stand in the way of Sheila's happiness. But that's Sheila's decision, not yours or mine, Jenny Glenn.' A roguish dimple appeared briefly in one cheek as Logan answered with a remarkable air of assurance. He reached around her and picked up a tray of glasses filled with eggnog. 'I'll take these in before they send a search party for us.'
    Jennifer stared after him blankly, a sinking feeling of depression stealing through her, as he walked out of the kitchen. She was sure that Dirk loved her sister very deeply. But could Logan's love be even greater since he had practically said he was willing to step aside if it meant Sheila's happiness? Just the thought made her heart constrict painfully until her hand reached up to clutch her dress and thus tear away the ache. A vision of Logan and Sheila in an embrace flitted across her mind, sending waves of nausea to her stomach.
    Too late Jennifer recognized the true reason behind her betrayal of her sister to Dirk's side. She had fallen in love with Logan Taylor herself! For her it had gone much deeper than a mere physical attraction such as Logan had once suggested. No, not when she could be shaken to her very bones with