Starlight by Debbie Macomber Page A

Somehow Karen found herself in his arms; their lips met in a fiery kiss that fused them together. Karen clung to him. He was her love, her life for all eternity. Nothing could ever make her happier than what she was at this moment.
    “Oh, Karen,” he groaned, his voice deep and pained.
    “No.” Her fingers hushed his lips. “Don’t talk.” She buried her face against his coat, feeling the roughness of his breath against her hair.
    He walked Karen to the parking lot where she had left her car. Again, he kissed her, a feather-light kiss that teased and promised.
    “I’ll be out of town this weekend,” he whispered into her hair. His finger gently circled the small of her back in a sensuous movement that melted her bones. “Meet me at the airport Sunday afternoon.”
    Karen seemed incapable of speech; his physical impact on her was complete.
    “I’d like to show you my home.” Gently, he released her from his embrace.
    “I’d like that,” she managed, extracting herself from his arms.
    He opened the car door for her. “Drive carefully,” he cautioned, and Karen watched him from the rearview mirror as he stood in the lot until she was safely on her way.

    Sunday afternoon, Karen chose a dark chestnut-colored wool skirt and a cream cashmere sweater with a single gold strand woven in a delicate pattern to wear to the airport. She debated between boots or her heels, finally deciding on the knee-high leather boots because it was raining. She was adding the final touches to her makeup when Matthew spoke.
    “Ye seeing Rand again?” His eyes showed appreciation for Karen’s natural good looks.
    She turned sharply at the unexpected intrusion, her eyes angry. “Dad, you did it again. When will you learn to knock?” It was more a statement of indignation than a question.
    “Lass”—Matthew gestured helplessly, showing impatience with himself—“I keep forgetting.”
    It was impossible to be angry with her father when she was in such high spirits. “Well, try, won’t you?”
    Karen knew he was just as likely to walk in unannounced the next time.
    “Ye seeing Rand again?”
    Karen knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until she’d told him about their dinner date. “Yes, I’m meeting him at the airport. We’re having dinner at his home near Graham.”
    “You love him, don’t ye, lass?” The question was more of an announcement, and Karen couldn’t deny the obvious. Besides, Matthew was a master in the art of inquisition and would have dragged the words from her one way or another.
    “Yes, I do … very much.” Self-consciously, she lowered her eyes.
    Matthew flashed her a proud smile. “Randall Prescott will make me a fine son-in-law. You’ve chosen well.”
    “Dad,” Karen said with indignation, “you’re rushing things. There’s been no talk of marriage.”
    “Aye, but there will be,” he said confidently.
    Karen laughed impishly. “If I have anything to say about it, there will be.” It wasimpossible to imagine life without Rand now.
    “Ye know, the course of true love between your mother and me wasn’t smooth. I had my problems getting her to agree to marriage.”
    Karen was shocked. As far as she knew, her mother and father had been madly in love from the time they’d met.
    Her eyes must have shown her surprise. “Your mother was the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I took one look at her sweet face and knew I wanted her for my wife. But I was thirteen years older than Madeline, and her parents didn’t take kindly to a thirty-one-year-old man courting their teenage daughter.”
    “Little wonder.” Karen knew, of course, that thirteen years separated her parents, but she’d never thought of it in terms of eighteen and thirty-one. Nor had she been aware that her grandparents had voiced any objection to her father.
    “Not only did Madeline’s parents not trust me, but yer mother had more beaux than a movie star. For a while I became discouraged, but in time I was able to win