alone with Bebe.”
“Since when?” demanded Emma. “You’ve always double-dated.”
“Well, I guess since they’ve… become tighter,” Cathy answered. “We’ll see them at the dance and sit with them at breakfast afterwards.”
“And after that, you’re coming straight home, right?”
Cathy dropped the towel from her face, and Emma’s breath caught. Her granddaughter was ravishing. She was wearing makeup for the first time, and her mass of luxuriant curls was clipped away from her face by a set of rhinestone barrettes that matched the floor-length gown of blue chiffon they’d selected from Lillie Rubin’s Evening Wear in Amarillo. The barrettes had been the saleswoman’s suggestion and cost the earth, but seeing how perfectly they set off the dress and Cathy’s blond hair, Emma was glad they’d been added to the bill.
“Of course I’m coming straight home,” Cathy said. “Where else would I go?”
“You and Trey… you don’t…” Emma gestured helplessly. “Well, you know…”
“Yes, I believe I do know,” Cathy said with an amused smile, “and no-o-o-o, Grandmother, Trey and I are not doing it. We have a tacitunderstanding to wait until we’re older and more ready for that sort of thing.”
More ready?
Emma set down the can of hair spray. Trey had been ready for a long time and he’d done something about it, but she was certain it hadn’t been with Cathy. A boy got a look about him when he’d lost his virginity. Emma had raised two sons, so she knew. She was surprised that Cathy hadn’t seen it, but then maybe she had and chose to ignore it. A lot went on in that smart head of hers that Emma wasn’t privy to, but her granddaughter was so focused on getting into medical school—her chemistry teacher already called her Dr. Benson—that she appeared blind to about everything that other girls her age would have spotted in an instant.
“Sweetheart,” Emma said, clearing her throat, “if you and Trey ever decide you’re… ready, you know what to do, don’t you?”
“You mean like in preventing myself from getting pregnant?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Sure I do. I’d simply take the pill.”
“Ah, well now,” Emma said, taken aback, “that’s mature thinking.”
Cathy smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I’ve known about the birds and bees for a long time.”
The doorbell rang. “There’s Trey,” she announced, flashing a wide, delighted smile that made her eyes sparkle. “I can’t wait to see him in his tuxedo!”
“I’ll let him in,” Emma said hurriedly. “You take a final twirl before the mirror.”
Emma opened her front door.
Good lord!
The boy was enough to make her drop her own knickers, perish the indecency of the thought. Momentarily speechless, she stepped aside to allow Trey to enter her small living room. “Good evening, Trey. You look… nice.”
Trey grinned. “ ‘Nice’? Is that the best I can muster from you, Miss Emma?”
“Your head is big enough,” she said, and heard the soft swish ofchiffon behind her. She saw Trey’s eyes grow large, his mouth slowly open.
Heaven help us
, Emma thought.
“Catherine Ann…” Her name foundered in his awe of her. “You’re… you’re so beautiful….”
“Yes, she is, and she is to be
returned
that way, if you get my meaning, Trey Don Hall,” Emma articulated crisply.
“Now, Grandmother…,” Cathy scolded with a laugh, and gave Trey a look of mock suffering.
“I get it, Miss Emma,” Trey said, his eyes on Cathy. “Trust me, I’ll return her to you more beautiful than ever.”
Chapter Fourteen
A re you sure, Catherine Ann? We can wait,” Trey said, his brows drawn in concern and doubt deepening his dark eyes. “Maybe I should have warned you—”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she said. Her heartbeat sounded like tennis shoes thumping in the dryer.
“Would you have… said no?” he asked, the question suspended between hope and
“Since when?” demanded Emma. “You’ve always double-dated.”
“Well, I guess since they’ve… become tighter,” Cathy answered. “We’ll see them at the dance and sit with them at breakfast afterwards.”
“And after that, you’re coming straight home, right?”
Cathy dropped the towel from her face, and Emma’s breath caught. Her granddaughter was ravishing. She was wearing makeup for the first time, and her mass of luxuriant curls was clipped away from her face by a set of rhinestone barrettes that matched the floor-length gown of blue chiffon they’d selected from Lillie Rubin’s Evening Wear in Amarillo. The barrettes had been the saleswoman’s suggestion and cost the earth, but seeing how perfectly they set off the dress and Cathy’s blond hair, Emma was glad they’d been added to the bill.
“Of course I’m coming straight home,” Cathy said. “Where else would I go?”
“You and Trey… you don’t…” Emma gestured helplessly. “Well, you know…”
“Yes, I believe I do know,” Cathy said with an amused smile, “and no-o-o-o, Grandmother, Trey and I are not doing it. We have a tacitunderstanding to wait until we’re older and more ready for that sort of thing.”
More ready?
Emma set down the can of hair spray. Trey had been ready for a long time and he’d done something about it, but she was certain it hadn’t been with Cathy. A boy got a look about him when he’d lost his virginity. Emma had raised two sons, so she knew. She was surprised that Cathy hadn’t seen it, but then maybe she had and chose to ignore it. A lot went on in that smart head of hers that Emma wasn’t privy to, but her granddaughter was so focused on getting into medical school—her chemistry teacher already called her Dr. Benson—that she appeared blind to about everything that other girls her age would have spotted in an instant.
“Sweetheart,” Emma said, clearing her throat, “if you and Trey ever decide you’re… ready, you know what to do, don’t you?”
“You mean like in preventing myself from getting pregnant?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Sure I do. I’d simply take the pill.”
“Ah, well now,” Emma said, taken aback, “that’s mature thinking.”
Cathy smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I’ve known about the birds and bees for a long time.”
The doorbell rang. “There’s Trey,” she announced, flashing a wide, delighted smile that made her eyes sparkle. “I can’t wait to see him in his tuxedo!”
“I’ll let him in,” Emma said hurriedly. “You take a final twirl before the mirror.”
Emma opened her front door.
Good lord!
The boy was enough to make her drop her own knickers, perish the indecency of the thought. Momentarily speechless, she stepped aside to allow Trey to enter her small living room. “Good evening, Trey. You look… nice.”
Trey grinned. “ ‘Nice’? Is that the best I can muster from you, Miss Emma?”
“Your head is big enough,” she said, and heard the soft swish ofchiffon behind her. She saw Trey’s eyes grow large, his mouth slowly open.
Heaven help us
, Emma thought.
“Catherine Ann…” Her name foundered in his awe of her. “You’re… you’re so beautiful….”
“Yes, she is, and she is to be
returned
that way, if you get my meaning, Trey Don Hall,” Emma articulated crisply.
“Now, Grandmother…,” Cathy scolded with a laugh, and gave Trey a look of mock suffering.
“I get it, Miss Emma,” Trey said, his eyes on Cathy. “Trust me, I’ll return her to you more beautiful than ever.”
Chapter Fourteen
A re you sure, Catherine Ann? We can wait,” Trey said, his brows drawn in concern and doubt deepening his dark eyes. “Maybe I should have warned you—”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she said. Her heartbeat sounded like tennis shoes thumping in the dryer.
“Would you have… said no?” he asked, the question suspended between hope and
Similar Books
