That Carolina Summer (North Carolina) Read Free Page A

him. A ripple of satisfaction eliminated any lingering irritation. Even if he considered her a “kid,” he was aware of her. For the time being she was willing to settle for that.
    As Josh Lord left the poolside area to disappear down one of the walkways, Marsha laid her book down. “Here comes Dad and Kathleen. Robby must have finally woken up from his afternoon nap."
    Annette sat up as her father and stepmother approached, a black-haired little boy tugging impatiently at Kathleen's hand to hurry her. She smiled, liking the picture the three of them made with her father's arm possessively around the shoulders of the attractive auburn-haired woman. It was always reassuring to see how much in love the two of them were.
    Marsha waved to attract the couple's attention and Kathleen released her son's hand. Robby careered past the other chairs, a pint-size cyclone in swimming trunks as he raced toward Marsha and Annette.
    “Whoa!” Annette laughed and caught her half brother around the waist to stop him. “You're not supposed to run around the pool. Sometimes it's slick and you'll fall."
    Her bathing suit was still wet, and Robby noticed it immediately. “How come you didn't wait until I woke up to go swimming?” he accused. “I'd wait for you."
    “Get your water wings and I'll go swimming again—with you,” Annette promised, and turned him loose.
    Robby barely gave Kathleen a chance to set the beach bag down before he was diving into it. “Not so fast,” she admonished him for the careless regard toward the other items in the oversize bag. “Fold the towels you dumped out."
    “I'll do it, Kathleen,” Marsha volunteered.
    “No, Robby can do it.” The rejection was accompanied by a smile. “You girls spoil him too much as it is."
    “I thought that was what older sisters were supposed to do,” Annette laughed. “Marsha and I will watch him so you and Dad can have some time together.” She glanced at her father, so tall and handsome, and looked into a pair of gray eyes the same color as hers. “Besides, we don't want Robby giving Dad any more gray hairs.” She teased him about the white strand she'd found mixed in among the black the day before.
    “Don't blame those on Robby,” Jordan Long replied. “If anyone in this family is capable of giving me gray hairs, it's you, Annette."
    “When have you ever had to worry about me?” she chided.
    “Practically since the day you were born,” he retorted dryly. “Speaking of which—have you decided what you want for your birthday?"
    “Yes.” She had an instant image of Joshua Lord.
    “What?” Kathleen prompted while she adjusted the water wings on Robby's arms.
    “A Ferrari,” Annette lied. She couldn't very well tell her father what she really wanted for her birthday.
    “Try again,” he suggested, and Annette laughed, knowing full well that her request had been out of the question.
     

 
    Chapter Two
     
    ANNETTE ROLLED OVER in the bed and felt the glare of an early-morning sun on her eyes. She pulled the blankets over her head in an attempt to shut it out, but it was no use. Her sleep had been disrupted, and once awake, she was rarely able to go back to sleep.
    With a groan she tossed back the covers and turned to look at the occupant of the room's other single bed. Marsha was sound asleep. Annette wanted to throw a pillow at her out of sheer envy, but it wasn't her sister's fault that she was awake. She crawled out of bed and padded into the bathroom.
    A few minutes later she emerged, her teeth brushed and the tiredness washed from her eyes. Before deciding what to wear, Annette walked to the window to see what kind of day it promised to be. Except for a few innocent white clouds, the sky was bright and clear.
    The second-floor window provided a view of the bay and the golf course that adjoined the resort-hotel complex. From this vantage point Annette studied other early-morning risers out jogging. A lone runner stood out from the others. She'd