Avery clasped her hands at her waist. “Well, I—”
“Good of Mom and Dad to take Mandy for a walk.”
“Yes, it was.”
“She’ll enjoy the outing.”
“And it’ll give you a chance to study your speeches without interruption.”
“Hmm.”
“Although I don’t think you really need to study them.”
“No, I feel comfortable about today’s schedule.”
“That’s good.”
He contemplated the toes of his boots for a moment. When he looked up, he asked, “Do you think it’ll rain?”
“I, uh…” She gave the window a cursory glance. “I don’t think so, no. It—”
He reached for her, pulled her against him, kissed her neck.
“Tate?”
“Hmm?” He walked her backward toward the sofa.
“I thought, after last night, you wouldn’t want…”
“You thought wrong.”
Thirty-Nine
“Boo!”
Fancy sprang out from behind the door as soon as Eddy entered his hotel room. He didn’t even flinch. “How’d you get in here?”
“I bribed a maid.”
“With what?”
“Uncle Tate’s jockstrap.”
“You’re sick.”
“Don’t ya love it?”
“What’s that?” He pointed to a table in front of the large window. It was draped with a white cloth and had two place settings laid out on it.
“Lunch. Crab salad in cute little avocado halves.”
“You should have asked me first, Fancy.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“It wouldn’t matter if I were. I’ve only got a minute.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the telephone. After consulting the piece of scrap paper in his shirt pocket, he punched out the number. “Mr. George Malone, please.”
Fancy stood on her knees behind him and ground her pelvis against his spine. “Mr. Malone? This is Eddy Paschal, with the Rutledge campaign. You called?” Eddy ducked his head when she leaned over his shoulder and bit his earlobe.