Jamie glanced at her watch. Nine o’clock. Eli was right on time, not that she’d expect otherwise. She stopped in front of the mirror on the dining room wall, fluffed her hair and smoothed her soft lavender-colored sweater over her favorite jeans.“Did you forget to comb your hair?” Opal asked, coming up behind her.“No.” She’d not only washed and blow-dried her hair, she’d also put on makeup and her favorite earrings. No harm in looking nice, even if she wasn’t going anywhere special.Rose looked up from the cereal she was finishing. “You look pretty.”“Thanks, sweetie.”“Mommy!” Opal called from the living room. “It’s Mr. Payton.”“Remember what we talked about,” Jamie warned.She’d discussed Eli’s coming over with her daughter at breakfast and laid down the law about Opal not bothering Eli to take her and Rose to the dinner-dance. Opal had cheerfully agreed, while spooning down two bowls of her favorite cereal, rousing suspicion that the child hadn’t heard a word she’d said.The house phone rang as she started toward the living room.
