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Although Charlotte knew Carrie had risked her "cool" status, her daughter had coht with excite her mother chaperone a dance, after all

After the dance, while Carrie and Brad attended the nearby party, Charlotte and Jason sat outside in the schoolyard, gazing at the stars, laughing and kissing Not the passionate, soul-deep kisses of earlier, but tender, sweet ones By the end of the evening the barriers surrounding her heart had started to crumble

Charlotte and Carrie came home at a respectable hour, their heads filled with ro each other like sleepwalkers in the hall

Several hours later, Charlotte, unable to sleep, wrapped her memories around her like a cloak Not since her own schooldays had she been , she’d coret--that she was deeply in love with Jason Manning

After an hour of savoring everyshe’d be with hiame

"You ready, Mom?" Carrie called happily from the kitchen It was shortly after ten "Jason’ll be here any minute"

Charlotte sucked in her stomach and zipped up her skinny jeans Then she reached for a clean sweatshirt and tossed it over her head Jason was already in the kitchen, checking the contents of the picnic basket, when she sauntered in from her bedroom Her heart did a little dance when she saw hi" She felt shy, and couldn’t explain it

He turned around and their eyes "

Charlotte opened the refrigerator and withdrew a six-pack of diet soda to add to the cooler

"Is that all I get--just a friendly ‘goodhis voice low so Carrie wouldn’t hear

"What else do you want?"

"You should know the answer to that I swear, Charlotte, leaving you last night was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done" He slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face in the slope of her neck

Charlotte twisted around and stared up at hih it was knowing I’d be with you again this " He lowered his mouth to hers, and she parted her lips The kiss was slow and deep and hot

"Honestly, you two are getting ridiculous," Carrie said froins thinks so" At the lastCharlotte wasn’t sure he was healed enough to run around the park, but Carrie had phoned Jason and he’d felt it would be all right

"You ready?" Jason asked, picking up the wicker basket, his hand around Charlotte’s waist as though, even now, it was difficult to let her go

"I’ve been ready for the last ten ins’s leash and leading him to Jason’s car

On the ride across town, Jason put on a CD and the three of the with Bon Jovi But as they pulled into thelot, Jason’s voice stopped abruptly

"What’s wrong?" Charlotte asked

"Nothing for you to worry about" He tried to reassure her with a slanced around, wondering what could possibly be aine, unless it was a vehicle he happened to recognize

"I’ins for a walk," Carrie announced as soon as she’d clier to show off the dog to Ryan, Ronnie and the other children

When Jason was opening the trunk of his car and re his softball equipment, Charlotte spoke

"Is there soirlfriend, a foraze met hers He smiled, a smile that started with his eyes and worked its way down to hisquite so dramatic My parents are here"

"I see," she said "You’d rather I wasn’t with you"

"No," he said vehemently, and she realized he wanted her with hih followed his response "I don’t like the idea of you having to endure another inquisition"

"I’irl"

"You don’t know h," Charlotte assured hi Jason’s parents must be exceptional people, to have raised such a wonderful fa clan, she’d known so little of what it meant to be part of a faed one another Where joys were shared and grief divided All her life, Charlotte had been on the outside looking in, yearning for that special bond

"They’re going to drive you crazy with questions," he said grimly

"Don’t worry about it I kno to be evasive You forget, I’h was autorinned over at her, tossed a baseball bat over one shoulder and reached for her hand, linking their fingers Linking them in a way that would dissolve any doubts

Charlotte’s heart sang with a joy that radiated from her heart

They strolled casually, hand in hand, across the freshly mowed lawn Jason’s steps slowed as they approached the playing field

Charlotte glanced up to find his eyes on her "I just pray I can keep frohed as they walked toward the older couple talking with Paul and Rich Jason made the introductions and Charlotte smiled war forward toto know Jason and his brothers, I can’t help thinking you two must be very special people"

Jason waited a restless twenty-four hours for the suuised as an invitation to dinner at his parents’ house that sa Jason, however, wasn’t fooled His ed to sing for his supper