They immediately quieted. "Did you bring us something?" Kyle asked expectantly,eyeing the large shopping bag she carried.

"Kyle!" Lynette scolded. "You know better than that!" She hugged Jodie before shestepped back. "Don't you look great! The tan really emphasizes the color of youreyes."

Chuck joined them. "Looking good, little sis. Vacations obviously agree with you."

Jodie sat down on the sofa and immediately had two little boys eyeing the bag. Shebegan to pull out various gifts, explaining where she'd found different ones. Whenshe finished, she said to Lynette, "Dean bought me a ukulele."

"Did he know you play?"

"I made the mistake of telling him. Actually the chords came back to me fairly

easily and I'm not too bad on the thing."

"Did you bring it with you?" Kent asked. "I didn't know you can play."

"No, I left it at the apartment. One of these days when you come to visit I'll get

it out for you."

Eventually they sat down to eat. Everyone was full of questions and the time flewby. It was only when she got ready to leave that Lynette walked her to the door and quietly asked, "Something happened over there, didn't it?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I know you. There's a shadow in your eyes I've never seen before."

"I'm just tired. Traveling really wears me out."

"If you say so."

"It's probably the letdown of getting back home and picking up my routine again."

Lynette hugged her. "Okay. Then we'll see you Friday night, right?"

"Right."

Jodie let herself out of the warm house and into the cold. She hurried to her carand crawled inside. While she waited for the car to warm and the heater to kick on,Jodie thought about Lynette's comments.

Truly, nothinghad happened except for a few shared kisses, and she had nointention of discussing her response to Dean with anyone. After all, the kisses hadbeen an impulse of the moment...except for the one this morning. She hadn't neededthe reminder that she was strongly attracted to Dean Logan, which wasn't verysmart.

She turned on the car radio and listened to music during her drive home,determined to put him completely out of her mind.

Eight.

"Wow! Look at you!" Betty said by way of greeting when Jodie walked into theoffice the next morning. "Quite a tan. You certainly stand out among all of usoatmeal-colored people. So where did you go?"

"Hawaii."

"Ooooh, well good for you. Does the boss know you took off the same week he did?"

"Yes. Is he in yet?"

"Haven't seen him, but that doesn't mean much. It's not unusual for him to get

here before I do."

Jodie nodded and headed to her office.

Once there, she almost groaned at the sight of her desk covered in papers with

notes attached, files stacked high and file drawers half-open. She glanced into hisoffice and saw Dean at his desk, frowning at something he was reading.

She put her purse away and made coffee. While she waited for the coffee to brew,she sat and began to sort through the mess on her desk.

"Jodie? Is that you?"

She stood and walked over to his doorway. "Yes. How did you manage to go throughso much work this morning?"

"Oh, that's from yesterday. I spent the day catching up on what's been happening.Is there coffee?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Yes. I'll bring you some."

"Thanks," he said absently, leaning back in his chair, still reading.

There, you see? she told herself. He's already forgotten last week and has movedon with his life.

Or so she thought until she set his coffee on his desk and he looked up at her.The heat in his eyes made her tremble. He'd never looked at her like that in theoffice before.

"Was your family glad to have you back home?"

"My nephews were more interested in what I brought them," she answered. "Lynetteand Chuck agreed that I looked tanned and rested, which, according to them, wasjust what I needed."

He nodded thoughtfully and straightened in his chair. "I'd like to meet them

sometime."

"My family?" She had to be mistaken. That couldn't be what he meant.

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Have lunch with me today and we can discuss it."

"I, uh, generally eat lunch at my desk."

"Not today."

"Is this business-related?"

His frown deepened. "Of course not."

"Then don't issue orders about my personal time." She turned and went back to her

desk. She started filing papers and folders, her back to his door.After several minutes she heard Dean clear his throat. She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing beside her desk.

"What do you need?" she asked pleasantly.

"Some manners. Obviously. I apologize for ordering you around."

"Apology accepted."