"I wouldn't have to call him, would I? I could tell him when he drops by the Carlton place."

Terri played hard with the two Carlton children. She wanted them as tired as she could make them. But they had a surprising amount of energy, and she had to stop a couple of times and break out cokes for everybody.

"Let's play throw the ball up the hall again," Ginger Carlton hollered.

"Yeah, for sure," Billy Carlton joined in. Terri ran to her place to wait for the ball to come to her. She was going to wear these two little maniacs out if it was the last thing she did. She wanted them out of the way by the time Tommy showed up.

After another half hour, Ginger had gone to her room to put on her pajamas and Billy was yawning. He still didn't want to give in. Toni raced him up and ~PAGE~ Down the basement steps until he was giggling and breathless.

"Now, wouldn't a nice hot bath be good?"

"I guess so," four-year-old Billy pouted. Toni knew that hot baths could put a kid to sleep real quick. She tucked Ginger in, turned out her light and went to take care of Billy. He played with his battleship for a while, but she could tell his fatigue was growing. He was yawning so much, Terri was catching it.

Toweling the youngster dry, Terri led him to his bedroom and waited while he struggled into his pajamas. She told him a story, watching his eyes blink and grow heavy. Yeah, he was gone now, out for the rest of the night. Terri closed the door gently behind her and headed for the front room. It was almost eight. Tommy Allen would be showing up at any moment. Her heart beat faster as she rehearsed what she would say.

"God, what if he just turns around and leaves?"

But he wouldn't do that. Not after the special trouble she'd gone to to look sexy for him. She'd put on a dab of eye shadow, a dab of lipstick and just the lightest trace of rouge. She'd brushed her long hair until it shone.