To Tell the Truth: Oregon by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey [Dailey, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780759238428
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 1977-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

"I'LL PLAY the winner," Nancy declared.

Andrea tossed her light yellow jacket onto the fence. The nervous flutterings of her stomach were difficult to ignore as she shook her tennis racket free from its case. Tell was standing only a few feet away from her, bronze gold legs muscular and long beneath the drill white of his tennis shorts.

"How long has it been since you've played, Mrs. Grant?" he asked.

"Just this week," she answered tautly.

"Perhaps that will give you an advantage. I haven't played in over a month."

"Don't let him kid you, Andrea," Nancy warned quietly. "He's very good even when he's out of practice."

"I have no doubt of that." Andrea touched her hairband, making sure her hair was away from her eyes.

"John told me your instructor usually spends all afternoon out here. You must get in a lot of practice," Tell commented.

Stiffening, Andrea met his mocking gaze. "Sometimes we just sit and talk."

"About tennis?" There was a faint jeer in his tone.

"No, about a lot of other things."

"What business is it of yours anyway, Tell?" Nancy challenged.

"Just curious, my pet," he smiled coldly at his sister. "Considering the amount of time they spend together, I was just wondering how friendly Mrs. Grant was with her instructor, Mr. Towers."

"Leslie Towers and I are fairly good friends and quite close, Mr. Stafford," Andrea retorted. "Leslie is not only a friend but she's a female. So if you're through with your insults, lets play tennis. Shall I serve first or will you?"

Tell stared at her, hard, black eyes boring into her as if to seek some sign that she was lying. Andrea met them without flinching.

"What's the matter, Mr. Stafford? Are you disappointed to discover that I'm not having an affair with my tennis instructor?"

"Andrea." Nancy touched her arm in a placating gesture.

She sighed and bounced the ball to Tell. "You serve."

"Ladies first," he countered, flipping the ball back to her and walking to the near side of the court.

With his blazing return of the first serve, Andrea knew this would be no friendly tennis game. He intended to challenge her skill with every ball over the net. During the first set, she managed to stay close with the help of some lucky saves.

By the middle of the second set, as she chased his returns from one end of the court to the other, she knew he intended to run her into the ground. He was in command and on the offensive. Her defense was rapidly crumbling under the onslaught.

Lobbing a return to Tell, Andrea saw him set up for a blazing crosscourt smash. She ordered her tiring muscles to race to meet it. The ball was traveling at such a speed that there was only a slim chance that she could reach it. Stretching, she managed to get her racket on it, but her momentum sent her tumbling onto the court and the ball ricocheted off her racket and out of bounds.

Winded and beaten, she lay for a few precious seconds on the court.

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