Honeysuckle Summer (The Sweet Magnolias #7)(50)

Outside, he put together a plate for Annie, delivered that, then filled two more for himself and Raylene. He glanced over and saw his sisters were deep in conversation with Travis and Sarah at one of the tables that had been set up under a tent on the lawn. At least Mandy was talking. Carrie seemed to be gazing at Travis with the rapt expression of a love-struck fan.

He went back inside and handed a plate to Raylene.

“Where are the girls?” she asked.

“With Travis and Sarah. I don’t think we’re going to tear them away.”

Raylene looked oddly disappointed.

“Did you want to spend some time with them for some reason?” he asked.

“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to be sure they didn’t feel like outsiders.”

“As long as Travis is in the vicinity, I think they’re very happily occupied,” Carter told her.

He and Raylene took their meals into the living room and joined Annie. People came and went for the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening.

“Is everybody going to see the fireworks?” Ronnie asked, standing in the doorway just before dusk.

“Not me,” Annie said. “I need to take Meg home and get her to bed. Even though she sleeps like a rock, I’m afraid the noise of the fireworks will be too much for her. Where’s Trevor? Can you take him with you, Dad?”

“Will do,” Ronnie said. “Carter, you coming?”

“No, I’m going to hang out here and help with cleanup.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Raylene told him. “Don’t you want to see your first Fourth of July fireworks in Serenity?”

“Carrie and Mandy can tell me all about it,” he said. “I’m staying. I don’t want Sarah and Travis to come back to a major cleanup job.”

“Actually, pretty much everything’s inside,” Ronnie told him. “The leftovers have been wrapped up and put away in the fridge.”

Raylene gave Carter an amused look. “Frankly I think those leftovers are the real attraction. Since no one at his house cooks, I think he’s hoping he can steal them for home.”

“Maybe the leftover pie,” he agreed unrepentantly.

“As if,” Ronnie said. “That apple pie was the first thing to go.”

Carter sighed dramatically. “Just my luck. I’ll have to settle for some fried chicken.”

Annie’s expression brightened. “There’s more fried chicken?”

“If you eat it, you’ll explode,” Raylene told her. “I’ve watched what you packed away this afternoon. It’s little wonder you can barely move. You’re stuffed.”

“Hey, I’m enjoying food while I can. Once I stop nursing, I’ll be back to eating miniportions again.”

Though she sounded as if she was joking, Carter thought Ronnie looked alarmed.

“Annie,” Ronnie began, but she looked at him and he fell silent. Carter couldn’t imagine what the aborted exchange was about.

Annie struggled awkwardly to her feet with the baby. “If I don’t walk home now, I’ll never do it.”

“I could drop you by the house,” Ronnie offered at once.

“No, the walk will do me good.” She kissed his cheek. “Stop fretting, Dad. I’m fine. Just look out for Trevor.”

After everyone had gone, Carter checked to make sure the kitchen was in good shape, then came back to settle beside Raylene.

“Did I sense some tension between Annie and Ronnie?” he asked.

Raylene nodded. “Any time the subject of food comes up, there’s tension between them. Annie was anorexic in her teens. Ronnie and Dana Sue were divorced then, and he wasn’t living in town. When Annie collapsed and nearly died, he came back. I don’t think he’s ever really gotten over the shock of finding her in such bad shape. The one good thing that came out of it was that he and Dana Sue got back together.”

Carter frowned. “Annie really came that close to dying? I didn’t realize anorexia could be so serious.”

“Oh, it’s serious, all right. I was there the night Annie collapsed. Sarah and I both were. I’ve never been so scared in my life. It was a huge wake-up call to both of us about just how dangerous an eating disorder could be.”

Carter stood up and began to pace. He thought about how many times he’d seen Carrie eating like a bird, mostly just shoving food around on her plate. Surely, though, it hadn’t gone that far. She was a little on the thin side, but he’d chalked that up to fashion. Most girls her age seemed too darn skinny to him.

“Carter, are you okay?”

“I was thinking about Carrie.” He met her gaze. “She worries me.”

“Me, too,” Raylene said, startling him.

He hesitated, then asked, “You think she has a problem with food, too?”

“It’s crossed my mind. Frankly, that’s one reason I wanted everyone to come here today. I wanted Annie and Dana Sue, in particular, to keep an eye on Carrie and see if they thought my suspicions were correct before I said anything to you.”

“And then Carrie stayed outside,” he guessed, realizing now why she’d looked so disappointed.

“Yes, I hadn’t counted on that. I certainly didn’t want to spoil things and make a big deal about getting her to come in here. It won’t help if she thinks she’s under a microscope.”