LITMIR.BIZ

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“I prefer to think of it as bending the truth a little.”

      “I’m a mother so I have to project a certain image.”

      “You need to loosen up,” Mallory said, her gaze following John as he took an older couple’s order several tables away. “Hmmm-hmmm, nice butt.”

      “Not bad,” I said, tapping my fingernail against the water glass. “For a kid.”

      Mallory’s hazel eyes sparkled. “John’s in his second year of college at the University of Southern Maine.”

      “You’re kidding,” Carrie said, her cheeks flushing crimson.

      Mallory uttered a deep laugh. “Before you call the cops on me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. He was in the navy for a while and went back to school. He’s thirty-one.”

      “I don’t know if I could ever marry a younger man,” Carrie said.

      “I don’t intend to marry him. Though I’d like him to stick around for a while. He’s very talented in bed.”

      “That sounds awful, like you’re using him,” Carrie said, looking troubled.

      Carrie was the more sensitive of my two friends. When it came to men, she was too nice, too willing to believe what they said. And she ended up hurt.

      “We both know where we stand,” Mallory replied. “No one’s going to get hurt. And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying each other’s company. Especially when the guy is so yummy. Enough about me, how’s Tony?”

      “We’re getting along really well. I was concerned I’d feel as though he was invading my space, but we have enough alone time that it isn’t a problem,” I replied.

      Carrie took a sip of water. “I’m looking for someone really special, a man who’ll want to spend his spare time with me and the boys. Someone I can trust.”

      “I think that breed is extinct,” Mallory said.

      Carrie sighed. “I’m afraid you may be right.”

      “Have you started to notice Tony’s little annoying habits yet?” Mallory asked.

      “Nope, maybe he doesn’t have any.” I knew that would stir up Mallory.

      “When you least expect it, you’ll start noticing the cap off the toothpaste, the butter left out on the counter, in the morning dirty dishes in the sink that weren’t there when you went to bed. That’s when I usually give the guy the heave-ho. And since there are no strings attached, it’ll be easy for you to move on, too.”

      Mallory didn’t understand my relationship with Tony. We weren’t planning to get married, but both of us considered our relationship permanent. “He enjoys cooking for me,” I said. “And he brings me flowers every week. I see us growing old together.”

      Mallory threw me a bright smile. “That’s always a possibility, but if it doesn’t work out, there are no strings. It’ll be a lot easier to move on to the next flavor of the month.”

      After soaking in the hot tub and sharing a couple glasses of wine, Tony and I made love twice: first on the lounge in the sunroom, the rain beating down on the glass-paneled ceiling, our joining frantic and exciting. Overhead lightning arced across the black sky as thunder rumbled. Then Tony picked me up, walked into the house and laid me down on my bed. No rush this time, slow, thorough and breathtaking.

      He’d fallen asleep shortly afterward, his arm wrapped around me, my head against his chest. I couldn’t stop thinking how fortunate I was.

      My life was nearly perfect.

      I’d dozed off and was awakened around three by the phone. Two rings and the answering machine picked up. Since I’d never gotten around to having a jack installed in this room, I hurried into the living room.

      “Annie, it’s Mom.”

      I grabbed the receiver, dropped it on the floor and scrambled to pick it up. “What’s wrong?”

      I saw Tony coming toward me, clad only in a pair of dark boxers. He placed his hands over my shoulders, and I instantly felt stronger. Thank goodness he was here with me now.

      “It’s your sister,” Mom said, between sobs. “They found her unconscious in a sleazy apartment complex in Los Angeles. She was rushed to the hospital. According to the doctor I spoke to a few minutes ago on the phone, Dana’s lucky to be alive.”

      “What happened to her?”

      “The doctor thinks it was a cocaine overdose, but he won’t know for sure until the blood tests are in.”

      I’d never fainted in my life, yet suddenly I felt dizzy. I closed my eyes and reached for the back of the chair for support. Tony must have noticed because he stepped closer and pulled me tight against him.

      “Who’s taking care of Summer?” I asked, concerned about my thirteen-year-old niece’s safety. I hoped she hadn’t seen her mother in that condition.

      “The poor kid has been taking care of herself. I plan to catch a flight in a few hours, but I need to be close to Dana. Would you mind if Summer stayed with you for a while. A few days or a week?”

      I hadn’t seen my niece in years, but I remembered her childish giggle, her freckled face and her pixie haircut. “Wouldn’t it be easier if I flew to L.A. and took care of Summer at her home?”

      “I’m told your sister lives in a rough neighborhood with questionable roommates. I want my granddaughter far away from Dana’s so-called friends.”

      “Sure, Summer can stay here until Dana feels better.”

      “Good, I’ll call you as soon as I know more about your sister’s condition and when to expect Summer’s flight.”

      “Tell Dana not to worry. Summer can stay with me as long as she needs to.”

      CHAPTER 3

       A fter two failed attempts to put the receiver back in its cradle, Tony took the phone from my trembling fingers and set it down. I told him what little I knew about my sister and my niece. Without warning, I burst into tears. He gathered me in his arms and rocked me against his solid chest.

      Then he poured me a brandy and insisted I sit on the couch with my head against his shoulder. As I sipped the drink, his fingers traced slow lazy circles along my scalp, helping me to relax and finally doze off.

      I awoke with a start to find the sun streaming through the slits in the closed blinds. “How long have I been asleep?”

      “It’s almost six.” Tony yawned, freed his arm from beneath my head and stretched. “Will you be all right, or should I cancel going into work this morning?”

      I appreciated his generous offer, but I knew how important the mall project was to his business. If he and his partner didn’t crunch numbers this weekend, their bid wouldn’t be ready by Monday. And as much as I’d have liked to have Tony with me, there was no need.

      “No, I’ll be fine.”

      He pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Are you sure? Earlier on the phone you looked ready to pass out.”

      “I don’t know what came over me, but I’m back to my old self-reliant, tough-as-nails self.”

      He hugged me tight against him. “That’s my Annie.”

      I stood and grabbed a pad of paper from the desk and started making a list: chips and dip, drinks and teen magazines.

      “What will I say to her? I won’t know what to do with a teenager.” I drew a large exclamation point behind the word magazines.

      “She’ll only be here for a few days. Buy lots of pizza and plenty of junk food, set your television to MTV and don’t be surprised when your phone becomes an extension of her ear,” Tony said

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