LITMIR.BIZ

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rap concert in your backyard?”

      Suddenly Lisa with her geometrically designed red-and-blond hair—now half spiked, half flat—appeared in a T-shirt that looked as if it should be in a trash bin. Her jeans were tattered, too.

      Carrie was out of her chair in a second, and Brian felt himself rising to his feet.

      “I got hungry,” the teen mumbled, glancing around at everybody.

      “I’m glad,” Carrie said with a smile, putting her arm around Lisa. Without hesitation, she said to the group at the table, “This is Lisa Sanders. She’s staying with us for a while. Lisa, meet Mr. and Mrs. Hammond, Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien, and Mr. Dennehy.”

      Brian suspected his guests were still trying to recover from the shock of Lisa’s appearance.

      Carrie excused herself and suggested to Lisa, “Come into the kitchen with me and I’ll get you a platter.”

      As soon as his wife and Lisa disappeared, all eyes were on Brian. “Lisa’s thinking about giving up her baby for adoption, and we might adopt.”

      “How long have you been planning this?” Peggy asked, speaking loud enough to be heard over the music.

      “Not long. Lisa came to stay a few days ago.”

      Carla leaned back in her chair and pushed her plate away with two bites of cake still on it. “You and Carrie tried in vitro, didn’t you?”

      Brian didn’t like talking about his personal life this way, but he supposed Carrie had confided in these women. “Yes, we did.”

      Peggy shook her head. “It’s a shame you have to resort to this.”

      Although those had been Brian’s thoughts, he bristled. “Like all children, Lisa’s baby deserves a good home. Carrie and I can provide that.” Deciding to end the conversation right there, he rose to his feet. “I’ll see what’s keeping Carrie.”

      As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, he was aware the caterer wasn’t making a platter for Lisa at all but stowing away the remains of the dinner. Carrie, however, was creating a thick sandwich while Lisa looked on.

      “Did we eat all the prime rib?” he asked, trying to keep his voice tempered.

      “Lisa just wanted something more simple.”

      Lisa’s music still blared loudly into the whole house. “If you don’t mind, Lisa, I’m going to turn down the music.”

      “I do mind. I’m listening to it.”

      His patience wore thin. “Unfortunately, so are our guests. They’re trying to have a conversation.”

      Lisa’s face grew defiant. “I suppose it would be better for you if I hadn’t come out at all. I saw the way they looked at me.”

      Carrie dropped the butter knife she’d been using, and Lisa stooped to pick it up. When she tried to straighten, she wobbled.

      Brian saw her losing her balance and he went to her quickly, helping her. “What’s wrong?”

      “Just felt dizzy.” Her face had flushed and Brian didn’t like that.

      “When did you last eat?” he asked.

      “Around noon.” Her voice trailed off as she sagged against him.

      Without thinking about it twice, he lifted her into his arms. “I’m taking her to her room.”

      Looking scared, Lisa held on tightly. Suddenly Brian didn’t see the two-colored hair, the earrings, the tattoos. He saw a young girl whose world was swirling around her and she couldn’t seem to stop it.

      The guest bedroom on the first floor was decorated in yellow and white and pink. A hand-quilted comforter in those colors lay across the bed while a white dust ruffle peeked out from under it. The yellow armchair in the corner of the room was a comfortable one and Brian could see that was where Lisa had apparently spent most of her time, since there was a romance novel and a few magazines spread around it. The CD player was still blaring and Carrie went to it, switching it off. She’d managed to grab the sandwich and a glass of milk.

      Now as Brian laid Lisa on the bed, Carrie set the food on the nightstand and crouched down beside the teenager.

      “Do you have a headache?” she asked as she pulled up Lisa’s jeans—to check her ankles for swelling, Brian guessed.

      “No headache. Just a little dizzy.” At the dresser, Carrie opened one of the drawers and pulled out a blood pressure monitor. With a sideways glance at him, she said, “I bought it yesterday. Since Lisa was taken to the emergency room because her blood pressure was too high, I thought we’d better keep track of it.”

      After she put the cuff around Lisa’s arm, she waited for the digital readout. A short time later the machine beeped. “It’s slightly elevated. I think you’d better rest for the evening.”

      “I’m so bored,” Lisa groaned. “I’ve been reading and looking at magazines since I’ve been here. That’s the only CD I’ve kept and I’m tired of it. This baby is ruining my life!”

      Brian sat down on the bed beside Lisa. “I don’t think it’s the baby who’s ruining your life. Circumstances are, and maybe a few wrong decisions on your part.”

      Lisa glared at him. “You think you have all the right answers.”

      Making an effort not to let her get to him, he replied, “There are a lot of problems to be solved here. You can’t do it all instantly or even overnight. If you want help, we’ll guide you in the right direction. You need to be thinking about what you want to do after your baby’s born. If you give it up for adoption—”

      “You bet I’m giving it up for adoption. I don’t want to take care of it all day and all night. I want—”

      Tears came into her eyes, and Brian actually felt sorry for her. Maybe this was how Carrie had felt toward the teenager since their first meeting.

      “What do you want?” he asked in a low voice.

      “What I want can never happen. I want my parents back. I want my body back.”

      Carrie spoke softly from the other side of the bed. “I’m sorry about your parents, Lisa. I can only imagine how you feel—absolutely alone with no one to hold on to. But you don’t have to be alone now. We want to help.”

      There was a slight rap on the door, and Peggy stepped inside. “Is there something wrong? Is there anything we can do?”

      Brian suspected Peggy didn’t want anything to do as much as she wanted to see what was going on. She was the typical social butterfly and he often doubted her sincerity. “We have everything under control. Carrie and I will be out in a couple of minutes. Tell Rob to help himself to some of that cognac on the buffet.”

      “The caterer just set out divine liqueurs. We didn’t want to start without you.”

      “Go right ahead. We’ll join you shortly.”

      With a last look at Lisa, Peggy left the room, high heels clicking on the hardwood floor.

      After Carrie stood, she picked up the sandwich on the nightstand and offered it to Lisa. “You’ve got to eat regular meals, too. It will help. I’ll stay here and keep you company while Brian goes back to our guests.”

      That wasn’t an option Brian preferred. “I can bring a TV in here from the guest room upstairs. Then you won’t have to stay.”

      Carrie’s dark eyes met his. “The TV’s a good idea. But I want to make sure Lisa’s over her dizziness. I’m sure everyone will understand.”

      He wasn’t sure they would understand. There was a time when Carrie wouldn’t have considered bailing out of one of his social functions. “Can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?”

      Lisa

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