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.“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”“Yes, but I’ve always thought that.” Nina looked up from her laptop where she sat at the kitchen table, half-hidden by the bucket of tulips.She bookmarked her page, then moved the flowers over so she could see Aretha.“You mean the Luke thing? For starters, you certainly weren’t crazy about the beautiful part.That he is.If you tell me the two of you are running off to Vegas tomorrow, then you’re definitely certifiable.”The pencil stopped.“Not tomorrow, of course not.” It started again.“But I do like him.As in, if he doesn’t call me this week, I’ll be in mourning.And devastated.And maybe therapy.” She started sketching again.“Now that, my friend, is crazy.You met him less than two days ago.Have you even run a Google search on the man? Checked out one of those sexual predator sites? Due diligence.Do it.”Her pencil danced from one side of the pad to the other as she spoke.“Is that distrust because that journalistic blood of yours flows through the river of suspicion? If I told you he was an attorney or a doctor, you’d feel better?”“Maybe, but being a doctor or lawyer doesn’t save people from being skanky.His career choice isn’t the issue.”“True, but would you even be the slightest bit interested in Brady if he worked as a mechanic or a plumber?”Nina laughed.“Sister, I’d be more interested because I’m certain his income would be much better in those two careers.Why? Do you think I’m a job-snob?”She shrugged.“Nah.You’d be more interested in Dr.Vet if you were, regardless of his sibling.”Nina pushed the flowers to the other end of the table.“Being a veterinarian doesn’t exempt him from anything, and it’s not his sibling who’s an issue.Except that it’s one more reason to distrust him.I know his history, and that’s the reason I’m not interested.”Aretha looked up at Nina.“Kind of a shame, really.He is.”Nina lowered her Coke to the table.“He’s what?”“Attracted to you.I saw it at the benefit.His body language, the way his eyes lingered on your face—”“Stop.Not only would he be wasting his time, just the thought of that makes me wish I could give my brain a bath,” Nina said.“Okay, we’ll go with that for now.”Nina considered raising another objection, but she didn’t want another Greg conversation.And she knew Aretha had a way of drawing things out of her.Admitting she might have had just the flicker of a feeling for him wasn’t news she wanted Aretha to use as evidence.Manny pattered back and forth from the sofa to the table motored by a whine that grew louder with each trip.Aretha, still focused on the pad, said, “He’s hungry.”Nina had already headed for the dog food.“I’m on it.” She spooned the canned duck formula into his bowl, and Manny tap-danced below her while she mashed it up for him.“Look,” she said as she set his bowl on his doggy placemat, “I’m not telling you it’s ridiculous to want to spend more time with Luke.I just don’t want to see your picture on the television one night as a crime statistic.” She washed her hands and sat down at the laptop again.“What does he do? And what are you so busy sketching over there?”“He’s a detective.” She grinned as she turned the sketchpad to face Nina.The name Luke, styled in a fanciful calligraphy, stretched from one end of the page to another.Nina groaned.“Great.He brings out your junior high tween-self.”18Omitting the praise from Brady about her nose for news and his benefit bashing, Nina pitched the feature idea to Aretha.“I think writing human interest stories about the families in these support groups could earn me some promotion points, don’t you?”“That’s your angle? Promotion points? Do you want to write these stories?” Aretha had retired her sketchpad for the night and folded towels fresh out of the dryer.The scent of Mountain Spring fabric softener competed with the lemon oil Nina was using to polish the table.“Can’t this be a case of the end justifies the means? I’m not all that excited about chummying up to these families, but if the end result is a ticket to New York, I could stand it.”“And you’re not afraid that the stories will reflect your wafer-thin veneer of compassion? And you’re comfortable using these people?”Nina refolded the dust cloth and wiped the kitchen table again.“You’re making me feel like a con artist.If their message gets out, will they care? Isn’t that the Christian thing to do.you know.sacrifice for the greater good or glory or something like that?”Aretha shook her head as if Nina had just said she’d eaten a bowl of jellybeans for breakfast.“A little advice.Don’t go trying to be something you’re not.Or, worse, be condescending because they operate on a level of faith.”“They’ll be happy to have a forum to promote their cause.And I’ll be happy to have a cause to promote myself.It’s a win-win,” Nina said.Aretha moved a stack of dish towels into the kitchen drawer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]