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"Do you want to explain what happened?"

"Ellie didn’t tell you?" he asked, his eyes widening "I assumed she had"

Carol shook her head "I called her after you told me she’d filed for divorce, but she said she’d rather not discuss it" She didn’t add that Ellie had been sobbing at the time Until the end, Carol had hoped the two of them would be able to settle their differences and reunite After the divorce, though, it see forith her life

"I’ets lonely, you know?"

This hat Ellie had implied but Carol had refused to accept it Rick would never do such a thing, she’d told herself He was her older brother, her hero Still, she had to know "You…didn’t have an affair, did you?"

"No," he said "It wasn’t like that…But Ellie--well, she can’t accept the fact that I’m around beautiful women on the job and away from home It became a trust issue"

Carol wouldn’t feel entirely co around other women, either, but she didn’t say so Her brother didn’t need to hear about her own insecurities

"I don’t knohy she felt that way," Rick went on "It’s Ellie I love" He wiped his face in a weary gesture "I tried to convince her that she’s the only woman for me but she wouldn’t listen I can’t believe she threay our e because she didn’t trust me"

Carol couldn’t believe it, either, but she kept her thoughts to herself There were two possibilities: Ellie had been jealous and irrational or there was

"I did everything I could to talk Ellie out of the divorce," he continued "Okay, so maybe I was teht? Sit in o out occasionally Can you really blame me for that?"

Maybe there was some basis for Ellie’s distrust Still, Carol found it practically inconceivable that her brother would cheat on his wife He was an honorable ht attendant or a female pilot now and then--was that so bad? Perhaps Ellie had sirateful we delayed having a fa to be grateful for, it was that She hated the thought of children suffering the upheaval of a broken home

"Ellie wanted kids, but I wasn’t ready"

Carol nodded

"Any idea what I should do now?" he asked, peering at her as if she could provide hi how to respond Rick could be his oorst enemy He’d always been a sociable person, the life of the party, a natural daredevil, and she’d loved and adallant older brother It saddened her to see how unhappy he was

"You need to prove yourself to Ellie"

"But how?" he cried "I’ you, Carol, I’ain"

"Perhaps you could write to her"

"Write what?"

"A letter," she said "Better yet, use e-mail Tell her you’re an idiot"

"I think she already knows that" For the first ti, she saw a hint of smile on his face "What if she won’t answer iving up"

"Should I send her flowers? That kind of thing?"

"Bring her strawberries and fresh fruit from the Pike Place Market" Fresh fruit was available in Juneau, but it was extreested "As I recall, Ellie loves blueberries"

"She does?"

"Rick! You should know that She was your wife"

"That’s the probleh attention I didn’t realize howto rinned, and it was the same boyish smile she re You really think I can win her back?"

"Yes," she cried It felt good to have her brother turn to her, to need her help Rick had e, but she’d do everything she could to support him

CHAPTER 12

ALIX TOWNSEND

L aurel owed Alix, so she had her roommate cover for her the minute Jordan Turner showed up at the video store on Tuesday night As soon as she saw that he was getting ready to leave, she slipped out front and pretended to be on break Her hand shook as she lit a cigarette; she leaned against the building and took a deep drag, hoping the nicotine would calm her

When the door opened and Jordan stepped outside, Alix called to him

"Hi," she said