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Lindy shrugged, praying she didn’t look as bad as she felt "Fine"

"How’s Rush?"

"He couldn’t be better," she answered, unable to keep her voice fro with heavy sarcasm "He’s all navy – you know him God, country, apple pie – the whole patriotic bit He nearly lost his arm He nearly bled to death, but he couldn’t enjoy a few days in paradise because it was ot a job to do, you know He alone is going to uphold world peace You didn’t tellstunned, her brother stopped and glared at her, his eyes wide and filled with surprise "Exactly what is your proble," she amended

"What happened?"

She didn’t want Steve to be gentle and concerned Not when she was being forced to adht from the first I made a mistake--- A bad one I’ood navy wife---You knew that fro"

Steve’s frown deepened "I’ve come to think differently in the past feeeks Lindy, e got the news there’d been an accident aboard the Mitchell, you were as solid as a rock It was me who fell apart at the sea you, you should prepare yourself for the worst? Everything I said and did rong You were like an anchor during that whole tith"

Lindy’s sentle as she placed her hand on her brother’s forearm "You onderful I thank God you were there"

"But you love Rush Dear God, Lindy, you were so strong and brave e learned he was , and yet I was afraid it would have killed you if the dae control party hadn’t found Rush in ti to take second place in his life With Rush – " she paused and looked up at hi " – and with you, the navy will always come first"

"Did you tell Rush this?"

She nodded, and her eyes filled with an unspeakable sadness "He knows exactly how I feel"

"What are you going to do now?"

"I…I don’t know"

Steve placed his free arently "Don’t decide anything yet You’re hurting and h and then, once Rush is safely back in Seattle, you two can sort things out"

"I told Rush I wouldn’t be there to meet him when the Mitchell sails home I meant it, Steve He put the navy first He was the one who chose his career over me"

Steve’s mouth and eyes thinned with frustration "You sent Rush back to the Mitchell with that piece of good news? Corow up here So you orried about him That’s only natural But don’t try to suffocate hie Rush isn’t the kind ofto let soreed to be his wife"

Lindy pulled herself free from her brother’s hold "I didn’t expect you to understand"

"For God’s sake, Lindy, you want to castrate a ot a job to do and feels honor-bound to do it? What kind of logic is that?"

"I’ to talk about it anymore" Quick-paced, determined steps carried her down the concourse and away from her brother She should have known better than to even try to talk to hia up with her "I can’t let you ruin your life like this – and Rush’s in the process Any idiot can see how much you two love each other"

"I don’t want to hear this It’s none of your business, so keep your opinions to yourself"

"I can’t!"

"Get your own house in order, big brother, and then you can start cleaning retted the harsh words the ue Steve looked at her as though she’d stabbed a knife into his chest A muscle in his jaw leaped to life and she saw her brotherfro her out

His eyes narrowed and hardened as his angry gaze briefly met hers "If that’s the way you want it"

It wasn’t, but she didn’t kno to retract those cruel words He didn’t bother to wait for an answer and e claim area and they rode into the city in a stilted, uneasy silence

"I didn’t mean what I said earlier," Lindy told him, once they were inside the apartment

Her brother didn’t look at her "Yes, you did," he said after a moment, and walked away fro a thousand lately," Lindy confided to Susan She’d been back from Hawaii almost three weeks now, but this was the first opportunity she’d had to visit her friend "In one short week, I ed to alienate both my husband and my brother"

"Have you heard fro the coffee in both their cups

"No But then I didn’t expect to"

"Have you written hi it with both hands, letting the warmth burn her palms "No"

Susan pulled out a chair and slunant and just starting to wear ile, but underneath she was as tough as leather Lindy would have given everything she owned to possess the sarit and fortitude as her friend

"From what I can tell, you’ve put yourself in a no-win situation," Susan said softly, sadly