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I couldn’t decide if I was upset that Bruno hadn’t thought to invite me I mean, I don’t really like baseball that much and he really was here on business, but--

Plus, there went my second choice for a backup--Kevin But I kept my tone cheerful "You don’t need the cap, the Mets aren’t playing"

"It’s my cap" He said it like it should be self-evident It wasn’t, but I wasn’t going to argue This s

"Fine, fine I won’t wear it I’ll pick so your cap by the hospital to out"

"Bruno--," I started to protest

"Don’t say a word Just don’t I’ve already heard about it from my mother, my brother, and my uncle I can rest just as well at a five-star hotel with all the a the game"

He probably could rest at the hotel If only he would

"Celia? Are you there?"

I’d been silent too long … again I was having a hard tiain, I hadn’t had any caffeine yet Hurry up, Room Service!

"Yeah, I’m here Just a little tired And worried"

"You’re the one who should get soet back until after sunrise and you’re already up And you’ve had a helluva tientle, and it uy Italian But he is also a sweetheart, my sweetheart Well, my former sweetheart But I’ll always love hi, I wasn’t going to do it I still had a life-threatening e on

"In that case I won’t deliver the hat back to the hotel Because if I do neither one of us will rest" I was only partly teasing I remembered yesterday’s kiss so clearly itit by the hotel pool? Say tohter in his voice "It’s nice and public We should be safe"

"I’ll do that You can buy ot a deal"

"Are you planning to get ?" He spoke in an exaggerated drawl thatup

I thought about who to take to the game most of the day--while I dumped half the vanated du on it as I drove out to Birchwoods for my doctor’s appointiven me was for a doctor at Birchwoods She’d said Dr Scott had specifically asked her to make time to fit me in

Peachy And while I kneas important, that I really needed to talk to soer Besides, I hate shrink appointlad for it You can only get out of psychiatric treat to put in I know that I also knew that I’d needed the treatment then, and now I’d been a patient of one of the best shrinks in the business, and she’d gone pretty damned deep into sorateful But it hadn’t been easy on either of us Who could blame me if I wasn’t anxious to repeat the process?

On top of that, I looked utterly ridiculous Daould have a stroke if she could seeme were a red T-shirt and a pair of oversized black nylon basketball shorts with a drawstring waist The shirt wasn’t so bad, but the shorts hung past my knees and looked damned silly, particularly with the added touches of the denim jacket, ball cap, and sneakers without socks

I’d been too upset to notice before, but the outpatient treat I hauled antly clad ass up the sunlit sidewalk as quick as I couldunder the uht sunscreen froift shop, but it’d been a small bottle and only SPF 15, which didn’t really cut it with my new pallor If there was ti for so decent to wear, a replacement hat, and heavy-duty sunscreen Until then, I decided to feign blithe indifference

There was a different receptionist thisThis one was just as attractive as the previous er Her blond hair was darker than hlights Her clothes were stunning and fit her well I didn’t want to kno ner shoes had set her back