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Mia stuck out her tongue "I’lanced at her watch "I really need to head back to LA I have s this afternoon"

Brenna pulled several to to let you go?"

"She’s right," Mia said "Come on, Katie You haven’t seen me in weeks Don’t you want to hear all about my life in DC?"

"I heard plenty on the drive up"

"Okay, but now you can listen tothe second ti it over a chair "Why did I even bother trying?" she asked, then picked up the kitchen phone and dialed

While she explained that she wouldn’t be returning to the office, Brenna removed fresh bread from a wooden box on the counter She pulled several knives out of the drawer and passed one to Mia

"So what did you learn?" she asked as she began slicing toe Verbally I do great I can speak and understand, although h All those characters I passed and everything, but I felt like a moron the whole ti the thick slices with thin pieces of raduated top in her class," Katie said as she hung up the phone

"Smart and beautiful," Mia said with a wink "Kinda makes you want to hatecharacteristic," Brenna told her

Katie opened the refrigerator and looked in several plastic containers "Pasta salad, some kind of chicken dish" She sniffed the leftovers "Chicken Marsala, I think"

"That’s it," Brenna said "We had it a couple of nights ago I’d rather have pasta salad"

"Me, too," Mia said

Mia finished with the cheese After taking a bowl out of a cupboard, she collected olive oil, balsa Brenna used kitchen scissors to cut up the basil

"So what about this guy Francesca’s engaged to?" Mia asked "I was barely gone for what, two nancy thing I can’t believe she got pregnant"

"I think Francesca is still getting used to that one, although she and Sah

"So does the thought of a new generation being born take the heat off you or make it worse?" Mia asked

Katie shook her head "I’ve already announced no babies for at least a year"

Brenna laughed "But they’re not listening"

"Figures" Mia wrinkled her nose "So what’s Sam like?"

"I’d say the perfect hter Kelly She’s twelve" Brenna sprinkled the basil on the plate, then passed it to Mia

"Since when did you have an interest in kids?" Mia asked

"I alanted them Jeff was the one who said we had to wait As lad we didn’t have any It would have made the divorce a lotover the cheese and tomatoes While Brenna carried plates and flatware to the table, Katie set out a bowl of pasta salad, the bread, butter, and several kinds of sliced salami and ham Mia slid the torabbed cans of soda for theood," she said as she sat down "I loved the restaurants in DC, but after so long away, I’"

Brenna sat across from Mia Katie sat at the head of the table Mia used a fork to spear tomato and cheese onto her plate, then reached for the bread "So what else has been happening while I was gone?"

Katie shot Brenna a "let me" look "Not much Well, except that it turns out that Brenna slept with Nic Giovanni and got a million-dollar loan from hi into a piece of bread Her eyes widened and the color fled her cheeks

"Shut up!"

Katie made an X over her left breast "Swear on Grandma Tessa’s rosary"

Brenna spooned pasta salad onto her plate "It was ten years ago" She looked up and grinned "The sex The loan is recent As wonderful as I may think I am in bed, I have to admit I doubt I’m worth a million bucks"

"I don’t knohat to ask about first," Mia admitted when she’d chewed and sed her bread "The sex or the winery I can’t believe you slept with hiest I never find out anything good until years later"

Katie raised her eyebrows "Obviously she decided the sex wasthan the et your panties all in a bunch I didn’t tell anyone"

"I’ll bet he was great," Mia said with a sigh "Nic always looked like he knew his way around feht Because you and Zach never pushed aside dinner to do it on the table," Mia gruhtly, but didn’t respond

"Just like I thought" Mia looked triumphant, then turned her attention back to Brenna "You’re starting your oinery? For real?"

"I don’t have a choice," Brenna said "Grandpa Lorenzo and I are arguing about everything Working with hihtmare Between how much he hates all -lost brother--the ureare soonna happen’"

"But your own label?" Mia sounded both impressed and terrified "A reat business plan, but I couldn’t get any of the banks to listen They wanted to knohy Grandpa Lorenzo wasn’t backing o to Mom and Dad for the money because they live here and it would have been aard for everyone So I went to Nic and he said yes"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>