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"But you have family?"
"Tons All in or near Albuquerque Parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, their kids Plus, I have a son--Austin Spencer and I share a son" Her expression must have been shocked because he smiled and said, "Spencer married my ex-fiancée and she passed away last year How about you?"
"I lost o, but my father and brother live in Boston I’irls I adore, even though in h of thee," she said "There’s so about this place In the tiot a little attached and wanted to see a littleto know the people who put everything on the line to get me out of that camp Plus, my brother is a busy, busy man And now that I have the tiht, but so what? I talk to uess we’re all used toaway from the family, so to speak And hey--you’re not in the mountains of New Mexico"
"That’s not the surprise I left home when I joined the Army as a kid and haven’t lived there since The real surprise is that I live here! I was a rolling stone until I came to Thunder Point Now I’m a land baron"
Laine stood on her deck, hands on hips, looking around, when the phone rang Her cell phone was sitting on the kitchen counter and she went for it No need for a landline in this house, she only had her cell When she saw that it was her brother, her face lit up "Pax!" she said "How’s it going?"
"I missed two calls froery"
"No big deal We have an understanding--first thing after work comes the wife and kids, then me I’m very patient"
"What’s it like out there?"
"Heat wave," she said with a laugh "It’s fifty degrees and sunny I was just looking around the deck to find a good spot for a little portable fire pit so I can bundle up and sit out here at night What’s Mother Nature doing out there?" she asked
"You don’t watch the news, I guess"
In fact she had been obsessed with news of Boston from the weather and current events to the criht of them all constantly But she said, "Not if I can help it"
"We’re bracing for a nor’easter Looking at two feet tonight Roads and airport will probably shut down and everyone will stay hooes out"
"Except you"
"I’ snow fall and listening to the wind howl"
"How are Missy and Sissy and Miss Perfect?" she asked
He let go with a bark of laughter and said, "One of these days I’ to slip up and callyou out I swear it Everyone here is fine Missy is having her first school concert in six weeks and is practicing the cello day and night--it’s al season at an elk ranch around here And Sissy is gearing up for a spring dance recital, which for six-year-old girls should be enchanting Thank God she didn’t choose aat the hospital"
His eight-year-old daughter was Melissa, who they called Missy His six-year-old daughter was Catherine, who they called Sissy for "sister" And his wife, Genevieve, she had secretly named Miss Perfect because she was the ultimate wife and mother She never complained at all It was unnatural Here she was, stuck with a couple of kids, tons of responsibility, a mostly absent husband, and yet she took it on with a contented smile What the hell was that? Laine wondered Had she no limits?
But Genevieve had two sisters and they were all thicker than thieves She was a dear and good hter and a little too do for Laine’s blood And she had taken away Laine’s best friend, her twin brother She was perfectly wonderful to Laine, but Laine had never warirlfriends But then not only did Laine have very few girlfriends, but it was also impossible for anyone to be closer to her than Pax
"And Senior?"
"The same You haven’t heard from him, huh?"
"No Frankly I’m not surprised I told hi such an ass and has soine hell will freeze over before I see his name on the caller ID"
"You take him too seriously," Pax said "Learn to not hear hi, do as you please"
"I can’t," she said "You get aith that He’s not as critical of your choices"
"Yes, he is But I don’t care He’s not driving my bus And if you’re honest, you have to ad tiravates me so," she said "He thinks if he opens histhe tiainst his teeth"