Page 4 (2/2)

"Don’t get worked up all over again," Pax counseled "It’s over You moved I just wish you weren’t so dairls--they miss you"

"He doesn’t treat you like he does o yet "He’s very proud of you!"

"He thinks I took his advice and beca exactly what I want to do And he’s still telling h he doesn’t know shit about pediatric surgery I try to tell him as little as possible, but I also never take hi in your little town"

"I painted a wall," she said with a weary sigh "Mostly withto paint another wall, but I think that’s it I had to have a friend hang the pictures--this ar over my head I’ve read three books since I talked to you last Tuesday, today was the first day it was decent enough for a good run, but I swear to God the cold makes the screws in my shoulder throb"

"You know it’s not the screws"

"Feels like it"

Laine’s parents were both doctors Her grandfathers on both sides were doctors She had two cousins ere doctors Successful ton or Wescott to choose another profession, but Dr Paxton Carrington Sr was appalled when she changed her major from premed to criminal justice "Believe me, you don’t want to live in a blue-collar world," he had said Blue-collar world? It was alree

Laine’s mother had said, "You must find work you feel passionate about The ets you up in thethat makes your heart beat I’m not a doctor because my father was a doctor And I’m damn sure not a doctor because my husband is one And I could care less what my children choose to do Well, if you choose to be hoht have an issue"

"But aren’t you more proud of Pax? A premed honor student?" Laine had asked

"I look at what’s ahead for you, Laine, and I find it all so exciting, I wish I could live in your skin for just one day!"

"But Dad hates what I’!"

"Does he? He probably thinks he knohat’s best for you, but I’m here to tell you--you’re the only person who can make this choice And it doesn’t matter what anyone else wants"

"But admit it, Dad is more proud of Pax!" she had insisted

"I’m not sure about that What I know for a fact is that Pax is acting on script He’s doing exactly what your father expected hi Laine, are a challenge for hirah her early years at the FBI, her mother couldn’t wait for her to call, fill her in on all the edgy, interesting stuff she’d worked on or even just knew about

Senior had said, "What’s that girl thinking? She’s wasting her life on the underworld! The dregs of society!"

When Laine told her father, over Christmas, that she’d been reco lives in the line of duty he had said, "As if ato validate you Doctors save lives every day"

And she’d left Boston in an angry huff, vowing she was through with hirateful every day that he had asked Gina McCain if she’d be co in the small town of Thunder Point because he was in the diner where she worked almost daily Half the time her husband was also there Eric and Gina ay back High school for her, though he had been a dropout Their relationship had been brief but to both of theht the local service station in October, had spent two ht up to the present he’d been living in the local motel--the Coastline Inn It wasn’t much, but it was clean and cheap There was free coffee in the earlybut no restaurant Only the diner and McDonald’s served breakfast, unless he felt like going all the way across the beach to Cooper’s place Since he had no tiy to fix up both a business and a residence, he bought hierator and a toaster and settled into the , grab a large coffee and a newspaper, then head to the station At lunchti food He wasn’the was stuck with hts he and his eers or pizza

He walked into the diner and saw the new girl in town sitting at the counter in front of Gina She appeared to be finished with breakfast; she looked at him and smiled

"Hey, Mr Scratch-and-Dent, just the et that kind of welcoreat reputation for cos, how are you under the hood?"

He raised his eyebrows It was a great double entendre He sat down and a cup of coffee instantly appeared "I was aa shed at his wordplay "I have a little work that needs to be done," she said "Can I make an appointment?"

"You don’t need an appointment Is the car drivable?"

"Yep But I just drove it across the country fro checked" She shrugged "I’rinned at that Only a collector of classics could appreciate an oho had given her car a gender and possibly a nahed "Look around, Eric Everyone lives in the neighborhood"

So, she reht Then just bring it by when you won’t need it for a few hours and I’ll get right to it" To Gina he said, "Can you ask Stu to reen chilies and cheddar?"<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>