we have al kinds of recovering addicts and former jailbirds at the family gatherings! And that’s not the latest. My nephew Lawrence married a little gangster girl from South-Central California of al places. I cal her little orphan anger because she doesn’t have any living family at al . Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Courtney burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you cal ed the woman Little Orphan Annie.”
“I didn’t. I cal her little orphan anger . The girl has a smart mouth on her and she was extremely rude to me when I tried to give her advice that Lawrence might not be the man for her. But al that is beside the point. The point is that Patrick is my last chance. Celia has built her a little army and they have al but fazed me out. If you can atone and make Patrick take you back, when you two are in the house, it won’t matter what Celia does.”
“I don’t know if your plan wil work. Patrick has done a pretty good job of avoiding me through the years. At first it was cool, because I needed time to lick my wounds after messing up so badly. But after a while…I’m just not sure he’l ever forgive me. But I want him back. And when Patrick and I have kids, I want you in that house with us helping me, Sophie.”
Sophie mental y rol ed her eyes. The girl was such a suck-up, but she needed her if she was going to make this work. So Sophie would give as good as she got. “I’l certainly be there. This is going to work. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan.” Courtney frowned. “You always tel me what to do.”
“Wel , I didn’t tel you to cheat on your husband, did I?
You came up with that little plan al on your own.” This time she rol ed her eyes for real. You just couldn’t get good help these days.
Sighing, Sophie leaned forward to school her coconspirator. “You need a way for him to see you. You know, he stil keeps his spare key in the same place…”
Chapter 5
T he book club was actualy starting to seem like a pretty good idea. Of course, Toni, for al her “Be my person”
requests, was running late and had left her alone. But Dil on seemed to hit it right off with Toni’s cousin’s daughter and son. And Aisha was more than ready to meet some new people. The other three women seemed real y nice.
“So why don’t we get started by introducing ourselves and saying a little bit about what kinds of books we like to read?” Jenny, Toni’s cousin and their hostess, took a seat on the plush cream sofa and the three of them turned their attention to her. The short and pleasingly plump cinnamon-complexioned woman had a bubbly demeanor and Aisha could see her being an excel ent receptionist. Her entire aura was welcoming.
“My name is Jennifer Saunders. But everyone cal s me Jenny or Jen. I’m a receptionist at a physical therapy clinic and the married mother of two. I have a ten-year-old girl and a seven-year-old son. I love to read mystery novels mostly. I just love a good whodunit. Some of my favorite authors are Barbara Neely and Valerie Wilson Wesley.” She turned to the woman on her right, signaling that it was her turn to go.
The young woman appeared to be in her mid- to late twenties and reminded Aisha of that hot new Hol ywood actress, Lauren London. Her long, natural y curly hair was pul ed away from her pretty face with one of those stylish blinged-out hairpins. She had a hip, youthful energy about her that reminded Aisha of the now-seriously-late Toni.
“My name is Minerva Hightower and my sister-in-law, Samantha—” she pointed to the beautiful dark-chocolate sister sitting next to her before continuing “—invited me to join you guys in the book club because she knew I would read anything between two covers with a spine. I’m sort of a bookaholic. I’m also a newlywed. I’ve been married a little over a year. I’m finishing up my MSW and just found out that I’m almost four months’ pregnant.”
When the young woman spoke, there was
Courtney burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you cal ed the woman Little Orphan Annie.”
“I didn’t. I cal her little orphan anger . The girl has a smart mouth on her and she was extremely rude to me when I tried to give her advice that Lawrence might not be the man for her. But al that is beside the point. The point is that Patrick is my last chance. Celia has built her a little army and they have al but fazed me out. If you can atone and make Patrick take you back, when you two are in the house, it won’t matter what Celia does.”
“I don’t know if your plan wil work. Patrick has done a pretty good job of avoiding me through the years. At first it was cool, because I needed time to lick my wounds after messing up so badly. But after a while…I’m just not sure he’l ever forgive me. But I want him back. And when Patrick and I have kids, I want you in that house with us helping me, Sophie.”
Sophie mental y rol ed her eyes. The girl was such a suck-up, but she needed her if she was going to make this work. So Sophie would give as good as she got. “I’l certainly be there. This is going to work. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan.” Courtney frowned. “You always tel me what to do.”
“Wel , I didn’t tel you to cheat on your husband, did I?
You came up with that little plan al on your own.” This time she rol ed her eyes for real. You just couldn’t get good help these days.
Sighing, Sophie leaned forward to school her coconspirator. “You need a way for him to see you. You know, he stil keeps his spare key in the same place…”
Chapter 5
T he book club was actualy starting to seem like a pretty good idea. Of course, Toni, for al her “Be my person”
requests, was running late and had left her alone. But Dil on seemed to hit it right off with Toni’s cousin’s daughter and son. And Aisha was more than ready to meet some new people. The other three women seemed real y nice.
“So why don’t we get started by introducing ourselves and saying a little bit about what kinds of books we like to read?” Jenny, Toni’s cousin and their hostess, took a seat on the plush cream sofa and the three of them turned their attention to her. The short and pleasingly plump cinnamon-complexioned woman had a bubbly demeanor and Aisha could see her being an excel ent receptionist. Her entire aura was welcoming.
“My name is Jennifer Saunders. But everyone cal s me Jenny or Jen. I’m a receptionist at a physical therapy clinic and the married mother of two. I have a ten-year-old girl and a seven-year-old son. I love to read mystery novels mostly. I just love a good whodunit. Some of my favorite authors are Barbara Neely and Valerie Wilson Wesley.” She turned to the woman on her right, signaling that it was her turn to go.
The young woman appeared to be in her mid- to late twenties and reminded Aisha of that hot new Hol ywood actress, Lauren London. Her long, natural y curly hair was pul ed away from her pretty face with one of those stylish blinged-out hairpins. She had a hip, youthful energy about her that reminded Aisha of the now-seriously-late Toni.
“My name is Minerva Hightower and my sister-in-law, Samantha—” she pointed to the beautiful dark-chocolate sister sitting next to her before continuing “—invited me to join you guys in the book club because she knew I would read anything between two covers with a spine. I’m sort of a bookaholic. I’m also a newlywed. I’ve been married a little over a year. I’m finishing up my MSW and just found out that I’m almost four months’ pregnant.”
When the young woman spoke, there was
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