[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Who the hell is Jesse? She ignored him, speaking to Stella instead. I don t know.Patrick here claims he can get my job back.I worked really hard forthat job.It s something to think about. Stella s eyes turned soft and sympathetic. You do need to thinkabout it.It can be hard to choose between your personal life and yourcareer.Hell, sometimes it s hard to choose between your personal lifeand your pride.Just remember this.There s no corner so small youcan t find your way out of.And don t you let this slick talker swayyou.You do what s right for Gemma.Now, what can I get for you? Patrick frowned up at Stella. I suppose I ll try a salad.Can tmess up a salad.Get me the Cobb salad, strawberry vinaigrette on theside. God, if she was even thinking about going back to New York, sheneeded to get back to her fighting weight.They might like curves inColorado, but she would be judged for them in New York. I ll havethe same but nix the strawberry and give me an oil and vinegar on theside. Stella s foot tapped. She s allergic to strawberries, you know. Patrick shrugged. I m not.I would suggest you don t get theorders mixed up. Stella turned back to her. Yes, you need to do a whole lot ofthinking, hon.I ll be back. The service here is horrible. Patrick waved her off. Now, let stalk about how soon we can get out of here. It was too freaking much.And she hadn t eaten a thing all day.She needed to sit down and cry.She only did it once a year and she dalready done it back when she d gotten dragged from Patrick sapartment.It was three months before she was scheduled for anothercrying jag. I m going to the bathroom. She scooted out of the booth andstarted walking toward the ladies room. Chasing Bliss 183She was a woman who scheduled her emotions and who had noidea how to deal with them when they didn t get with the plan.Whatthe hell was she doing? Why hadn t she jumped on Patrick s offer?Not to be with him, of course.She was utterly over Patrick Welch.She wasn t even tempted.He had nothing on Jesse and Cade.She noticed the man they d been sitting next to at Trio the nightbefore.Blond and hunky, he looked up from his burger and then backat Patrick.He frowned and sighed as though he d always known she dbe trouble.Tears blurred her vision as she pushed past the door and into thesmall bathroom.Just two stalls, but she already felt better.That manwas probably calling Jesse right now telling him she was hooked upwith a tourist.Stella was right.She was in a corner, and she didn t know how toget out.She wasn t even sure what she wanted anymore.She shouldwant to go back.She should want her damn career back, but all shecould think about was Bliss.And when she really thought about doingthat job again, all she could see were pictures of those kids.No matterwhat the EPA said, something was wrong in that town and thosechildren were suffering.Damn Nell.She was happier when thosefreaking kids had been names and ages on a page.She hadn t thoughtabout their pain.She hadn t thought about what their parents must begoing through.She was the Ice Princess.When the hell had she started to melt? Oh, Beth, honey, you were totally right. A pretty brunettewalked through the door, followed by another brunette, though thisone was visibly pregnant. I know a woman on the edge when I see her. The pregnant onesmiled shyly. Hi, I m Beth.This is Hope.You must be Gemma. Hope? The woman who d had her job before. How did youknow? We might not get off the G much, Hope said. But we listen togossip on a daily basis.Are you okay? 184 Sophie OakGossip.Yeah, she understood that.And she also understood thatwomen loved to kick each other when they were down.She dried hereyes.The crying jag would have to wait until the scheduled time. I m fine.I just have something in my eyes. Do you need to talk about it? Hope asked.The concern in herbrown eyes was just about enough to get Gemma crying again.But she d been played too many times before. There s nothing totalk about.I must be allergic to something. Is that the man from the YouTube video? Beth asked.Hope nudged her, her voice going low. Beth, you can t ask that. If I don t ask, then how will I know? It s really none of your business. Gemma didn t mean the wordsto come out so harshly, but they did and Hope flinched a little.Beth didn t.Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned againstthe counter. It s okay. Pardon? You re safe here.We gossip and pry but we do it to help eachother.I wasn t born here.I come from a little town in Texas, and Igrew up surrounded by some of the meanest women you canimagine. Gemma shook her head. Oh, I can imagine a lot. They called me Mouse.When I was little, they ignored me.When I got bigger, they liked to make fun of me.And they alwaysloved to kick me when I was down.I often had something in my eyes.It s hard.Even now it s hard to think about it. There they were again.Stupid tears.She didn t have a group ofgirlfriends she could talk to.She d never really had a group.Whenshe d been younger, her parents had moved so often, she d neverformed strong friendships.Later, she d concentrated on schoolbecause it was so much easier.At the time she thought she was taking the hard road, eschewingthe normal rituals, but now she wondered.Homework didn t requireemotional finesse.Homework never broke her heart. Chasing Bliss 185 She s right, you know. Hope put a hand on her arm. You reallyare safe here.We haven t met, but I talk to Cam all the time, and hethinks you re great.Cam and Nate are crazy about you.I did my job,but I admit I wasn t like some gung ho girl.I felt really bad whenCam started bragging about all the things you re doing at the station. Beth gave her friend a half hug. You were worried about yourcrazy ex. Hope shook her head. It wasn t that.Well, not altogether.I nevertook on big projects like she has.And she s so good with Mel.I lladmit, he scared me at first. Gemma snorted a little.Mel was so not scary. He was a littlefreaked out that the Trading Post couldn t get fresh beets in.Apparently the ones at Jack s in Del Norte are actually an alien ploy.So I found a co-op through Nell, and I called in an alien expert topronounce the beets both organic and alien-free.Don t look at me likeit was some big thing.The alien expert is from Durango
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]