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truck. Driving on the stupid icy roads would keep his mind off the sour ache in his
belly. Natalie navigated them twenty miles east to her sister s place, a duplex among
dozens of others in a tidy little personality-free development. Natalie led them up the
steps, heading inside without bothering to knock.
Hello?
A man s friendly voice came from down a short stretch of hallway. Heya, Nat. I m
in the den. Girls are in the kitchen.
Hey, Dan. Thanks. She took Shane s coat and hung it beside her own in a closet.
They headed to the den, where Dan was camped out in a recliner watching a pre-game
report. Natalie waved.
Dan stood upon noticing a stranger, stepped to Shane and gave him a solid shake.
Hey, I m Dan. Natalie s brother-in-law.
Shane. I m her& He raised an eyebrow at Natalie.
Friend. Date. Something, she concluded with a shrug, clearly comfortable not
knowing the answer. Shane s visiting from Louisiana for a couple weeks.
Wow, did you ever pick the worst time to visit upstate, Dan said. I grew up in
Arizona and I barely made it through my first fall here. Then the first blizzard hit.
Jesus.
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Cara McKenna
Shane smirked and nodded, decided Dan was all right. Tall, clean-cut, solid in that
previously athletic, now-slowly-going-to-seed fashion.
Anyhow, intrepid of you to make the trip. You fly? Dan asked.
Nope, drove.
Brave soul.
I better introduce Shane to the ladies, Natalie said.
Go to it. If you like football, there s beer in the crisper, he said to Shane, taking his
seat again.
Noted.
Natalie led Shane down the hall and through the dining room.
Seems like a good guy, Shane said.
Yeah, they ve been together for like eight years now. I heartily approve. Hello?
she called into the kitchen.
Come on in!
Two women were at the far side of the counter, matching cups of tea steaming
beside a furniture catalog. They looked up at the same time, so clearly mother and
daughter, both with practical haircuts, brown eyes, curious smiles.
Hey guys. This is Shane. Not the doctor, she elaborated. He s the one who fixed
my truck when I broke down last summer on the way back from Florida.
Oh right, Natalie s sister said, and Shane wondered exactly what kinds of details
Natalie may have shared about that trip. She rounded the counter to greet them,
bringing her extremely round middle with her.
Wow, Shane said. How many months are you?
She smiled, put a hand to her belly. Eight and a bit. Nice to meet you, Shane. I m
Alicia. She gave him a handshake, the feminine kind, with her other warm palm set on
top of Shane s cold knuckles.
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Their mother came next, shaped not unlike Shane s own late mother, slender and
plump at the same time. Soft. She too gave Shane s hand a shake. I probably won t
trick you into thinking Natalie s got two sisters, will I?
You can try, ma am.
Oh, ma am? It s that bad? she teased, patting her face.
It s a Southern thing, Natalie said.
Anyhow, Sandra will do, she said.
Miss Sandra, Natalie added with a grin.
Shane smiled. Miss Sandra, then.
Much better. You two take a seat. Have some wine, Sandra said, waving at the
breakfast bar stools.
Excuse me, who s hosting this dinner? Alicia asked. But yeah, help yourselves.
We re just bickering over changing tables. She tapped the catalog.
Natalie took a seat and looked around. Where s dinner?
In the oven.
Natalie flared her nostrils. It s not pot roast, is it?
Alicia frowned. Are you not doing red meat?
No, it s fine. I just made it for Shane the other day.
It s the only thing the women in this family know how to cook, Sandra said.
Are you guys competitive? Shane asked, glancing between Natalie and her sister.
Am I going to get the third degree about whose is better?
Mine s better, Alicia said.
I beg to differ, Natalie cut back, faking offense.
Sandra shook her head. Mine s better, but no matter. Have some wine, you two.
I ll just have a beer, if that s okay, Shane said, heading to the fridge.
Whatever you like.
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He grabbed a bottle of microbrew from the crisper drawer. Sinking into an easy
chair and zoning out to the TV wasn t a bad invitation, but Shane liked the company
and the voices of women, especially in conjunction with the smell of roasting meat.
Alicia passed him a bottle opener and he popped his cap, took up his seat beside
Natalie. He felt instantly if irrationally comfortable here, listening to her relatives argue
about beech- versus pine-finished wood. Shane scooted his stool closer to Natalie s,
close enough for their thighs to touch. She glanced at him, and Shane felt his stomach
unknot itself. He felt his pain lessen before he even took a sip of alcohol.
* * * * *
Dinner was pleasant, Natalie s family all at ease teasing one another. Shane s good
mood stayed with him. He didn t say much, just answered all the questions they had
about his trip and was then allowed to relax. Alicia s upcoming due date dominated
most of the conversation, and Shane was happy for the chance to lean back and simply
enjoy the atmosphere.
Alicia looked a lot like Natalie& a sort of future version of Natalie. Alicia s dark hair
was shorter and straighter and she had a healthy length of gray in the roots coming in
on top, about eight months worth, Shane imagined. She was Natalie with no frills& a
bit frumpy, though Shane figured the woman had bigger concerns than stylishness at
this point in her life. He tried to picture Natalie pregnant and practical, but those heels
he associated with her wouldn t go away. Neither would her words from a few days
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