Dark Corners READY FOR PRC by Liz Schulte Read Free Book Online Page A

day?” she asked, bubbling with enthusiasm. Susan was the type of person who had endless amounts of energy and never seemed weary. She worked long hours at the hardware store, even more than Doug, and volunteered for countless organizations. The woman knew no limitations and I often wish I had her spirit.
    Doug was much more reserved and quiet. I often caught him staring, at Susan, at Danny, occasionally even at me. Sometimes he’d stare off into space and you had to actively try to get his attention. He was always careful about what he said, never really cutting loose. Susan, on the other hand, never thought before she spoke. Everything tumbled out of her mouth as soon as it hit her brain. They were definitely a case of opposites attract, yet they fit together. Together they were a complete person, each making up for the other one’s deficiencies. To a certain degree they reminded me of Danny and me.
    “Hey, yourself! What can I do to help?”
    “Ummm, you want to chop vegetables for the salad?”
    “Sure.” I said and grabbed a chopping knife. Doug got two beers out of the refrigerator behind me, while Danny sat at the counter watching us cook. Doug handed Danny his beer, then leaned against the refrigerator taking a swig of his own.
    “Doug, you should show Danny our new entertainment system.” Susan said.  She couldn’t stand to see other people just sitting around; everyone needed to be engaged in some sort of activity. She directed her attention to Danny next. “You should go look. It’s . . . elaborate. Doug did all the wiring himself. We now officially have a theater room.” She spoke the words brightly, but there was an edge to her voice.
    Doug rolled his eyes. “It’s only elaborate to those with the technical knowhow of an 80-year-old, but I’m always happy to show off my work. Do you want to see, Ella?”
    “Thanks, but no. I’ll stay and help Susan. It’s not fair to leave her with all the work.”
    The guys headed to the basement to look at the theater room, leaving us to finish dinner.
    “Good, that should keep them busy for a while,” Susan said as she put the pizza in the oven and came over to help me with the salad. “So how are things with you guys?”
    “Great. We finished the floors today. I’m exhausted physically and mentally, but everything’s coming along.”
    “The house still picking on you?” she asked in a teasing voice. I gave her a tight grin in an attempt to keep from frowning. She sounded just like Danny.
    “Something like that,” I mumbled, suddenly very interested in the mushrooms I was chopping.  Neither of us said anything for a while. I felt like Susan had more to say, something she wanted to discuss, but she wasn’t sure how to approach it. Uncertainty hung in the air between us until she finally said, “Home improvements can be stressful.  How are you two holding up?”
    “Fine. We argue a little, but that’s life, right? Once things settle down we’ll get back to normal. How are things with Doug? Is he still sleeping the guest room? Did you talk him into couple’s counseling yet?”
    Susan’s jaw clenched. “No. I envy you—at least Danny will argue with you. Doug pretends like nothing’s wrong. He spends all his time in his workshop playing with cameras, circuits, and God knows what else. I think he misses working with technology. Maybe he regrets moving here . . . I don’t know he won’t talk about it” Susan flipped on the oven light to check the pizzas. . “When I ask him, he tells me nothing’s wrong, he’s just tired. I told him it’s no wonder since he stays up most of the night. That’s when he started sleeping in the guest room.” Her eye twitched from the stress. She pressed her hand against it, and forced a smile. “We’ll work it out.”
    “Of course you will,” I assured her. “Everyone goes through rough patches. The two of you are perfect for one another.”
    She nodded, but her eyes glistened as she put the final