through with Cord. Even so, Dinah wanted no part of it.
âIâve had it with risk-taking,â she told her friend emphatically. âI think Bobbyâs definitely the way to go.â
âBut you havenât caught up with him yet?â
âNo. I asked Cord to have him call me, but so far I havenât heard a word.â
âAnd you havenât gone chasing after him?â
âNot yet.â
âMaybe that should tell you something,â Maggie suggested gently.
âWhat? That Cord didnât pass on the message?â
âThat, or maybe you donât care enough to make the effort. Then, again, maybe it means that Bobbyâs moved on with his life. It has been ten years. Even an eternal optimist can get tired of waiting around after that long.â
Dinah studied Maggie. âWhat do you know that I donât?â
âJust that I donât want you to be setting yourself upfor disappointment if Bobby doesnât fall right in with your plans.â
That was definitely something Dinah hadnât considered. Maybe she really was a self-absorbed idiot to think heâd been waiting for her all this time. Their deal had merely been that theyâd get together, if they happened to be available.
âYou think he wonât?â she asked Maggie.
âI canât say. Thatâs up to him.â
Dinah had a feeling there was something that Maggie was deliberately keeping from her. She usually wasnât so circumspect. âIf you know something you think I should know, tell me,â she commanded.
Maggie shook her head. âNot a chance. This is between you and Bobby.â She grinned. âAnd maybe Cordell. Something tells me heâs going to figure in this before all is said and done.â
âYou are turning out to be almost as exasperating as he was,â Dinah accused lightly. âDoesnât mean Iâm not happy to see you, though. Can we have dinner soon?â
âMy calendarâs disgustingly open. Just tell me when,â Maggie said. âNow Iâd better get back to work before my employees stage a rebellion. The last time I took a long lunch they sold a valuable painting at half price. Said they couldnât find a sticker on it, so they negotiated. They claimed their blood sugar had dropped so low, they forgot about the price list we keep in the file.â
Dinah chuckled at what was most likely no exaggeration. âI promise Iâll come by to see this gallery of yours in a day or two and weâll schedule dinner.â
âDonât wait too long,â Maggie ordered. âOr Iâll come looking for you.â
âItâs good to see you, Maggie. Iâve missed you,â Dinah said, giving her friend a fierce hug.
âMissed you more.â
Dinah stood on the sidewalk in front of Maggieâs place and watched her friend head off down the street to her successful gallery. She looked purposeful and confident, two traits Dinah wondered if sheâd ever feel again.
Â
Covington Plantation was a labor of love for Cord. Putting up with the board members and fighting for every penny to do the job right took more patience than waiting for the first cool breeze of fall, but it was going to be worth it to see this grand old house restored to its former glory.
For a kid whoâd grown up in a place that was little more than a run-down shack, a house like this represented everything his home hadnât been. It was solid and spoke of proud ancestors. His own ancestors had been unremarkable and there had been nothing dependable about the two people whoâd raised him and Bobby. Theyâd contributed genes and not much else. It was the charity of others that had given him and Bobby a chance at a better life. As much as it had grated to accept the private-school tuition, the church handouts, the free lunches, theyâd swallowed their pride and done it.
Bobby had fit in better than
Tristan Taormino, Constance Penley, Celine Parrenas Shimizu, Mireille Miller-Young