"I know, it's weird. I'm all cuddly when it comes to you, but I want to strangle Todd."

"That's because your baby sister is your comfort zone," Mom said. That sort of stunned me. Kalen had always been my comfort.

It felt strange to have the roles reversed.

Mom reached over and put her hand on mine while Kalen gripped the other. "Don't turn around, but there's a lovely young woman at the table by the window that keeps looking at you."

"I've given up on women," I said resolutely. "They're a pain in the a.s.s." I smiled at Mom. "Well, you're not."

"Shannon." Kalen leaned closer and lowered her voice. "It's Hailey."

Involuntarily, I turned and looked. It was indeed Hailey. I felt the muscles in my stomach tighten as I stared at her. She was stunning in a navy blue suit with her curly hair spilling over her shoulders. She sat with whom I a.s.sumed were her colleagues

1.

*from work enjoying a working lunch. There were six including Hailey. Everyone seemed to be discussing something, but Hailey stared out the window until she turned suddenly and caught my eye. She smiled and waved discreetly. I nodded and smiled before turning back around.

"So things didn't work out between you?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. "We're just friends."

Mom glanced in her direction and smiled.

"Okay, everybody stop looking at her," I said. "This is awkward."

"That's who took care of Shannon when she had strep." Kalen chewed on her straw and looked around me.

"Quit looking over there," I growled out. "She's gonna think we're talking about her."

"I know. I spoke to her on the phone when I cal ed," Mom said.

"You did?" I asked, surprised.

"You were sleeping. She told me that she and Marvin had taken you to the doctor and that she was making sure you took your medicine."

"She didn't tell me you called."

"She probably had her hands full with you." Mom grinned.

"You're a big baby when you're sick."

"A weenie is more like it." Kalen swiped a shrimp from Mom's plate.

Mom glanced at Hailey's table again. "She's absolutely adorable, and she's coming over."

I turned just as Hailey walked up.

"Thought I'd come over and say hi," Hailey said with a shy smile.

"I'm glad you did." I managed to return the smile. "I believe you've already met Kalen, my sister. This is my mom, Jill, who just informed me that you've already spoken."

Hailey made a face. "Oh, I did, and I forgot to tell you she called. I'm sorry."

"Think nothing of it, sweetie." Mom reached over and took Hailey's hand. "It's such a pleasure to meet you in person and thank you for taking care of-"

14.

*"Our weenie," Kalen interjected.

Hailey smiled and winked at Kalen, then looked back at my mom, who had embarra.s.singly not released her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Brycen. And I enjoyed taking care of your..." Hailey looked at me with a grin. "...baby."

Mom beamed up at Hailey. "Won't you join us for coffee?"

"I'd love to, but unfortunately, I need to get back to the office.

The bigwigs are in town, and the whole office is standing on their ears to please them." Hailey looked at me then. "It was nice to see you all."

"Great to see you, too," I said numbly as I watched her turn and walk away. Then I turned and looked at Kalen. "You jacka.s.s."

She pretended not to notice as she took another shrimp and looked at it. "Do you think they know that they're being netted and taken away from their families? Only to end up on our plates."

Her eyes grew watery as she laid it respectfully on a lettuce leaf.

"Nap time." Mom gestured for the check. "We're taking you home and putting you to bed." Mom sounded like she did when we were children.

Kalen did in fact look like a child as she burrowed deeper into her bed and clutched the blankets under her chin. Mom stroked her hair lovingly. "You may be having a baby of your own, but you're still my baby," she said as she switched off the lamp.

I followed Mom out of the room, and before shutting the door, I whispered, "t.i.t mouse."

"Up yours" came Kalen's reply from the darkness. I smiled.

That was the sister I knew and loved.

"Shannon, honey, I don't know how to work Kalen's coffee maker," Mom said, eyeing the Brew Station. "Would you make us some, please?"

I did as she asked while she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Just friends, huh?" Mom said with a chuckle.

"Unfortunately so." I leaned against the counter and folded my arms.

"I don't think so," Mom said with a shake of her head. "That's not what her eyes say, nor yours."

1.

*"Well, her mouth says it just wants to be friends." I filled Mom's cup and set it on the table.

"That woman is crazy about you, and you can be a total tool when you're sick."

I whirled around and looked at Mom. "Where did you learn that term?"

"Kalen. That's what she calls Todd when she's mad at him.

You need to ask Hailey out again."

I filled my cup and joined Mom at the table. "I can't," I said as I stirred cream into my coffee.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a weenie, and I don't want to hear her tell me that she doesn't want anything serious again."

"Oh, honey," Mom said with a knowing smile. "It's already serious." I told her about how Hailey acted when Marci called, and Mom rolled her eyes. "You're missing all the cues. She may be saying she doesn't want to be serious, but what she's really saying is that she's scared."

"She's basically admitted that before."

"I know you're scared, too, given what you've told me about her past." Mom took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. "Cream, pa.s.s the cream. I'd forgotten about New Orleans coffee being so strong." After she added a considerable amount of cream, she took a sip and sighed. "She adores you, Shannon. Ask her again."

I left Kalen's and bought flowers, not for Hailey, but for Marvin. He was grinning like a schoolgirl when I presented them.

"Thank you for taking care of me, and one night when you're free, I'd like to take you to dinner."

Marvin batted his eyes. "If you were a man, I'd take you in the back and have my way with you."

"Umm, thanks." I backed away a step.

He reached out and grabbed my arm. "Come back here. Let me look at this hair." He fingered the ends of my strands and made a face. "It grows so fast, you need a trim, little monkey. I had a cancellation. You walked in at the right time." My hair was washed, and I was sitting in his chair before I knew what hit me.

1.

*"So," Marvin began with a grin. "Did Hailey take good care of you?"

I nodded. "She did-"

Marvin planted his fingers firmly on the top of my scalp.

"Don't nod, never nod when I'm cutting your hair."

I nodded again out of reflex.

"Do you secretly want to be bald?" Marvin asked as his eyes went round.

I was tempted to shake my head to really send him over the edge. "No, I'll be still."

Marvin exhaled loudly and went back to work. "No movement.

Did she stay with you that night? Because she said she was."

"She did and the next night, too."

"Oh, she's so sweet." Marvin smiled as he moved around me.

"I bet she'll say yes if you ask her out again." Marvin let the comment hang in the air, then rolled his eyes when I sat there looking like a scared rabbit.

"Here's where I'm at. I'm too afraid to ask and too afraid not to." I fought the urge to shrug, keeping my head still as Marvin clipped and snipped. "I think she wants more, too, but if I push her and she backs away again, I...h.e.l.l, I don't know what I'd do.

Chase or run, it's all so frustrating, but I have to do something or I'll lose my mind." When I looked at Marvin in the mirror, he was sporting a toothy grin. "What?" I asked, annoyed that he found my dilemma amusing.

"I don't suppose that either of you realizes that you've basically been," he held up his fingers and made quote marks, '"courting'

each other. You're on a collision course with love, and one of you has to make the next move to advance to the next level." He leaned down and pressed his face against mine, catching my eyes in the mirror's reflection. "It's gonna have to be you."

Marvin went back to tr.i.m.m.i.n.g as I mulled what he had to say. As I thought back on my previous relationships, I'd always been the pa.s.sive one, waiting for someone else to make the first move. I'd made a first move with Hailey once when I kissed her in the courtyard only to have her withdraw a few days later. This game of tug-of-war was making me weary. I kept waiting for a

1.

*pull from Hailey's side of the rope, but all I got was a few brief jerks."She's afraid, she's admitted that, and you are, too, but I'm not so sure it's rejection. I think you're more afraid of what's going to happen between the two of you when things go well." Marvin c.o.c.ked his head and winked.

I swallowed hard. He was right. It was time to confront the niggling fear that I kept tucked away in the recesses of my mind.