patties in the bag
19
as well. Don’t eat them all at once.”
20
“Bless you.”
21
She shook her head, still smiling when she entered the room.
22
“Hello, you.”
23
Her mother turned her face up to receive Mary’s kiss.
24
“Hey.” The huge puzzle on the table was nearly fi nished.
25
She’d taken up puzzles back when they were kids. Their dad had
26
told them she needed it to calm her nerves after parenting them
27
all day. Which was probably true.
S28
“He’s probably already eaten four of those salmon patties.”
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
Her mother spoke absently, her glasses perched on her nose as
02
she looked over the remaining puzzle pieces.
03
“Probably. But they’re good for him. I made a batch for Ryan
04
too, but took them to his house fi rst. I know they’d never get
05
out of here.”
06
Her mother laughed. “You’ve got your dad’s number. How’s
07
business?” She looked up, taking a sip of her tea. “There’s tea.
08
Freshly brewed.”
09
Mary got up to get herself a glass and to top off her mother’s.
10
Her father wandered into the room and began putting things in
11
the fridge.
12
“Good. I’ve got jobs for the next several months. I can pay
13
my staff without stress. An agent called me three days ago. Said
14
she thought I should put a cookbook together.”
15
“That’d be something now, wouldn’t it? Our Bess being a
16
published author? And why shouldn’t people want to buy a
17
cookbook with her recipes in it?”
18
She loved her parents more than anything. They were kooky,
19
no doubt. But they were good, solid people who’d raised her and
20
her siblings well. Always proud and supportive of them.
21
“I’m working up a proposal. We’ll see. I need to talk to Daisy
22
about doing the photography for it.”
23
“You have your own talent with a camera. You might be
24
stretched too thin though, so I’m sure Daisy would be a huge
25
help. How’s that boyfriend of hers?” Her mother shot a glance
26
in her dad’s direction as he opened up the second container of
27
the salmon patties. “At least use a fork.”
28S
“He digs her. She’s not quite sure what to do with him.”
29N
Mary snorted. “He’s big and bossy and handsome and sort of
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Lush
overwhelming. But he adores her. He buys her things. Takes her
01
places.”
02
“She’d be bored shitless with a man who wasn’t like that.
03
Girl’d run right over a lesser man.” Her mother had a way about
04
her. Always seeing to the heart of things. It was sort of scary,
05
and yet Mary admired it all the same and hoped the best parts
06
rubbed off on her.
07
“Probably.”
08
“And why shouldn’t he buy her things? It’s not like she
09
expects it. But he’s got the money and wants to treat her. I hope
10
I raised you well enough not to turn down gifts from people
11
when they want to do for you.”
12
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to land a rich older boyfriend
13
to know for sure.” She winked at her dad, who glowered for a
14
moment.
15
“Jeanne, you stop it now. Bess makes her own way.”
16
Her mother sighed. “Of course she does. She’s not a whore.
17
I’m saying that people should be able to do for others. Mary
18
brings us food how many days a week? We never pay her for it
19
because it’s her way of taking care of us. She does it for every-
20
one. Levi does for Daisy because he can. I bet you the girl makes
21
amazing art for him and gives it to him as a gift. Given her tal-
22
ent, that’s sort of the equivalent of jewelry or a trip. Generosity 23
is important. “
24
25
26
She was tucked into bed with a book
19
as well. Don’t eat them all at once.”
20
“Bless you.”
21
She shook her head, still smiling when she entered the room.
22
“Hello, you.”
23
Her mother turned her face up to receive Mary’s kiss.
24
“Hey.” The huge puzzle on the table was nearly fi nished.
25
She’d taken up puzzles back when they were kids. Their dad had
26
told them she needed it to calm her nerves after parenting them
27
all day. Which was probably true.
S28
“He’s probably already eaten four of those salmon patties.”
N29
• 51 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 51
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 51
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
Her mother spoke absently, her glasses perched on her nose as
02
she looked over the remaining puzzle pieces.
03
“Probably. But they’re good for him. I made a batch for Ryan
04
too, but took them to his house fi rst. I know they’d never get
05
out of here.”
06
Her mother laughed. “You’ve got your dad’s number. How’s
07
business?” She looked up, taking a sip of her tea. “There’s tea.
08
Freshly brewed.”
09
Mary got up to get herself a glass and to top off her mother’s.
10
Her father wandered into the room and began putting things in
11
the fridge.
12
“Good. I’ve got jobs for the next several months. I can pay
13
my staff without stress. An agent called me three days ago. Said
14
she thought I should put a cookbook together.”
15
“That’d be something now, wouldn’t it? Our Bess being a
16
published author? And why shouldn’t people want to buy a
17
cookbook with her recipes in it?”
18
She loved her parents more than anything. They were kooky,
19
no doubt. But they were good, solid people who’d raised her and
20
her siblings well. Always proud and supportive of them.
21
“I’m working up a proposal. We’ll see. I need to talk to Daisy
22
about doing the photography for it.”
23
“You have your own talent with a camera. You might be
24
stretched too thin though, so I’m sure Daisy would be a huge
25
help. How’s that boyfriend of hers?” Her mother shot a glance
26
in her dad’s direction as he opened up the second container of
27
the salmon patties. “At least use a fork.”
28S
“He digs her. She’s not quite sure what to do with him.”
29N
Mary snorted. “He’s big and bossy and handsome and sort of
• 52 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 52
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 52
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
overwhelming. But he adores her. He buys her things. Takes her
01
places.”
02
“She’d be bored shitless with a man who wasn’t like that.
03
Girl’d run right over a lesser man.” Her mother had a way about
04
her. Always seeing to the heart of things. It was sort of scary,
05
and yet Mary admired it all the same and hoped the best parts
06
rubbed off on her.
07
“Probably.”
08
“And why shouldn’t he buy her things? It’s not like she
09
expects it. But he’s got the money and wants to treat her. I hope
10
I raised you well enough not to turn down gifts from people
11
when they want to do for you.”
12
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to land a rich older boyfriend
13
to know for sure.” She winked at her dad, who glowered for a
14
moment.
15
“Jeanne, you stop it now. Bess makes her own way.”
16
Her mother sighed. “Of course she does. She’s not a whore.
17
I’m saying that people should be able to do for others. Mary
18
brings us food how many days a week? We never pay her for it
19
because it’s her way of taking care of us. She does it for every-
20
one. Levi does for Daisy because he can. I bet you the girl makes
21
amazing art for him and gives it to him as a gift. Given her tal-
22
ent, that’s sort of the equivalent of jewelry or a trip. Generosity 23
is important. “
24
25
26
She was tucked into bed with a book
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