tinier diamonds at the bottom. They were chic and versatile and could be worn with a formal dinner dress or with jeans at a party.
“Very nice,” Grace said.
“Diamond earrings?” Faith scowled. “He can’t give me diamond earrings!”
“Why not?”
“I hardly know him.”
“So?”
“I don’t want such an extravagant gift.”
“Is he supposed to be a mind reader?”
“Yes. I’m just…me, and he’s Lucas Merriweather. Where would I wear diamonds?”
“Wherever you want.”
“The man is insane,” Faith huffed, “and I’m sending them back.”
“You are not.”
Grace took them out of the box and went to the mirror on the fridge. She held one by her ear and checked out how it looked.
“If you don’t want them,” Grace said, “I’ll keep them.”
“Keep what?”
Grace turned as Angela staggered in. She’d stayed over, having been too drunk to drive the previous evening. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red-rimmed. She lurched to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup.
“Lucas Merriweather,” Grace explained, “gave Faith a pair of diamond earrings.”
“Get out of town!”
“Seriously.” Grace dangled them for Angela to see.
“That is so unfair,” Angela grouched. “Why don’t you want them, Faith?”
“I want them,” Faith insisted. “I just don’t want them to be from him.”
“If you’re not interested in him, Faith,” Angela replied, “I’ll take him.”
“I’m fine, thank you very much.”
Angela trudged out, and Grace watched her go. She thought of both girls as her daughters, but she’d never understood either one. She’d often pondered the old argument about nature versus nurture. They were so different, and biology had to be the determining factor in their personalities. She’d certainly like to meet their mothers!
As Angela’s footsteps faded, Faith plopped down in her chair again. She appeared dazed and bewildered.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Grace asked. “Don’t you like him?”
“I like him very much. Too much, probably.”
“Then why worry so much? You fuss over everything; you always have. For once, throw caution to the wind.”
“I’m afraid, Gracie.”
“Of what?”
“Of getting my heart broken.”
“With him, it will be a one-night stand. There won’t be time for your heart to be involved.”
“You don’t know what he’s like. It wouldn’t be for only one night.”
“So much the better. Live a little. Have a fling. What’s stopping you?”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Why isn’t it? He’s generous with his lovers. Maybe you’d score a trip to Rio or Maui out of the deal. You’ve never been anywhere. Maybe he’d take you. Imagine how much fun you’d have.”
Faith shook her head. “I’m not like you, Gracie. I couldn’t sleep with him a few times and call myself lucky.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
“I might begin to like him more than I should. Then it would be over, and I’d be all alone.”
It was Faith’s constant lament: she’d be alone. Did she recollect being a tiny baby, being left at that fire station? The poignant event had to be buried somewhere deep in her psyche, because it frequently haunted her.
“Everybody’s alone in the end,” Grace murmured. “You’d get through it, and you’d have a great memory of him after it was over.”
“I don’t want a memory . I want a flesh and blood man.”
“They don’t come any more ‘flesh and blood’ than him. Go after him! Let him use and pamper you for as long as you can persuade him to have you.”
“I’m disgusted to admit that I’d like that very much. I must be the gold digger he accuses me of being.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and taking what you want.”
“Spoken like a true mercenary.”
“I never claimed to be a saint,” Grace said, “and I never tried to be. It was always more enjoyable to be a
“Very nice,” Grace said.
“Diamond earrings?” Faith scowled. “He can’t give me diamond earrings!”
“Why not?”
“I hardly know him.”
“So?”
“I don’t want such an extravagant gift.”
“Is he supposed to be a mind reader?”
“Yes. I’m just…me, and he’s Lucas Merriweather. Where would I wear diamonds?”
“Wherever you want.”
“The man is insane,” Faith huffed, “and I’m sending them back.”
“You are not.”
Grace took them out of the box and went to the mirror on the fridge. She held one by her ear and checked out how it looked.
“If you don’t want them,” Grace said, “I’ll keep them.”
“Keep what?”
Grace turned as Angela staggered in. She’d stayed over, having been too drunk to drive the previous evening. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red-rimmed. She lurched to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup.
“Lucas Merriweather,” Grace explained, “gave Faith a pair of diamond earrings.”
“Get out of town!”
“Seriously.” Grace dangled them for Angela to see.
“That is so unfair,” Angela grouched. “Why don’t you want them, Faith?”
“I want them,” Faith insisted. “I just don’t want them to be from him.”
“If you’re not interested in him, Faith,” Angela replied, “I’ll take him.”
“I’m fine, thank you very much.”
Angela trudged out, and Grace watched her go. She thought of both girls as her daughters, but she’d never understood either one. She’d often pondered the old argument about nature versus nurture. They were so different, and biology had to be the determining factor in their personalities. She’d certainly like to meet their mothers!
As Angela’s footsteps faded, Faith plopped down in her chair again. She appeared dazed and bewildered.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Grace asked. “Don’t you like him?”
“I like him very much. Too much, probably.”
“Then why worry so much? You fuss over everything; you always have. For once, throw caution to the wind.”
“I’m afraid, Gracie.”
“Of what?”
“Of getting my heart broken.”
“With him, it will be a one-night stand. There won’t be time for your heart to be involved.”
“You don’t know what he’s like. It wouldn’t be for only one night.”
“So much the better. Live a little. Have a fling. What’s stopping you?”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Why isn’t it? He’s generous with his lovers. Maybe you’d score a trip to Rio or Maui out of the deal. You’ve never been anywhere. Maybe he’d take you. Imagine how much fun you’d have.”
Faith shook her head. “I’m not like you, Gracie. I couldn’t sleep with him a few times and call myself lucky.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
“I might begin to like him more than I should. Then it would be over, and I’d be all alone.”
It was Faith’s constant lament: she’d be alone. Did she recollect being a tiny baby, being left at that fire station? The poignant event had to be buried somewhere deep in her psyche, because it frequently haunted her.
“Everybody’s alone in the end,” Grace murmured. “You’d get through it, and you’d have a great memory of him after it was over.”
“I don’t want a memory . I want a flesh and blood man.”
“They don’t come any more ‘flesh and blood’ than him. Go after him! Let him use and pamper you for as long as you can persuade him to have you.”
“I’m disgusted to admit that I’d like that very much. I must be the gold digger he accuses me of being.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and taking what you want.”
“Spoken like a true mercenary.”
“I never claimed to be a saint,” Grace said, “and I never tried to be. It was always more enjoyable to be a
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