Read Online The Love List by Jean Joachim - Free Book Online Page A

house, Carrie. It's been bugging me for years. Grey owns that
great townhouse and has been living in only three rooms…with the
rest going to waste."
    "I hope it's going to have a nursery," John
tossed out.
    Uttered during a lull in the conversation,
John's clumsy remark echoed through the room. Carrie's face got red
and Grey didn't know where to look. The silence was deafening as
the family members looked at each other then away.
    "Leave it to dad to put his foot in it, as
usual," Jenna piped up.
    Everyone laughed and John leaned over to
speak to Grey and Carrie.
    "Is there something wrong with me wanting
grandchildren?"
    Carrie laughed and Grey, too, relieved she
took it so well. Fran gave John a slap on the arm and made a face,
but Grey knew she shared his sentiment. So they were looking to him
to give them grandchildren since Barbara and Earl were having
problems getting pregnant. He smiled to himself. Sure I want
kids. Wait till I'm married!
    "We're not getting any younger."
    "John!"
    "Nuts, Fran! Stop pretending you don't feel
the same way."
    Grey put his arm around Carrie's shoulders
and eased her back on the sofa, anxious to avoid involvement in his
parent's dispute. Carrie elbowed Grey as Barbara picked up one of
their gifts next and passed the small box to Colin. Inside was one
ticket to a Knicks game.
    "One ticket?" He his hands balled up the
wrapping paper, his eyebrows raised as he looked over at Grey.
    "I've got the other ticket. We've got
courtside seats, Col! The game is during your February break from
school. Carrie and I want you to spend the week with us."
    Colin's face clouded over. "That's our week
to go to the Caribbean."
    "Can't do that stuff anymore. I'm practically
a married man. But…come to New York."
    Colin's face became a mask. He jumped up and
moved swiftly to the back door, grabbing a coat from the hook by
the door then banging the door open. Silence fell on the group.
    "I'll go," Barbara said quietly, pushing up
from the floor.
    Colin had always confided most in his oldest
sibling, so no one argued when she got up and followed him
outside.
     
    ****
     
    Barbara zipped up her coat as she skipped
along the hard path of tamped down snow across the backyard and
down to the lake. Colin was ahead of her but she was catching up as
he slowed his pace. Soon she was within shouting distance.
    "Colin!"
    He stopped ten yards from the lake and turned
to face her but didn't say a word. His breath looked like the smoke
from a cigarette hanging in the frigid air. He pulled up his collar
against the freezing wind blowing off the icy lake and waited for
his sister to catch up. When she reached him, she put her hand on
his arm while she caught her breath.
    "Colin. What's wrong?"
    "Nothing," he said, turning away from
her.
    "Bullshit! Something about Grey's Christmas
present?"
    "It was very generous. It's not that.
Just…well…not what we used to do."
    "What?"
    "Every New Year's weekend we'd go skiing.
Then in February, Grey and I would go to the Caribbean for a week.
We'd wind surf, sail, drink and hunt chicks together."
    "Hunt chicks?" Barbara gave him a stony
look.
    "It's a guy thing. Look, you don't understand
so forget it."
    Colin started to walk away but she detained
him by tugging on his sleeve. "Give."
    "I told you."
    "Tell me again. In plain language this
time."
    "Grey and I would take rooms in a resort,
especially those all-inclusive places because they have the easiest
women and a ton of free booze. Then we'd do stuff during the
day…wind surfing, sailing. We went swimming and other stuff. At
night we'd drink and hit on women. Sometimes it got competitive…
Grey always won. Chicks went for him more than me. He'd get laid a
lot more than…hey, why am I telling you this?"
    Barbara could feel the heat rise in her face
at her brother's candid confession. He stopped to stare at her.
    "Go on."
    "I'm embarrassing you, Barb…and myself,
too."
    "Look, Earl wasn't my first…I'm