Read Online The Things We Do for Love by Margot Early - Free Book Online

discuss the fact that both still occur in Logan County. But what usually happens when I write an essay is that I don’t know what I’m going to say until I’ve gathered some stories and mulled the topic over. This idea came to me literally fifteen minutes ago.” She knew that as the interviewer, the burden was on her.“For instance, maybe an interesting place to start would be with the births of your own children. You were married to a midwife who attended births at home.”
    “Yes, and I would have had to sedate Clare to get her inside a hospital, where she was convinced that terrible things would happen to her. Her births were trouble free, and I attended them.”
    “Have you attended any other home births in Logan County?”
    “Well, a few, and a couple emergencies, too. I delivered a baby during a big rock concert in the seventies— at the concert, no less.”
    Graham watched Mary Anne sit down automatically in the chair he offered. She murmured her thanks without a glance in his direction. She was entirely focused on her interview, which gave him a chance to study her. He’d agreed to Hale’s idea, doubting if Mary Anne would do it. She had some bizarre ideas about what was appropriate for a journalist.
    David Cureux said, “How are your folks, by the way? I was watching a rerun of one of your dad’s movies the other night.”
    Graham blinked. “Who’s your dad, Mary Anne?”
    “Jon Clive Drew,” David replied.
    “No kidding!” Graham exclaimed.
    Mary Anne nodded almost impatiently and turned the topic back to childbirth, asking the doctor about his first experience attending a birth at the hospital.
    Graham examined her face, looking for a resemblance to the actor who had first become well-known for his role on a daytime soap opera. Jon Clive Drew had moved on from there to portraying villains and heroes in detectivedramas, and then he’d hit the big screen where he’d made it very big for a very short time. As Graham recalled, he’d also done some kind of car racing, and he’d recorded some albums, too—folk music, Graham thought. The man had made his mark, though not with his art as much as through his personal life. Graham recalled a photo he’d seen somewhere of Jon Clive at a Miami Beach party, women drawing on his bare chest with lipstick while he grinned in a carefree, dissolute way. How old had Mary Anne been when that had happened? Graham wasn’t sure how old he’d been. He also remembered an epic drunken car chase across several states, which had ended when Jon Clive drove off a Texas pier, leaping from the car as it hurtled toward the water. And there was some bar he set on fire after he was insulted at a concert. And affairs with various actresses, one after another. All of these things were always topped off with Jon Clive’s public and religious remorse and apologies. Because part of the actor’s personality was that he loved to stand by his religion, wanted everyone to know he was a God-fearing man. Yes, Jon Clive had been a professional bad boy. Had been, as in has-been. Clearly, Mary Anne didn’t find him a worthy topic of conversation.
    But Graham couldn’t help asking, “And he was on that show… Miami! ”
    “Right.” Mary Anne stood up, having nothing more to say about nighttime television’s short-lived answer to Dallas. “Thank you, Dr. Cureux. You’ve given me some good things to think about.”
    “Don’t run off,” said Graham, standing up as well. “I didn’t offer you a drink. I’m sorry.”
    “No, thanks. I have other things to look into.”
    Graham said, “About the show—”
    “Yes?”
    “I’m game if you are,” he continued, surprising himself by hoping she wanted to do it.
    Mary Anne’s lush eyebrows drew together slightly. “All right,” she agreed. And with a nod, she left them, hurrying down the steps.
    As she left, Graham admired the image her body presented from behind. She was tall and strong, and he liked that about her, liked