Read Online Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy) by Susan Craig - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Craig
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the trash bin.
“No. Absolutely not. I barely know him.” It was her. She had cried for no reason. “But Sally, I think something strange is going on with me…” She pressed her back against the solid wall of the building and dropped her gaze. Talking to Sally would help, it was just hard, sometimes, to admit things. “We went to dinner, he kissed me goodnight afterwards and I practically melted, and then…I cried.”
Sally put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “What did he do?”
Diana smiled. Of course, Sally would instantly assign the blame to Logan. She was a staunch friend. Diana shook her head. “Nothing. And he doesn’t know I cried. I got into my car and away before the floodgates opened.”
“Why did you cry, then?”
“That’s what bothers me—I’m not sure. I just felt so sad all of a sudden. So lonely. It’s been bugging me ever since.”
“Oh, honey.” Sally leaned against the wall herself, and threw an arm around Diana’s shoulders. “You probably deserved a good cry. Can I tell you what I think?”
Diana shrugged and nodded.
“You’ve been working your tail off to impress your daddy ever since I’ve known you. Studying day and night, never dating, then working like a slave for the company.”
Diana opened her mouth to protest, but Sally waved a hand, for estalling her.
“Oh, you dated that jerk William who was more interested in the company than in you, but since then it’s been all business. Then your dad died, but it seems to me, you went on trying to please him—throwing yourself into bringing the company back out of its downhill slide. Now you’ve done that, and you’ve decided to sell—and all of a sudden, there’s nothing you can do to impress Daddy anymore.
“I don’t think you were crying because Logan Carmichael kissed you, honey, I think you cried for you. For all the things you set aside, for all the years it’s cost you. Because you finally figured out that it doesn’t ma tter to Daddy anymore. And you’ve never done or had anything that was just for you. Here you are, thirty years old, and you feel like it’s all over—you’ve got nothing left.”
Diana’s face started to crumple and she bit her lip to stop the sobs from coming. Tears ran down her cheeks, regardless.
“Going inside,” she said in a strangled voice.
“Oh, honey…”
Diana didn’t wait to hear the rest.
Twenty minutes later, a knock sounded on the door of the back o ffice. Sally's voice came through. "Diana? Can I come in?"
Diana nodded and sniffed. “Yeah, sure. Come on in.” She didn’t meet Sally’s eyes, but saw her friend take in her slumped posture, the elbow propped on the battered desk, and the small mountain of crumpled ti ssues sitting next to a nearly empty box. I ought to sit up. No… she didn’t have the energy.
“You okay?” The affection in Sally’s voice eased away the last of the knots in Diana’s stomach.
“Yeah…yes. I’m better now.” She pushed herself upright. “I’m a lot better now. Thanks, Sally.
Sally’s eyes were soft with concern. “I love you, lady—you know that, don’t you?”
Diana smiled and nodded. “Yes, I know that. I love you too. You know me too well, but I guess I can live with that.”
“What are you going to do next?”
“Well,” Diana wiped her eyes and blew her nose one last time. “You weren’t quite right. I don’t have ‘nothing’ left, you know. I have this shelter. I have my best friend, and…” She looked at Sally with determination in her eyes. “I have me.”
“And enough cash to take your own sweet time figuring out a plan,” added Sally.
“True.” Diana pulled up a smile. “That does help. I’m going to take stock. Get reacquainted with myself. Then we’ll see what comes up.” She snorted quietly. “Besides, Friday I meet with the new CEO of Lennox Incorporated to see how things are going, and to offer him any help he needs—though I don’t expect he’ll want any.”
“No. Absolutely not. I barely know him.” It was her. She had cried for no reason. “But Sally, I think something strange is going on with me…” She pressed her back against the solid wall of the building and dropped her gaze. Talking to Sally would help, it was just hard, sometimes, to admit things. “We went to dinner, he kissed me goodnight afterwards and I practically melted, and then…I cried.”
Sally put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “What did he do?”
Diana smiled. Of course, Sally would instantly assign the blame to Logan. She was a staunch friend. Diana shook her head. “Nothing. And he doesn’t know I cried. I got into my car and away before the floodgates opened.”
“Why did you cry, then?”
“That’s what bothers me—I’m not sure. I just felt so sad all of a sudden. So lonely. It’s been bugging me ever since.”
“Oh, honey.” Sally leaned against the wall herself, and threw an arm around Diana’s shoulders. “You probably deserved a good cry. Can I tell you what I think?”
Diana shrugged and nodded.
“You’ve been working your tail off to impress your daddy ever since I’ve known you. Studying day and night, never dating, then working like a slave for the company.”
Diana opened her mouth to protest, but Sally waved a hand, for estalling her.
“Oh, you dated that jerk William who was more interested in the company than in you, but since then it’s been all business. Then your dad died, but it seems to me, you went on trying to please him—throwing yourself into bringing the company back out of its downhill slide. Now you’ve done that, and you’ve decided to sell—and all of a sudden, there’s nothing you can do to impress Daddy anymore.
“I don’t think you were crying because Logan Carmichael kissed you, honey, I think you cried for you. For all the things you set aside, for all the years it’s cost you. Because you finally figured out that it doesn’t ma tter to Daddy anymore. And you’ve never done or had anything that was just for you. Here you are, thirty years old, and you feel like it’s all over—you’ve got nothing left.”
Diana’s face started to crumple and she bit her lip to stop the sobs from coming. Tears ran down her cheeks, regardless.
“Going inside,” she said in a strangled voice.
“Oh, honey…”
Diana didn’t wait to hear the rest.
Twenty minutes later, a knock sounded on the door of the back o ffice. Sally's voice came through. "Diana? Can I come in?"
Diana nodded and sniffed. “Yeah, sure. Come on in.” She didn’t meet Sally’s eyes, but saw her friend take in her slumped posture, the elbow propped on the battered desk, and the small mountain of crumpled ti ssues sitting next to a nearly empty box. I ought to sit up. No… she didn’t have the energy.
“You okay?” The affection in Sally’s voice eased away the last of the knots in Diana’s stomach.
“Yeah…yes. I’m better now.” She pushed herself upright. “I’m a lot better now. Thanks, Sally.
Sally’s eyes were soft with concern. “I love you, lady—you know that, don’t you?”
Diana smiled and nodded. “Yes, I know that. I love you too. You know me too well, but I guess I can live with that.”
“What are you going to do next?”
“Well,” Diana wiped her eyes and blew her nose one last time. “You weren’t quite right. I don’t have ‘nothing’ left, you know. I have this shelter. I have my best friend, and…” She looked at Sally with determination in her eyes. “I have me.”
“And enough cash to take your own sweet time figuring out a plan,” added Sally.
“True.” Diana pulled up a smile. “That does help. I’m going to take stock. Get reacquainted with myself. Then we’ll see what comes up.” She snorted quietly. “Besides, Friday I meet with the new CEO of Lennox Incorporated to see how things are going, and to offer him any help he needs—though I don’t expect he’ll want any.”
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