Read Online Two Sisters: A Novel by Mary Hogan - Free Book Online Page A

sure I can make something lunchy out of them.”
    “Nonsense. I’m taking you out. I insist.”
    Fearless teenage boys skidded their clacking skateboards down the stone steps of the monument in Riverside Park. Puggles tugged at their leashes, toddlers skittered after pigeons who walked from side to side in exactly the way they did. On teak benches in the shadow of young elms, Jamaican nannies and their charges met to gossip and dole out gluten-free pretzels. “Joshua, share with Aidan now.” For a brief moment, Muriel understood why people liked the outdoors. Then she felt the weight of her hair on her head and wished she was back in her apartment.
    For the second time that day, Muriel’s body had melted into the shape of a wine bottle. A dress had meant shaving her legs. A white dress meant she couldn’t wear her black Spanx. And the scarf, well, that meant she’d feel more choked than she already did.
    “Fabulous it is,” she had said, surrendering, knowing exactly where her perfectly perfect sister would want to go.
    O WEN USHERED LIDIA into his tidy apartment with a sweep of his arm even as he ached to sweep her into his arms and ravenously take her on the freshly Hoovered carpet.
    “Milady,” he said, opting for a more gallant approach.
    Lidia smiled, but it was the type of smile that had more darkness in it than light.
    “What’s wrong?” Owen asked.
    “I have news,” she said.
    Owen swallowed. “News?”
    “We should sit.”
    Right then and there he knew his life was over. Not in the dead sort of way, but in the never again the same way. No one delivers good news sitting down. Happy news inspires leaping, hugging, back slapping. All upright activities. Only dire news causes knees to buckle. At that moment Owen wished Lidia would quietly back out of his apartment the way she’d come in. Rewind herself. Really, they didn’t know each other well enough to share life’s disappointments.
    They sat.
    “Tea?” Owen offered.
    “Thank you, no.” Lidia was suddenly as prim as a headmistress.
    “All righty then. Your announcement.” Owen held his breath.
    As the news washed over him, Owen struggled to maintain his dignity. Though he had recently vacuumed, it would have linted his wool slacks to do what he wanted to do: crumple to the carpet in a heap. The worst possible outcome of their brief outdoor encounters had occurred.
    “I’m an honorable man,” he said, clearing his throat to camouflage his hyperventilation. “Whatever the cost to take care of this, I’ll pay. Plus a ride, of course. And absolute secrecy.” With his trembling right hand pressed onto his thudding heart he promised, “I will tell no one. I swear.”
    “No,” said Lidia.
    “No what?”
    “No, thank you.”
    Owen blinked. When Lidia repeated her refusal to even consider termination—announcing she was a devout Catholic—he reminded her that he was Catholic, too. God, he happened to know, was a world-renowned forgiver. His flock was entitled to a “Get out of hell free” card at least once in their lives. It was practically in the Bible.
    “No,” she said flatly.
    “ No?”
    “No.”
    Ever the gentleman, Owen didn’t say, “Screw you, then.” That would have been uncouth. Instead, he promised to compile a list of respected adoption agencies. “Imagine the number of suitable families looking for Caucasian children. There must be hundreds. Maybe thousands . God will praise your selflessness. Think of the joy you’ll bring to an infertile couple!”
    “No,” said Lidia again, this time punctuating it with a petulant stamp of her foot.
    Owen gaped at her. What the hell did she want? Good lord, they’d only done it twice. They were practically strangers. Well, not practically . They were strangers! He’d wanted to see Death Wish II the night they met, for God’s sake. They didn’t even have the same taste in movies.
    “You can’t possibly think we should marry?” he asked, his mouth hanging slack.
    “I