“Hey, I thought you
were going to work,” she said, setting her jacket onto the back of a chair.
“Yeah,
well, no use going if Alec doesn’t get up til noon. It’s not like I can do
anything without his approval,” Wendy replied.
She smiled at her sister as she scooped cookies off a baking sheet and
set them to cool. “Soooo?”
“Don’t
judge me,” May Lyn said, staring hungrily at the cookies.
Wendy
paused with the cookie-laden spatula halfway to a colorful storage tin. “I’ll
have you know my cookies are the most non-judgemental, unbiased and
unprejudiced baked goods around. See for yourself,” she said putting the cookie
temptingly under her sister’s nose. She smiled as May grabbed the cookie,
taking a bite, moaning in delight and closing her eyes as she ate it.
“You
make the most wonderful cookies,” she moaned, taking another bite. “Always
have.”
“Mom’s
recipes never fail,” Wendy said, scooping several cookies and placing them into
the container.
“At
least she left you that. I only have scant memories,” May Lyn said, sitting at
the stool and sighing.
“You
mean I snatched them away before Dad could throw them all out with everything
else she owned,” Wendy bitterly said. “I don’t even have memories.”
“You
were so little.” They were quiet for a minute. “Do you suppose…” May Lyn asked.
“Yes,
definitely,” Wendy replied, offering her sister another one which May declined.
“You
don’t know what I was going to ask.”
“Would
things be different if Dad had died instead of Mom?”
“Not
quite, but close enough,” May said. “I wondered if… if Dad ever really loved
her.”
Wendy
sighed. “Sure didn’t seem like it,” she muttered shaking her head of such
gloomy thoughts. “So, tell me. How did it go?”
“You
were right. The storefront is perfect. The apartment, not so much, but Donny
promised to look out for a proper tree house with a serviceable house attached
to it,” May Lyn said.
Wendy laughed.
“That Tristan has Donny securely wrapped around his finger.”
“I
saw that,” May Lyn said, watching her sister’s reaction. “He told me you and
he…”
“Are
just friends,” Wendy finished pointedly, offering another cookie.
“Stop
tempting me! I’ve already gained ten pound since setting foot in West Castillo.”
“Oh,
you have not! You’re too thin anyway. You could use a few. I’m starting to
think you’re anorexic or bulimic, although I have not heard any puking since
the flu ran through the house last winter.”
May
Lyn laughed and took the cookie anyway. Hey, it was a double chocolate one with peanut-butter chips which no sane person could resist!
“I may have to
resort to one or both of those if I keep going like this. Between Donny with
his cheeseburgers, fries and shakes, not to mention the ice cream I just had,
and you and your wonderful home cooked meals and blasted cookies from heaven…ugh!
I should go for another run,” she said grimacing.
“You
already ran seven miles this morning. Bah humbug!” Wendy said, which only made
May Lyn laugh more. “I’m shorter and at least twenty pounds heavier than you
and you don’t see me obsessing over weight.”
“Yes,
but all twenty of those are in Jeffy’s favorite places, if you know what I
mean. I’m sure Donny has noticed along with most men around here,” May Lyn
said, smirking.
“Oh,
no you don’t,” Wendy replied. “We’re friends and that’s it. I felt bad for him
and for Wes and his sister. They were like lost beings until Janet made them
come over one day and…the poor man just needed to remember he was still alive
after losing his beloved Margarita.”
“And
you did that,” May Lyn said.
Wendy
sighed. “Don’t see things which are not there, May. He’s a nice man and my
friend when I needed one. That’s all there is to it.”
“Speaking of
needing a friend,” May Lyn said. “I saw Jeffy while I was in Port Orianco. He
was coming out of the deli while I was envisioning a sign for my shop.”
“Did
you?” Wendy said, turning away with the empty baking sheet and wiping the spotless
counter needlessly.
“Yes,
he looked horrible.”
Wendy
spun around so quickly she nearly knocked the cookie tin to the floor. “Wh…what
was wrong with him?” she asked frantically.
May
Lyn shrugged. “He looked forlorn and haggard…like he hadn’t been sleeping well…for
weeks. He’s lonely, too, that’s for sure.”
“Did
he tell you to tell me that?” Wendy snapped. “All I need is another guilt trip.”
“Of
course not!” May said. “We didn’t even talk about you. It was my impression, is
all. He did tell me to stop by his shop. He said he’d make me something pretty
to wear to the gala. Did I mention I have a date for that?”
“Is
that why you told me not to judge you?” Wendy said, smiling. “I’m so glad! I
knew you and Donny would…”
“It’s
not Donny,” May said evasively.
Wendy
turned pale. “You…you’re going with my…with Jeffery?” she squeaked.
May
Lyn burst out laughing and shook her head. “Of course not! But I wish I had
thought of that. He’d make a great date…so attentive and complimentary and
handsome and he’s a great dancer and…”
“Shut
up!” Wendy whined. “Wait, then who?”
May Lyn promptly
stopped laughing. “Would you believe…Steven?”
Wendy
gaped, her mouth wide open. “No way!”
“He
saw me and stopped to say hello and…don’t judge me!” May Lyn pleaded.
“I’m
not, it’s just… it’s Steve London you’re talking about…your nemesis.”
“Oh,
stop! He was never that. You gave him that status, not me. He was never that
important to me,” May said.
“But
he was such a jerk. He treated you like crap and then when you broke it off
with him and Chad…”
“Ancient
history,” May replied. “He seems to have changed…maybe.”
“Based
on what?” Wendy asked. “Janet saw him recently and got a distinct feeling of…
well, I don’t quite know what, but she didn’t like him.”
“Janet
doesn’t like anybody!” May Lyn said.
“You
know that’s not true. She got the creeps being around him. I know I always did.”
“That’s
cuz he had the hots for you. Everyone had the hots for you,” May reminded her.
“All
the more reason to stay away from him, May. I don’t trust him and neither should
you! He has a horrible reputation around town.”
“I’m
not going to marry him, Wendy. It’s just a date for the gala. Jeffy said I had
to go for fear of disembowelment or something.”
Wendy
rolled her eyes. “He did not say that, surely!”
May
laughed. “No, but he sure made it clear that he expected me to be there for his
baby Janet’s grand debut, and I was not too thrilled about going alone so....”
“Donny
would have taken you and he won’t break your heart… again!”
“How
do you know? He just might,” May said, playing Devil’s advocate. “Who says
Donny’s all great and kind and…”
The
quelling look from her sister made her stop and sigh. “Okay, he is all those
things and probably more, but he didn’t ask me, now did he? I figured I wasn’t
his type.”
“Not
his type,” Wendy angrily muttered under her breath. “As if! He’s just…not used
to dating any more than you are.”
“Whatever,
the thing is I have a date for the first time in ten years and…I have no idea
what to expect.”
“Sure
you do. From Steven you can expect a lot of hands all over you. I swear that
guy’s an octopus!”
“And
how do you know that?” May asked curiously.
Wendy
grinned. “Dawn went out with him once and told me she barely made it out of
there in one piece.”
“That
was back in high school. I’m sure he’s changed. He has changed. I saw it for
myself.”
“Maybe so, but with
Donny you wouldn’t have to wonder.”
“Well, he didn’t
ask and Steven did, so…and there’s something else. Steven said he regrets everything
that went down between him and Chad and he wants to make up for it. He wants to
be a good, male influence on Tristan, and we both know he can use that.”
Wendy frowned. “And what was Donny doing all
this time? Grooming Tristan for a life of crime?”
“Wendy…you
know, if I didn’t know better I’d say you expect me and Donny to get together
this very minute, before we even get to know each other,” May Lyn said shrewdly.
“Why is that, I wonder?”
“I
don’t deny it. Where is Tristan anyway?”
“He’s…he
wanted to stay with Donny and… stop laughing!”
“See what I mean? It
only makes sense. I think…no, I know you would be great together. You’re both
widowed, you’re both lonely and need someone and Tristan already loves him and
it’s obvious Donny adores that kid! You can’t get better than that.”
“Wow,
you have it all figured out, huh?”
“What’s
to figure out? Boy meets girl, they fall madly in love and they live happily
ever after…most times,” Wendy said, trailing off to look out the window.
“And
who are you going to the gala with?” May asked, watching her sister’s painfully
wistful expression.
“It
would have been Stevie, I guess, if he didn’t have the hots for Cindy. Oh,
please don’t tell Donny about that! He’s all freaked out that she’s done the
worst thing possible and grown up. He’s just like Dad, the poor, delusional man.”
May
laughed. “I won’t say a word on the subject,” she said. “You could…call Jeffy,
you know, and ask him to go with you.”
“Ask
my own husband out on a date?” Wendy said, incredulous.
“Why
not? You still love him, he loves you. What’s the problem?”
“He
may already have a date.”
May
Lyn glared at her. “You really think so?”
Wendy
shook her head. “Maybe not, but…”
May
sighed. “Forget it. Tell you what, you don’t tell me who to date and I won’t
tell you. Okay?”
“That’s
not gonna work for me. I like telling you what to do,” Wendy replied, pouting
slightly.
May
Lyn laughed and hugged her sister. “I am so glad to be back home.”
Wendy
held her tightly. “Me, too. I’ve missed you so,” she said, until she glanced up
at the clock and gasped. “I gotta go! Alec might actually be up and dressed by
now and wondering why I’m not there to tie his shoes or some such.”
May
was still laughing as she waved her sister goodbye. “You know,” she mumbled to
herself. “I’m great at giving advice, but never do I take my own. Why didn’t I
ask Donny to the gala?”
She sighed knowing the answer to that. She was
every bit a scaredy-cat as her sister. She shook the thought out of her head and
grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She had a business to start.
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