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KIM BALDWIN. After they exchanged hellos, she said, “Sorry, I just got home and got your message
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was lying.
After they exchanged hellos, she said, “Sorry, I just got home and got your message. I stayed to have dinner with some friends from work.”
“No problem. I kind of F gured you must have done something like that. It’s okay, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing anyway.”
“I appreciate the invitation.”
“How about tomorrow?”
Gable hadn’t foreseen this possibility.
“Come to dinner tomorrow,” Erin blithely continued. “I have tons of lasagna left, and it’s always better the second day anyway.”
No excuse at the ready, Gable stammered. “Uh…well…Let me think…oh, wait! I promised one of the women I work with that I’d help her with something tomorrow when we got off. I’m not sure what time I’ll be home. Maybe late.” Brilliant. Just brilliant. It sounded like such a terribly lame excuse that Gable was certain Erin would see right through it. But if she did, she gave no indication.
“Oh, well, that’s all right. How about Thursday?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. “Sorry, I’ve got plans on Thursday.” Now sheknows I’m lying. Gable didn’t even try to come up with a reasonable excuse. She just wanted to get off the phone.
“Oh. Okay.”
She heard the hurt in Erin’s voice and hated herself for causing it.
“Look, I’ve gotta run,” she said. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” But nottoo soon.
“Sure. Good night, Gable. Sleep well.”
v
Being apart from Erin didn’t work. If anything, it was worse. She had a powerful imagination, and it worked overtime wondering how much time Erin was spending with Tim and what they were up to.
Erin hadn’t called her again all week, and Gable wondered whether she’d put so much distance between them that their budding friendship would be irrevocably harmed.
On Friday morning as she F xed herself breakfast, she glanced at Erin’s training schedule, tacked up on the refrigerator door. Erin had a session with Tim from two to F ve that afternoon to go over portable
• 106 •
FORCE OF NATURE
extinguishers and F re inspection practices. They get off at F ve. It’snatural they’d go out to dinner somewhere after. Then maybe a movie.
And back to her place. That’s what I’d do.
v
There was a message on Gable’s machine when she got home from work shortly after six that night. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the red number one on the digital display. Maybe she’d been wrong, and it was Erin calling.
Much as she feared having to make more excuses, she missed hearing Erin’s voice. She pressed the button and held her breath.
“Hi, sis. Just calling to conF rm I’ll pick you up at nine.” Stewart’s voice. “I’ve got all the camping gear we need. Just bring your clothes and F shing gear and we can catch breakfast on the way up to the bridge.”
They were going to spend Saturday F shing on a lake Stewart knew near Saint Ignace. Then on Sunday they would take the ferry to Mackinac Island and poke around the fort and the fudge shops before heading home.
On any other occasion, Gable would have looked forward to spending some time with her brother. They always had a blast when they went F shing together. But all she could think about was how far away she’d be from Erin. She stared at the answering machine, wishing she hadn’t erased Erin’s messages, so she could play them again.
There was a knock at the door.
It’s her. Gable knew it was. She wasn’t sure how she knew. But she was certain of it. Her resolve f ew out the window and she couldn’t get the door unlatched fast enough.
“Hi.” Erin had a look of uncertainty on her face, as though expecting to be turned away. She held a large paper grocery bag in her arms.
Gable wanted to hug her, she was so happy to see her again. She managed to restrain herself, but she couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot.
“Come on in, I just got home.”
Erin’s uncertainty dissipated and she smiled back at Gable as she crossed the threshold. “I took a chance and brought you dinner.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
• 107 •
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