Family Ties by Louise Behiel

position.
    “No I’m not. But Gray’s my neighbor. Besides, he’s moving fairly quickly.” As Andie reached for plates in the cupboard she rested her fingers on the shelf. “What do you mean, hunk-o-rama?”
    “He’s delicious. Cute. Hunky.”
    “About what I thought you meant.” She counted out the plates and pulled out the stack.
    “His plans to leave don’t mean you couldn’t get together, does it? He might stay.” Dina could resemble a dog with a bone. A little dog with a big bone.
    “He won’t.”
    “Whatever. So which do you prefer?”
    “So we’re back to the question, are we?” Setting the plates on the cupboard Andie gave the matter some thought. Gray had a great build and sexy, warm eyes. And his silky sable hair cried for a woman’s fingers to mess it.
    “His shoulders and arms.”
    “Really? Why?”
    “There’s something about all those muscles.” She blew a breath through partially closed lips. “Guaranteed appeal.”
    “I like his eyes.” Dina had always been a sucker for big brown eyes.
    “When did you see them?
    “I didn’t but the kid described them to me.” She flicked a hand toward Bonnie.
    “Must be an old lady thing,” the younger girl replied, setting the silver on top of the plates and lifting the whole pile. “Maryanne says hair and butt are the only two things worth checking out.”
    “What makes her such an expert on men?”
    Bonnie set the dishes on the table, lifted one shoulder in a shrug then reached for the place mats. “Everybody says she’s done it.”
    Andie caught her breath and held it inside for a moment. Although many teenagers were sexually active at seventeen, she wanted more for Bonnie. “Really?” she asked, her voice as calm as she could will it.
    “No one knows for sure. But I don’t think so.”
    Andie forced the masher through the potatoes. “How come?”
    “She’s one of those people who wants you to think she’s done stuff when she hasn’t. You know? Like talking about meeting Ricky Martin. As if anyone from Calgary has met a superstar like him.”
    “Some people are like that, hon,” Dina added, rapidly batting her eyes, “Did I tell you I met Kevin Costner?”
    “Only about a hundred times. Although I don’t think seeing him across a restaurant in Banff qualifies as meeting him.”
    “He and his band are following me on Twitter, you know.”
    Bonnie sighed heavily. “I know. You’ve told me about a hundred times since it happened last week. You do know that it’s his people who are on twitter and not Costner himself, right?”
    Dina smiled dreamily. “Perhaps. But who knows?”
    Andie took a deep breath determined to hold some detachment for the duration of this conversation. “Is there anything else about her you’re uncomfortable with?”
    “When we talk, she talks rough, you know with her language and stuff but I think she’s faking it so we’ll feel like babies.”
    “Do you think she’s trying for anything else?”
    Silence wafted from the dining room, except for the soft thunk of plates against the placemats. “Nah. She’s just putting on a big show. For the guys, you know.” Bonnie came back into the kitchen and took some glasses from the cupboard. “When they whistle or try to talk, she gives them the cold shoulder and ices them out.” She giggled. “It’s kind of funny to see them slink away. Underneath it all,” the teenager walked back to the other room, “I think she’s kind of lonely.”
    Andie took a deep breath. She’d probably make it through this conversation, but they were getting harder. Somehow, loving Bonnie forced all her professional platitudes out the window. Who’d have guessed? Certainly not her during her training and putting all those initials behind her name. She’d been young and certain she had all the answers.
    “So you really like his shoulders and arms best?”
    “Back to Gray are we?” Obviously Bonnie had something on her mind. “They’re not too shabby.”