with just the hearing, or it could take several days.”
She didn’t know how to handle it. How could she press him for information he didn’t have?
“Cindy,” he said, “you’ll hear from me. I don’t know when, but you will.”
“Okay, Drew.” What else could she say?
“Cindy?”
“Hmm?”
“It’s nice that you care what happens to me. I like that.” A smile came into his voice. “Look for me...”
“Yes, I know. When the sun goes down.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Drew, be careful. Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Goodbye, princess.”
“Goodbye.”
Cindy hung up, falling back on the pillows. She glanced at the lamp which lay in a heap, its shade askew, on the rug. Automatically, she got out of bed and righted it, standing it back on the table.
Could she take this? Could she take Fox’s lifestyle, the pattern of leaving at a moment’s notice with no set time of return? He was going off into danger every time he left, and no amount of rationalizing could dismiss that fact.
Cindy shook her head and climbed back into bed. It appeared that she was going to find out if she could live with his precarious adventures.
Because whether she liked it or not, she was falling in love with Andrew Fox.
Chapter 6
Five days later Cindy was seated on the floor of Paula’s living room with a stack of index cards. She was methodically sorting the cards and then clipping them to the typed pages they outlined. A casual observer witnessing her apparent concentration would not have guessed her inner turmoil.
Paula entered the room and displayed her hand like a model on television selling dishwashing lotion. “How do you like it?” she asked. “Mango frappe.”
Cindy glanced at the iridescent orange nail polish and nodded. “It’s very... shiny.”
“Not to mention seductive, long wearing, and non chip,” Paula added dryly, quoting from the sales copy.
She watched Cindy bite the cap of her pen, holding it between her teeth and nibbling at it like a ferret.
“Is that what you do instead of smoking?” she asked.
Cindy looked at her uncomprehendingly. “What?”
“Never mind. I take it you haven’t heard from him.”
Cindy shook her head.
“You have nothing to add?” Paula probed.
Cindy shrugged. “What is there to say? I have no claim on him; he doesn’t have to report to me daily as if I were his mother. He said I would hear from him, and I will. Eventually.”
“How very mature,” Paula said. “And how understanding. Everyone knows there are no phones in Georgia. Or post offices or Western Union operators.”
Cindy threw her a dirty look.
“I know, I know,” Paula said, holding up her hand. “But if you ask me, he’s using this trip to put emotional distance between you.”
“Nobody asked you,” Cindy pointed out.
“Has that ever stopped me from offering an opinion before?” Paula asked rhetorically.
Cindy sighed and uncoiled her legs, stretching them. “Paula, look at it logically. As of this moment, I have been out with him twice, only once on an actual date. Why should he feel compelled to keep me posted on his every move? I believe that he’ll call me when he gets back, and that’s sufficient.”
Paula nodded patiently. “All that sounds wonderful, but I happen to know that you haven’t eaten a square meal since he left. You may be convincing yourself with your splendid reasoning but I’m not buying it.”
“Then don’t,” Cindy said shortly, getting up. “Go back into your bedroom and frappe your toenails.”
“Oh, oh,” Paula said. “Getting a little miffed, are we?”
Cindy put her hands on her hips and stared her down. “I’m getting a little miffed, yes. Your attitude toward Fox changes with the light. One minute you’re wishing me luck and urging me onward, and the next you’re making wisecracks about his disappearing act. What’s going on, Paula? Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
Paula considered that. “Okay,
She didn’t know how to handle it. How could she press him for information he didn’t have?
“Cindy,” he said, “you’ll hear from me. I don’t know when, but you will.”
“Okay, Drew.” What else could she say?
“Cindy?”
“Hmm?”
“It’s nice that you care what happens to me. I like that.” A smile came into his voice. “Look for me...”
“Yes, I know. When the sun goes down.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Drew, be careful. Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Goodbye, princess.”
“Goodbye.”
Cindy hung up, falling back on the pillows. She glanced at the lamp which lay in a heap, its shade askew, on the rug. Automatically, she got out of bed and righted it, standing it back on the table.
Could she take this? Could she take Fox’s lifestyle, the pattern of leaving at a moment’s notice with no set time of return? He was going off into danger every time he left, and no amount of rationalizing could dismiss that fact.
Cindy shook her head and climbed back into bed. It appeared that she was going to find out if she could live with his precarious adventures.
Because whether she liked it or not, she was falling in love with Andrew Fox.
Chapter 6
Five days later Cindy was seated on the floor of Paula’s living room with a stack of index cards. She was methodically sorting the cards and then clipping them to the typed pages they outlined. A casual observer witnessing her apparent concentration would not have guessed her inner turmoil.
Paula entered the room and displayed her hand like a model on television selling dishwashing lotion. “How do you like it?” she asked. “Mango frappe.”
Cindy glanced at the iridescent orange nail polish and nodded. “It’s very... shiny.”
“Not to mention seductive, long wearing, and non chip,” Paula added dryly, quoting from the sales copy.
She watched Cindy bite the cap of her pen, holding it between her teeth and nibbling at it like a ferret.
“Is that what you do instead of smoking?” she asked.
Cindy looked at her uncomprehendingly. “What?”
“Never mind. I take it you haven’t heard from him.”
Cindy shook her head.
“You have nothing to add?” Paula probed.
Cindy shrugged. “What is there to say? I have no claim on him; he doesn’t have to report to me daily as if I were his mother. He said I would hear from him, and I will. Eventually.”
“How very mature,” Paula said. “And how understanding. Everyone knows there are no phones in Georgia. Or post offices or Western Union operators.”
Cindy threw her a dirty look.
“I know, I know,” Paula said, holding up her hand. “But if you ask me, he’s using this trip to put emotional distance between you.”
“Nobody asked you,” Cindy pointed out.
“Has that ever stopped me from offering an opinion before?” Paula asked rhetorically.
Cindy sighed and uncoiled her legs, stretching them. “Paula, look at it logically. As of this moment, I have been out with him twice, only once on an actual date. Why should he feel compelled to keep me posted on his every move? I believe that he’ll call me when he gets back, and that’s sufficient.”
Paula nodded patiently. “All that sounds wonderful, but I happen to know that you haven’t eaten a square meal since he left. You may be convincing yourself with your splendid reasoning but I’m not buying it.”
“Then don’t,” Cindy said shortly, getting up. “Go back into your bedroom and frappe your toenails.”
“Oh, oh,” Paula said. “Getting a little miffed, are we?”
Cindy put her hands on her hips and stared her down. “I’m getting a little miffed, yes. Your attitude toward Fox changes with the light. One minute you’re wishing me luck and urging me onward, and the next you’re making wisecracks about his disappearing act. What’s going on, Paula? Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
Paula considered that. “Okay,
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