Shooting the Moon by Brenda Novak Page A

the call. I-I hadn’t thought of things in quite this way.”
    “Glad I could help.” He hesitated. “It’s great to hear from you, you know. I really miss you.”
    She didn’t want to hear the sentimental note in his voice, wasn’t about to let him turn the conversation to anything personal. Not this morning. “Um, thanks,” she said lamely. “I appreciate your…friendship.”
    “Friendship?” he echoed.
    “Damien, I—”
    “Forget it. I know.”
    She could tell he wasn’t happy, but Lauren couldn’t do anything to change the way she felt. Lord knows she’d already tried. “I’m sorry. I wish things could be different.”
    “Sure you do,” he said, then the phone clicked and he was gone.
    “What’s up with you and Damien?” Kimberly demanded as soon as Lauren had hung up. “You told me you two were over for good.”
    Lauren sighed. “We were. I mean we are. He just called because—” she craned her neck to see down the hall that led to Brandon’s room “—he heard You-Know-Who was in town.”
    “He did? How?”
    She lowered her voice. “Because Harley’s staying with his younger brother.”
    “Tank?”
    “Yeah. They used to hang out together, remember?”
    “How could I ever forget? We were ogling Harley when Tank threw up all over me on the way out of that assembly in high school.”
    Lauren grimaced. “Not a pleasant association.”
    “Definitely not.” She opened the trash compactor and tossed the banana peel inside. “So?”
    “So what?”
    “Aren’t you going to tell me what Damien had to say?”
    Lauren checked for Brandon again, but found the hall empty. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late for sure, but she had bigger concerns this morning. “He said Harley’s probably after money. He said I should buy him off like my father did ten years ago.”
    Kimberly’s brows arched above her hazel eyes. “Has Harley asked for money?”
    “Shhh,” Lauren whispered. “Brandon will hear you.”
    “Well, has he?”
    “No, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t accept it.”
    Kimberly crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “Is that what your father thinks, too?”
    “I don’t know,” Lauren said, shrugging off the question. “I haven’t talked to him.”
    “Why not? Can’t you reach him?”
    “I haven’t tried yet. I—”
    “I’m ready, Aunt Kim,” Brandon said, returning to the kitchen. “Oh, boy,” he said, frowning at the clock. “We have to go.”
    “Did you get breakfast?” Lauren asked him.
    “What, you think I’d send him to school hungry?” Kimberly said.
    “Just checking.” Lauren gave Brandon a hug and a kiss. “Have a great day, sweetheart. I’ll see you when I pick you up this afternoon.”
    “Okay.”
    “Maybe we can play another game of Hearts.”
    “Cool.” He hitched his backpack over his shoulder and started out. Kimberly followed a few steps behind but threw Lauren one last glance before disappearing into the living room.
    “How much are you going to offer him?” she asked.
    “As much as it takes, so long as I’ve got it,” Lauren said.
    “Well…” Kimberly gazed distractedly after Brandon. “Don’t do anything till I get back.”
     
    “S O WHAT’S THE PLAN ?” Kimberly asked as soon as she returned from taking Brandon to school.
    Lauren sat at the kitchen table next to her friend, drinking the iced cappuccino Kimberly had brought her. The sun streamed in through the French doors that lined the back of the house, and the fresh flowers that normally graced the table were pushed off to the side. “I don’t really have one yet,” she said, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the vacuum. The maid service had arrived only minutes earlier, and a tall, lean woman was cleaning the bedrooms. “I went through my checkbook and savings account statements while you were gone, trying to figure out how much money I can lay my hands on right away.”
    “And?” The diamond tennis bracelet on Kimberly’swrist slid