What a Man Needs by Patricia Thayer Page A

Forest has been telling me about the shelter kids.”
    â€œForest!”
    â€œYes, Forest.” Kelly climbed in the car.
    A surprised Cynthia got in the passenger side. “I didn’t know you were seeing Forest.”
    â€œWe haven’t exactly been seeing each other.” She put the key in the ignition and started the car. “Okay, we had dinner once, and he brought me lunch at the office.” She smiled. “No man has ever done that for me.”
    Cynthia was envious and happy at the same time. “You deserve special treatment.”
    â€œAnyway, he suggests I donate time for the kids at the shelter.”
    â€œSome of those kids were at the ranch the other day. Patrick and Nora have been teaching them to ride.” Cynthia thought about Davy, wondering how he was doing, whether someone was taking care of him, reading him a story and tucking him into bed at night. Or if he was afraid. She shivered. “I got to help, too. So you’re serious about helping out?”
    â€œYeah,” her sister announced. “It’ll be a nice change from couples bickering over who gets the beach house or the cabin cruiser.” She raised a hand. “Okay, so their money keeps me in a lifestyle I’ve come to love. But I’m realizing there’s something I’ve missed in my life.”
    From an early age, Kelly had been the original material girl. “Oh, my, that’s quite a revelation.” Cynthia was thinking the same.
    Her sister glanced in her direction, then pulled out onto the street. “What about you, sis? There was a time when you wanted to teach school. I know Mom had pushed you to keep making movies, and we all relied heavily on your financial support, especially me for college. I alwayswondered if you gave up your dream to give me mine.”
    â€œOh, Kelly, no.” She touched her sister’s arm. “I was happy that I made enough money to help out the family. If I’d wanted to go to college, I could have.”
    Kelly looked doubtful. “Mom didn’t exactly make the decision easy for you. She was good at encouraging guilt. You’ve made her life pretty comfortable. You’ve even helped our father. God, I hate to call that man that.”
    â€œI just helped that one time.”
    Cynthia remembered when their father had called her out of the blue. In the previous twelve years he’d never called or paid child support. And they had gone without a lot as kids. She’d ended up giving him money, but only after he promised to stay out of their lives.
    â€œYou bought him a house.”
    â€œAnd it’s all the way across the country,” Cynthia stressed. “He would have sold his story to the media and made our lives a living hell. It was simpler to help him out.”
    â€œWhen is it going to be time for you, sis? When do you take time for some happiness?”
    She laughed. “You make me sound like a martyr. I do plenty for me. I’ve had a great career.”
    â€œBut are you happy, Cyn? I don’t think you have been for a long time. You’re in a rough business. It’s cruel and you deserve better. I think finding Patrick could be a good beginning.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about? Patrick Tanner is teaching me to ride. There’s no beginning.” Cynthia had to push aside any dreams of a man like Patrick in her life. He wanted nothing to do with an actress.
    â€œNot according to Forest. He says Patrick has feelings for you. Of course, he’s just as stubborn as you.”
    Cynthia would love it if that were true. “One minute Patrick can barely stand having me around, then the next he’s kissing me. It’s confusing. As things stand now, there’s no future for us.”
    â€œNever say never. Forest let it slip that there was a woman in Patrick’s past. She did quite a number on him and he doesn’t trust easily. You could change that.”
    â€œNo,