Dan & Kara: A Downeast Prequel by Marie Force

Author:Marie Force [Force, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958035610
Publisher: HTJB, Inc.
Published: 2024-03-28T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Dan and Grant fell into the habit of getting together once a week to read each other’s work and exchange critiques as Grant wrote his screenplay about Stephanie and Charlie’s story and Dan worked on his book. Grant had nothing but praise for Dan’s book so far and said he offered pretty good feedback for a lawyer. That was high praise coming from an Oscar-winning screenwriter. Frankly, Dan had no idea what he was doing with the book, which made Grant’s feedback that much more critical.

Dan slid into the booth across from Grant. “Sorry I’m late. My mom called right when I was leaving. She’s full of questions about me and Kara.” Dan rolled his eyes. “She’s like a dog with a bone.”

“Nice. Comparing your mother to a dog. How did she find out about ‘the bone,’ as you call it?”

“I refuse to refer to the woman I love as ‘the bone.’”

“Why? Does it give you a boner?”

“Shut up, will you? I might’ve made the huge mistake of mentioning that I’d met someone here. You should know how mothers of sons in their late thirties get hopeful at the first sign of commitment of any kind.”

“So it’s your own fault that she’s planning the wedding.”

“Yes, I guess it is.”

“Speaking of weddings, is there going to be one?”

“Not you, too! We’re not talking about weddings or other such foolishness. We’re enjoying our time together. Why isn’t that enough for everyone?”

“Because you’re no longer in your midthirties. You’re thirty-eight now, which is getting awfully close to the big four-oh. You ain’t getting any younger.”

Dan picked up the bread knife and ran it over his wrist.

“Not sharp enough,” Grant said. “And I didn’t waste an entire day saving your sorry life so you could end it with a dull butter knife just because your mom wants you to get married.”

“Wasted? I’m hurt.”

“Not anymore you aren’t. So what’s stopping you from popping the question? You know you don’t want to let her get away.”

“What’s stopping you from getting married? Seems to me you popped the question quite some time ago, but I don’t hear any bells ringing in your neighborhood either.”

“We’re both so busy. We haven’t had time to breathe, let alone plan a wedding. We’re not in any rush.”

“Need I remind you that you’re thirty-six? Just in case you’d forgotten.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“What’s going on?”

“The fucking screenplay.”

Dan was well aware that Grant had been emotionally drained by the writing of the screenplay about Stephanie and Charlie’s story. Having to relive the trauma of Stephanie’s childhood through interviews with her and her stepfather had taken a toll on Grant as he heard some of the uglier details for the first time from Charlie.

“What now?”

“I’m not sure what to do.” Grant ran his fingers through his hair until it stood on end. “I feel dishonest not telling Stephanie the stuff I know now about her childhood, but I can’t just bring it up out of the blue when she’s doing so well. You know?”

“That is a tough one.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.