Match Point by Erynn Mangum

Author:Erynn Mangum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Navigators
Published: 2008-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

I walk into my house a little after nine thirty after sharing breakfast with Ryan at the park by the elementary school.

Joan sits at the kitchen table, hands folded, expression tragic.

“Laurie, I am so sorry!” she bursts when I come through the doorway.

I toss my keys on the table, sighing, sliding into the chair beside her. “It’s not your fault, Joan,” I say dully, cradling my head in my hands.

“I feel terrible!”

I chattered nonstop through breakfast, staying at least a foot away from Ryan the entire time and leaving with a friendly but entirely unromantic wave.

“I feel terrible too,” I tell Joan. Terrible might be the wrong word. Try unnerved. Beyond that, there’s the dozen guilt guppies swimming around in my stomach.

“We have to do something, Laurie. You and Ryan belong together. I know it!”

I force my lips together in a sad smile and look up at Joan. “It’s no use,” I say. “He never wants to see me again.”

“He only thinks that, Honey!” Joan grabs my hand. “We need to make him rethink that.”

“Yeah?” I say tiredly. “How?”

She looks at me for a long minute. “You should run into him again. And soon! He loves you; I know it!”

I blink at that. “No, he . . .” My voice trails off. “I don’t think he . . .” I pull my hand away and rub my face. “Wouldn’t that be dumb?” I mutter finally.

“Why?” Joan wails. “You two were created by God for each other! We have to get him back, Laurie. Listen. I have a plan.”

She leans forward and starts talking, but I can’t concentrate on what she is saying for the life of me.

My head pounds, and my hands are trembling. If this is love, then I’m echoing that eighties song: Love stinks.

Of course, this could have something to do with the three extra-large coffees I ordered, telling Shawn they were for me, Claire, and Hannah and then drinking all three of them at breakfast.

The lies just keep stacking up.

Joan finishes and leans back, smiling in relief. “Don’t you think that will work?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Great! We’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll call Hannah right now!”

She bounces up from the table and runs for the phone.

I stand and climb the stairs to my room. Darcy is sacked out on my bed. He lifts one eyelid when I open the door, sees it is me, and promptly goes back to sleep.

“Don’t go overboard with the welcome, Darce.”

His tail thumps once as I fall down on the bed next to him and bury my face in the soft scruff around his neck.

“Sometimes I’m glad you can’t talk.”

He licks my ear.

Joan knocks on the open door. “So it’s all set, Laurie. Hannah’s on her way over. Ruby would’ve come, but the baby’s sleeping.”

“Come where?” I ask, rolling over and accidentally squishing Darcy’s nose. “Sorry, Pal.”

He sighs.

Joan frowns at my dog. “Sometimes he’s more human than he should be.” She looks back at me. “Shopping, Laurie! Remember? The plan?”

“Oh yeah.” I nod. No, I do not remember the plan.

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