“I can’t quite reach the top shelf, Chad. Can you give me a hand?”
“You’re changing the subject.”
She shifted uncomfortably. “Never mind. I’ll stick it on the counter.”
“You can stick it in your ear for all I care, just don’t ignore the question.”
She whirled on him and folded her arms. “I don’t have to answer your stupid question.”
Chad concentrated on the cereal box until it floated up to the top shelf and slid into place among the other boxes and cans up there.“Okay, fine. Then think about why you don’t want to answer it.”
‘Because it’s none of your business.”
“Or because you can’t. You have no idea how to approach an attractive man even when he’s attracted to you.”
She blew out a deep breath. “Okay, fine. I’ve thought about it. But our friendship is too important to me. What if it doesn’t work out? I don’t have that many friends.”
“You can say that again. Now that Konrad and Roz have moved out, you have exactly one cousin who you’re fighting with half the time and a bored ghost. Your life sucks.”
“Gee thanks.”
“I call ‘em like I see ‘em. And when I see you and Sly together, I notice the goofy grins on your faces. Think about it, Morgaine. If you snooze, you might lose. I’ve noticed Gwyneth seems to like him too.”
“Well, then I better not get my hopes up. Any man will take the easy girl over the challenging one.”
“I admit most of us are schmucks, but I don’t think Sly’s into superficial, dumb redheads. His eyes don’t light up when he sees her like they do when he sees you.”
“Whatever you do, never call Gwyneth dumb. She’s super-sensitive about it. Besides, she has a good mind, she just hasn’t had the educational advantages a lot of people have had.”
“You’re changing the subject again.”
“And with good reason. Not only is my life none of your business, but there’s nothing you can do about it. He can’t hear you.”
“Yeah, but you can. And I might just decide to follow you around singing show tunes off key until you go downstairs and make a move on him.”He laughed maniacally.
“Chad, go away. You’re pissing me off.”
“Make me.”
“Fine, I’ll just ignore you.”
“Aw screw it. Go ahead and be lonely for the rest of your life. Maybe you can get a few cats or something.”
“For Goddess’s sake Chad. Will you leave me alone?” Her tone had a chilly edge to it.
“OOOOOklahoma where the wind—”
Morgaine clapped her hands over her ears and shouted, “Go away! I don’t need your interference. If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll do something about it, okay?”
“There now, was that so hard?”
Morgaine rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and blew out a deep breath.
Chapter two
“Honey, can I ask you something?”
Jason sensed an anxious tone to Merry’s question. He folded the newspaper he’d been reading and watched her in the kitchen. “Sure, darling. You can ask me anything.”
