Broken Open. Lauren Dane

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СКАЧАТЬ patted her hair. “And, we all know I’ll look fantastic either way.”

      “Truth. However.” Natalie raised a brow. “You’re canceling a hair appointment to be nice to Ezra. You like Ezra.” But she sang it and it made Tuesday smirk a little.

      “I’m canceling a hair appointment because a little girl and her family need the support and the ability to be together right now. I am a nice person, you know.”

      Natalie snorted. “You are a nice person. Who totally has it for Ezra because you never give up hair appointments.”

      “Listen, it is hard to find someone who knows what to do with all this.” Tuesday waved a hand at her hair. “I gotta take my appointments when I can get them when Nina is at the salon.” She’d learned the hard way that she needed a salon that had stylists who knew how to style and treat black women’s hair. Tuesday had found Nina, a stylist who worked two days a week at a local salon and that’s who touched Tuesday’s hair. Otherwise, she drove up to Olympia and went with her mom to a friend who did hair on the side.

      Natalie’s grin undercut her attempt to be serious. “I understand. Well, actually I don’t, which is sort of sucky but anyway. I do think I need two more pancakes before I call, though. Going to be a full day—it’s really in everyone’s interest that I have all the fuel I need.”

      Tuesday snorted. “You’re a giver.”

      “Also—” Natalie paused to eat a little “—I want to wait until I hear back from Paddy. If they cancel the show we’ll know soon, but he didn’t think they were going to.”

      “Smart.”

      “At least tell me if he asked you to come tonight. You’re very stingy with details.”

      Tuesday sighed and shook her head. “I can’t remember if you were this nosy with Eric.”

      “I didn’t have to be. Your bedroom was next to mine. I heard how things were going.” Natalie winked.

      It had been a really long time since they’d shared like this. It felt nice and Tuesday realized she’d missed it. “Yes. He asked me if I was coming tonight. He invited me to his house afterward. Obviously for sex.”

      “Did you like it? That he’s interested?”

      “Oh my god. Are you going to keep this up?”

      Natalie laughed really hard and then nodded. “You did it to me with Paddy.” She sobered and looked at Tuesday. “I know it’s not the same. But I also know it’s not what you’ve been doing, either. Are you scared?”

      It hurt to breathe for just a moment and panic raced through her system until Natalie took her wrist. “Hey, I’m sorry. I just...it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry.”

      “I know I need to let it happen. Or stop it. Or not think about it. Or maybe think more about it. I guess I don’t know what to do and...”

      “And you’re not used to admitting maybe you don’t know what to do. Because you’re so fierce and strong and awesome that you don’t know how to let yourself be a little weak.”

      “Please. I fucked around for eighteen months after Eric died. I was nothing but weak. Fluttering around in the breeze.” Running from a truth she did not want to accept.

      Natalie’s softness hardened up immediately. “You stop. Right now. You had less than ninety days to go from learning he had cancer to burying him. So you took a little while to deal. So what? God, you’re so hard on yourself. It makes me mad.”

      “Oh hush. You’re so full of shit. Who is hard on themselves? Hypocrite.”

      “Of course I’m a hypocrite. It’s like you don’t even know me, Tues. But now that I’ve found true love and all that, I get to condescend to you. Jeez. This is outlined in the papers you signed back at the beginning of our friendship.” Natalie snickered and Tuesday tossed her napkin at Nat’s head.

      Tuesday wasn’t totally sure of the words, but she needed to say them the best she could at that moment. “Please don’t make this into a big deal. That’s what I’m saying. I am trying to take this step by step. It’s new, even though we’ve been heading here for a while now. I am so freaked out that the only way I can get through at this point is to pretend it’s not anything.”

      Natalie came around the table and hugged her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

      “Don’t be sorry. I know you’re trying to help.”

      Thank goodness for this. Tuesday hugged Natalie back and then let go. “We got shit to do. So let’s quit this foolishness and weeping. You and I are beyond that nonsense.”

      “Okay. Fine. But I think we should seal this with doughnuts.”

      “You think we should seal everything with doughnuts.”

      Natalie straightened. “That’s because doughnuts are perfect for every occasion.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

      TUESDAY ENTERED THE ROOM, drawing his attention. She moved like music. A long stride and yet she made it look like dancing instead of ground-eating purpose.

      She wore pert cat-eye glasses and when her gaze found his, the big brown eyes behind them warmed as their connection sizzled.

      He hadn’t even thought of heading to her before he was doing it.

      “Hello,” she murmured once he’d reached her.

      He kissed her, again before even thinking about it. She curled her fingers around his forearm to hold him closer for a bit longer.

      “That’s better. Hello to you, too.”

      “You do know how to make a girl feel welcome.” Her smile sobered. “How’s Maddie?”

      “We spoke to the doctor about an hour ago. If all continues the way it is now, they’ll discharge her in the morning. She’s managed to get Vaughan to promise a whole bunch of stuff once she’s home—like a pro.” He looked over her shoulder to where Mary smiled up at his father. “I hear you guys came with lunch. Thanks for that.”

      Tuesday waved a hand and the bracelets on her wrists jingled. “Wasn’t me. That was all Mary. I just came along for the ride.”

      He leaned in very close. “Well, remember you and I have just that very thing on the menu later.”

      Her fingers tightened on his arm. “I never forget a promise, Ezra Hurley.”

      Damn she spun him around. Something deep inside him had roused, slowly filling him. It was so good. Hot and sticky.

      “Tuesday, it’s so good to see you, honey.” His mother came over and pulled Tuesday into a hug. He hid his annoyance at having to let her go. His mother winked at him once she broke the hug with Tuesday.

      Sharon Hurley was sneakier than any secret agent the country had ever produced. She had a master plan in СКАЧАТЬ