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"I can’t do it, John"
His father’s old friend sighed loudly "I f igured you wouldn’t take it"
"Do you seriously think I should?"
"I won’t say The decision is yours, and you ith your instincts It’s what your father would’ve done"
Hutch replaced the receiver, pleased with the comparison--
until he reht
Chapter 11
Phoebe Rylander
Phoebe hurried through the rain to the waterfront restaurant where she’d agreed to h to believe the invitation had been prompted by any desire for her company In every likelihood, Clark would be the main topic of conversation
Her f irst instinct had been to beg off Several convenient excuses readily presented the, Phoebe only had an hour’s lunch break and there was no guarantee she’d get back on tih she’d cut their visit short because of Leanne’s insistence on discussing Clark Yet, even though her et the entire unsavory reed to this lunch She didn’t knohy
Then again, she did
A part of her, the part that er-than-life energy, hungered for any word of him If she couldn’t have Clark--and she couldn’t--then, fool that she was, Phoebe wanted to hear about hiive her the details she secretly longed for
The outrage had faded now, replaced with a burning sadness She loved Clark He’d been a very important part of her life for nearly two years It felt as if a giant hole had opened up in her everyday existence, a hole that seele day Phoebe wavered betishing Clark could be wiped fro any scrap of infor off the relationship would’ve been so nore theh she had a job that s were listless as she looked for ways to f ill the time she would otherwise have spent with Clark The waterfront restaurant, close to Pike Place Market, was one of the places often frequented by tourists The hostess was busy seating patrons when Phoebe arrived She removed the scarf that had protected her hair frolanced over at the bank of ith their view of the et Sound To her surprise, her mother was already seated Leanne waved; Phoebe waved back, then h the maze of tables
"You’re early" That was a rarity Phoebe took off her raincoat, hanging it on a hook outside the circular booth, and slid in next to her ood seat" Leanne set aside the ht on time, as usual"
Phoebe didn’t co prompt was a character f law
"The special of the day is a squash risotto and the soup is toh she didn’t havethe barbecued shrimp," her mother declared
"It’s supposed to be excellent Marlene Snowden recommended it the last ti if she’d done the wrong thing inClark’s mother
Phoebe let the remark slide "I’ll just have the soup"
Leanne continued, a bit cautiously "Speaking of Clark’s mother…"
"Must we?" Phoebe asked pointedly
"Oh, Phoebe, I don’t think you realize how upset everyone is Marlene phonedlike this"
"Me?" Phoebe cried, arousing curious looks from the people seated close by "Why does all the bla her voice "Clark’s the one who can’t keep his pants zipped"
Her mother blanched "Phoebe, please…"
"I didn’t co to do with theh that wasn’t strictly true "If you feel you have to bring his naht be best if I left now"
"Oh, sweetie, don’t do that I’m sorry It’s just that this is painful for ood friends"
"Even if Clark and I are no longer engaged, there’s no reason you can’t still be friends with his h she already knew the relationship was doomed Her mother and Marlene had little in co included in the Snowdens’ social circle, but with the engagement over, it was unlikely that Marlene would continue to invite Phoebe’s mother to the exclusive events she’d enjoyed so much The waiter came for their drink order and to Phoebe’s astonishlass of white wine Phoebe asked for coffee The weather seeest a hot drink; besides, she had to work this afternoon Minutes later, their server was back with their drinks and wrote down their lunch choices
"My f irst knitting class ell," Phoebe said, trying to steer the conversation away from the Snowdens
Herto knit"
"Well, relearning…" Phoebe had forgotten that she’d decided to keep it a secret "I needed so…" She left the rest unsaid Her mother had to kno lost and lonely she must feel without Clark in her life