Damage Control Read Online Free PDF Page B

time to analyze the new emotion. Lena came around the corner with another stack of dresses and piled them on top of the first.
    â€œSo which ones did you guys choose?” she asked, a bright smile on her face and a serene look in her brown eyes. The maelstrom seemed to have passed, at least for now, but Andrea had seen enough of the new facets to Lena’s personality to keep her guard up. One wrong word would set her off again and they’d be right back where they started.
    â€œTalk about bipolar,” Claire whispered in Andrea’s ear. With a shake of her head, she returned her attention to Lena. “We like them all, sweetie. The important thing here is which one you like the best. It’s your day, after all, and you want everything to be perfect.”
    Lena seemed to think about Claire’s words for a minute before she nodded, the smile growing. She ran her finger along the lacy fabric of one of the uglier gowns. “I guess you’re right. I was thinking the bright orange one. It’d be perfect for a fall wedding, don’t you think?”
    While Claire nodded, Andrea shrank down in her seat. If Lena would just elope, it would make life so much easier for the whole family. She’d have to see if she could talk Jerry into kidnapping his bride and dragging her to Vegas.
    Two grueling hours later, Andrea sat across from Claire at one of the local mom and pop coffee shops, cradling a chipped blue stoneware mug between her palms. The headache had finally started to abate, and once the second dose of aspirin she’d popped kicked in, she was hoping she’d feel almost back to normal. The place smelled of grease and coffee, and it had taken Andrea a few minutes of deep breathing to get used to it. Her stomach still threatened to rebel.
    Claire munched on a plate of greasy fries, and every time Andrea glanced down at the table, the sight of them made her gut churn. Though she hadn’t eaten all day, the thought of food didn’t settle right.
    â€œHow are you holding up?” Claire asked with a giggle in her voice.
    In the process of taking a sip of her coffee, Andrea glared at her sister over the rim of her mug. “You’re not very funny. You know what they say about payback.”
    â€œOh, I think I’m hilarious. And as for revenge, that’s not really a threat. Remember all those times you harassed me for being hung over when I was in college? This is payback, honey.”
    â€œSave it. I’m not that hung over anymore.” She took another sip of the coffee in her mug and winced at the acidic taste. Even loaded with cream and sugar, the stuff was still bitter. No wonder she’d never really gotten into drinking it. “Do you know how many calories are in that plate of food? That’s probably your whole daily intake right there.”
    Claire shrugged before stuffing another fry into her mouth. She chewed before answering Andrea. “I have a high metabolism and a gym membership. And I’m only thirty-three. Maybe you should try to lighten up and enjoy yourself once in a while.”
    â€œDad died when he was ten years older than you. Heart attack, remember?” The thought of their father should have made Andrea sad, but she couldn’t quite muster the emotion. So much time had passed, and Anthony Ray had never really been close to his children. The one thing he’d done right was to instill them with a good work ethic. Other than showing them how important a person’s career was, he’d pretty much left them alone. Their mother had raised them, though all four of them would likely admit she hadn’t done the best job. The nannies and day-care providers had been more loving than her. Even now, she still couldn’t manage to be more than lukewarm to her children.
    â€œDad had other problems besides a plate of French fries every once in a while, and the doctors told Mom it was the stress that killed him.”