Elsinore Canyon Read Online Free PDF Page B

canoe. A short, mousy girl next to a scruffily handsome guy. Every picture captioned with “my brilliant, gorgeous fiancé!” Even she seemed mystified at his presence.
    Down in the cottage, Laurie was packing and giving Phil a sisterly earful. He sprawled elegantly on the stairs, still in his suit from the reception, and listened with a patient smile as Laurie stuffed bras and tampons into a suitcase and lectured him anxiously. “I never said anything before because I didn’t think it would go this far,” she said.
    “How far is that?” he said mildly.
    “Phil, listen. She’ll break your heart, she’ll leave you in the dust. Girls like her are users.”
    “Girls like her?”
    “She has bite-me money, she’s untouchable in this town—but you’re not. When the sex tape comes out, she’ll get her own reality show and you’ll be Mr. Nobody.”
    “Sex tape?” he said painfully. “Laurie…”
    “I know you’re not dazzled by her wealth. But you don’t think about the bad things it can do.”
    “She never used it to buy my love.”
    “Oh? Has she gotten it anyway?”
    Phil fiddled with a cufflink.
    Laurie went to adjust it for him. “Don’t forget: when she inherits everything Mr. Hamlet has, she also gets his job. Her life is not her own. Didn’t she say she wanted to go to Pepperdine with you, but that was overruled? Do you think she’ll have time for you up at Stanford?”
    “I’m thinking those Stanford geniuses are better at managing their time than I am.”
    “You may be Mister Perfect SAT Score, but that doesn’t mean you’re smart about Dana. Even if she really loves you, there’s all kinds of things, things beyond her control, that’ll keep her from being a good wife. The perfect wife you deserve.”
    Phil wagged his head affectionately. “So first it’s a trashy reality show and then it’s a pillar of society who’s out of my reach.”
    “Well, there are no good choices.” Laurie settled his head on her shoulder and mingled her cheek in his hair. “I still can’t believe Mrs. Hamlet’s dead. You and I are going to be brother and sister forever. Whatever happens between us, whoever else comes and goes, nothing will change that.”
    “We’ll be together a long, long time.”
    “You’ve got to believe me. You’re the one I care about.”
    He looked up at her like he did in those baby pictures. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
    The sounds of heavy feet and harrumphing heralded the entry of Polly, who appeared in full regalia, tie-tack, French cuffs, and vest, brandishing an itinerary. “How many preventable problems are there going to be this time?” he bellowed at the brother and sister, still lightly clasped. “Have you locked those suitcases? Don’t bother answering, I found the keys in a Kentucky Fried Chicken bag. With a half-eaten leg. Phil, move that duffel—that’s right, put it right where I’ll fall over it. Do you know what the leading cause of death is in this area of the country?” And with such assistance and encouragement, the three of them got Laurie’s things into Polly’s van, and they all left for LAX.

    Polly drove leisurely down the fast lane of the Coast Highway and glanced sideways at Laurie. “You’re giving up quite a bit of family time for Clark.”
    “I know, but—” The darkness gave her freedom to speak, to be her true self. She had never been so passionate about anything in her life. “It’s not just Clark. It’s his work. We have a lot to do before he goes away.” Their plan was crucial. Their plan would change everything. Their plan was for her to transfer to a Boston-area college at the end of her sophomore year. There they would lay the foundation for their future, which would be a romantic and professional partnership to rival the ages. There would be meaningful, important work that would not only transform society; equally important, it would also give rise to a glorious new Laurie. Clark would be a lawyer and then a