Mad River Road Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’m the big sister. She’s supposed to be the one looking up to me, not the other way around.”
    Jamie waited for Marilyn to say, I’m sure she looks up to you too, which, even if it wasn’t true, would have been nice to hear, but the woman said nothing. Suddenly the door to the intensive care unit swung open and an attractive woman wearing black pants, a yellow sweater, and a wide scowl strode into the waiting area. At least two inches taller than Jamie, and older by several years, she was pretty in an aggressive, in-your-face kind of way, her chin-length hair a little too black, her lipstick a little too coral.
    “Which one of you is Jamie Kellogg?”
    Jamie jumped to her feet. “I’m Jamie.”
    “You’re Tim Rannells’s sister?”
    Was this Tim’s doctor? Jamie wondered, thinking the woman needed to work on her bedside manner. “Half-sister actually,” Jamie heard herself say, then bit down onher lip to keep from embellishing further. Hadn’t her mother told her that you could always tell when a witness was lying by how many unsolicited details he or she felt compelled to supply?
    “Tim doesn’t have a sister. Half or otherwise,” the woman said, as Jamie felt the color drain from her cheeks. “Who are you?”
    “Who are
you?”
Jamie asked in return.
    “I’m Eleanor Rannells. Tim’s wife.”
    The words hit Jamie like a giant fist, knocking the wind from her lungs, so that it was all she could do to remain standing.
    “I repeat, who the hell are you?”
    “I work with your husband,” Jamie said quickly, almost gagging on the word. “And this is Marilyn.” She pointed to the woman in the plastic orange chair, who immediately dropped her magazine to the floor and jumped to her feet.
    “Nice to meet you,” Marilyn said, extending her hand. “You work at Allstate?”
    “I’m a claims adjuster,” Jamie said. “Marilyn’s in payroll.”
    “Payroll,” Marilyn agreed.
    “I don’t understand. What are you doing here? And why would you say you’re Tim’s sister?”
    “We heard about Tim’s accident,” Jamie explained. “And we thought we’d drop by and see how he was doing. We bought him a present. It’s the new John Grisham.”
    Eleanor Rannells took the book from Jamie’s outstretched hand, tucked it under her arm.
    “Apparently the only people allowed into intensive care are relatives,” Marilyn continued, picking up the slack. “So …”
    “So you became the sister he never had,” Eleanor said to Jamie.
    As opposed to the wife he does, Jamie thought, wondering if Eleanor was actually buying any of this, or if she was simply too polite to cause a scene. “How is he?”
    “He had a bad reaction to the anesthetic. It was touch-and-go for a few minutes there, but it looks like he’s out of danger now, although they aren’t allowing any visitors.”
    “Please give him our love,” Marilyn said.
    “I’ll do that.” Eleanor patted the novel, which was now securely wedged beneath her arm. “Thanks for the book. Grisham’s his favorite. How’d you know?”
    “Lucky guess,” Jamie said, watching the door of the intensive care ward close behind her boyfriend’s wife.
    “Are you all right?” Marilyn asked from somewhere beside her.
    “He’s married.”
    “Apparently so.”
    “He’s married!”
    “Can I get you a glass of water?”
    “We’ve been going out for four months. How could I not know he was married?”
    “Trust me,” Marilyn said. “It happens to the best of us.”
    “I’m so stupid!” Jamie wailed.
    “You aren’t stupid. You just fell for the wrong guy.”
    “This isn’t the first time.”
    “No, and it probably won’t be the last. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
    “That lying bastard!” Jamie burst into a flood of bitter, angry tears.
    “Thatta girl. That’s more like it.”
    “What am I going to do?”
    “I’ll tell you what you’re
not
going to do, and that’s waste any more tears on guys like that.” Marilyn wiped the tears